German names for girls. Old German names for girls

The German people, like any other society, has its own name. According to the German Language Society, in recent years, Marie (Marie), Sophie (Sophie), Lena (Lena), Emma (Emma), Lea (Lea / Leah), Anna (Anna), Emily (Emilie / Emily ), Lily (Lilli / Lilly / Lili), Lina (Lina). How do German families choose a name? What is the main focus? First of all, sorting german names girls, many families pay attention to euphony. That is why such names as Louise, Laura, Lena, Lea, Emily are very popular among the Germans.

In addition, the popularity of the name is influenced by pop culture and social events. For example, after the victory of Lena Meyer-Landrut at Eurovision, this name was given to almost every third newborn. Fashion also plays an important role, for example, there was a time when there were too many kids named Angelina, Justin and Kevin in kindergartens. At the same time, there are parents who name their children after fictional characters books or films. And at the same time, "old-fashioned" German names for girls are becoming popular, the same situation can be observed in Russia. If you want to give your daughter a beautiful German name, then we advise you to use our list.

German girls names:

Agnese - chaste saint

Clarimondt - a bright defender

Agnet - chaste saint

Conradine is a courageous adviser

Adala - noble

Kressenz - emerging

Adalwolfa - noble she-wolf

Kunibert - brave bright

Adalheid - noble species

Cunigand - enduring war

Adalheidis - a noble species

Kate - pure

Adelind - noble snake

Latgard - protector of people

Adelinde - noble snake

Leonor - foreign other

Adelheit - a noble species

Liseloth - god - my oath

Aleite - a noble species

Liesl - god - my oath

Aloisia - famous warrior

Lore - laurel

Amalazuinta - strong working

Lorelei - mumbling rocks

Amalia - work

Lorelai - murmur of the rock

Angelika - angelic

Luitgard - protector of people

Aneli - favor grace

Louise - famous warrior

Annaleisa - favor grace

Mine - helmet

Annalisa - favor grace

Malazinta - strong worker

Anneline - favor grace

Malvine - smooth eyebrow

Atala - noble

Margaret - pearl

Barbel - foreign

Mareik - beloved

Bindi is a beautiful snake

Maril - beloved

Bridget is majestic

Minna - helmet

Victoria the Conqueror

Mirjam - Beloved

Wilda - wild

Odila - rich

Wilhelmine - helmet

Odile - rich

Gabrayale - strong from God

Ortrun - the secret of the point

Ganda - war

Ottild - rich

Gertrudt - the power of the spear

Ottilie - rich

Gratia - pleasing

Raik - peaceful ruler

Gretta - pearl

Reinhild - battle advisor

Dagmar - maid of the day

Rosemary - Beloved

Jerdi - nested citadel

Ruperta - famous

Jisela - pledge

Sigild - smitten with victory

Joseph - she will multiply

Tatyana - father

Zelda the gray maiden

Teresia the reaper

Zuzanne - lily

Freja - lady hostess

Yvon - yew tree

Freed - the power of the elf

Yvonette - yew tree

Frock the little lady

Imk - whole

Hann - good god

Ingeborg - help protection

Hedwig - fighting war

Irma - a whole universal

Helmine - helmet

Irmgard - universal

Heluidis - very healthy

Irmtrod - totally loved

Hermine - army man

Irmtrud - totally loved

Hildegard - guard of battle

Kakili - blind

Hildegaird - wrestling

Carlot is a man

Hiltrod - the power of battle

Katarina - pure

Elsa - god is my oath

Katherine - pure

Ermtraud - totally loved

Kinj - enduring war

Ermtrud - totally loved

Clara - clear bright

Erna - fighting death

Germany does not keep official statistics on given names, but the German enthusiastic scientist Knud Bielefeld, who regularly determines the most common German baby names, does this for her.

In 2012, he was able to analyze 165,979 birth certificates from all over Germany, about 25 percent of all those born in 2012. His estimate is based on publications from 430 different sources, including data from maternity hospitals, clinics and registry offices. We talk about the top three: the most popular female and male names in Germany in 2012 and give the TOP-25 names with their spelling in German and Russian.

