German surnames starting with the letter sh. German surnames. Origin and meaning

The meaning and origin of male and female German names and surnames. Ancient and modern German names. Interesting facts about German names.

4.08.2016 / 14:19 | Varvara Pokrovskaya

You have acquaintances, friends, business partners from Germany and you want to know more about their names and surnames. Then this article will surely be useful to you.

Features of German names

German names formed in several stages under the influence of political, historical, and cultural processes. Based on their origin, they can be divided into three groups:

• ancient Germanic names

They were formed back in the 7th–4th centuries. BC e. Closely associated with magic, mythology, totemic, military symbols and were intended to influence future fate and the character of a person. Some of them are of Scandinavian origin. Consist of two parts. In modern use there are no more than several hundred of them. The rest are long outdated.

• Latin, Greek, Hebrew (Biblical) names

They are still widespread today due to their versatility. They are familiar to representatives of any country and go well with surnames. Used as in original form, as well as with some phonetic changes characteristic of the German language. For example: Victor, Katharina (Ekaterina), Nicholas (Nikolai), Alexander, Johann (Ivan), Joseph (Joseph), etc.

• foreign names used in abbreviated form

Fashion for them appeared in the middle of the last century. At first they were French - Marie, Annette, Catherine. Later they were joined by Russians (Sasha, Natasha, Vera, Vadim) and Arabic/Turkic variants Jem (Jamil), Abu (Abdullah) and others.

The meanings of some ancient Germanic names

There is still a tradition in Germany to give a newborn several names, sometimes there are up to ten. Upon reaching adulthood, this number can be reduced at your discretion. The usual practice is 1-2 first names + last names. Middle names are not used.

Did you know that full name the legendary Catherine I - Sophie Auguste Friederike von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg), the brilliant Mozart - Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart, the current Vice-Chancellor of Germany - Angela Dorothea Merkel (Kasner) - Angela Dorothea Merkel (Kasner)?

But they are far from the record holder. In 1904, one baby was given a name of 740 letters at birth. It looked something like this: Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irwin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Juncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfe schlegelsteinhausenbergerdor + several hundred more difficult-to-read and practically untranslatable letter combinations. It was accompanied by an equally impressive surname, but a little more modest - only 540 letters.

Restrictions

German society is known for its conservatism and pedantry. This also affected names. Unlike Russia and the CIS countries, which are liberal in this regard, where registry offices quite officially register children with the names Tsar, Cinderella, Dolphin and even Lucifer, such a number will not work in Germany. Parents who love exotic things will have to defend their opinion in court, the decision of which is unlikely to be comforting for them. There are a number of restrictions enshrined at the legislative level + a list of allowed names.

Forbidden:

• Giving a name without a clear gender characteristic, i.e. calling a boy a female name or a girl a male name. The exception is the name Maria. It can be chosen as a second male: Paul Maria, Hans Maria, Otto Maria.
• Use topographic names - cities, towns, countries.
• Religious taboos - Allah, Judas, Demon, Christ, Buddha.
• Offensive, controversial names. For example, Peter Silie - Parsley.
• Surnames of famous people.
• Titles.
• Brand names - Porsche, Pampers, Joghurt.
• Call children from the same family the same name. But this ban can be easily circumvented if desired. It is enough to register double names with the same first names, but different second names: Anna-Maria and Anna-Martha, Karl-Richard and Karl-Stefan.

For obvious reasons, to this day the name Adolf is an unspoken taboo.

Phonetics

Incorrect: Heinrich Heine, Wilhelm Hohenzollern

Right: Heinrich Heine, Wilhelm Hohenzollern

Error: Hans, Helmut

Right: Hans, Helmut

But: Herbert, Gerwig, Gerda, Herman

German female names

In modern Germany, abbreviated female names have become widespread. Instead of Katarina - Katya, Margarita - Margot. You can often find forms formed by merging two different names: Anna + Margaret = Annagret, Maria + Magdalena = Marlena, Anna + Maria = Annamaria, Anna + Lisa = Anneliese, Hannah + Laura (Laureen) = Hannelore. German female names end in -lind(a), -hild(a), -held(a), -a, ine, -i. An exception is the name Erdmut (Erdmute).

