Old German Last Names: A Comprehensive List with Meanings

Are you searching for an authentic German last name? Whether you're a genealogist tracing your roots, a writer crafting a historical character, or simply interested in the rich heritage of German surnames, this comprehensive list will provide you with a wealth of options. Discover the stories behind these names, each carrying a unique meaning that reflects the history, culture, and traditions of the German people. Let's delve into the world of Old German last names and unearth the fascinating tales they hold.
1. **Ackermann:** meaning "field man," referring to someone who worked the land.
2. **Albrecht:** meaning "noble brightness," a combination of the German words "adel" (noble) and "brecht" (brightness).
3. **Arnold:** meaning "strong ruler," a combination of the German words "arn" (eagle) and "wald" (ruler).
4. **Bachmann:** meaning "brook man," referring to someone who lived near a stream or brook.
5. **Bauer:** meaning "farmer," a common surname for those who worked the land.
6. **Becker:** meaning "baker," referring to someone who baked bread.
7. **Berger:** meaning "mountain man," referring to someone who lived near a mountain.
8. **Bertram:** meaning "bright raven," a combination of the German words "beraht" (bright) and "hramn" (raven).
9. **Bischoff:** meaning "bishop," referring to a high-ranking church official.
10. **Böhmer:** meaning "Bohemian," referring to someone from Bohemia.
11. **Brandt:** meaning "fire," referring to a place where fires were made or a place with a distinctive landmark.
12. **Breuer:** meaning "brewer," referring to someone who brewed beer.
13. **Brüder:** meaning "brothers," referring to a family with multiple sons.
14. **Busch:** meaning "bush," referring to someone who lived near a bush or thicket.
15. **Dorn:** meaning "thorn," referring to a place with thorns or a person who worked with thorns.
16. **Eberhardt:** meaning "strong boar," a combination of the German words "eber" (boar) and "hart" (strong).
17. **Eichhorn:** meaning "squirrel," referring to a place where squirrels were common.
18. **Engelhardt:** meaning "noble warrior," a combination of the German words "engel" (angel) and "hardt" (warrior).
19. **Fischer:** meaning "fisherman," referring to someone who fished for a living.
20. **Fleischer:** meaning "butcher," referring to someone who butchered animals.
21. **Friedrich:** meaning "peaceful ruler," a combination of the German words "fridu" (peace) and "rihhi" (ruler).
22. **Geiger:** meaning "fiddler," referring to someone who played the violin.
23. **Gerhardt:** meaning "strong spear," a combination of the German words "ger" (spear) and "hardt" (strong).
24. **Giese:** meaning "hostage," referring to someone who was taken hostage or a place where hostages were kept.
25. **Glaser:** meaning "glassmaker," referring to someone who made glass.
26. **Goldschmidt:** meaning "goldsmith," referring to someone who worked with gold.
27. **Graf:** meaning "count," referring to a noble of high rank.
28. **Greiner:** meaning "green," referring to a place with lush vegetation or a person who worked with plants.
29. **Grimm:** meaning "fierce," referring to a person with a strong personality or a place with a fierce reputation.
30. **Großmann:** meaning "big man," referring to someone who was tall or strong.
31. **Haas:** meaning "hare," referring to a place where hares were common.
32. **Hahn:** meaning "rooster," referring to a person with a loud voice or a place where roosters were common.
33. **Hammer:** meaning "hammer," referring to someone who worked with a hammer.
34. **Hartmann:** meaning "strong man," a combination of the German words "hart" (strong) and "mann" (man).
35. **Heinemann:** meaning "home man," referring to someone who lived in a particular home.
36. **Heinrich:** meaning "ruler of the house," a combination of the German words "heim" (home) and "rihhi" (ruler).
37. **Heller:** meaning "bright," referring to a person with a bright personality or a place with a bright landscape.
38. **Hermann:** meaning "army man," a combination of the German words "her" (army) and "mann" (man).
39. **Hoffmann:** meaning "court man," referring to someone who worked in a royal court.
40. **Holzer:** meaning "woodcutter," referring to someone who cut wood for a living.
41. **Horch:** meaning "listen," referring to a person who was attentive or a place where people listened.
42. **Jung:** meaning "young," referring to a person who was young or a place associated with youth.
43. **Kaiser:** meaning "emperor," referring to the supreme ruler of an empire.
44. **Keller:** meaning "cellar," referring to someone who worked in a cellar or a place with a cellar.
45. **Kessler:** meaning "cheeseseller," referring to someone who sold cheese.
46. **Koch:** meaning "cook," referring to someone who cooked food.
47. **König:** meaning "king," referring to the ruler of a kingdom.
48. **Kramer:** meaning "merchant," referring to someone who traded goods.
49. **Krämer:** meaning "herb seller," referring to someone who sold herbs.
50. **Kuhn:** meaning "son," a common surname for the son of a particular person.
51. **Lang:** meaning "long," referring to a person who was tall or a place with a long distance.
52. **Lehmann:** meaning "tenant farmer," referring to someone who rented land to farm.
53. **Leicht:** meaning "light," referring to a person with a light personality or a place with a light atmosphere.
54. **Lenz:** meaning "spring," referring to a person born in the spring or a place associated with spring.
55. **Liebermann:** meaning "dear man," referring to a person who was loved or a place that was cherished.
56. **Löffler:** meaning "spooner," referring to someone who made spoons.
