The
German
Documents
List of Surnames
Sometimes, deciphering a last name in an old handwritten document is not as easy as one might suppose. This could be due to the widespread use of abbreviations or to the difficulty in reading the handwriting. Use the table of last names below to assist you in interpreting the names mentioned in your documents.
You can find more names and their meanings at these websites
There are in general four different types of German last names: Occupational, Geographic, Patronymic, and Characteristic
- Occupational Surnames are taken from the ancestors occupation. These can be Schneider (Tailor), Fischer (Fisherman), Mueller (Miller), Schumacher (Shoemaker) and Weber (Weaver). Sometimes these names were translated to the English version upon migration to the United States.
- Geographical Surnames are taken from any geographical place your ancestor could be connected to such as:
- "Von" names. Von is a German preposition that literally means: from, by, out of, or about. Thus the names "von Meer" means by the Sea and "von Friesen" means "from" or "out of" Friesland. It was also used to indicate nobility.
- Place names. Surnames can also be a descriptive geographical place such as "Bergmann" (man of the mountains), Ackermann, Bauermann and Hoffman all basically mean "Farm man"
- Town and region names. Surnames could also be derived from town names or regions of origin. For example, "Frank" (from Franconia), "Hess" (from Hesse), or "Bayer" (from Bavaria).
- Patronymics literally means to be named after the father. Martin, Erntz or Paul are common German patronymic names.
- Characteristic or Descriptive Surnames describe a person, such as "Altmann" (old man), Klein (small), Hartmann (strong man) and Krause (curly haired)
German language was not standard before the 20th Century. In historic handwriting, letters can be different than the modern equivalents so knowing a general idea of surname spelling is a good resource. A few hints for German Surname deciphering:
All vowels with an ‘e' after it, such as 'ae' can be written with its umlaut instead. The umlauts are ä ö ü. These are used interchangeably before 1900. For example, Göthe could also be spelled Goethe.
Double 's' or 'ss' can be an 'ß' depending on the scribe, area, or time period. For example, Voss or Voß.
German surnames tend to be compound names. Almost all common prefixes can be combined with multiple suffixes. Take for instance the first part of the surname Eck-. Eck can match with all of the endings, or stand alone as a surname. The endings are almost always the same and can be added to almost any first syllable
Example: Eckmann, Eckler, Ecke, Eckstein, Eckhardt, Ecker, Ecklich, etc.
These last syllables can also be combined, such as: Ek -haus-en-bach, -en-berg, -en-bach-er, -ing-er-mann, en-decker, etc.
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-*Common Suffixes |
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-mann -ler -e -ze -stein -hard(t) -er -hause -art -schlaeger -ulz -laender -ter -acker |
-berg(er) -wein -el -itz -ich -bach -feld -holm -age -a -muehl -pe -becker -reuter |
-kind(er) -kroeger -beck -n -wirth -witz -harz -ing -lahn -horn -on -bert -deo -fel(s) |
-hoff -mer -t -cher -muth -ier -ling -men -heim -ke -stuek -chorn -ovsky -hagen |
-meyer, -meier -horn -ink -ke -ert -brecht -wher -decker -roth -stern -wald -chin -hagen -nach |