The most popular German female names

Mia- an abbreviated form of the biblical name Mary. The name Mia was not popular until the 90th year, but since 2007 the name Mia has entered the top 10 most common names among babies. Since 2009, Mia is the most popular female name in Germany. The name "Mia" is a popular German pop-rock band.

Very often girls were called Emma at the end of the 19th century. During the 20th century the name Emma lost popularity. The return of the name began at the beginning of the 2000s, and for the past 10 years, Emma has been in the top 10 most frequent German names.

German name Hannah used in two versions - as Hannah and Hanna, while 59% of modern Hannas have an “h” at the end of the name. Since 1979, this name has been gaining popularity, and for the last 15 years, most German parents have liked it. The result is logical - in schools, Hannah is the most common name.

The most popular German male names

Ben- borrowed from in English German male name. Despite the fact that the name Ben is a shortened form of Benjamin, the Germans do not use the full form, considering that it is quite normal to write the name Ben on a child's birth certificate. Moreover, many parents give their child a middle name, such as Ben Luca, or Ben Louis. Since 2001, the popularity of the name Ben has not fallen below the top 30.

Luca- the popularity of the name was set by Susan Viga, whose song of the same name entered the charts around the world in 1987. Since that time, Luca has been on the rise in the list of preferences of German parents. Luke's name in Germany has long overtaken America in popularity. Luca is the name of the unisex generation: it is assigned to both girls and boys. The male name Luca comes from the Italian form of the name Lucas. Feminine - to the Catholic Lutz, or Lucia. According to German law, the child does not have to be given a middle name in this case: the vast majority of children with the name Luke are boys.

German name Paul was at the height of its popularity late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century. The fashion for names changed, the male name Paul was forgotten in order to start gaining popularity again, following England, in the late seventies, and enter the top 30 most popular male German names in early XIX century. The meaning of the name Paul is "small". The name takes its roots from the ancient Roman Paulus.

The most popular German names in Germany among babies in 2012:

Formerly people the humble class managed with only one name, for example, Heinrich, Anna, Dietrich. This fact is recorded in the documents of the past, for example, in church books, contracts, court papers and literary works of that time.

At times Late Middle Ages there was a trend when common name(Rufname) a nickname (Beiname) or a surname (Familienname) began to be added. Rufname is the name by which it was preferable to address a person, for example, Heinrich. Beiname is a nickname that a person received depending on personal qualities, appearance, and other things.

Nicknames might have been needed to indicate that out of dozens of Heinrich bearers, it was the curly-haired one: Heinrich Krause could have appeared this way. Also, this step was important for the city administration and other bureaucrats, again to distinguish the townspeople from each other.

An important difference between a nickname and a surname was that it was not passed on to the next generations. It could also be added to the name, transformed from the type of activity of its carrier, the area where he lives, or, again, personal qualities. Surnames are passed from one generation to another by inheritance. Today it can be argued that surnames, as such, were formed from nicknames.

Names

It is conditionally possible to divide German names into two groups - ancient Germanic and foreign (Latin and Greek), which came after the spread of Christianity. Names of ancient Germanic origin include, for example, Karl, Ulrich, Wolfgang, Gertrud. Ancient Germanic names consisted, as a rule, of two bases, each of which had its own meaning. Such names were supposed to influence the fate of a person, patronize and protect him. In ancient documents (750-1080), about 7000 two-root Germanic names are indicated, most of which were male.

In the 11th century, such a variety of names came to naught due to the influence of Christianity and the arrival of new, southern European names. The new religion gradually contributed to the fact that Germanic names lost popularity and fell into oblivion.

Interestingly, in ancient Germanic names, many roots mean war, battle or weapons.

Examples of stems denoting:

Battle: badu, gund, hadu, hari, hild, wig

Weapons: ekka, ger (spear), isan, ort (weapon point)

Basics denoting ammunition and protection:

Brun: chest shield

Burg: refuge

Guard: fence

Linta: Linden shield

Rand: high shield

Roots denoting the characteristics of the battle:

Bald: (kühn) bold

Harti: (hart) strong

Kuni: (kühn) courageous

Muot: brave

Trud: (Kraft) strength

And signifying the consequences of the battle:

Sigu: (Sieg) victory

Hruod: (Friede) peace

Fridu: (Waffenruhe) armistice

Diet: (Natur) nature

Animal world:

Arn: (Adler) an eagle

Bero: (Bär) bear

Ebur: (Eber) boar

Hraban: (Rabe) raven

Wolf, wulf: (Wolf) wolf

The original meaning of many names today is difficult to decipher, since in the connection of the roots some letters of the name were lost over time. However, studying ancient names, one can undoubtedly discover many interesting cultural and historical details. Unfortunately, today the interpretation of ancient Germanic names is rather generalized. Also, in addition to the two-root names mentioned, there were also some single-root ones. Among them are famous, for example, Karl, Bruno and Ernst.

