The most popular German names for boys. German surnames for men and women: a list of beautiful and famous ones with translation

Almost all German names, male and female, have a rather harsh sound. At the same time, the meanings of German male names are not always “strict”, and each of you can choose a kind and romantic German name for your child.

Male names are known all over the world, but they are not as common as, for example, French or Spanish. But, nevertheless, beautiful German names for girls and boys have recently become more and more popular among many Europeans.

In Russia, German names (mostly masculine) were banned in the war and post-war years. This is not a state ban, it's just not surprising that no one wanted to name their children after their enemies.

However, after some time, German names began to be used again by Soviet citizens, and now many Europeans and Russians choose sonorous German names for their children. In this article, we will tell you about German names for boys, their origins and meanings.

GERMAN MALE NAMES

Origin of Germanic male names

Modern German male names, the list of which we will provide below, can be divided into two groups. The first includes names that have a native, i.e. ancient Germanic origin, and the second - foreign, which include the names of the Catholic saints.

The history of German names for men begins even before our era, and ancient names still exist among the German people, for example, such as the original German Karl, Wolfgang, Ulrich and others.

Many names in Germany are of Latin, Hebrew, Ancient Greek origin. Also, the formation of German names was significantly influenced by French, Slavic, Scandinavian names.

German boy names: what they are usually called

German parents can give their children several names at once, which is not prohibited by law. Moreover, all names are officially registered. Any teenager can choose one of all the names or leave it as it is, and at the same time have this name: Ludwig Georg Helmut Schneider, where the latter is a surname.

Note! By the way, German names may well replace surnames, and this is also official. Recently, there has been a tendency to register short names, for example, Heinz instead of Heinrich, Katya instead of Katharina, etc.

Popular German names (male)

Well, now let's see what are considered the most popular and beautiful German male names. The most famous names of the German people are known to the whole world thanks to the people of history, science and art - Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Rudolf Diesel, etc.

These names are popular among Germans and not only. The Germans themselves and many other Europeans refer to beautiful names such as: Robert, Erich, Siegfried (the name of the hero of the Nibelungenlied), Augustine, Herman, Maximilian, Alfred, Arnold, Lorenz, Altaf and others.

German male names and their meanings

Naming a child by an unusual name is only half the battle. After all, the main thing that needs to be taken into account in this important choice is not the origin at all, but the meaning of the name. Many people on our planet believe that the name determines the fate of a person, and, as studies show, this is really real.

How to choose a name so that it becomes a happy companion of its owner? Below we list some (most common) German boy names with meanings, but to learn more about the name, you should read about each name you like separately.

So, German names (male) popular and their meaning (list):

• Abelard - "noble"
• August - Dear
• Adalbert - "kindness"
• Adler, Arnold - "Eagle's possessions",
• Adolf - "famous wolf",
• Albert - "shine"
• Angel, Anselm - "Defender of God",
• Astor - "hawk"
• Barthold - "prominent ruler",
• Berndt - "brave and strong like a bear",
• Berhard - "unsurpassed defense",
• Bonifats - "fate"
• Wendel - "wandering"
• Werner - "guardian"
• Wilbert - "powerful fortress"
• Wilhelm - "helmet"
• Vincennes - "warrior"
• Voldemar - "famous ruler",
• Walker - "National Army"
• Wolfgang - "the way of the wolf"
• Hans - "God's goodness"
• Heinrich - "house manager",
• Gerard - "spear"
• Herbert - "army"
• Gofrid - "peace on Earth",
• Gunther - "fighting army"
• Dederik - "King of the Earth"
• Dietmar - "famous"
• Isaac - "laughing"
• Johan - "good-natured"
• Karl - "freedom-loving"
• Karsten - "God's Follower"
• Kaspar - "the one to cherish"
• Clemens - "merciful"
• Konrad - "advice"
• Lammert - "open spaces",
• Leonhard - "strong as a lion"
• Manfred - "peaceful force"
• Marcus - "warrior"
• Martin - "Man from Mars"
• Meinhard - "brave"
• Olberich - "the power of the elf",
• Aldrick - "elderly ruler"
• Otto - "rich man"
• Raymond - "intercessor"
• Reiner - "smart warrior"
• Ralph - "wolf"
• Rein, Reiner - "smart",
• Richard - "strong, powerful"
• Rotger - "famous weapon",
• Sigmand - "intercessor",
• Friedrich, Fritz - "humane ruler",
• Heinz - "housekeeper"
• Hank - "God's grace"
• Harald - "commander-in-chief"
• Hardwin - "true friend"
• Harman - "brave"
• Hayden - "pagan"
• Edward - "guardian"
• Eldrick - "Old Lord"
• Erich - "ruler"
• Ernst - "fighter against death"
• Jurgen - "peasant".