The lists below are not comprehensive, as there can be almost any combination, but can be used to determine if your last names are possibly German. The most common Surnames are listed below.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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'A' |
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Abeck Adler Ald-* Anckenreuter Arentz |
Ach-* Akens Alt-* Appel-* Aschen-* |
Acher-* Albrecht Anger Aren-* Asser |
Acker-* Aleander Annacker Asper Auerbach |
Adel-* Alt-* A(u)mman Arnold Axwell |
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'B' |
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Baake Bahr Baldung Baschner Beer Bernhard Boss Braun Bucer Burgkmair Brun(s) |
Bach Baeger Baller Batt-* Bencken Benedict Bohte/Bothe/Bote Brenz Buchner Burckhardt Buch-* |
Back-* Bahn-* Bargen Bauer-* Berens/Behrens
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Bade-* Baier Bartel Bayer Bender Ber-* Bragmann Brink-* Brüggeman Burkmeier Busch-* |
Baehr Ball-* Barre Beck-* Behaim/Beham Berg-* Brunfels Bruns-* Boljes/Bolljes Buemann Butt-* |
Surnames Beginning with 'C'
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'C' |
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Cach Ca(r)stens Clemen(t)s Conway |
Cahn Capito Coberg Co(e)ck |
Capp Carlstadt Cohen Coster/Koster/ |
Carl Clatte/Cladde/Klatte Cohn Cranach |
Carra Clausen/Claussen Conrad Cuspinian |
Surnames Beginning with 'D'
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'D' |
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Daulke Damann Dantze Degen(er) Deisch Denner Dieck Dierks Ditt(mann)(mer) Donner |
Dahl Dancker Danzinger Deibel Deisse Depp(e) Dick(el)(ert)(mann) Dietrich Doebler Drescher |
Dahmann Daniel Dascher D(e)icke Demian Dersch Diebold Dietz(e)(l) Doer(ing)(nau) Dressel |
Daiker Dank(en) Daughty Deesen Demmert Determann Diedrich Dill(muth)(mann) Doersch(er) Dreyer |
Dalmeyer Dannenberg Deck(er) Deibel Demuth Detimar Diel Dippel Dohrmann Dunkel |
Surnames Beginning with 'E'
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'E' |
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Eber(s) Eck(hard) Edler Ehmann Eich(berg) Elling Engel- Ernst |
Eberhard(t) Eckert Eger(d) Ehrhardt Eickmeyer Elsner Epp Esch(er)(mann) |
Eberlein Eckelmann Egger(mann)(s) Ehrlich Eisel(e) Emmer(ich)(ert) Erbach Essen |
Ebert Eckert Ehert Eich(el)mann Eitzmann Ence Erdmann Euler |
Ebstein Edelmann Ehle(r)(mann) Eick(holtz)(mann) Elhardt Enders Erhardt Eyek |
Surnames Beginning with 'F'
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'F' |
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Faber Farr Fehr(ing) Fend(rich) Fetter Fleischmann Freitag Fritz |
Fackner Fass Feil Fenner Fick(er) Flohr Freund Frost |
Fahl- Faust Feiss Ferne Fink(e) Fo(e)rster Freidmann Fuchs |
Falke Fecke(n) Feldmann Fernholz Fischer Frank(e)(n)(berger) Friedrichs Fueller |
Falsner Fehl Fellermann Fessel Fleck(e)(enstein) Freiberg Fritsch(e) Funk(e) |
Surnames Beginning with 'G'
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'G' |
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Ga(e)bel Garms Gaul Gehr(ing) Giese(ler) Gleichmann Goldmann Gottlieb Grein(bauer) Gropp Guent(h)er |
Gach Garrel Gause Geis(s) Gingrich Glo(e)ck Goldschmidt Gra(e)be(r) Gries(er) Grotter Gulde |