Meanings of some German names:

Heinrich - housekeeper

Wolfgang - the way of the wolf

Ludwig - famous warrior

Wilhelm - reliable helmet

Friedrich - peaceful ruler

Rudolf - glorious wolf

With the spread of Christianity, names of Greek and Roman origin were used more and more than those of Germanic origin. In comparison with the ancient Germanic names, they lacked the principle of dividing into two bases. Latin names with Roman origin are quite ordinary in their meaning and do not carry the grandeur inherent in ancient Germanic names: Paulus is small, Claudius is lame. Often the names of the children were chosen depending on how the child was born in a row: Tertiat is the third.

Traditional and beautiful-sounding names are very unsightly in their meaning, for example, Claudia - lame. Names that came under Greek influence were more cheerful. Amanda is worthy of love, Felix is ​​happy.

For the past five years, the lists of the most popular female and male names have been occupied by Mia and Emma among girls, and Ben, Jonas and Luis among boys.

And the most common names of Germany among the adult population (born between 1980 and 2000) sound quite different. For example, here are the most common male names: Peter, Michael, Wolfgang, Jurgen, Andreas, Stephan, Christian, Uwe, Werner, Hans, Mathias, Helmut, Jorg, Jens.

Female names: Ursula, Sabine, Monica, Susanne, Petra, Birgit, Andrea, Anna, Brigitte, Claudia, Angelika, Heike, Gabriele, Cathrin, Anja, Barbara. These names are not very common among young people and you can meet them sooner among the older generation.

IN German there are not many ways to form a diminutive name. The main ones are: -le, -lein, -chen. For example, in the names Peterle, Udolein, Susannchen. By a diminutive name, a person can be addressed in the family circle.

Among friends, at school or university, just the short form of the name is more often used, it is more neutral: Klaus from Nikolaus, Gabi from Gabriel, Sussi from Susanne, Hans from Johannes. Usually, short names are formed with the morpheme -i at the end of a word.

Today, it is not uncommon for parents to initially give their child exactly the short form of a name: Toni (instead of the full Antonie) or Kurt (instead of Konrad). At the same time, the names obtained in this way are used on a par with the original ones. full forms. The use of short forms as independent names has been officially allowed since the 19th century. It is noteworthy that short and diminutive names have for the most part neuter gender.

And my last name is too famous for me to call it!

As in many other European countries, in Germany, surnames first appeared among the nobility and feudal lords, as a sign of belonging to an eminent family at the beginning of the Middle Ages. Gradually, surnames also received ordinary ones, not noble people. As in Russian, many surnames go back to designations of professions, occupation, place of residence and human qualities (Kuznetsov, Popov, Volkov, Khoroshkin) or from personal names (Ivanov, Antonov). As for the differences, German surnames, as a rule, do not have indicators of female or male, unlike Russian, where endings and suffixes almost always tell the gender of the carrier: Kuznetsov - Kuznetsova, Ilyin - Ilyina, Savelyev - Savelyeva. It is worth noting that this was not always the case, and until the beginning of the 19th century in Germany there were special, feminine endings for surnames.

German surnames formed from personal names:

Walter, Hermann, Werner, Hartmann.

Surnames derived from nicknames:

Klein - small

Brown -brown

Neumann - the new man

Krause - curly

Lange - long, lanky

Jung - young

Schwarz - black haired

Stolz - proud

Bart - bearded man

Surnames formed from the name of professions and type of activity:

Müller - miller

Schmidt - blacksmith

Fischer - fisherman

Schneider - tailor, cutter

Wagner - carriage master

Meyer - manager (estate)

Weber - weaver

Hoffman - courtier

Koch - cook

Becker - from him. Backer - baker

Schäfer - shepherd

Schulz - warden

Richter- Judge

Bauer - peasant, country man

Schröder - tailor

Zimmermann - carpenter

Krüger - potter, innkeeper

Lehmann - landowner

König - king

Köhler - collier

Schuhmacher - shoemaker

The 10 most common surnames and their famous carriers:

Müller Otto Müller (1898 - 1979) was a German painter and graphic artist.