This is not a complete list of German male names, but only well-known and frequently used names by Germans. A more complete list, which includes 500 names and more, including in German, can be found on the Internet.

It is worth noting: that in the lists of German names you can find many French names, such as Louis, Leon and others. Also among German you will find the Scandinavian Johas, Nicholas, Jacob, the Hebrew Noah, etc. That is, the internationality of names is present here, as in many other languages ​​of the world.

But the main thing is not the origin of the name, but its meaning for the fate of a person. Therefore, when choosing a name for your boy, mainly pay attention to its meaning.

Like any other country, Germany has its own popular names. In general, there are no official statistics on the popularity of names in Germany, but several institutions are involved in this issue. The most famous are the ratings of the German Language Society (Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache - GfdS).

Here, data from about 170 German registry offices (Standesamt) are usually evaluated. So, according to the reports of the German Language Society, in the hit parade of the most popular male names in different years, they are constantly fighting for the championship. Maximilian(Maximilian) Alexander(Alexander) and Lucas(Lucas). And among female names alternately lead Marie(Marie) and Sophie(Sophie).

However, the internet project beliebte-vornamen.de, which also investigates the popularity of names in Germany, paints a slightly different picture. In 2013, they studied more than 180 thousand data on the birth of children and found that parents most often named girls - Mia(Mia) and the boys ben(Ben). Other popular names in 2013:

Illustration from beliebte-vornamen.de

This difference in the results is also explained by the fact that beliebte-vornamen.de takes into account only the first name in its rating (for example, Anna Maria Luisa - only Anna), while the German Language Society - all the names given to the child.

What influences parents' choice of name?

Definitely a big role is played by euphony. This explains the popularity of names starting with the letters M or L: Louise, Lena, Laura, Lina, Lea, Leon, Lucas, Maximilian, Max, Michael. Apparently, these sonorants are considered the most melodic and pleasing to the ear.

The popularity of the name is influenced, among other things, by social events and pop culture. Lena Meyer-Landrut's Eurovision victory in 2010 strengthened the popularity of the corresponding female name. Not in last place when choosing a name is fashion. And how else to explain the fact that at one time the kids were often called Angelina, Justin or Kevin? Some parents name their offspring after fictional characters of any books or films, for example, in Germany there are already Nymphadora (Nymphadora) and Draco (Draco) - and these are not characters from the world of Harry Potter, but real children.

By the way, at the same time, the opposite trend is observed: more and more Germans choose “old-fashioned” names for their babies, such as Matilda, Frida, Karl, Julius or Otto. Have you noticed that in Russia there is a similar picture - old names are becoming more and more popular? If among our peers it was only occasionally possible to meet Stepan or Timofey, Ulyana or Vasilisa, now in the sandbox you will not surprise anyone with Varvara, Yaroslava, Miron, Platon, or even Kuzma.

freedom of choice

By the way, the registry office may refuse to register an unusual-sounding name. The freedom of parents to choose any name for their child is limited by several principles: the name must not be obscene or degrading to the child, and must clearly indicate gender. For example, last year, among others, the following names were not allowed: Venus, Cezanne, Schmitz, Tom Tom, Pfefferminze, Partizan, Junge ) and Puppe (Puppe).

However, this does not mean that creative parents always fail in registry offices. For example, back in 1995, the court did not approve the use of the word “November” (November) as a name. And in 2006, November was already allowed to name a boy, and in 2007, a girl. Here are examples of other no less exotic-sounding names registered by registry offices : Galaxina (Galaxina), Cosma-Shiva (Cosma-Schiwa), Chelsea (Chelsea), Dior (Dior), Bo (Bo), Prestige (Prestige), Fanta (Fanta), Laperla (Laperla), Napoleon (Napoleon).