Ga(e)rtner Garten Gebauer Gephard(t) Glahn Glu(e)ck Gorge(s) Graf(f) Groben Gruber Gunkel |
Gahn Gass Geerken Gerber Glaser Goebel Gossler Grass(mann) Gross(mann) Gruener Guth |
Gans Gastorf Gehling Gessler Glass Goetz(e) Gottfreid Grebe Gronemann Grupe Gutmann |
Surnames Beginning with 'H'
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'H' |
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Haa(c)k Hacke(r) Haer(r)ing Hall(e) Hank(e) Hartmann Hattendorf Hecht Heid(e)mann Heinemann Held Henricks Herzer Hildebrand(t) Hoff(er)(mann) Holl(e) Hormann Hubert Hut(er) |
Haag Hadeler Haeuser Hamann Hanner Hartung Hauk(e) Heck(el) Heil(and) Heinrich(s) Helle(r) Herbst Herzog Hilke Hoefer Hollmand Horn(ung) Huck Hutt |
Haas(e) Haeffner Hage(l)(mann) Hamburger Hansen Hase(mann) Haupt(meyer) Hedtke Heimann Heins(z) Hellmann Hering Hess(e) Hill(e) Hoehl Holm(s) Horst(er) Hugo Huth |
Haber(land)(mann) Haen(del)(sel) Hagen(s) Hammer Harder Hass(e) Hauschild Heer(en) Heim(bach)(ann) Heise(r) Helms Her(r)mann Heuber Hinkel Höher Holzmann Horstmeyer Humbert
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Hach(e) Haerder Hahn Hang(es) Harm(s) Hasselbach Haus(er)(mann) Heid(e)(l) Hein(e)(ken) Heitmann Henke(l) Herold Heuer Hirsch(mann) Hohn Hopp(e) Huber Hunger
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Surnames Beginning with 'I'
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'I' |
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Ibel Ihden Ilgen Ilsleib Imlaube Immler Innsieke Irwin Isermann Issing |
Ibnertl Ihle(feld) Ilke(r)mann Ilsig Immel Immohl Inselmann Ise(r)(mann) Isidor Issleber |
Idolsky Ihling Ille Imbrock Immen(dorf) Inders Interle Isensee Iske(r) Issleib |
Iffland Ihlven Illing Imhof(f) Immethun Ingerl Intermann Interle Islet Iswald |
Igel(er) Iken Illmann Imig Immig Inguld Iris(mann) Isidor Isreal Itzig |
Surnames Beginning with 'J'
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'J' |
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Jaborg Jacobus Jahres Jantzen Joeckel Joost Juengling Jungheim |
Jackel Jaeck(el) Jakobi Jasper Joerg(ens) Jordan Juergens Jungermann |
Jacker Jaeger James Jehn Johann(es) Joseph Juhfs Junk(er) |
Jacob(i) Jaepp Janda Jergen Johannsen Jost(ing) Jung(el) Jurhelle |
Jacobs(en) Jahn(ke) Jansen Jochem Jonas Joung Jungermann Just |
Surnames Beginning with 'K'
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'K' |
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Kabel Kaestner Kaiser Kaltenbrunn Kanne Karel(s) Kattenhorn Keil(ing) Kern Kiesel Kipp Klass Klink(e) Klump Knoll Koenig Kollman Korsch Kramp(f) Krell Krietenstein Krone(r) Kruse Kuemmel Kunz(e) |
Kach Kahl(e) Kalb Kamm(an) Kannke Karl Katz Keine(r) Kerschner Kieser Kirch(hof) Klauser Klocke Knabe Knoop Koerner Koop(er) Kost Kranz Krempel Kriewitch Krotz Kucher Kuessner Kurz |
Kaem(ner) Kahn Kalemann Kamp(e) Kannstein Kasper Kaufmann Keitel Kessler Kilian Kirchner Klein(e) Klopp(mann) Knapp(er) Koch Kohl(er) Kopf(mann) Kottke Kraus(e) Kretschmar Krimm(el) Kreuger Kueck Kugle Kurt(h) |
Kaemmerer Kahrs Kalkmann Kampmann Kanz(e) Kassel Kayser Keller Kemper Kind(ermann) Kirsch Kleinschmidt Kloss Knoblach Kock Kohn Kopp(e) Kra(e)mer Krauss Kreutzer Kro(e)ger Krug Ku(e)hl Kuhlmann Kurzwell |
