German Surnames
German names are used in Germany and other German-speaking areas such as Austria and Switzerland. See also about German names.
672 surnames in our directory
German
672Neuman is a German surname, a variant of Neumann. The root name Neumann derives from Middle High German niuwe (new) and man (man), meaning "new man, newcomer." This etymology suggests the surname was likely originally a...
EtymologyNeumann is a German surname representing a composite of Middle High German elements: niuwe meaning "new" and man meaning "man." The term thus identifies "new man, newcomer," often originally applied as a nicknam...
Nuremberg is a German surname derived from the name of the historic city of Nuremberg (German: Nürnberg) in Bavaria, Germany. As a toponymic surname, it originated among people who lived in or came from the city, often a...
Nussbaum is a German surname of topographic and occupational origin. It derives from the German words Nuss "nut" and Baum "tree", together meaning "nut tree" — most likely referring to walnut or hazelnut trees. The name...
Oberst is a German surname with roots in Old High German. The name derives from the word obar, meaning "above" or "upper," and originally indicated someone who lived at the uppermost end of a village or at the top of a h...
Oelberg is a German surname that translates to "oil hill" in modern English. The name is derived from Middle High German öl meaning "oil" and berg meaning "mountain, hill". This topographic surname likely originated as a...
Ohme is a German surname derived from the Middle High German word oem, meaning "maternal uncle". This occupational or kinship-based name likely originated as a nickname or status designation for the maternal uncle in a f...
Oppenheimer is a German toponymic surname originally indicating a person from the town of Oppenheim in present-day Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The place name itself perhaps means "marshy home," deriving from Old High...
EtymologyOursler is a German surname of toponymic origin, derived from the place name Ursel, now known as Oberursel, a town in the state of Hesse, Germany. The name originally designated a person from Ursel, comparable t...
Pabst is a German surname, a cognate of Pope, derived from the German word Papst, meaning 'pope'. The name originally referred to a person who played the role of the pope in a medieval pageant or a man with a pious or so...
Pahlke is a German surname with Low German origins, functioning as a cognate of the English surname Peel. While English counterparts often derive from Old French pel (meaning "stake" or "post") as a nickname for a thin p...
Papp 2 is a German surname with an uncertain etymology. It may be a nickname derived from Latin pappo, meaning "to eat," possibly referring to someone with a hearty appetite or a glutton.Unlike the related surname Papp,...
Pawlitzki is a German surname that originated as a Slavic-derived form of the given name Paul. The name Paul ultimately comes from the Roman family name Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble" in Latin. The suffix "-itzki" i...
Peters is an English, Dutch, and German surname of patronymic origin, meaning "son of Peter." The given name Peter derives from the Greek Πέτρος (Petros), meaning "stone," which is a translation of the Aramaic name Cepha...
Pfaff is a German surname originating as a nickname for a clergyman, derived from Middle High German pfaffe and Old High German pfaffo ultimately from Latin papa 'pope, bishop'. The surname thus belongs to a widespread E...
Pfeiffer is a German and Jewish occupational surname meaning "pipe player", derived from Middle High German pfīfen "to whistle" and the agent suffix -er. It is a cognate of the English surname Piper. The name originally...
Pfenning is a German surname, derived from the Old High German pfenning, meaning "penny" or "coin". The name originated as a metonymic occupational or descriptive surname for someone involved in minting, tax collection,...
Pichler is a German surname. It originates from the Bavarian word Bühel, meaning "hill", and was likely a topographic name for someone who lived on or near a hill, or a habitational name for someone from a place named Bü...
Pilgrim is an English and German surname derived from a nickname for a person who had made a pilgrimage to a holy site, often given to someone who had returned from a journey to a sacred place. The name ultimately comes...
Planck is a German surname that originates as a variant of Plank. The root name Plank means "plank," derived from Old French, ultimately from Late Latin planca. This occupational or topographic name may have referred to...
Plank is an English and German surname with multiple origin theories. The name derives from the word "plank", which entered Middle English via Old French planque, itself from Late Latin planca (meaning a board or plank)....
Pletcher is a German surname, specifically an Anglicized form of Pletscher. The root name, Pletscher, likely derives from a toponymic origin—possibly referring to a field where cattle fodder was grown, from German Bletsc...
Pletscher is a German surname with possible origins tied to agriculture. The name may derive from the German word Bletsch, referring to a field where cattle fodder was cultivated. This toponymic origin suggests that the...
Pohl 2 is a German surname derived from the given name Paul. The given name Paul originates from the Roman family name Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble" in Latin. As a surname, Pohl 2 represents a patronymic or topogra...
Polzin is a German surname of locational origin, derived from the town of Polzin in Pomerania, historically part of Germany and now located in Poland, where it is known as Połczyn. The name likely refers to someone who h...
Post is a surname of Dutch, English, and German origin, derived as a topographic name for someone who lived near a prominent post, pillar, or boundary marker—ultimately from Latin postis meaning 'post' or 'doorpost'. The...
Prinz is a German surname derived from the word Prinz, meaning “prince.” As a surname, it originated as a nickname or occupational name for someone who served in a princely household, or as an ornamental name among Jews...
Protz is a German surname derived from a colloquial term meaning "braggart" or "show-off." The name originates from regional German words for toad, itself stemming from the pejorative association of the animal with pompo...
Rapp is a German surname derived from Middle High German raben, meaning "raven". It originated as a nickname for a person with black hair, likely referencing the dark plumage of the bird. This type of descriptive surname...