Matthias Müller (1953) - head of the VW automobile concern.

Schmidt Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt (1918 - 2015), German politician (SPD), German Chancellor 1974 - 1982

Schneider Romy Schneider (1938 - 1982), Austrian-German actress, best known for her role in the Sisi film trilogy.

Fischer Helene Fischer(1984) German singer, performer of hits and pop music.

Meyer Friedrich Wilhelm Franz Meyer (1856 - 1935) - German mathematician.

Weber Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (1864 - 1920) German lawyer, economist and co-founder of sociology.

Schulz Axel Schulz (1968) is a German boxer.

Wagner Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883)- German composer, who wrote the music and libretto for the opera Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Becker Boris Franz Becker (1967) is a German professional tennis player and Olympic champion.

Hoffman Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776 - 1822) - German lawyer, writer, composer, bandmaster, music critic, artist. Author of The Nutcracker and mouse king», « Worldly views Murra the cat.

May I apply?

When politely addressing “You” to a man, they say Herr + (Nachname): Herr Müller When politely addressing “You” to a woman, Frau + (Nachname): Frau Müller

When filling out official forms, they are always asked to indicate Vorname and Nachname. Enter your first name in the Vorname field and your last name in the Nachname field.

In everyday life, the word der Name means exactly the surname: "Mein Name ist Müller."

Interestingly, German law prohibits giving children names as names geographical names (Bremen, London), titles (Prinzessin), trade marks(Coca-Cola), surnames or fictitious names (as is customary, for example, in the USA). But on the other hand, it is allowed to give a child up to five names - while only two of them can be written with a hyphen (Anne-Marie).

Also unacceptable are names that are considered immoral and degrading to the dignity of a child, considered religious taboo or are not given names. If the registry office officials refuse to enter the chosen name, the issue will be resolved in court.

Words and expressions:

Das Kind beim Namen nennen - call a spade a spade

Die Dinge beim Namen nennen - call a spade a spade

Auf einen Namen horen - respond to a nickname (about animals)

Unter falschem Namen - under a false name

Mein Name ist Hase - my hut on the edge

Natalia Khametshina, Deutsch Online

For the first time, German female names appeared several hundred years before our era. Their sound reflected the life, culture and beliefs of the ancient Germanic tribes.

The Germans believe that the name can significantly affect the fate of a person, so the choice of a name for a newborn girl is approached with great care. Many German names of women known to this day consist of two parts, each of which has its own meaning.

In the Middle Ages, the Germans borrowed names from other nationalities. Modern German female names come from literary works or movies.

The Germans spelled out at the legislative level how girls can be called. It is forbidden to call them obscene, dissonant names. In Germany, there is an official list of allowed female names.

Let's talk about some of the most beautiful old and modern German names and the meaning of some of them.

Ursula

Ursula is a popular German name, girls are called Ulla or Uschi for short. Girls named Ursula are active and hardworking. They are demanding and receptive to the world around them.

Ursulas have a strong character, never get lost in difficult situations. Ulla loves praise, but she sees flattery from afar. She does not like lying and insincere people.

Ursulas are hardworking and always bring what they start to the end. They are friendly to others, but only until the moment when people do not affect the interests of Ulla.

For Ursula, her colleagues are not allies, but rivals. If there is an urgent need, Ulla is capable of compromises.

A woman with that name considers her opinion the only true one, therefore she often reads lectures to others. In general, Ursula is an obligatory and responsible person who achieves great success in her work.

ingrid

The name Ingrid means the need for dominance. A woman named Ingrid is not afraid of conflicts and tries to constantly demonstrate her power. She is always busy with something. Tireless Ingrid is ready to take part in several cases at once, sometimes exhausting herself.

In personal relationships, she is devoted and faithful, but because of permanent employment she often doesn't have time to build strong family. Sometimes Ingrid can speak rudely and bluntly, she is very intolerant of other people's mistakes.