Kaes(slner) Kail Kaltenbach Kan(dler) Kapp(ler) Kasten(s) Kehr Kenner Kiefer Kindervater Kissel Kling(e) Klug(e) Knoelcke Koehl(er) Kolb(e) Korn(der) Kraf(f)t Kreb(s) Krieg(er) Kroll Krum(b) Kuehn Kuhn(e) Kutschner |
Surnames Beginning with 'L'
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'L' |
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Lachemeyer Lammann Langfeld Laus(er) Lehr Lenk Lich(ten) Linden(baum) Liss(auer) Loeffler Lohmeyer Luck(hard) Luehrs Lund |
Lachmann Lammers Langsdorf Laut(ner) Liebold Lenz Liebe(nau) Lindner Lob(cke) Loehn Lohr(bach) Ludwig Luellmann Luth(er) |
Lachner Lampe Lapp(e) Leder(er) Leitner Lepper Liebrecht Ling(e) Loeb(e) Loew(e) Lorenz Luebbe(rt) Luerssen Lutter(cord) |
Lage(mann) Lander Laube(r) Ledermann Lembke Lettmann Limberg Linz Loebenfelders Loewenstein Lotz Luecke(n) Luetmann Lutz(enburger) |
Lambert Lang(e) Laun Lehmann Lemm(e) Levy Linde(mann) Lipp(elmann) Loeffelmacher Lohmann Lucas Lueder(s) Luft Luy |
Surnames Beginning with 'M'
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'M' |
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Maack Maerz Mandel Markolf Matt(ern) Mehr(hoff) Meister Merz Michel(s) Mitteldorf Moeller Morgenbaum Muehling |
Maas(ner) Magnus Mangold Marten(s) Mau(er) Meier Melchers Messer Mickschel Mittelkamp Mohn Morsch Mueller |
Mack Mahl(er) Mann(ing) Marx Maul(mann) Meiler Meng(ers) Metz(ger) Milchsack Mittnach Mohr(haupt) Mosel Muench |
Mader Mahnke(n) Mansbach Mass(ar) May(er) Meinert Menk(e) Meyer Miller Mock(er) Moll(such) Motta Muenstermann |
Maerkel Mai(er) Mark(el) Matheus Mehl(hase) Meiss(ner) Menz Micheal(s) Minsen Moehle Mombauer Much Munch |
Surnames Beginning with 'N'
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'N' |
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Naber Nau(mann) Nessler Nickel Niermann Nordhaus Nuess(e) |
Nack(er) Nees(en) Neubauer Nieder Niessan Nordmeyer Nuhu |
Nadler Nehring Neubert Niegal Noebel Normann Nunner |
Na(e)gel Nennstiel Neudahl Niemann Noll(e) Nowak Nuth |
Nash Ness(e)mann Neumann Niemeyer Nolte Nuernberg(er) Nuttelburg |
Surnames Beginning with 'O'
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'O' |
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Oberfelder Ode(rwald) Oestereich Oldenburg Oppenheim(er) Ostemeyer Otten(heimer) |
Obermeyer Oechsle Oetting Ohlmann Oppermann Ostermann Otto |
Ober(s)t Oehler Offer(mann) Olt(hues) Orth Osthoff Overbeck |
Och(s) Oelke(r) Ohlendorf Oltmann Ortmann Oswald Overmann |
Ocker(hausen) Oelmann Ohm(stedt) Opermann Ossenfort Ott(e) Oxmann |
Surnames Beginning with 'P'
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'P' |
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Paar Pahl Pape Pein(e) Petri Pfister Plass Plumdorf Pohlmann Post Prigge Protz(ig) |
Pabst Pahncke Papst Penner Petzold Philipp(i) Plate Poehler Polenske Pott(kamper) Prinz Puff |
Paetz Palm(er) Passmann Peppler Pfaff Pieper Platt(ner) Poertner Polla(c)k Pra(n)ger Probst Puhl |
Pagel Pank(e) Paul(s) Pesker Pfau Pinger Plett Poggemann Popp(e) Precht Prochaska Pundt |
Pagenstecher Pankratz Peck(er)(ing) Peter(s) Pfeiffer Pistor Pluemer Poggenmueller Portmann Press(en) Prommel Purrnecker |
Surnames Beginning with 'Q'
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'Q' |
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Quade Quell |
Quante Quentin |
Quanz Quidde |
Quappe Quinter |
Queckborn Quinzmeyer |
Surnames Beginning with 'R'
