The history of the emergence of generic names in Germany is similar to a similar trend in other countries Western Europe. German surnames first appeared in the west of the country among the upper classes in the 12th century. Large feudal lords and small landowners were the first to acquire family names. Thus, the history of the formation of hereditary names is similar to similar processes occurring on Russian soil and in Western European countries.
Lastly, generic names were assigned to the lower strata of the population living in Northern Germany and Hanover. Here, until the 19th century, some members of the population did not have hereditary “nicknames.” Unlike Russia, it is not customary for Germans to pronounce patronymics. A personal name in German cities is denoted by the word "Rufname", while a surname is "Familienname". As in France, you should start addressing Germans with prefixes: “Frau” for women and “Herr” for men.
The process of forming surnames took 8 centuries
The origin of German surnames coincides in time with the same process occurring in England and several other European countries. One of the reasons for this process was economic development, through which social stratification of society occurred. As elsewhere, the first to receive hereditary names were the wealthy strata of the population - feudal lords and the highest nobility.
As throughout the world, German surnames appeared on the basis of the personal names of the ancestor of the clan, geographical toponyms, nicknames and a person’s work activity. The dictionary of German surnames demonstrates that most of them consist of a root stem and a suffix. The most popular and common generic names contain a proper name at the base. Vivid examples here would be Hermann, Peters, Jacobi, Werner and other beautiful names. In Germany there are the least number of generic names based on nicknames, but there are still some.
The great Frederick Barbarossa received his nickname for wearing a red beard, so he became Frederick Redbeard, translated into Russian.
Some beautiful male hereditary names appeared from the names of nearby rivers, lakes and other natural objects. The dictionary of German surnames contains examples such as Dietrich von (von) Bern or Walter von de Vogelweid. But the largest percentage of German generic names came from the activities of the forefather. Such a common surname as Müller means “miller”. Beautiful male generic names, derived from occupations, are found everywhere in Germany.
Craft will add sophistication to a family name
The Germans are very practical and hard-working people, this is reflected in their family names. Common German surnames today are based on the names of the men's trades. So, the meaning of the surname Schmidt is blacksmith. The surname of the famous football player Schneider in translation sounds like “tailor”. The name “Schroeder” has the same translation. The legendary biathlete Fischer is nicknamed the “fisherman”, and the football player Müller is nicknamed the “miller”.
Unusual and at the same time beautiful surnames men sound like Hofmann, Zimmermann and Wagner. Although they are known to the world thanks to their famous owners, these genus names are very popular in Germany. The list of common German surnames includes the 20 most common in the state. All of them are presented in alphabetical order in the list.
Men's surnames suit women well
The dictionary of German surnames contains a large number of generic names, which in no way distinguish between male and female. Many hereditary “nicknames” sometimes do not fit the names of girls, but the Germans get out of this situation quite easily. Many take their mother's surname or make a double one. However, it all depends on the specific names of the girls. History remembers many female representatives with the surname Schmidt or Müller.
Very beautiful generic names for girls are Mayer, Lehmann, Peters and others. The most beautiful ones in this case were formed under the influence of the forefather’s occupation or on his behalf. Of course, there are not many registered surnames in Germany, but they look quite noble. Peters will go with almost any female name, while Fischer (“Fisherman”) is completely unsuitable for women.
Profession in surname
Male family names are distinguished by courage, as they contain information about the crafts of their ancestors. There are quite unusual hereditary names, but they all sound proud. The most famous interesting German surnames reflect the dignity of the family. For example, Schultz reports that the ancestor worked as a judge. Huber reflects his family's humble background as it translates to "Peasant".
If we take into account the origin of family names from the appearance of the forefather, then the most interesting ones, perhaps, will convey a person’s height, the color of his hair or lifestyle. History preserves such surnames of the Germanic people as Weiss ("White"), Lang ("Long"), Hahn ("Owner of the Roosters"), Kraus ("Curly") or Hartman - "Forest Man".
The surnames of German representatives are straightforward - they do not contain any additional prefixes.
In comparison, Russian, English, French and Spanish generic names are formed by adding additional particles - prefixes, suffixes or endings - to the root stem.