But quickly leaves and calms down. Ingrid is a born leader, she is able to manage a huge team.

Hannah

The old name Hanna, popular in Germany, has Jewish roots and is directly related to Christianity. That was the name of the mother of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ. The name Hannah has several meanings - the grace of God, brave, courage.

A woman who received this name has been striving for justice and independence since childhood. Little Hannahs are quick-tempered and vulnerable, they can cause a storm of emotions out of the blue.

With age, they cease to be quick-tempered and learn to control themselves. Hannas are sincere and always ready to help. They do not like fuss, in any difficult situations they behave calmly and judiciously.

Gertrude

German name Gertrude Scandinavian roots and translates as warrior. Hera has a masculine disposition, she is able to achieve a lot in life.

Little Gertrude is a quiet and fearful child, she is a good student and demonstrates talents in various fields. Adult Gertrude has strong character, strict to others. IN family life Hera is soft, gentle and devoted, she hospitable hostess It's always warm and cozy in her house.

Elsa

Elsa is the German version of the name Elizabeth, in Germany this name is very common. Elsa is determined and brave. As a child, he prefers to play with boys.

Elya takes what is happening close to her heart and requires an attentive and sensitive attitude. Little Elsa has a well-developed imagination, but she has no special abilities for learning.

Adult Elsa is a workaholic, leads an active lifestyle, achieves heights in her career. With colleagues, she is usually closed, rarely sharing her personal life. Elsa is distinguished by her love for pets; there are usually many pets in her house.

In her personal life, Elsa prefers numerous novels, they are not inclined to strong ties. In men, they especially value intelligence. Domineering character does not prevent Elsa from being a good and fair mother.

Brigitte

Brigittes are indecisive and timid, preferring to keep a low profile and keep their emotions in check. Women with this name are true to their word, they always keep their promises. They take betrayal and betrayal hard.

If Brigitte has become attached to someone, then you can be sure that this is for a long time. Brigittes are hardy and tireless, due to this they can achieve a lot. They become ideal housewives and wonderful mothers.

Rosemary

Rosemary is known for her simple and uncomplicated nature. They always have many friends, they are mobile and cheerful. As a child, Rosemary can reach certain heights in sports.

Adult Rosemary is distinguished internal contradictions: she can passionately love a person and also hate him fiercely. Women with this name are subject to frequent mood swings without any external causes.

Other popular German names

• Rosemary is a reminder.
• Greta is a gem.
• Wilda is wild.
• Nicole is the conqueror of nations.
• Christina is a Christian.
• Bertha is brilliant.
• Emma is precious.
• Ida is good.
• Susanna is a water lily.
• Astrid is beautiful.
• Angelica - angelic.
• Brigitte is strong.
• Laura - laurel.
• Monica is the only one.
• Gabriela is God's warrior.
• Hannah is brave.
• Anna is a blessing.
• Beata is blessed.
• Stephanie is crowned.
• Katrina is clean.
• Sofia is wise.
• Renata - born again.
• Helga is a saint.
• Maria is desirable.
• Ursula is a bear.
• Gertrude - beloved + spear.
• Erica is powerful.
• Ingrid is fertile.
• Elizabeth is my God.
• Petra is stone.
• Helena is a torch.
• Adelinda is a noble snake.
• Amalia is work.
• Benedict - blessed.
• Griselda is a gray maiden.
• Yvonne is a yew tree.
• Rebecca - trapping.
• Jadwiga is a wealthy warrior.
• Francis is free.
• Raffaela - God has healed.
• Elsa - worshiping God.
• Hilda is practical.
• Gertrude is the power of the spear.
• Brunnhilde is a female warrior.
• Gretchen is a little pearl.
• Juliana is young.
• Annemarie - good.
• Sommer is summer.
• Margaret is a gem.
• Martha is a lady.
• Clara is bright.
• Carla is human.
• Ingeborg - protection.
• Isolde is an ice rule.
• Gabi is strong.
• Amalia is work.
• Erma is whole.
• Francis is free.
• Eleanor is different.
• Emily is competitive.
• Teresa is a reaper.
• Suzy is a lily.
• Felika is lucky.
• Helma is a helmet.
• Dress is rich.
• Ida is good.
• Louise is a warrior.
• Ernesta - fighting death.
• Irma is a dedication to the god of war.
• Astrid is the goddess of beauty.
• Helena is the moon.
• Hilda is attractive.
• Frida is the strength of an elf.
• Ulrika - power.
• Imma is whole.
• Leona is a lioness.
• Lorelei is the muttering of the rock.
• Carlota is human.
• Jitta is majestic.
• Verena is wisdom.
• Volda is the rule.
• Hertha is the power of the spear.
• Iolanta is a violet.
• Isolde is cold gold.
• Jolenta is a purple flower.
• Matilda is strong in battle.
• Verena is sacred wisdom.
• Albertina is a bright nobility.
• Ermtraud is totally loved.
• Adelaide is of noble birth.
• Heinriche is the household ruler.
• Svanhilda - a slain swan.

