This is because names are often based on words that come from Middle High German or Middle Low German, which are no longer spoken in Germany. Perhaps you’ve been wondering what those surnames mean and where they come from. It looked like this: Cunradus dictus Faber, Heinricus dictus Kreier, bruder Egebreht dem man sprichet der Wolhuser (“brother Egebreht who is called the Wolhuser”), Hans Rot genannt Rotlieb, Heinrich bi dem Bach. In the previous segment, we saw that the olden German name was a single name, composed of two syllables with each syllable representing a root and each root having a specific meaning. Most people lived in small villages with small populations, so if you called for someone named Heinrich, chances were the right Heinrich would turn around. Read on to see our list of popular Irish last names, their Irish spellings, and their meanings. From Where Does The Surname Originate? When a German surname did not have an English equivalent, the name change was usually based on phonetics - spelled in English the way it sounded. A son and a father might have different surnames. Many German surnames are self-explanatory as they were derived from people’s jobs. German Last Name Meaning . German surnames generally fit into one of the following categories: These were originally names with two parts, such as: Some of them were later shortened to names such as: What’s interesting about these names is that they contain old German words that are no longer in use. Some German surnames are derived from locations, a place near the person who adopted the surname. German family names can be a fascinating gateway to the past — not only your family’s past, but also the history of Germany and the German language. FREUND German From Middle High German vriunt , modern German Freund meaning "friend" . These are known as occupational and descriptive last names. Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist and the author of The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy. Knowing more about your family’s origins may help you understand more about their names, and vice versa. You might be also interested in german surnames, german last names or family names.Learn where these names come from, their meanings and even some german genealogy. ‘ Affal’ in High German means apple and ‘ bach’ means brook. The latter are particularly difficult to interpret because they are old — sometimes very old. This leads to some pretty self-explanatory surnames. I’m really new at this type of research. In the distant past, individuals were only given a first name. In September we added 21.7 million historical records from 12 new collections from Australia, Armenia, the British Commonwealth, Canada, Germany, France, and the U.S. These surnames were not always family names, in the sense that they were not necessarily passed down in the family. By the time periods covered by MyHeritage’s birth and marriage indexes from Hesse, for example, surnames were used for the entire family. 'the son of German.' The most common way to explore a German surname is to create a distribution map using “Telefon-CDs” — CDs that contain phone book information, including the last names of people in specific households. . 2. -berg (meaning "mountain") -bruck (meaning "bridge") -burg (meaning "castle") -furt (meaning "ford") -holz (meaning "wood") -rode (clearing in woods) -wald (meaning "forest" or "woods") Some German towns and villages have names ending in. Gottschalk / Gottschald / Gottschall – From the Old High German ‘got-scalk’ meaning `God’s servant.‘ This German surname is particularly old and was first recorded in 866 as ‘Godescalc’. It was only in the 19th century that surnames became hereditary. Some surnames relate to where a person is from. Bezzenberger (cf. It was only in the 19th century that surnames became hereditary. Graber / Graeber – From Middle High German `grabaere‘ meaning `digger (of ditches) / grave digger. Names with Christian origins were quite popular: Names like these might have been shortened to Alex, Christoph, Nickel, or Franz. For example, they might have called him, There are plenty of other resources for researching German family names and plotting their distribution, many of which can be found among, Still, even if you can’t determine the precise meaning of your German family names, it’s never been easier to research your German roots thanks to the availability of online records — some of which, like the, , are exclusive to MyHeritage. Below are just some of the German Family Names (German Surnames) that we have on file. A woman who marries into the family and takes her husband's name uses Uí/Mic- e.g. Because of this, many names in Germany are derived from all the languages of eastern and southeastern Europe, such as Polish, Yiddish, Czech, French, Baltic languages (Old Prussian, Lithuanian, and Latvian), Belarusian, Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, and so on. This is a loose translation of a piece written by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Udolph, which can be read in the original German here. — you’ve probably been spending a lot of time with their surnames. Pre-election polls are another source: they account for around 1,500 people, and the information often matches the mood of the population very precisely. List Of Popular German Last Names Or Surnames. EICHEL German Means "acorn" in German, indicating a person who lived near an oak tree. Prof. Dr. Udolph is a name researcher, father of 4, and a tenured professor at Leipzig University, and he is the most sought-after expert today when it comes to the interpretation of names. German surnames developed from four major sources: A variation on locality names, farm names in Germany are names which came from the family farm. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Top 50 German Surnames and Their Meanings, The Meanings and Origins of Spanish Surnames, The Meaning and Origin of Famous German Names, Zimmermann Surname Meaning and Family History, Schroeder Surname Meaning and Family History, Neumann Surname Meaning and Family History, The History of Popular German Last Names (Nachnamen), SCHMIDT Surname Meaning and Family History, SCHMITZ Surname Meaning and Family History, Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University. For example: There are an estimated 850,000 different surnames in Germany — a very high number! As special service you may send us own requests in the form below. The early Germans lived Gina tribal and agricultural culture, but they also loved war. "In use in Germany. There are plenty of other resources for researching German family names and plotting their distribution, many of which can be found among MyHeritage’s German historical records. Around the 12th century, people began to differentiate between individuals who shared the same name using the Latin word dictus (“called”), or later, with the German genant (“called”), giheizen/heisset (“is called”), den man sprichet (“of whom you speak”), den man nennt (“the one who you call”), and so on. Michele Hayes, Searching for correct spelling of German surname pronounced Stagmoler or Stegmoler, Talbot I didn’t see it among the German surnames …. These additions eventually evolved into the surnames we know today: Heinrich dictus Schneider became Heinrich Schneider. The most common German surname, Müller (miller), is shared by around 700,000 people. Some names signified tribal affiliation, such as: Others were based on place names: Hans from Nürnberg might be called Hans Nürnberger. German Surnames . Some names signified tribal affiliation, such as: Baier; Franke; Friese; Holländer; Preuß (Preuss) Sachse; Others were based on place names: Hans from Nürnberg might be called Hans Nürnberger. This research takes time and patience. Still, even if you can’t determine the precise meaning of your German family names, it’s never been easier to research your German roots thanks to the availability of online records — some of which, like the North Rhine-Westphalia collection, are exclusive to MyHeritage. Bierbaum (see also Beerbohm) Biermann, Bierman > Beermann, Beerman, cf.Berman; Binder (cf.Buchbinder, Fassbinder) Binding; Binswanger; Birnbaum (includes Jewish pedigrees) Biron, Birons (also a Baltic nobility) Bisha; Bitter, Bittner; Blacher; Blei; Bleibtreu From Abbey to Zelig, find a full list of German boys names and their meanings online at Germany101.com Where many a French or Italian surname refer to a geographical location, most German last names derive from an occupation or characteristic trait. For example: This category includes many, many German names. Or maybe point me in direction to start this process. Is there anyway you can help me out? Root classifications are mainly Military, Terrain, Professional and Personal Characteristics (miscellaneous). 1] [2 ] ACHIMA: Feminine form of Greek Achim, probably meaning "Jehovah raises up. Mac/Mc, meaning Son, and Ó, meaning Little (or Descendant), are used by sons born into the family. "Compare with other forms of Ada. Approximately 16 million refugees and displaced persons moved to Germany after 1945, and many of their names are derived from other languages and dialects. 1. Common German Last Names . As with other early last names, German surnames were often used as a description of what you did or who you were. It was also borne by medieval kings of France, Italy and the Holy Roman Empire. Keep all this in mind when you delve into. meaning and history. It’s not always easy for a German speaker to understand the meaning of a family name. Three suffixes which often indicate a German occupational name are: -er (one who), commonly found in names such as Fischer, one who fishes; -hauer (hewer or cutter), used in names such as Baumhauer, tree chopper; and -macher (one who makes), found in names like Schumacher, one who makes shoes. To understand the meaning of a name derived from obsolete words, you need to have a background in the history of the German language — especially Low German, which for a time was the dominant language of the entire Baltic Sea region in northern Germany. There are Jewish surnames of Russian, Polish, or German origin. Old German Last Names . If you’ve been researching your German ancestors — especially in light of MyHeritage’s release of the new and exclusive North Rhine-Westphalia Death Index 1874–1938 — you’ve probably been spending a lot of time with their surnames. Cornelius Tacitus, a renowned Roman historian (5… In the case of a daughter being born into the family she would use Ní/Nic, for example Ó Muireadhaigh becomes Ní Mhuireadhaigh. Where does the surname WIELAND derive from? The thing which makes them different from traditional surnames, however, is that when a person moved onto a farm, he would change his name to that of the farm (a name which usually came from the farm's original owner). Historically, the most popular German first names, or given names, have been biblical in nature, most commonly named for Saints such as Johann or … In October, 59.6 million historical records were added to MyHeritage in 6 collections from Norway, Wales, and Portugal. She teaches at the Genealogical Institute of Pittsburgh and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. In this part, a look will be taken at names having at least one Military Root. German surnames derived from family origin. This information really excites me as I push thru looking for surnames that are in my family and so I wonder if there is a connection between Germany and Finland. Meanings and Origins of Female German Names. People are interested to learn not only the origins of family names, but also first names, place names, and names of natural landmarks. Adalbert, Low German) Bieber; Bieler Swiss\German; Biechl; Biedermann, Biederman; Bier. Abel. Other examples include names such as: Bamberger; Bielfeld; Erfurt; Fischbeck; Oldenburg This