What is history silent about? The dictionary of German surnames contains interesting generic names, where there are very, very many of them. It is worth noting that unusual surnames
connected to the root base from which they originate. So, apparently, citizens who had just arrived on the territory of the state were given the nicknames Neumann, that is, “New Man.”
Small people were called Kleins, and brave warriors were called Hermanns. According to the profession, a person could be gifted with the family name Leymann, that is, “Holder of the Flax.” Quite rare today is the royal surname Koening, which comes from the word "king". Apparently, it was awarded to people close to the king or His Majesty’s subordinates.
Based on the color of their skin or hair, a person could receive the surname “Black” (Schwartz), and someone similar to a wolf received the corresponding generic name - Wolf.
Müllers are filling Germany
The most common surname in this state is Muller. It is worn by just under 1% of the entire population. Second place goes to the generic name Schmidt, that is, “Blacksmith”. The Schneiders are in third place; they make up half a percent of the entire population of the country. Fischers, Mayers and Webers are owned by about the same number of people. Behind them were Schultz, Wagner and Becker. A large number of men in the country dream of receiving the surname Hoffman. According to the translation, it means “yard owner.” There is an assumption that this hereditary name was assigned by a large feudal lord who owned large amounts of land.
It is not surprising that representatives of this genus are represented in very small numbers, but only Hoffman is known throughout the world as a famous actor. Personal
belong to the most ancient onyms. German surnames appeared much later. The German personal names that we encounter today accumulated in it gradually, were borrowed from different sources. Some of them go back to ancient Germanic onyms, many modern German names in different time were borrowed from other peoples. There is a particularly strong craving for foreign names these days. In modern German-speaking culture, a person bears two types of names: a personal name (Rufname) and a surname (Familienname). Patronymic (Vatersname) is absent in the German environment. In everyday life, the word der Name denotes a surname: “Mein Name ist Müller.”; "Wie war doch gleich der Name?" (“Your last name?” is a common question from a person who has forgotten the last name of the interlocutor): Der Name steht an der Wohnungstür. In official documents where required full name
, there is a column “Vorname und Name”, i.e. personal name and surname.
Stories of German personal names The oldest names of Germanic origin originated in the 7th–4th centuries. BC. Like other Indo-European languages, they are composed of two parts and were intended to magically “influence” human destiny , give him strength, courage, victory, protection of the gods, etc. This is reflected in the etymology of ancient names that exist today such as Eberhart (“stark wie ein Eber”), Bemhart (“stark wie der Bär”), Wolfgang, cf. Russians Svyatoslav, Gorisveta, Vladimir. From the oldest layer of personal names - about 2,000 of them have been discovered - today there are hardly a hundred active ones. Already in the early Middle Ages, the “magical meaning” of personal names was completely lost. The fashion for names is largely shaped by imitation. In the old days, children were willingly given the names of monarchs (in Prussia - Friedrich, Wilhelm; in Saxony - August, Johann, Albert; in Austria - Joseph, Leopold, Maximilian), as well as the names of heroes of literary works. Today, when choosing a name, there is a strong influence of cinema, television and pop music, and there is also a craving for originality, uniqueness, and unusualness of the name. Previously known names are often written in a foreign style: Elly, Sylvia, Gaby (instead of Elli, Silvia, Gabi). Some names have gone out of fashion. They are given very rarely today. People of the older generation have names that are no longer used today. (...) In everyday life, many German personal names, especially long ones, are abbreviated, for example: Ulrich –> Ulli; Bertolt –> Bert(i); Bernhard –> Bernd; Katharina –> Kat(h)e; Friedrich –> Fritz; Heinrich –> Heinz, Harry; Johannes –> Hans; Susanne –> Susi. Some of these so-called hypocoristic names have now begun to be used on a par with the original ones, i.e. independently, for example: Fritz, Heinz, Hans.