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There are male German names known to the whole world, the bearers of which determined the glory of Germany for centuries. Johann Sebastian, Ludwig, Wolfgang, Berthold - humanity without these people would not be what it is today.

Glory to all mankind

Bach, Beethoven, Goethe, Brecht - the list goes on for quite some time. Robert, Peter, Gunther, Erich - these names are known, loved, they are common and popular. The most important thing, in any case, in this article, is that these are truly German names for men. In a global, cosmic sense, it is obviously not very important what name a genius has. But just as the names Ivan Turgenev and Pyotr Tchaikovsky sound to the Russian ear, so do the names of Heinrich Heine and Robert Schumann to the German ear.

Smiles of time

It is absolutely impossible to ignore the name Karl. And not only because Marx wore it (although most of humanity is certainly familiar with it). Charlemagne, king of the Franks, is no less famous. Faberge and Lagerfeld, a world-famous jeweler and king of fashion, are also not unknown. What to say about Karl Urban. He played the role of one of the heroes of The Lord of the Rings! All other Karls pale - who knows the growth of Marx or Faberge? Urban has grown to 185 centimeters. Any football fan knows the Karls-footballers - Rummenigge and Kort. And Papa Carlo is a symbol of an unsuccessful worker! In a word, the name is well-known, ancient, which has not lost its popularity even today.

old names

The same ancient German names include the names of the heroes of the national epic "The Song of the Nibelungs" - the blue-eyed and blond Siegfried, the symbol of a purebred Aryan, Sigmund, Alberich and others. Despite more than a respectable age, these names are in demand. Siegfried Schneider is a two-time Olympic champion, Siegfried Lenz is a popular film actor. Sigmund, thanks to Freud, is a legendary name. Augustine also belongs to the old ones, a name glorified through the ages by the Austrian folk song "Ah, my dear Augustine." Such male German names as Herman, Martin, Friedrich, Wilhelm, Gustav and Alfred are of considerable age, but are still popular today.

Availability and impact of information

Information flows are very large, the number of heroes that young people want to imitate is endless. The Internet has made the globe one home, there are a lot of favorite names in it, and you want to name a child after an idol. Therefore, sometimes they become the most popular. At all times, fashion played an important role, it did not bypass the German ones. Modern ones clearly confirm the influence of the United States for life Western Europe. Ben (who topped the list of popularity) - when did this name become German? According to 2012 data, less than a third were included in the list of the most popular names for native German babies. It's nothing you can do - modern child live in a society, and it dictates its terms. There are many examples in the literature when children lived with hated names, blaming their parents all their lives. An example is Publius Valerius, one of the heroes of the Forsyte Saga. His father named him so in honor of the horse that came first in the race. But this is definitely an extreme case.

Internationality of names

There are many French names on the list - Louis, Lucas, Leon. A lot of Scandinavian - Jan, Jacob, Johas, Nicholas, of course, American - Tom, Tim. But the name Noah is some kind of double. It is believed that this is a Hebrew female name, however, if it is translated as Noah, then surprise still does not go away. Noa is a popular Israeli singer. Probably still German boys named after American actor, having Indian roots, the hero of the film "The Last Airbender" - Noah Ringer. Let's hope the French and American names combined with don't sound as wild as Harry Kravchenko. So, the most popular German names for today are Ben, Leon, Lucas, Luca (the song brought fame and love to this name). This only says that, despite the popularity of Berlinaria, there are a lot of American productions on the screens of German cinemas, as well as all over the world.

