German family name etymology
Encyclopedia
German family names were introduced during the late Middle Ages
in the German language
area. Usually, such family name
s are derived from nickname
s. In etymology, they are generally classified into four groups, based on the origin of a nickname: given name
s, job
designations, bodily attributes, and geographical
references (including references to named buildings). Also, many family names display characteristic features of the dialect
of the region they originated in.
The preposition von
("of") was used to distinguish Nobility
; for example, if someone was baron of the village of Veltheim, his family name would be von Veltheim. In modern times, people who were elevated to nobility often had a 'von' added to their name. For example, Johann Wolfgang Goethe
had his name changed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. This practice ended with the abolition of the monarchy in Germany and Austria in 1919. Some times von is also used in geographical names that are not noble, as in von Däniken.
With family names originating locally, many names display particular characteristics of the local dialects, such as the south German, Austrian and Swiss diminutive
endings -l -el, '-erl, -le or -li as in Kleibl, Schäuble or Nägeli (from 'Nagel', nail).
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
in the German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
area. Usually, such family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
s are derived from nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s. In etymology, they are generally classified into four groups, based on the origin of a nickname: given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
s, job
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
designations, bodily attributes, and geographical
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
references (including references to named buildings). Also, many family names display characteristic features of the dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of the region they originated in.
- Given names often turned into family names when people were identified by their father's namePatronymicA patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
. For example, the first name Ahrend developed into the family name Ahrends by adding a genitive s-ending, as in Ahrend's son.
Examples: Ahrends/AhrensAhrensAhrens is a German surname which may refer to:Persons* Adolf Ahrens , German captain and politician * Adolf Ahrens , German politician and mayor of Delmenhorst...
, Burkhard, Wulff, FriedrichFriedrich (surname)-Friedrich:In politics:* Carl Joachim Friedrich, political scientist* Ingo Friedrich, German MEP* István Friedrich, Hungarian politicianIn artistry:* Caspar David Friedrich, German Romantic painter...
, BenzBenz- People :*Bertha Benz , German marketing entrepreneur who was the first to drive an automobile for a long distance*Derek Benz , American author of fantasy fiction for children*Julie Benz , American actress*Kafi Benz - People :*Bertha Benz (1849–1944), German marketing entrepreneur who was the...
, FritzFritzFritz originated as a German nickname for Friedrich, or Frederick , as well as for similar names including Fridolin...
. With many of the early city records written in LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, occasionally the Latin genitive singular -i was used such as in Jakobi or Alberti or (written as -'y') in Mendelssohn Bartholdy
- Job designations are the most common form of family names; anybody who had an unusual job would have been bound to be identified by it. Examples: SchmidtSchmidtSchmidt may refer to:* Schmidt , including list of people with the surname* Schmidt * Schmidt , a crater on Mars* Schmidt , in Kamchatka...
(smithSmith (metalwork)A metalsmith, often shortened to smith, is a person involved in making metal objects. In contemporary use a metalsmith is a person who uses metal as a material, uses traditional metalsmithing techniques , whose work thematically relates to the practice or history of the practice, or who engages in...
), MüllerMüllerThe German word Müller means "miller" . It is the most common family surname in Germany and Switzerland and the fifth most common surname in Austria . Other forms are "Miller" and "Möller"...
(millerMillerA miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
), MeierMeier- People :* Meier, Carl A., a Swiss psychiatrist, Jungian Psychologist* Meier, Barbara, German model, most known for winning the third cycle of Germany's Next Topmodel* Meier, Bernd, German football goalkeeper* Meier, Billy, UFO contactee...
(farmFarmA farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
administrator; akin to MayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
), SchulzSchulzSchulz is a common German family name in Northern Germany. It is roughly equivalent to the English family name Constable; the German word Schulz originates from the local official known as Dorf-Schulz, a local law enforcement officer like a police officer or magistrate...
e (constableConstableA constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
), FischerFischer- Origin and meaning :The German language name is derived from the profession of the fisherman. The name Fischer is the fourth most common German surname.- Variants:* Fisher * Fischler* Vischer* Fischers* Fischl* Fischel* Fischle)...
(fishermanFishermanA fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
), SchneiderSchneiderSchneider is a surname, common in Germany, it may also refer to:Companies and organizations* G. Schneider & Sohn, Bavarian brewery company* Schneider Rundfunkwerke AG, former owner of the Dual brand record players...
(tailorTailorA tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
), MaurerMaurerMaurer is the surname of:* Alfred Henry Maurer , an American artist* Angela Maurer , German long-distance swimmer* Chris Maurer , former bassist of ska band Suburban Legends...
(mason), BauerBauerBauer is a German family name. It translates in English as peasant or farmer.-Surname:Notable people of this name include:* André Bauer , American politician* Belinda Bauer , Australian actress* Bill Bauer, Canadian writer...
(farmerFarmerA farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
), MetzgerMetzgerMetzger is a German word meaning "butcher" and may refer to:* Metzger, OregonMetzger is a common German family name, and may refer to:* Alex Metzger, German bobsledder...
or FleischerFleischerFleischer is a common German and Yiddish family name. Its literal meaning is "butcher". Other German family names with the same meaning include Metzger, Mezger, Fleischman, and Fleischmann.- People :...