German surnames
German surnames developed much later than German personal names. Origin of German surnames begins with the Middle Ages. They developed from so-called nicknames (Beinamen), which originally contained information Many nicknames indicated some physical or other differences of a given person: Friedrich Barbarossa (= Rotbart, “Redbeard”), Heinrich der Lowe, etc. Over time, this nickname began to be passed on to the heirs and enshrined in official documents. The famous German linguist W. Fleischer points out that from the 12th century. The appearance of German surnames begins first in large cities in the west. In the north, in the province of Hanover, they were introduced only in V. by order of Napoleon. Family names and surnames were assigned primarily to feudal lords. (...) Fleischer gives as an example the characters in Lessing’s play “Minna von Barnhelm”: Fräulein von Barnhelm, Major von Tellheim are nobles, while the servants are Just, Franziska. And today it is customary to call domestic servants simply by name, in contrast to the usual address: Frau + first or last name Herr + first or last name The overwhelming majority of modern German surnames were formed from personal names (Walter, Hermann30 most common German surnames , Peters, Jacobi), nicknames (Bart, Stolz) and names of professions and occupations (Müller, Schmidt, Koch, Schulze, Schumacher). The overwhelming majority of modern German surnames were formed from personal names (Walter, Hermann30 most common German surnames
29. Hermann - from the male name Herrmann
List of popular German surnames * Arnold * Bülow * Wulf * Hertz * Gruber *Zach * Yeager * Kade * Klein * Lamprecht * Mayer * Nagel * Overback * Patkul * Ratzenberger * Sartorius * Thyssen * Feigenbaum * Frisch * Haas * Zimmerman * Schwartz * Slate * Ebel
In the second half of the 8th century. names associated with Christianity begin to penetrate into the German language from Italy: first, names from the Old Testament - Adam (Hebrew “first-born”), Susanne (Hebrew “lily”), then Andreas (Greek “brave”), Agathe (“ kind"), Katharina (“pure”), from Latin – Viktor “winner”, Beata “happy”. Biblical names were borrowed especially actively in the 15th century. Moreover, in Catholic families preference was and is given to the names of saints - patrons of infants, in Lutheran families - to the names of biblical characters. Personal names with religious content were also created from German words and stems: Traugott, Fürchtegott, Gotthold, etc.
The choice of a personal name is often influenced by fashion French names(Annette, Claire, Nicole, Yvonne),
– either Russian (Vera, Natascha, Sascha), Italian or Anglo-American.
So, in 1983, in the Bern area (GDR, near Leipzig), the most common names for girls were Nicole, Anja, Susanne, Maudy, Christin, Yvonne. For boys - Christian, Thomas, Stefan, Patrick, Michael, Sebastian.
– about origin bearer of the name,
– about his place of birth: Walter von der Vogelweide, Dietrich von Berne.
1. Müller - miller
2. Schmidt - blacksmith
4. Fischer - fisherman
6. Weber - weaver
8. Becker - baker
12. Koch - cook
16. Wolf (Wolf) - wolf
30. König - king
1. Müller - miller
The most popular German surnames. List of 30 surnames
2. Schmidt - blacksmith
3. Schneider - tailor
4. Fischer - fisherman
5. Meier - property manager
6. Weber - weaver
7. Wagner - carriage maker, carriage maker
9. Schulz - headman
10. Hofmann, Hoffmann - courtier
8. Becker - baker
11. Schäfer - shepherd
13. Bauer - peasant
14. Richter - judge
12. Koch - cook
15. Klein - small
17. Schröder - tailor
18. Neumann - new man
19. Schwarz - black (black-haired)
20. Zimmermann - carpenter
21. Brown (Braun) - brown
22. Kruger - potter
23. Hartmann - from the male name Hartmann
24. Lange - long (large)
25. Werner - from the male name Werner