Names that have retained significance for contemporaries

Maybe Hansel sounds archaic, and it's better for a boy to live with the name Johas - the Germans will judge. It is pleasant to note Philip (a lover of horses) and Alexander (a courageous defender), who have not lost their popularity since ancient times. In the 2012 list, in addition to the above, there are such male popular German names as Felix, David, Henri. Times change and names change with them.

Names that have become household names

Every nation has names that represent it as a nation. Russian Ivan, American Uncle Sam, German Fritz. They have a negative stamp on them. "Fritz" was called during the war all the invaders. If we consider Fritz as shortened from the full name Friedrich, then the picture changes dramatically. It testifies to the greatness of Germany - Nietzsche, Engels, Schiller, Barbarossa. These were great people. Royal names Wilhelm and Heinrich are generally out of competition in terms of monumentality and grandeur. On the territory of Europe there were dozens of royal persons who wore them with honor. Heinrich Heine, the poet, added to his world fame. Given the wars unleashed by Germany in the 20th century, every German name, the most beautiful and noble, can belong to a war criminal. the head of the Gestapo, did not add human sympathies to him.

Typical German names

Erich, Gustav, Alfred, Heinrich, Wilhelm, Adolf, Friedrich - these are the most common German names. And the most typical. We can safely add Hermann and Otto to them, the most famous of which was Bismarck, the “Iron Chancellor”, who united the scattered German principalities into one state. But, people of the older generation also knew the handsome West German actor Otto Wilhelm Fischer and Otto Yulievich Schmidt.

Some male German names have undergone a well-deserved obstruction. Adolf was very unlucky. Derived from old Germanic name Adalwolf (translated as "noble wolf"), it characterized a very decent person. Elegance, restraint, sociability, possession of will and intellect were inherent in him. And it belonged for the time being, quite nice, talented people- Erichson (architect, master of Russian Art Nouveau), Andersen (the greatest chess player), Dassler (founder of Adidas). Adolfs were the king of Nassau and Dobryansky-Sachurov, a large public figure, philosopher and writer. Thanks to Hitler, this name, like the name of King Herod, will personify and inspire horror and disgust for centuries.

Beautiful names

In Germany, as in any other country, there are beautiful German male names. Rarely anyone is now called Maximilian, and even before it was not very common. But a very beautiful name. And the West German actor was very handsome and talented. The name is translated as "descendant of the greatest", its bearers have many positive features. Erudite were Maximilian I - the German king, and Maximilian Voloshin - Russian encyclopedist. But aren’t the names Alfred (he was worn by the famous Musset), Arnold (maybe there were famous Arnolds, but Schwarzenegger eclipsed everyone), Martin (“Martin Eden”) not beautiful. In some sources, Altaf, which translates as "the cutest, most charming", and simply "handsome", refers to German names. Such male German names listed in reference books as Lorenz, Raphael, Walter are most likely just names often given to boys in Germany. They are definitely foreign.

rare names

Herman deserves special words, which in Latin means close, uterine, true, even brother. The name is so international and popular that the Germans consider it German, and the Russians - Russian. Pastor Kant, as well as the well-known Jesuit Buzembaum, speak in favor of the first version. In favor of the second - the hero " Queen of Spades”, cosmonaut Titov, saints of Valaam, Constantinople, the hermit Solovetsky. All of them were Germans.

In Germany, as in any other country, there are rare German male names. There are a lot of them, from the noble Abelard to the bright Engelbert. These include Berndt, Villafried, Detlef, Etzel and many others.

Names - the image of Germany

In general, paying attention to male German names, you are amazed at the grandeur of the picture. No matter how many of them are listed, it is impossible to cover all the Germans who brought glory to their country and made their names immortal. Is it possible to ignore Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, if the screens of the world, one after another, come out pictures called "Amadeus". The names of philosophers, composers, writers - Liszt, Hegel, Kant and Schopenhauer - will always be the most famous for the Germans. And only they themselves can judge the significance and popularity of their names. I would like to believe that the time will never come when the names of geniuses will be known to mankind only as the nicknames of the turtle and the dog (Raphael and Beethoven), and no one will remember the bearers of these names.