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'R' |
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Raab(e) Rach(e) Rampe Rath(gerber) Reber Redmann Reim-* Renk(en) |
Raaske Rademacher Ramelkamp Rau(h) Rebmann Rees(e) Rein-* Renne(r) |
Rabach Raeber Ranke Rauch(er) Rech(berg) Regelmann Reis-* Repp-* |
Rabe Rainer Rapp Rausch(er) Reck(e) Rehorst Reit-* Resse-* |
Rabenberg Raith(el) Rasch Raven Reder Reich- Rempel
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Surnames Beginning with 'S'
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'S' |
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Saal- Saenger Sam- Sat- Scha(a)- |
Sabel Saf- Sand- Sau- Schade- |
Sach- Sahl- San- Saus- Schado- |
Sack- Sal- Sar- Saut- Scha(e)d- |
Sadler Salz- Sas- Sax-
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Surnames Beginning with 'T'
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'T' |
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Tanner Temme(n) Tewes Thiel(e) Thuringen Tillner Topp Treusch |
Tapp(e) Tempel Thaler Thies Tiedemann Timmer(mann) Trapp Tripp |
Taschner Teschler Theesen Thomas Tiegel Tischer Traube Trost |
Techert Teubner Theiss(en) Thonemann Tiemann Tobias Trautmann Trumpp |
Tiecher(t) Teusch(ner) Theuer(bach) Thuen Tietjen Toell Treckmann Tyslick |
Surnames Beginning with 'U'
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'U' |
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Uber Ullmann Unger |
Ude Ullherr Unruh |
Uhden Ulmann Ungerer |
Uhl(rich) Ulmer Urban |
Uhr Ulrich Utz |
Surnames Beginning with 'V'
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'V' |
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Valentin Vetter Vogel Volk |
Valk Victor Visser Voll(mer) |
Vasel Viess Vogler Volters |
Vaupel Villmann Vogt Vorbach |
Veil(hauer) Voelker Voigt Voss(ler) |
Surnames Beginning with 'W'
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'W' |
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Wach- Wahl Waller Wanner Warth Wege(mann) Wehner Weil Weiss Wendel Werner Wetzel Wiegand Wigand Wilms Wirth Wohl- Wortmann Wunder |
Wack- Wald- Walter Warneck Wass- Wegmann Wehrs Weimann Weiss- Wendt Werth Wich(mann) Wiemann Wild- Winckler Wisch Wolf Wuebber Wurm |
Waechter Walenfeldt Walther Warnke(n) Watermann Wehle Weibler Weimer Weitzel Wenk Wessel Wicke Wiener Wilhelm Wind- Wiss- Wolke(n) Wuensch Wurst |
Waetjen Walker Walz Warnecke Weber Wehrmann Weick Wein- Welk Wensch Wester- Wiechmann Wiese Wilke Wink- Witt- Woll- Wuest Wuster |
Wagner Wallach Wambach Warnken Weck Weibel Weidmann Weise Wellen Wenzel Wetter Wied- Wiest Will- Winter Woelcher Worel Wulf- Wychers |
Surnames Beginning with 'X'
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'X' |
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Surnames Beginning with 'Y'
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'Y' |
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Yahr |
Yertin |
Yoess |
Yorkauer |
Yral |
Surnames Beginning with 'Z'
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'Z' |
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Zabel Zarow Ziemer Zenkel Zick Zimmer- Zorn |
Zacher Zasche Ziener Zepp- Ziebold Zink- Zubber |
Zaegel Zech Ziesner Zetsche Ziegel(mann) Zinn Zucker |
Zahn Zeck Zell- Zeuch Ziegler Zipfel Zuelch |
Zanner Zeh Zelt Zeugner Zier- Zoll Zwicke |