Aigul Berkheeva, Deutsch-online

Personal names and surnames are an integral part of the culture of any nation, capable of revealing its character, reflecting beliefs, way of life, value and aesthetic guidelines. The world of individual names and surnames is a world of meanings and meanings that need to be deciphered. Behind every name is a mystery and a riddle. Sonorous German female names carry echoes of Germanic myths and ballads. The rattling of medieval stadiums is heard in them, and the images of beautiful ladies and warlike Valkyries standing behind them influence the fate of their bearers. But is it?

German woman with national flag

German traditions in naming children

In Germany, children are given several names at birth. Their number can reach up to ten. With the onset of adulthood, everyone decides whether to choose only one name or leave everything. Names can also be used as family names.

The formation of complex personal names is a very old tradition associated with the ancient Germanic naming system that dominated Western Europe until the 10th century. Most often, the name consisted of two lexemes and acquired a three-dimensional meaning. For male names, popular lexemes were used with the meaning "friendship", "protection", "struggle", "war", "strength", "god", "power", "power", "glory" and the like. Interestingly, many of them were also used in female names. But, of course, the main meanings of female names gravitated towards other meanings: “ancestor”, “fertile”, “friendly”, “burly”, “attractive”, “healthy”, “generous”, etc. From the “cubes” lexemes formed personal names, unique and inimitable, having a sacred meaning and magical power. At the same time, one of the tokens of the child's name was very often a token from the name of the parents or more distant ancestors.

From the end of the 10th century, naming traditions began to change. The titled nobility seeks to justify their claims to completeness of power, including by choosing special names that are passed down from generation to generation. The prestige of aristocratic names made them popular among the masses. This led to a peculiar fashion and the spread of the same names.

By the 13th century, the most common names for girls in Germany were: Ava, Greta, Adaliza (Adela, Lisa), Gertrude, Werth, Matilda, Heila.

By origin, German female names can be divided into two groups. The first includes names of ancient Germanic origin. These are such names as Gertrude, Gerda, Carla, Emma and others. The second group is foreign names borrowed from Christianity - Katrina, Maria, Hanna, Margarita, etc. According to German law, girls cannot be given fictitious and geographical names, but it is allowed to use abbreviated versions (Inga, Lena, Mia), the fusion of two names : Marlene = Maria + Marlena, Annamaria = Anna + Mary and others.

German names for girls

Of course, it is impossible to list all German female names. Not everyone likes the German language. Many consider it rude and too warlike, but still there are female names of Germanic origin, the sound of which is melodious to the ear and favorable in meaning. Many of them are great for modern girls. Let's dwell on the most popular and beautiful.

List of popular German female names and their meanings

• Mia - short for Mary;
• - means bitter, serene, desirable;
• Hannah (Anna) - the grace of God, brave;
• Emma - precious, universal;
• - wise;
• Leonie is a lioness;
• Joanna - merciful;
• - short for Helena, torch, light;
• Ursula is a bear;
• Katrina - pure;
• Helga - sacred, holy;
• - reborn, reborn
• - Sabine;
• Ingrid - beautiful, fertile;
• Monica is the only one;
• Petra - stone;
• Susanna - water lily;
• Brigitte is strong;
• Erica - powerful, ruler;
• - a Christian
• Stefanie - crowned;
• Gertrude - spear + beloved;
• Elizabeth - my God - an oath;
• Angelica - angelic;
• Gabriela - God's warrior;
• Ilsa - short for Elizabeth;
• Nicole is the winner of nations.

The first eight names are the most popular female names in Germany and Austria over the past ten years. The rest are the most common in 1890-2002. Some names, such as Hannah and Emma, ​​fell out of favor during the 20th century, but have regained their popularity in the 21st century.

German female names Hanna and Emma - rebirth

The name Hannah is of Hebrew origin and means "God's mercy", "grace". In Christianity, it is one of the most common and is associated with such biblical characters as Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, the mother of the prophet Samuel, and others. The most famous German women with the name Hannah:

• Hannah Arendt is a philosopher;
• Hanna Reich - pilot;
• Hanna Heh - artist;
• Hanna Shigulla is an actress.

The name Emma comes from an ancient Germanic name meaning "huge, all-encompassing". The meaning of the name determined Emma's occupations - most often they are actresses, writers, singers. It has become widespread throughout Europe, and now there is a triumphant "return" of this name to its historical homeland.