26. Krause - curly
27. Lehmann - landowner
28. Köhler - coal miner
16. Wolf (Wolf) - wolf
* Abicht
* Adler
* Eikhenwald
* Albrecht
* Altman
* Appel
* Baade
* Baum
* Bauman
* Baumgarten
* Baur
* Bauer
* Bach
* Bachman
* Bebel
* Benz
* Berg
* Berger
* Bergman
* Berend
* Behrens
* Bilderling
* Form
* Block
* Blucher
* Bonke
* Borzig
* Borman
* Brandt
* Braunfels
* Bremer
* Brenner
* Brunner
* Brunet
* Burckhardt
* Wagner
* Weigl
* Weiss
* Walser
* Walter
* Wasserman
* Weber
* Wegener
* Veltman
* Wenzel
* Werner
* Winkelhock
* Winterhalter
* Virt
* Wolf
* Wolzogen
* Hasenclover
* Ganz
* Hardenberg
* Hartung
* Goebbels
* Haeckel
* Gehlen
* Geller
* Genkel
* Goering
* Hess
* Hesse
* Himmler (disambiguation)
* Hirsch
* Girshman
*Hitler
* Glazenap
*Grimm
* Grossman
* Diels
* Drexler
* Zaks
* Zaleman
* Seidemann
* Seydlitz
* Seiler
* Semper
* Sievers
* Siegel
* Zilberman
* Silberstein
* Simmel
* Singer
* Sommer
* Jens
* Jensen
* Jentsch
* Yerg
* Josef
* Jon
* Yost
* Kallenberg
* Callisen
* Kalb
* Kalkbrenner
* Kaltenbrunner
* Cantor
* Carus
* Kaulbach
* Kaufman
* Cauer
* Katz
* Koehler
* Keller
* Kellerman
* Ker
* Kirchner
* Kirchner
* Kittel
* Cool
* Klee
* Klein
* Kleiner
* Kleinerman
* Kleinman
* Kleist
* Klemperer
* Klenze
* Klinger
* Klotz
* Kleiber
* Kleiner
* Knecht
* Kolbe
* Kopp
* Corf
* Kramer
* Krause
* Kraus
* Krebs
* Krenz
* Kretschmer
* Kruse
* Kun
* Kurtz
* Küng
* Köhler
* Koehne
* Koenig
* Koestlin
* Landsberg
* Laufer
* Leitner
* Lenz
* Liebknecht
* Lipsius
* Lichtenberg
* Loos
* Mackensen
* Mahler
* Mann
*Mezières
* Meyendorff
* Meyer
* Meissner
* Meltzer
* Meltzer
* Merkel
* Merz
* Metzger
*Moderzone
* Morgner
* Moritz
* Mozart
*Müller
* Mobius
* Bernhard
* Nikolai
* Nolken
* Notbeck
* Nöller
* Osterman
*Pearl
* Preuss
* Rau
* Rausch
* Rebinder
* Reinhardt
* Rennenkampf
* Riedel
* Rickert
* Rogge
* Rosenbaum
* Romberg
* Rothman
* Rothschild
* Rumpf
* Rumpff
* Segal
* Tischbein
* Feuerbach
* Finkelstein
* Fischer
* Fleischer
* Fleishman
* Voigt
* Von Richthofen
* Von Feuerbach
* Franke
* Frieze
* Fuchs
* Furstenberg
* Hagen
* Hackle
* Hanke
* Herzog
* Honecker
* Hopp
* Hoffman
* Zuckerman
* Zurbriggen
* Shvartsman
* Schweitzer
* Scheidemann
* Schelling
* Schaefer
* Schaeffer
* Shekhtel
* Schiller
* Shirman
* Schlechter
* Schmidt
* Schmitz
* Schneider
* Shneiderman
* Scholl
* Spiegel
* Sprenger
* Schreyer
* Shredder
* Stackelberg
* Stein
* Stern
* Schubert
* Shulman
* Schultze
* Schulze
* Schumacher
* Ebert
* Erdman
* Etinger
German surnames began to appear and spread from the 12th century. But it was not until 1875 that they began to register and enroll. Since then, every German has a first name (Vorname), sometimes a middle name (Zwischenname) and a surname (Familienname).
Origin of German surnames:
- from profession
- on behalf of father or mother
- from the nickname (long, curly...
- from origin (name of village or hamlet)
- from place of residence (name of place of residence)
A huge number of German surnames come from various professions. Therefore, the most popular German surnames are the names of professions that were common in the Middle Ages. For example, the profession of a farmer was so common then that it was not very suitable for the role of a surname (Bauer), which would distinguish people from each other. Therefore, this surname occupies only 13th place in the list. Farmers then received mostly surnames that came from the names of the villages and hamlets in which they lived.
Examples of surnames:
- German surname Müller - derived from the profession of a miller;
- German surname Schmidt - from blacksmithing;
- German surnames Schneider, Schroeder (Schneider) mean tailor;
- the German surname Fischer corresponds to fishing;
- The German surname Weber means weaver;
- The German surname Lehmann translates as landowner.