List of common German female names:

• Agna, Agnetta, Agnes - chaste, holy;
• Anna, Annie - mercy (of God), grace;
• Astrid - beautiful, goddess of beauty;
• Beata - blessed;
• Bertha - brilliant, magnificent;
• Wilda - wild;
• Ida - kind;
• Laura - laurel;
• Margareta, Greta is a pearl;
• Rosemary - reminder;
• Sophie, Sophia - wisdom;
• Teresa - strong and loved;
• Ursula - bear;
• Hannah - God is merciful;
• Helga - divine;
• Helena - torch;
• Hilda - practical;
• Frida - peace-loving;

Erma is harmonious.

German male names

In the 20th century, the majestic names of German kings and emperors - Albert, Karl, Wilhelm, Friedrich, Heinrich - were replaced by simpler ones - Andreas, Alexander, Alex, Michael, Klaus, Peter, Eric, Frank. Names have become widespread literary heroes and characters from films: Til, Daniel, Chris, Emil, Otto, Arno, Felix, Rocky. Most German male names end with consonants; often the letter combinations -brand, -ger, -bert, -hart, -mut are used at the end. Less often - oh.

German names and surnames

The first German surnames appeared in the Middle Ages and belonged exclusively to aristocrats. They indicated a person’s origin, personal qualities, and family names. Ordinary people were addressed simply by name. By the beginning of the 20th century, all Germans had surnames, regardless of class.

In modern Germany, surnames mainly consist of one word, occasionally two. The law of 1993 abolished three-syllable or more constructions. Aristocratic prefixes - von der, von, der, von und zu are written together with the main part of the surname: von Berne - Vonbern, der Löwe - Derlöwe. The indication of titles was abolished back in 1919.

Surnames Slavic origin in Germany they do not change their ending, regardless of whether they belong to a man or a woman. Upon marriage, both spouses receive a common surname. Traditionally this is the husband's surname. It is also given to children. Changing surnames in Germany at will is not allowed. The exception is cases with discordant variants. In German identity documents, the main name is indicated first, then the second, and then the last name: Michael Stefan Haase, Mari Stefani Klain, Hanns Gerbert Rosenberg.

Common German surnames

German boy names

In the family, when communicating with peers or in an informal setting, diminutive and short forms of the name are used to address boys, formed by adding the suffixes -lein, -le, -cher, Heinz - Heinzle, Klaus - Klauslein, Peter - Peterle (by analogy with Russians -chka, -check-, -enka, - points: Vovochka, Vanechka, Petenka).

German girl names

The same rule applies when creating girlish diminutive names: Petra, Velma, Irma - Petralein, Velmacher, Irmachen, Rosechen. When formally addressing girls over 15 years of age, Fraeulein is added before the name, for beautiful ladies younger age- Maedchen.

Beautiful German names

Inherent German language the harshness of the sound gives uniqueness and unique charm to both native German names and borrowed ones, for example Italian or Russian. Beauty and euphony, of course, are subjective concepts, but we managed to compile the top most beautiful German names according to users of social networks.

Top 10 most beautiful female German names

1. Alma
2. Angelica
3. Iolanta
4. Isolde
5. Louise
6. Mirabella
7. Emily
8. Paula
9. Silvia
10. Frederica

Top 10 most beautiful male German names:

1. Stephen
2. Elias
3. Lucas
4. Martin
5. Jurgen
6. Gabriel
7. Emil
8. Ralph
9. Theodore (Theo)

Meaning of German names

Biblical names are found quite often in Germany, only in a slightly modified form. Their meaning corresponds to the original source.

Bible names

Popular German names

According to data obtained from several hundred German departments birth registration Standesamt, the most popular female names in 2015 were Sophie, Marie, Mia. Among the men, the leaders are Lucas, Alexander, Max, Ben. Also, many parents are increasingly choosing somewhat old-fashioned names for their newborns: Karl, Julius, Otto, Oswald.

Names for German Shepherd

A correctly chosen dog name will greatly facilitate the process of training and everyday interaction with the animal. The best option is a name with one or two syllables, with voiced consonants, partially characterizing the character or appearance of the pet. It is recommended to name puppies from the same litter with names starting with one letter.

For German Shepherds - smart, disciplined, stately - nicknames-titles such as Kaiser, Count, Lord, King, Milady are suitable. You can use words in German: Schwarz - black, Brown - brown, Schnell - fast, Spock - Calm, Edel - noble. The names of various German provinces sound beautiful in full or abbreviated form - Westphalia, Lorraine (Lori, Lota), Bavaria, Alsace.