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 has been 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- a German male name borrowed from English. 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 peak of its popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The fashion for names changed, the male name Paul was forgotten to start gaining popularity again, following England, in the late seventies, and enter the top 30 most popular male German names at the beginning of the 19th 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:

Due to their sonority and beauty, German family nicknames are very popular among the peoples of many countries. Each of the proper names is unique and has a specific origin. Anyone who wants to join the culture of the peoples of Germany will be able to pick up a nickname to their liking, beautiful in sound or with a sacred meaning.

German names and surnames

The history of the appearance of German names and surnames begins in ancient times. Personal names were designed to carry not only a beautiful combination, but also a magical meaning that endowed the owner with certain qualities of character. The family nicknames of the Germans had a slightly different character of formation. They began to emerge from nickname meanings that reflected:

• already existing bright qualities of a person (Braun - brown, Schwarz - black, Klein - small);
• the area where he lived (von Berne, von der Vogelweide);
• the owner's profession or occupation (Becker - baker, Koch - cook, Bauer - peasant);
• many were formed from personal names (Peters, Walter).

Gradually, peculiar nicknames began to be recorded in official documents and acquired the meaning of the first German surnames, entrenched in all the descendants of the people who wore them. Business papers began to distribute them widely. In many modern German families, it is customary to address servants simply by name, without using the addresses that are familiar to this European country and have a respectful meaning:

• Herr - for men;
• Frau - for women.

The prefix "von" in German surnames

Many Germanic surnames have the prefix "von" at the beginning. It was very honorable to have one, since it was assigned exclusively to people of noble blood - aristocrats. In ancient times, only feudal lords could have such a postscript - people who own servants and land plots. Today, the prefix "von" in German surnames can be found in people of any kind of activity, since all noble privileges have been abolished.

German surnames for girls

Girls with sonorous names can appropriate a second foreign origin. To respectfully address women in Germany, the word "Frau" is used, which means "madam." Beautiful German female surnames for girls:

• Kaufman is a merchant;
• Becker - baker;
• Rieger - from Riga;
• Klee - clover;
• Hertz - courage;
• Reuss - on behalf of;
• Schultz - headman;
• Mayer - farmer, burgomaster;
• Till is a strong ruler;
• Junghans - on behalf of the family.

German surnames for men

Noble and majestic meaning should be masculine surnames. Representatives of the stronger sex can choose them by translation from German, in accordance with their profession or appearance. To emphasize significance, the word "Herr" should be used when addressing. List of popular beautiful male German proper names with their meanings:

• Fisher is a fisherman;
• Schmidt is a blacksmith;
• Becker is a baker;
• Koch - cook;
• Richter - judge;
• Brown - brown;
• Lange - big;
• Klein - small;
• Schroeder - tailor;
• Kehler - coal miner;
• Kening is the king;
• Krause - curly;
• Lehmann is a landowner.

Popular German surnames

Common German surnames are often used as pseudonyms. They are beautiful, noble, sonorous. Such family nicknames are worn by many famous people. List of popular beautiful Germanic proper names with meanings:

• Müller is a miller;
• Mayer - manager of the lands;
• Weber - weaver;
• Wagner - carriage maker;
• Schultz - headman;
• Hoffmann - courtier;
• Schaefer is a shepherd;
• Bauer is a peasant;
• Wolf - wolf;
• Neumann is a new man;
• Zimmerman is a carpenter;
• Kruger - potter;
• Schwartz - black;
• Hartmann - from a male personal name.

There are other beautiful nicknames:

• Walter;
• Berg;
• Borman;
• Bremer;
• Brunner;
• Ganz;
• Gruber;
• Geller;
• Seiler;
• Simmel;
• Singer;
• Keller;
• Kramer;
• Liebknecht;
• Leitner;
• Merkel;
• Meyer;
• Moritz;
• Neller;
• Osterman;
• Pearl;
• Preuss;
• Riedel;
• Rogge;
• Rothman;
• Frieze;
• Fuchs;
• Hoffman;
• Zuckerman;
• Schwartz;
• Schiller;
• Schmidt;
• Schneider;
• Schroeder;
• Matte;
• Ebel.