There are also many German surnames that are of Slavic origin. These surnames originated in the lands of Sachsen, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the Slavs formerly lived. About 13% of Germans now have Slavic surnames. Examples of surnames:
Nowak (Polish)
Noack (Serbian)
Also, due to the abundance of Turkish migrants, Turkish surnames are becoming widespread:
By the way, earlier German surnames also had female endings, as in Russian. For example, Müller in— “Melnikov A". These endings persisted until the 18th century, and then disappeared. Sometimes such endings can still be heard in Bavarian German.
List of the most popular German surnames:
- Müller (miller)
- Schmidt (blacksmith)
- Schneider (tailor)
- Fischer (fisherman)
- Weber (weaver)
- Meyer (builder)
- Wagner (carriage maker)
- Becker (baker)
- Schulz (chief in town, village)
- Hoffmann (profession)
- Schäfer (shepherd)
- Koch (cook)
- Bauer (farmer)
- Richter (profession)
- Klein (small)
- Wolf (wolf)
- Schröder (Schneider) (tailor)
- Neumann (new)
- Schwarz (black)
- Zimmermann (carpenter)
- Braun (brown)
- Krüger (innkeeper)
- Hofmann (profession)
- Hartmann (profession)
- Lange (long)
- Schmitt (profession)
- Werner (name)
- Schmitz (printer)
- Krause (curly)
- Meier (builder)
- Lehmann (profession)
- Schmid (profession)
- Schulze (profession)
- Maier (builder)
- Köhler (profession)
- Herrmann (name)
- König (king)
- Walter (name)
- Mayer (builder)
- Huber (profession)
- Kaiser (Kaiser)
- Fuchs (fox)
- Peters (name)
- Lang (long)
- Scholz (profession)
- Möller (profession)
- Weiß (white)
- Jung (young)
- Hahn (rooster)
- Schubert (shoemaker)
Starting with last name Gafferber The material is given without indicating the German spelling of surnames. In other words, the third column disappears. This is due to the fact that at present and in the foreseeable future I do not have the opportunity to concentrate on working on the names of Russian Germans. If desired, anyone interested can try to restore the German spelling of a particular surname, relying on printed sources or Internet resources. I hope that in the future I will be able to implement this scientific project in the form in which it was originally conceived.
In the table below, the names of the areas are given in the forms at the time of collecting the material.
Abbreviated areas:
Alm - Alma-Ata, Dzham - Dzhambul, Kar - Karaganda, Kus - Kustanay, Ts - Tselinograd
Last name in Russian spelling Areas where we met Shaab Kus Shaad C Schaadt Alm Shaas Kus Schaaf Jam Scraper Kus Chabert C Shabrik Kar Schaerman Kar, Kus, Ts Shaibel Jam Schaible Alm Shaidman Kus Scheidt Alm Shaidyman Kus Scheierman Kar Shireman Kus Scheifler Kar Shalman C Shalo Alm Shawl Kus Schalbourg Alm Chamber C Schamberger Kus Shamne Jam Shander Jam Shandra Kar Shank Jam Sharkovsky C Schartner Kar Scarf Alm Schattschneider Alm Schaubert C Schauer Kar Schauerman C Shaurman Jam, Ts Shaf C Schafert Kus Shafner Kus, Ts Saffron Alm Schaff Kar Schatz Kus Shaerman C Schwaab Kar Schwab Kar, Kus, Ts Schwabauer Jam Shvabaur Kus Schwabenland Kar Schwabecher Kar Schwagerus Alm Schweigerdt Kar Schweigert Kus Schweier Kus Schweitzer Alm Schwamm C Schwan Jam Schwartz Jam, Kus, Ts Schwarzkop Kus Schwarzkopp Kus Schwarzkopf Jam, Kar, Ts Schwebel Kus Schweigerdt C Schweid Kus Schweidt Kus Schweikert Alm Schweir Kus Schweitz Kus Schweitzer Alm Schweckler C Schwemler C Schweng C Schwendt Kus Shvendykh Alm Schwenil Alm Schwenk Kar Centerboard Alm Schwiderik Alm Schwin Jam Schwindt Kus, Ts Sheva Alm Chevalier Alm Sheveleva Alm Schedel Kar Scheidemann Kus Scheuerman Kar Scheiknecht Kar Shane Jam, Kar Shane Alm Sheinberg C Shaning Kus Shanefish Kar Shafer Kus Sheifner Kus Shek Kus Shekk Kar, Kus Schelenberg Kus Shelin Kar Shelle Alm Sheller Kar, Kus Shel Kar, Kus, Ts Shemberger Kar Shemp Alm Schoenberg Kus Schoenberger Jam, Kus Shengals Alm Shengel Kar Shengof Kar Schendel Jam Shender Kus Shendrich C Shener Kus Schönerstedt C Schenk Kar Schenke C Shenkovsky C Shenrok Kus Chance C Shentur Alm Shenfeld Kar, Kus Schoenfeldt Jam Etymologies of some surnames
Basic abbreviations: goth. – Gothic, Old English – Old English (the same as the Anglo-Saxon language), Old German. – Old High German, Old Saxon. – Old Saxon, Old Scand. – Old Scandinavian, N.-German. – Low German, German. – German, see – see (follow the link), Middle German. – Middle High German, Middle German. – Middle Low German.