Rasch is a German surname. It originates as a variant of Rask, a Scandinavian name with roots in Old Norse. The name derives from the Middle High German word rasch, meaning 'quick', 'energetic', or 'hasty', describing a...
Raskob is a surname found primarily in the United States, where it represents a variation of the German surname Raskopf. The name Raskopf itself is believed to derive from the German elements rasch (“quick”) and Kopf (“h...
Raskop is a German surname. It is a variant of Raskopf.
Etymology and MeaningRaskopf is a German surname with a descriptive origin. It is thought to derive from the Middle High German elements rasch meaning “quick” or “fast,” and Kopf meaning “head.” Thus, the name likely ori...
Regenbogen is a German surname with a vivid and transparent meaning: "rainbow." It derives from Middle High German rëgenboge and Old High German reginbogo, composed of Regen ("rain") and Bogen ("bow," "arch," "arc"), ult...
Reich is a German surname derived from the Old High German word rihhi, meaning "rich" or "powerful." It originally served as a nickname for a wealthy or influential person, reflecting status or prosperity. The surname is...
Reier is a German surname, derived as a variant of Reiher, which itself is an occupational or nickname surname. The name Reiher means "heron" in German (from Middle High German reiger), and was typically given as a nickn...
Reiher is a German surname, directly derived from the German word Reiher, meaning "heron." The name likely originated as a nickname for a person with long legs, reminiscent of the bird's distinctive physique.EtymologyThe...
Reiter is a German occupational surname that originally referred to a type of cavalry soldier. The term derives from Middle High German riute, meaning "cleared land," making it a variant of the surname Reuter, which also...
Rettig is a German surname with origins in the medieval trade of vegetable cultivation and sales. Derived from the Middle High German word retich and the Middle Low German word redik, meaning "radish," the name was origi...
Reuter 2 is a German surname derived from Middle High German riutœre, meaning "highwayman" or "thief". It originated as an occupational name for a robber or bandit metonymically. The name is distinct from the more common...
Reuter 1 is a German surname derived from Middle High German riute, meaning "cleared land." The name originally referred to someone who lived on or worked land that had been cleared of trees, often for agriculture or set...
Reyer is a German surname, derived as a variant spelling of Reiher, which means "heron" in German. The name likely originated as a nickname for a tall, slender person with long legs, evocative of the bird's physique.Etym...
Richter is a German surname that in modern German literally means "judge." It derives from the Middle High German rihtære (from rihten "to make right, judge"), which referred to a judicial officer, a village judge, or a...
Riese is a German surname meaning “giant”. It derives from the Middle High German rise, and ultimately from the Old High German riso or risi, which can be traced back to the Proto-West Germanic word *risi for “giant.” As...
Riker is a surname, possibly a variant of Reich, itself derived from the Old High German rihhi meaning "rich" or "powerful." As such, the name may have originated as a nickname for a wealthy or influential person. The la...
Ritter is a German surname derived from the Middle High German term riter, meaning “rider” or “knight.” It is a cognate of the English surname Ryder.Etymology and Historical ContextThe word Ritter originally referred to...
Rose is a surname of English, French, and German origin. It derives from the word for the flower rose in Middle English, Old French, and Middle High German, ultimately from Latin rosa. The name may refer to a person with...
Rosenberg is a toponymic and ornamental surname of German and Jewish (German-speaking) origin. Its literal meaning is "rose mountain," derived from the German words Rose ("rose") and Berg ("mountain"). The name likely or...
Rosenberger is a German-language surname derived from the toponym Rosenberg (meaning "rose mountain" in German and Swedish) combined with the suffix -er, which typically denotes origin or residence. Thus, Rosenberger lit...
Rosenfeld is a German surname meaning "field of roses" (from German Rose 'rose' + Feld 'field'). As a Jewish surname, it is ornamental in origin, adopted during the 18th–19th centuries when Ashkenazi Jews were required t...
Rot is a German surname, primarily a variant of Roth. The root name comes from Middle High German rot meaning "red", originally a nickname for a person with red hair. Etymology and Meaning The surname Rot derived from th...
Roth is a German surname, deriving from Middle High German rot meaning "red." Originally, it served as a nickname for individuals with red hair or a ruddy complexion, a common practice in medieval German onomastics. Over...
EtymologyRothbauer is a German surname of topographic and occupational origin. Its first element derives from the Old High German word riuten, meaning 'to clear land,' referring to someone who cleared forested areas for...
Rothenberg is a German surname of locative or topographic origin. It derives from Middle High German rot meaning "red" and berg meaning "mountain", thus referring to a person who lived near or on a red mountain or a plac...
Ruff is an English and German surname that originated as a nickname or shortened form from a given name. Etymology The surname Ruff ultimately derives from a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion, thou...
Ryer is a surname that likely represents an Americanized form of the German surname Reiher. The original name, Reiher, means "heron" in German, derived from the bird, and was used as a nickname for a person with long leg...
Sachs is a German surname meaning "man from Saxony." It originates from the German Sachsen, referring to the region of Saxony, named after the Germanic tribe of the Saxons. Ultimately the name derives from the Germanic r...
Saller 2 (pronounced ZAL-ler) is a German surname with a toponymic or locative origin, deriving from Salhe (Middle High German for 'sallow tree'). The sallow tree (Salix), a type of willow, was commonly found in marshy o...
Saller 1 is a German surname of locational origin, specifically for someone from the town of Sallern in Bavaria. The place name Sallern is thought to derive from a Celtic element meaning "stream," suggesting that the sur...
Salzwedel is a German locational surname, indicating a person who originally came from the town of Salzwedel in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The town's name itself derives from Old Saxon elements meaning "salt fo...