57. **Ludwig:** meaning "famous warrior," a combination of the German words "hlud" (famous) and "wig" (warrior).
58. **Lutz:** meaning "battle," referring to a person who was brave in battle or a place associated with battle.
59. **Maier:** meaning "mayor," referring to the leader of a town or village.
60. **Mann:** meaning "man," a common surname for a male individual.
61. **Mayer:** meaning "farm manager," referring to someone who managed a farm.
62. **Meier:** meaning "farmer," referring to someone who worked the land.
63. **Meister:** meaning "master," referring to someone skilled in a particular craft.
64. **Meyer:** meaning "farmer," referring to someone who worked the land.
65. **Müller:** meaning "miller," referring to someone who ground grain into flour.
66. **Neumann:** meaning "new man," referring to someone who was a newcomer to a place.
67. **Obermann:** meaning "upper man," referring to someone who had a position of authority.
68. **Oelschläger:** meaning "oil merchant," referring to someone who sold oil.
69. **Otto:** meaning "wealthy," referring to a person with wealth or a place associated with prosperity.
70. **Peters:** meaning "Peter's son," referring to the son of a man named Peter.
71. **Pfeiffer:** meaning "piper," referring to someone who played a pipe.
72. **Pfaff:** meaning "priest," referring to a religious leader.
73. **Räuber:** meaning "robber," referring to a person who stole or a place associated with robbery.
74. **Reinhardt:** meaning "strong counsel," a combination of the German words "rein" (strong) and "hardt" (counsel).
75. **Richter:** meaning "judge," referring to someone who presided over legal matters.
76. **Ritter:** meaning "knight," referring to a warrior of noble rank.
77. **Römer:** meaning "Roman," referring to someone from Rome or descended from Roman ancestors.
78. **Rosenthal:** meaning "rose valley," referring to a place with rose bushes or a beautiful valley.
79. **Roth:** meaning "red," referring to a person with red hair or a place with red soil.
80. **Schmidt:** meaning "blacksmith," referring to someone who worked with iron.
81. **Schmitt:** meaning "blacksmith," referring to someone who worked with iron.
82. **Schneider:** meaning "tailor," referring to someone who made clothes.
83. **Scholz:** meaning "chancellor," referring to a high-ranking government official.
84. **Schreiber:** meaning "scribe," referring to someone who wrote or copied documents.
85. **Schröder:** meaning "cutter," referring to someone who cut materials or a place associated with cutting.
86. **Schulz:** meaning "schoolmaster," referring to someone who taught in a school.
87. **Schuster:** meaning "shoemaker," referring to someone who made shoes.
88. **Schwarz:** meaning "black," referring to a person with dark hair or a place with dark soil.
89. **Seidel:** meaning "tankard," referring to someone who drank from a tankard or a place associated with drinking.
90. **Seiß:** meaning "sewer," referring to someone who worked with sewage or a place associated with sewage.
91. **Senger:** meaning "singer," referring to someone who sang or a place associated with singing.
92. **Siebert:** meaning "bright victory," a combination of the German words "sieben" (bright) and "bert" (victory).
93. **Siedentopf:** meaning "boiling pot," referring to someone who made boiling pots or a place associated with boiling pots.
94. **Simon:** meaning "listener," referring to a person who was attentive or a place where people listened.
95. **Sommer:** meaning "summer," referring to a person born in the summer or a place associated with summer.
96. **Steiner:** meaning "stone," referring to a person who worked with stone or a place with stones.
97. **Stieber:** meaning "stabber," referring to someone who stabbed or a place associated with stabbing.
98. **Strauss:** meaning "ostrich," referring to a person who owned ostriches or a place associated with ostriches.
99. **Stroh:** meaning "straw," referring to a person who worked with straw or a place associated with straw.
100. **Teufel:** meaning "devil," referring to a person with a mischievous personality or a place associated with the devil.
101. **Thiel:** meaning "people," referring to a group of people or a place associated with people.
102. **Thomas:** meaning "twin," referring to a person who was a twin or a place associated with twins.
103. **Walter:** meaning "ruler of the army," a combination of the German words "walt" (army) and "her" (ruler).
104. **Weber:** meaning "weaver," referring to someone who wove cloth.
105. **Wegener:** meaning "warrior," referring to a brave fighter or a place associated with war.
106. **Weinert:** meaning "wine merchant," referring to someone who sold wine.
107. **Werner:** meaning "defender of the army," a combination of the German words "wer" (defender) and "her" (army).
108. **Wiese:** meaning "meadow," referring to a person who lived near a meadow or a place associated with meadows.
109. **Wilhelm:** meaning "resolute helmet," a combination of the German words "wil" (resolute) and "helm" (helmet).
110. **Winkler:** meaning "wine maker," referring to someone who made wine.
111. **Winter:** meaning "winter," referring to a person born in the winter or a place associated with winter.
112. **Wolf:** meaning "wolf," referring to a person who hunted wolves or a place associated with wolves.
113. **Wolff:** meaning "wolf," referring to a person who hunted wolves or a place associated with wolves.
114. **Zimmermann:** meaning "carpenter," referring to someone who built houses or furniture.
115. **Zink:** meaning "zinc," referring to a person who worked with zinc or a place associated with zinc.
116. **Zollner:** meaning "customs official," referring to someone who collected taxes or duties.
117. **Zorn:** meaning "anger," referring to a person with a fiery temper or a place associated with anger.