Shaad, Shaadt. German Schaad, Schaadt, Schade, Schad. From a nickname from Middle German. schade – “the one who causes harm, the harming enemy”; “harmful, harmful”, “damage, loss, destruction, evil”. Schade occurs 6985 times, – 1912, Schad – 906, Schadt – 265, Schaad – 195, Schaadt – 97.
Schaade Schaaf, Schaff, Schaff. Schaad, Schaadt, Schade, Schad. German Schaaf, Schaf, Schaff. schaf- “sheep”. This could be the name of a shepherd, or it could be a figurative comparison of a person with a given domestic animal. In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schaaf – 222, occurs 4733 times, – 152, Schaff – 138.
Schaf Schaaff Chabert, Chabert. German Schaber, Schabert. From a nickname to designate a profession from Middle German. schaben - “scratch, grind, engrave, polish, shave smooth.” This verb can indicate different professions - barber, copper engraver, one who works with a fabric scraper, etc. Last name Schabert developed from a surname Schaber. From a nickname to designate a profession from Middle German. – 303.
In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schaber occurs 752 times, Schaerman, Scheierman, Scheierman, Schauerman, Schaurman, Schaerman, Scheuerman. German Scheuermann. 1. From the job title to-mann German from Middle-European German 1. From the job title to schiure German- “shed” for the caretaker of the master’s barn. 2. Education on from the surname according to the characteristics of the place of residence Scheuer - from Middle-century German.– “barn” for someone who lives in a barn or next to a barn. 3. Or education on from toponyms Scheuer (in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria), Scheuern German(in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Bavaria). Numerous variations of this surname in Russian spelling among Russian Germans are probably explained by dialect differences and difficulties of transmission by means of the Russian language. In addition, last names Schauerman, Schauerman can be considered as formations on from last name Schauer - from the title of the position from Middle German. schouwære - “a caretaker of something.” In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname – 314, Scheuermann – 180, occurs 2445 times, – 5.
Scheiermann Schaber Schauermann Scheirmann Shaydyman, Shaydman, Shaydeman. Scheidemann. From the name of a person’s position from Middle German. scheideman - "judge". In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname – 36.
Scheidemann occurs 396 times, 1. Goes back to Middle German. Swap, Swab(e)- “Swabian” (a resident of the historical region of Swabia in southwestern Germany, in the upper reaches of the Rhine and Danube, and also speaking a Swabian dialect). 2. A nickname for someone who has connections (for example, trade) with Swabia. In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schwab occurs 9842 times, Schwabe – 4115, Schwaab – 585.
Schwabauer, Schwabaur. Schaber Schwabauer. 1. The surname arose by adding from Schwab(“Schwab”, see Schwaab, Schwab) + Bauer("peasant"). This could be the name of a peasant from Swabia. This etymological version is confirmed by the presence of the surname Schwabbauer, in which consonant fusion b at the junction components did not happen (or it happened, but was not reflected in the letter). 2. B in some cases may go back to naming a person at the place of his previous residence Schwabau(Schwabau is now part of the municipality of Straden in the Austrian state of Styria). In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schwabauer occurs 264 times.