is not always easy for German names, particularly those among the Sorbian and Danish minorities. German surnames generally started out as one of four different types. When first approaching a German surname, it’s important to remember that each name originally had a meaning. He has researched more than 10,000 names in the past ten years. Prof. Dr. Udolph is a name researcher, father of 4, and a tenured professor at Leipzig University, and he is the most sought-after expert today when it comes to the interpretation of names. Beginning consonant clusters such as Kn (Knopf), Pf (Pfizer), Str (Stroh), Neu (Neumann), or Sch (Schneider) indicate possible German origins, as do endings such as -mann (Baumann), -stein (Frankenstein), -berg (Goldberg), -burg (Steinburg), -bruck (Zurbrück), -heim (Ostheim), -rich (Heinrich), -lich (Heimlich), -thal (Rosenthal), and -dorf (Dusseldorf). Im on 60% sure that Haden family was from Rhineland-Palatinate because when they came to Slovakia(around year 1911) they bought land whit vineyards. Telefon-CDs from that time contain around 35 million names, accounting for almost 50% of the population of Germany — enough to get a reliable picture of name distribution. Another tricky thing about German last names: A last name could be what you would call a farm name. 1] [2 ] ABELARD: Old German name, meaning "noble strength. Thank you for your time in this matter. Aber. Because of this, German last names can be found throughout bordering countries, including Poland, Austria, France and Spain. For the most part, the name was chosen by people who knew the person and who used the name to describe him. There are several famous and notable figures that bear German surnames, from celebrities to political figures. German Surnames & What They Mean. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_common_surnames_in_Germany The collections include births & baptisms, marriages, and deaths & burials. With that in mind, here are some of the most common German surnames and their meanings. This name is of Teutonic (a tribe that inhabited coastal Germany) origin, which means ‘illustrious.’. Roth. If your family surname is listed below, now’s a great time to get connected to your roots! By plotting the distribution of a surname in Germany, you can determine whether the name originated in Germany or came into use due to immigration (mostly as a result of World War II). For example, ask (“spear”), beraht (“bright, radiant”), degan (“warrior”), fruma (“benefit, advantage, blessing”), hagen (“fenced place”), wig (“fight, struggle”), or witu (“wood”). The email address is kept private and will not be shown. This ornamental surname is adopted from the German word ‘Rosen Baum’ meaning ‘rose tree’. Ornamental name from old German freud meaning "joy" and berg meaning "mountain". Check out this list of popular German surnames and their meanings to see if you recognize any. Germany Surname Map . By the time periods covered by MyHeritage’s. German Name Origins And Meanings. This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. Complete List Of German Surnames LOTHAR m German, Ancient Germanic From the Germanic name Chlodochar meaning "famous army", derived from the elements hlud "famous" and hari "army". Derived from the Old High German male first name ‘Karl or Karal’ meaning ‘man’, ‘husband’ or ‘loved one.’ It can also mean ‘the free one’ or ‘the brave one’. ; ADALA: Old German name derived from adal, meaning "noble." Occupational German Last Names The son of the noble, Umberto de Savoy, may rule at Lorraine and be known as Lothair de Lorraine, the son of John le Smith may be a cheese-maker and known as Dominic Cheeseman and the son of William the Bald may have a head of thick white hair and been known as Darren Snowball. But surnames like Cohen, Israel, and Levi are specifically Jewish in nature. However, as populations increased, the multitude of people who shared the same first name became confusing. (“brother Egebreht who is called the Wolhuser”). Most German commoners acquired their surnames in the Middle Ages, sometime around the 1300s, and for most areas (with the conspicuous exceptions noted later in this section) those surnames were fixed from one generation … ADA: Pet form of German names containing the element adal, meaning "noble. After immigrating to America, many Germans changed ("Americanized") their surname to make it easier for others to pronounce or merely to feel more a part of their new home. They are often very easy to identify if you either know a little German or know which clues to look for. However, name research is one area of linguistics that attracts a great deal of interest. ADA f English, German, Polish, Hungarian, Italian, Finnish, Ancient Germanic Originally a short form of Germanic names such as ADELAIDE or ADELINA that begin with the element adal meaning "noble". Would really like to know some information about it. This was the name of a 9th-century Frankish king, the son of Louis I, who ruled the region called Lorraine. The original All Souls Day — which eventually morphed into Halloween — is celebrated in many traditional Christian societies as a day to honor the memories of one’s ancestors. Most people use the CD collections from around 1990–2000, because from that point forward, people began using cell phones, and the listings don’t contain any information about their place of residence. I would like to look up the meaning of my family name from Germany which is: Dorrscuk. 92. Meanings and Origins of Male German Names. German Surname Origins And Meanings. No doubt a personal name taken or given from the country; compare Norman. indexes from Hesse, for example, surnames were used for the entire family. Over the years we would have gathered many more, as well as spelling variations to these. Not always family names, German surnames have been around since the 1100s names involves challenges. 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