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 choose a nickname to their liking, whether it sounds beautiful or has 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 magical meaning, which endowed the owner with certain character qualities. The family nicknames of the Germans had a slightly different character of formation. They began to emerge from the meanings of nicknames, which 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 profession of the owner or his type of activity (Becker - baker, Koch - cook, Bauer - peasant);
• many were formed from personal names (Peters, Walter).

Gradually, peculiar nicknames began to be written down in official documents and acquired the meaning of the first German surnames, which were adopted by all the descendants of the people who bore 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 - people who owned servants and land plots - could have such a registration. Today, the prefix “von” in German surnames can be found among people of any kind of activity, since all noble privileges have been abolished.

German surnames for girls

Girls with sonorous names can assign themselves a second name of foreign origin. To address women with respect, the word "Frau" is used in Germany, meaning "mistress." Beautiful German female surnames with their meaning for girls:

• Kaufman - merchant;
• Becker - baker;
• Riger – 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 male surnames

German male surnames should have a noble and majestic meaning. Representatives of the stronger sex can choose them by translation, 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 meaning:

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

Popular German surnames

Common German surnames are often used as nicknames. They are beautiful, noble, sonorous. Many people have such family nicknames. famous people. List of popular beautiful Germanic proper names with meanings:

• Muller - miller;
• Mayer - land manager;
• Weber - weaver;
• Wagner - carriage maker;
• Schultz – headman;
• Hoffmann - courtier;
• Schaefer - shepherd;
• Bauer is a peasant;
• Wolf - wolf;
• Neumann – new person;
• Zimmerman – carpenter;
• Kruger is a 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;
• Shredder;
• Matte;
• Ebel.

German surnames associated with the general process of formation of a hereditary family name in Western Europe. As usual, the feudal lords were the first to acquire them in order to legitimize their rights to their possessions. Then these were nicknames that supplemented personal names with special characteristics (Friedrich Barbarossa received his nickname for red beard). Surnames and nicknames first began to appear in the 12th century in western Germany and slowly spread throughout the rest of the territory. Only eight centuries later did all the inhabitants of the country have surnames; the last to receive them were representatives of the lower strata of the population of Northern Germany by end of the 19th century century. Since German surnames are passed down through the male line, they have no differences in gender - the surnames of both men and women are pronounced and spelled the same. However, modern German women who pay attention to the harmonious combination of first and last names cannot be satisfied with such a combination as Anna Fischer (Anna the Fisherman). Then they take their mother's surname or create a double surname.

It's interesting that in dictionary of German surnames There are surnames with the ending -ov or –ev, which makes them similar to Russian surnames (Badrov, Dorov, Masov). Declension these and others German surnames in Russian it obeys general rules changes in surnames by case.

Classification of German surnames and their meaning

List of German surnames makes it possible to divide them into several groups according to origin. As in others European countries, many German surnames were formed from personal names (Walter, Peters). The other group reflects the individual characteristics of the first owner of the surname (Klein-small, Neumann-black-haired). Meaning parts German surnames corresponds to geographical names, for example, Bayer (from Bavaria), Boehm (from the Czech region of Bohemia). Often people received surnames from the name of a building or piece of land. So Rosenbauer is a peasant who lived on a farm called “Rose”. If you look list of German surnames in alphabetical order, then you can see how many surnames were formed from the names of professions and positions - Schmidt (blacksmith), Mayer (farm manager), Tepfer (potter), Müller (miller). Some German surnames were influenced by local dialects or foreign languages. In this case, their interpretation is somewhat difficult.

List of German surnames shows which surnames are the most common in Germany at the moment.

Popular German surnames and their translation

The list below shows how the German surnames most often found in Germany are translated. These surnames are the most famous and common in this country.
Muller(Müller) - miller
Schmidt(Schmidt) - blacksmith
Schneider(Schneider) - tailor
Fisher(Fischer) - fisherman
Mayer(Meier) - property manager
Weber(Weber) - weaver
Wagner(Wagner) - carriage maker, carriage maker
Becker(Becker) - baker
Schultz(Schulz) - headman
Hofmann, Hoffman(Hoffmann) - courtier
Schaefer(Schäfer) - shepherd
Koch(Koch) - cook
Bauer(Bauer) - peasant
Richter(Richter) - judge
Klein(Klein) - small
Wolf(Wolf) - wolf
Schroeder(Schröder) - tailor
Neumann(Neumann) - new person
Schwartz(Schwarz) - black (black-haired)
Zimmermann(Zimmermann) - carpenter
Brown(Braun) - brown
Kruger(Krüger) - potter
Hartmann(Hartmann) - from male name Hartmann
Lange(Lange) - long (large)
Werner(Werner) - from the male name Werner
Krause(Krause) - curly
Lehmann(Lehmann) - landowner
Köhler(Köhler) - coal miner
Herman(Hermann) - from the male name Herrmann
Koenig(König) - king

This article provides detailed analysis German surnames. You will learn the history of their origin, as well as the meanings of the most common ones.