Schweigerdt, Schweigert, Schweigerdt, Schweikert. Schaber Schweigert, Schweikert. All these surnames go back to the Old German personal name Swindger(from ancient German. swind"strong" + gēr"a spear"). A number of surnames come from this name - Schweiger, Schweigert, Schweighard, Schweighar(d)t, Schweikart, Schweikert, Schwickert, Schwieger. Schabert Schweikert occurs 1144 times, Schweigert – 1041, Schweigerdt – 9.
Schwarzkopf, Schwarzkop, Schwarzkopp. Schaber Schwarzkopf, Schwarzkopp, Schwarzkop. From the nickname of a man with black hair, literally "black head". Surnames Schwarzkop, Schwarzkopp contain in the second part a Low German dialect variant Kop(p) words Kopf("head"). In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schwarzkopf occurs 2051 times, Schwarzkopp – 25, Schwarzkop – 3.
Schweng, Schwenk. German Schweng, Schwenk. From a person's nickname, which characterizes his gait. From Middle-German. swenke, swenken - “swing back and forth.” In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schwenk occurs 2659 times, – 39.
Schweng Shane, Shayna. Shane German Schön, Schöner.- from a person’s nickname from Middle German. Shane schon(e) - “beautiful, magnificent, brilliant, bright, white, wonderful.” Surname may be a dialectal variant of the surname Schöner, which a) is either a patronym for -er from the surname explained above Schöner, Schön, b) or by naming the person at his previous place of residence at Schabert from common toponyms Schöna, Schönau. Schön – 1301.
occurs 8159 times, Schöner Shek, Shekk. German- “tight-fitting, striped or quilted, belt, tailcoat, cassock” for the one who wore these things or sewed them. In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Scheck meets Scheck times, Schöck – 421.
Shelle, Chelle. German Schelle, Schell, Schöll. 1. From the nickname from Middle German. schël, schëllic – “hot-tempered, excited, wild; noisy, crazy, crazy, mad." 2. From the nickname from Middle German. schëlle “bell, bell” for the fact that they were worn on clothes or for the one who made them. 3. From a derivative from Middle German. schël - “rogue, swindler.” In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schell occurs 3449 times, – 973, Scholl – 652.
Schelle Schaber Sheinberg, Schoenberg. Schönberg, Schöneberg. Sheinberg, Schoenberg. Schabert 1. From the name of a person at his previous place of residence from toponyms repeatedly found in Germany, Austria, Poland Schönberg occurs 1581 times, – 809.
Schöneberg Schenk, Schenke. German Schenck, Schenk, Schenck. From the nickname of a person by type of activity from Middle-European German. schenke- “pouring servant, cupbearer”, in a broader sense - “master pouring wine, beer.” In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schenk – 1308, occurs 10255 times, – 648.
Schenke Schaber Schenck Schoenfeld, Schoenfeldt. Schönfeld, Schönfeldt. From naming a person at his previous place of residence from toponyms Schönfeld, Schönfelde, repeatedly found in Germany (Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Thuringia, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria), Austria and Poland. In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schönfeld – 764.
occurs 4559 times,
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The most common German surnames are Müller, Schmidt, Schneider, Fischer, Weber, Mayer, Wagner, Becker, Schulz, Hoffman.
In this article I will tell you where the most popular and common surnames come from and what they mean. And also - you will recognize the awkward and very funny surnames that some Germans bear.
Surnames began to appear only in the 9th century, and appeared in Germany in the 12th century. In the 15th century, most of the country's people had already acquired this attribute, but only by 1875 did having a surname become mandatory.
Where did the Germans get their surnames from in the Middle Ages and how did they come up with them?
Most got their last name depending on what they did - what profession they had. These German surnames have survived to this day - this way you can understand who the ancestors of some Germans were in the distant Middle Ages. Of the fifty most popular surnames– 30 come precisely from the names of professions. The most common of them Muller- speaks of how important the miller’s profession was.
Other surnames from this paragraph: Schneider (tailor), Schmidt (blacksmith), Fischer (fisherman), Weber (weaver), Wagner (carriage maker), Becker (baker), Schultz (headman), Richter (judge).