(butcher), TöpferTöpfer- PEOPLE :* Klaus Töpfer , German politician* Ernst Toepfer , German painter* Tomáš Töpfer, see Divadlo Na Fidlovačce* Alfred Toepfer , German entrepreneur, founder of Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S.* Reinhard Töpfer, author...
, Toepfer (potter) or KlingemannKlingemann (surname)Klingemann is a surname used by many individuals, and families around the world. The origin of the surname is German. The name roughly translates to blade man in English and refers to the profession of a skilled weapons smith....
(weapons smith). Also, names referring to nobility such as KaiserKaiserKaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
(emperor), KönigKönigKönig is the German word for king. In German and other languages that use the umlaut the spellings König and Koenig are interchangeable. As a surname in English-language use Koenig is usual, or occasionally the umlaut is simply dropped, giving the form Konig...
(king), GrafGrafGraf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
(count) are common, with the name bearers probably only a minor functionary of a monarch.
- Bodily attribute names are family names such as KrauseKrauseKrause is a common German surname that may refer to:*Alan Krause, a former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne...
(curly), SchwarzkopfSchwarzkopfSchwarzkopf refers to:- Place name :Germany:* Schwarzkopf , a mountain of Bavaria, Germany* Schwarzkopf , Berg im Nordschwarzwald* Schwarzkopf , a mountain of Bavaria, GermanyCzech Republic...
(black head), KleinKlein (surname)Klein is the Dutch and German word for "small", which came to be used as a family name, and thence passed into the names of places, concepts and discoveries associated with bearers of this surname.-Politics and government:...
(small), GroßGrosGros could refer to:* Gros , Medieval coinage* Persons that have the last name Gros or le Gros:** Antoine-Jean Gros, French painter** Charles III le Gros, 9th Century European king...
(big). - Geographical names are derived from the name of a city or village, or the location of someone's home. They often have the '-er' postfix that signifies origin (as in English New Yorker). Examples: Kissinger (from Kissingen), SchwarzeneggerSchwarzeneggerSchwarzenegger is a German surname that means person from Schwarzenegg, which is both a town in Switzerland and a place in Land Salzburg in Austria...
(from Schwarzenegg or Schwarzeneck), BayerBayerBayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
(from BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, German Bayern). BöhmBöhmBöhm is a German surname, meaning Bohemian.It may refer to:* Carl Crack * Annett Böhm, German judoka* Corbinian Böhm, German artist* Corrado Böhm, Italian computer scientist* Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli, Austrian general of World War I...
indicates that a family originated in BohemiaBohemiaBohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
.
- A special case of geographical names were those derived from a building or landmark, e.g. a BuschBusch-People:*Adam Busch , American actor*Adolf Busch , German violinist and composer*Adolphus Busch , founder of Anheuser-Busch*Adolphus Busch III , 3rd generation brewing magnate...
(bush). Before the advent of street names and numbers, even for long times afterwards, many important buildings like inns, mills and farmsteads were given names (see also Der Lachs zu Danzig). Such a place was often better known than the people living in it; the people would get their 'family' name from the building. This name could be combined with a profession: Rosenbauer (rose-farmer, from a farmstead called 'the rose'); Kindlmüller (child's miller, from a mill named 'the Christmas child', 'the prodigal child' or 'the king's child'). The name of the building could also be used as is: Bär (Bear); Engels (from Engel, angel).
- Immigration, often sponsored by local authorities, also brought foreign family names into the German speaking regions. Depending on regional history, geography and economics, many family names have FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
or SlavicSlavic languagesThe Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
(e.g. PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
) origins. Sometimes they survived in their original form; in other cases, the spelling would be adapted to German (the Slavic ending ic becoming the German -itz or -itsch or Baltic "-kis" becoming "-ke"). Over time, the spelling often changed to reflect native German pronunciation (Sloothaak for the Dutch Sloothaag); but some names, such as those of French Huguenots settling in PrussiaPrussiaPrussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, retained their spelling but with the pronunciation that would come naturally to a German reading the name: MarquardMarquardMarquard is a small farming town in the Free State province of South Africa that serves Winburg in the northwest. The town was set up by an influential Dutch Reform minister, JJ Marquard with the help of Christoffel Cornelis Froneman, the commandant of the Orange Free State in 1905....
, pronounced marcar in French, ended up being pronounced Markuart much like the German Markwart from which it was originally derived.
The preposition von
Von
In German, von is a preposition which approximately means of or from.When it is used as a part of a German family name, it is usually a nobiliary particle, like the French, Spanish and Portuguese "de". At certain times and places, it has been illegal for anyone who was not a member of the nobility...
("of") was used to distinguish Nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
; for example, if someone was baron of the village of Veltheim, his family name would be von Veltheim. In modern times, people who were elevated to nobility often had a 'von' added to their name. For example, Johann Wolfgang Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
had his name changed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. This practice ended with the abolition of the monarchy in Germany and Austria in 1919. Some times von is also used in geographical names that are not noble, as in von Däniken.
With family names originating locally, many names display particular characteristics of the local dialects, such as the south German, Austrian and Swiss diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
endings -l -el, '-erl, -le or -li as in Kleibl, Schäuble or Nägeli (from 'Nagel', nail).