History of the origin of German surnames

The history of the origin of German surnames is similar to the origin different surnames other Western European countries. The existence of the first Germanic generic names is associated with their appearance in the west of Germany in the 12th century. Since the west of Germany was the most developed part of the country, the first German surnames went to the feudal lords. In this vein, their origin is similar to the stories of Russia and Europe, in which the nobility, the richest class, also first acquired surnames. And most recently, they appeared among the population of northern Germany in the province of Hanover in early XIX century. Thus, we can distinguish the period of their origin - from the 12th to the 19th centuries. It was at this time most the population of Germany acquired generic names.
Currently, in German society, the personal name Rufname and the hereditary surname – Familienname are used to designate a person’s name. They don’t use reports, but when addressing people they use:
Frau + first or last name - for women,
Herr + first or last name - for men.
Now we will learn in detail about the process of formation of German surnames and identify their primary source.

The emergence of German surnames

All Germanic generic names, according to the history of their origin, are divided into groups. Most German surnames are derived from personal names. For example - Hermann, Walter, Peters, Jacobi, Werner, Jacobi. And the minority came from nicknames that characterized a specific person, because there were no surnames then. Here, for example, is the history of some: Braun - Brown (meaning brown), Neumann - Neumann (meaning black, black-haired), Lange - Lange (meaning long), Krause - Krause (meaning curly), etc. There are German surnames, the origin of which associated with geographical names, names of localities, etc. This method of education is also common in Europe and Russia.
Also, most German surnames come from a profession (occupation):

• from the profession of carpenter - Zimmermann (Zimmermann),
• from the miller - Müller,
• from the profession of a blacksmith - Schmidt,
• from the tailor's craft - Schneider, Schroeder,
• from the type of occupation of the fisherman - Fischer,
• from the weaver's craft - Weber,

It can be noted that the history of the emergence of a significant part of German surnames and the methods of their formation are in many ways similar to the formation of surnames of residents of other countries.
Separately, it should be noted a very interesting situation with German surnames in the Volga German settlements, which dates back to the second half of the 18th century. Then, to German settlers who did not have their own surnames, they were simply assigned en masse, and this process occurred with large errors. Since those times, there have been many completely different Russian spellings of the same German surname. This process of distortion of generic names continued in Soviet era, only here main role Political considerations were already at play.

The most popular German surnames - list:

Schmidt, Müller, Schneider, Fischer, Meier, Weber, Wagner, Becker, Schulz, Hoffmann ), Sch?fer (Schaefer), Koch (Koch), Bauer (Bauer), Richter (Richter), Klein (Klein), Wolf (Wolf), Schr?der (Schroeder), Neumann (Neumann), Schwarz (Schwarz) , Zimmermann (Zimmermann).

Of course, who doesn’t remember the German surname Müller, the most famous even in Russia? Or who doesn’t know the ex-Chancellor of Germany Schröder? Or famous composer Wagner?

In addition to the material in this article, you can get general information about the origin of the surname and the secret.

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 up to XIX century Some members of the population did not have hereditary "nicknames". Unlike Russia, it is not customary for Germans to pronounce patronymic names. 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 the 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 there will be Herman, 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 large number generic names that do not in any 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 representatives feminine with the surname Schmidt or Müller.

Very beautiful generic names for girls are Mayer, Lehmann, Peters and others. The most beautiful in in this case formed under the influence of the type of activity of the forefather or on his behalf. Of course, there are not many registered surnames in Germany, but they look quite noble. Peters will go with almost anyone female name, while Fischer (“The 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 generic names from appearance forefather, then the most interesting ones, perhaps, will convey the height of a person, the color of his hair or lifestyle. History preserves such surnames German people, like Weiss ("White"), Lang ("Long"), Khan ("Owner of the Cocks"), Kraus ("Curly") or Hartman - "Woodman".

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 are associated with the indigenous basis from which they come. 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 royal family Kening, derived 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 family 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 the whole world knows Hoffman alone as a famous actor.