Also, the Germans in those distant times were given surnames - starting from their appearance or character traits. So, now you can often hear such names as Mr. Little ( Klein), Mrs. Big ( Groß). My ENT is a very large and loud man whose last name is Klein, although something with the opposite meaning would suit him.
People were also called by the color of their hair or eyes: Mr. Black ( Schwarz), Mrs. Brown ( Braun). Curly people could be given a surname: Krause. Lefties – Link.
And some were given surnames based on their behavioral qualities: this category includes – Kuhn (brave), Fromm (pious), Gut (good), Böse (evil).
And even: Übel – disgusting, nauseating. Who would like such a surname, huh?
Recently there was a news report from Frau Neid). If translated, it turns out to be Mrs. Envy. That is, her ancestors were envious and they were taken like this and called them for many generations to come. It’s probably a shame... But still, Frau Übel is even more unpleasant.
Other Germans were given surnames based on where they lived. If you live in a mountainous area, call Berger, and if your house is on a plain, then Ebner. According to the same principle, the following surnames arose: Stein(this family is from the stone region), Busch(family from a region densely planted with bushes), Bach(and this one lives by the stream).
Another category of German surnames was given to people based on their origins. This is how surnames appeared - which sound the same as some cities, and even countries. For example, Mr. Hesse- comes from Hessen, and Mr. Bayer– from Bavaria, Pohl- from Poland.
Surnames ending in -bach, -berg, -burg, -dorf, -feld, -hagen, -hausen, -heim, -stein, -thal, -wald also indicated where the person was from.
Among German surnames there are also surnames with the names of animals. The most common of these is the surname Fuchs – which translates as “fox”. It is not known for certain how the first bearer received it. Perhaps he was as cunning as a fox, or perhaps he was red-haired. But there is evidence that says that this surname was also given to hunters. The second most popular surname from the animal world is Hahn (rooster). Perhaps this was the name given to arrogant and proud people, but there is another version - a shortened version of the name Johannes, or maybe people came from the town of Hahn - which is in Germany.
I even imagined: this medieval guy was sitting and handing out names. This is a cool, creative and important profession.
He sits, thinking: oh, today there were 40 Mullers, 30 Schwartzes, 10 Kleins, well, what surname should I give this one... For some reason I don’t like him, his eyebrows are furrowed, his mouth is twisted. Oh, I'm tired of him, go ahead and you'll be Böse. They probably didn’t teach you to smile...
In the picture below you will find the 20 most popular German surnames. Is yours among them?
German surnames: funny options
Among the German surnames, there are some very funny ones, some are ridiculous, and there are some that you definitely won’t envy their owners.
I recently bought a book Kuriose Name: and discovered a world of German surnames that I didn’t even know existed. The authors of the book, Anita and Martin Bubenheim, have been collecting material for their book for many years and have structured the material in a very funny way.
There are so many sections in this book: German surnames denoting parts of the body, and also sounding like some diseases, and a whole bunch of devilish surnames, both delicious and derived from the names of drinks...
Here are some of them:
Busenbaum - tree with breasts, Stolzhirsch - proud deer, Nachtwein - night wine, Droge - drug, Hackfleisch - minced meat, Geist - ghost, Stuhlreiter - chair rider, Bleibinhaus - stay at home, Urlaub - vacation, Fingerlos - fingerless, Mundlos - mouthless , Dämon - demon, Kastrat - castrato, Gutenmorgen - good morning, Leiche - corpse, Mörder - killer, Immertreu - always faithful, Pest - plague, Blaukopf - blue head, Zahnweh - toothache.
Can you imagine a dentist with the last name Toothache? And the teacher kindergarten- Daemon? Well, about Castratus... I’m generally silent 🙄
Here is a small part of weather names from this book:
The most interesting thing is that the vast majority of German surnames were invented before the 16th century, and only a few appeared later. Even this funny last name like Pinkepank - not a tribute to fashion at all, it is also from there - from the distant Middle Ages. “Where did pink punks come from in the Middle Ages?” - you object. This is the first thing that comes to mind... It turns out that “Pinkepunk” is the sound that comes from hitting iron with a hammer. Probably, in the distant Middle Ages, in order not to produce thousands of Schmidts, they decided to add variety.
Also, read the review about the Medieval Market - here
