English surnames of German Low German language origin. ANKE f Low German, Dutch Low German and Dutch diminutive of ANNA and other names beginning with An. (This includes names derived at an older stage of the language.) Surnames preceded by "on" are often clues to geographical surnames, not necessarily a sign that an ancestor was of nobility as many mistakenly … BECK (2) German Variant of BECKER, from southern German beck. HUMMEL (2) German, Dutch Nickname for a busy person, from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch hommel, Middle High German hummel, all meaning "bee". Low German. It peaked in 2011, when it ranked as the second most popular name for boys. Low German or Low Saxon is a West Germanic language variety spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern part of the Netherlands. For the most part, the name was chosen by people who knew the person and who used the name to describe him. 2. For each Germanic surname in this glossary, we have provided the English meaning, which may or may not be a surname in English. It comes from the Low German word ‘delle,’ which means dell – a small valley in English. Low German form of BAUER. How to research a German surname. Find out how surnames are ranked in popularity, how many people in the United States of America bear a particular name, and how the statistics change between 1990 and 2000 US Censuses. This element is also closely related to Celtic rîg or rix and Gothic reiks, which all mean "king, ruler." Even after 1871, Germany's land area and political influence shifted several times. Ackerman (surname) Ackermann (surname) Ackner; Adelman; Adelstein; Aderhold; Adler (surname) Adolff; Adorf (surname) Aeschlimann; Afritsch; Ahle; Ahrendt; Ahrens; Aichele; Aichhorn; Aigner; Albin (surname) Albrecht; Alemann; Alt (surname) Alterman; Altermann; Altmann (surname) Altschul; Altschuler; Amann; Amberg (name) Amman (surname) Ammann; Ammermann; Amsel (surname) … It wasn't until 1871 that Germany became a unified country. The Origin of German Last Names . The first European surnames seem to have arisen in northern Italy around 1000 A.D., gradually spreading northward into the Germanic lands and the rest of Europe. Derived from Middle Dutch bosch meaning "wood, forest". Kamp (surname) Kerckhoff; Kersten; Ketling; Ketteler; Kettler (surname) Klindworth; Klinkowström; Knigge; Knoop; Koenen; Kracht; Kramer (surname) If you are one of 46 million Americans with German ancestry, your surname could yield some interesting clues to your family history. When first approaching a German surname, it’s important to remember that each name originally had a meaning. As a surname, it was a nickname given to someone with gray hair.... [more] GREWE German, Low German A Meier – the third most common German surname – was a high-ranking peasant entrusted with supervising the … This enables us to draw conclusions on medieval dialectal variation, writing traditions and cultural life using the current areal distribution. Plautdietsch). The place names are derived from Low German achter "behind" and berg "mountain, hill". BUHR Low German. The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. This is not a list of equivalent names, but rather a sampling of English translations or meanings of German names.In many cases, there may be several possible origins or translations for a surname. A list of German origin and Americanised family names. This was the name of a 10th-century saint and bishop of Konstanz, in southern Germany. In the United States this name began to increase in popularity in the 1980s, likely because of its fashionable sound. "Familienname," Wikipedia. Other geographical surnames in Germany are derived from the state, region, or village of the first bearer's origin, often reflecting a division in tribes and regions, i.e. Despite this fairly dramatic lingual difference, the patterns of surnames are almost identical. German surnames preserve linguistic material which is up to 900 years old, from Middle High German, Middle Low German and Early New High German. 2. From a nickname meaning "foot" in Low German. The the most common form of German family name is occupational. Low German Dialects Hamburg. English surnames of Low German language origin. Meitzler, Leland. Most German surnames derive either from archaic professions (such as Schmidt, Müller, … If you’re looking for a strong surname, we’ve got exactly what you need. CONRAD m English, German, Ancient Germanic Means "brave counsel", derived from the Germanic elements kuoni "brave" and rad "counsel". By 1500 the use of family names such as Schmidt (smith), Petersen (son of Peter), and Bäcker (baker) was common in the German-speaking regions and all across Europe. By Maria Monrovia Updated September 21, 2018. It can often be identified by its ending: -er, -hauer, -macher, or man/-mann. ANTJE f Frisian, Dutch, Low German Frisian, Dutch and Low German diminutive of ANNA. Unsplash / Eddy Lackmann The German language isn’t known for being wistful or flimsy. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. These occupational names form the largest group among the German family names. Derived from Middle Low German bruwer meaning "brewer". Until then, it was made up of smaller nation-states whose borders frequently changed. There are an estimated 850,000 different surnames in Germany — a very high number! Another origin is the German word ‘edel,’ which means ‘noble’ or an ‘aristocrat.’ 25. Surname. Geogenealogy surname mapping website; Stephen Archer's Surname Atlas CD for detailed mapping of British surnames in the 1881 census; References [edit | edit source] 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_common_surnames_in_Germany It is also spoken to a lesser extent in the German diaspora worldwide (e.g. FOTH Low German. Available online. Fundamental » All languages » English » Terms by semantic function » Names » Surnames » From Low German. Enter your last name to learn its meaning and origin. (Paul Cullen -- Paul from Koeln/Cologne). Derived from the given name HINRICH. Apply this search to the main name collection, the letters in the pattern are compared to the letters in the name, search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes, this field understands simple boolean logic, force a term to be included by preceding it with a, force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a, sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations, syllables can only be counted in names that have been assigned pronunciations, names without pronunciations are excluded from results. It was also borne by several medieval German kings and dukes. ACHTERBERG Dutch, German From the name of various places in the Netherlands and Germany, for example the village of achterberg in Utrecht. REIK m Low German, East Frisian Low German and East Frisian short form of names that contain the Germanic element rîcja "powerful, strong, mighty". Discover the ethnic origin and meaning of last names. For example, the surname Meyer means dairy farmer today, whereas, during the Middle Ages, Meyer designated people who were stewards of landholders. This group is known as the Low-German Mennonites because during their 200-plus years in Poland/Prussia they developed their own Germanic dialect, known as Plaut Dietsch, also known as Platt Deutsch in … They include Schneider (tailor), Fischer (fisherman), Weber (weaver) and Meier (also Mayer and Meyer). low German, middle German and upper German. In West Low German parlance the ending "…sch (e)" is sometimes added to surnames of women, related to the standard High German adjective ending "…isch" (cognitive to English " …ish "), suffixed to nouns or adjectives indicating belonging / pertaining to, being of the kind described by the suffixed word: for example, de Smidtsche, is Ms Schmidt (Smith), but literally about the Smithian (the woman pertaining … BRAUER Low German. Also, this name can be compared with the Dutch name RIJK. Because the majority of Low-German Mennonites in North America are descended from those who once lived in Russia, they are often, incorrectly, referred to as the Russian Mennonites. From an English surname meaning "stoneworker", from an Old French word of Germanic origin (akin to Old English macian "to make"). German Last Names. BECK (1) English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian Cognate of BACH, from Middle English bekke (from Old Norse), Low German beke or Old Norse bekkr all meaning "stream". GRAWERT Low German, German (East Prussian) As a Low German name, Grawert is derived from Middle High German grā and Old High German grāo "gray" (originally "shimmery, gleaming"). HINRICHS Low German. German last names have a certain heft to them that’ll make any name sound badass. Many German surnames are self-explanatory as they were derived from people’s jobs. Pronunciation : case sensitive: see the pronunciation key for a guide on how to write the sounds; sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the pronunciation example: *lee matches names which end with the sound lee _ is a wildcard that will match exactly one letter in the pronunciation Fundamental » All languages » English » Terms by semantic function » Names » Surnames » From German Low German. Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. Contents. Apply this search to the user-submitted names, the letters in the pattern are compared to the letters in the name, search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes, this field understands simple boolean logic, force a term to be included by preceding it with a, force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a, sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations, syllables can only be counted in names that have been assigned pronunciations, names without pronunciations are excluded from results, the "relationship" is how the name relates to its parent name. The data from Hamburg is distinctly different from the other data sets; the dialect spoken in Hamburg during this time was a Low German dialect, whereas the Bavarian dialects spoken in the areas discussed above are High German dialects. Women's Surnames in 15th- and 16th-Century Germany, by Aryanhwy merch Catmael Discusses feminine naming patterns in both High and Low German. 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