125 German Surnames and Their Meanings

German surnames carry the fingerprints of everyday medieval life, from the village blacksmith (Schmidt) to the miller (Mueller) to the man who lived by the linden tree. Many trace back to a trade, a father’s name, or the shape of the land, and plenty of them crossed the Atlantic and quietly settled into families who no longer think of them as German at all.

This list gathers 125 German last names with their origins and meanings, so you can see the story packed into each one. You will find occupational names, patronymics, and names drawn from geography, along with the spelling shifts that happened on the way over. Those shifts usually started in Europe, not at the dock: federal immigration agents were never authorized to change anyone’s name, and the passenger manifests were filled in by the shipping company before the ship sailed ⁽¹⁾.

These names are still ordinary American names. Miller, the English spelling of Mueller, was the seventh most common surname in the United States at the 2010 Census, carried by 1,161,437 people ⁽²⁾. German ancestry is the most reported of any origin in the country, claimed by 41.1 million people, about 12.3 percent of the population, in the 2022 American Community Survey ⁽³⁾.

Scroll through and see whether your family name, or one you recognize, turns up among them.

125 Top Traditional German Last Names

German surnames grew out of four things: a trade, a father’s name, a place, or a physical trait, and the 125 below cover all four. Schmidt, Meyer and Wagner all ranked inside the 200 most common surnames in the United States, per the Census Bureau’s 2010 surname table, and the American name pool is narrowing rather than widening. Joshua Comenetz, the Census Bureau geographer who compiled that table, notes: “surname diversity declined slightly over the decade.”

1. Albrecht: A first and last name of German origin meaning “noble” or “bright.”
2. Baldwin: An old German surname meaning “brave friend.”
3. Bauer: A very common surname meaning “farmer” or “peasant,” from Middle High German bur. It reached 65,004 bearers in the 2010 Census.
4. Baumann: Another name meaning “farmer,” reflecting an agricultural background.
5. Becker: An occupational surname meaning “baker,” from Middle High German becke; it ranks among the ten most common German surnames, and 87,859 Americans reported it at the 2010 Census.
6. Berger: A topographic surname for someone who lived on or near a mountain or hill, from German berg.
7. Bergmann: An occupational surname given to a “miner.”
8. Bieber: Meaning “beaver,” this nickname likely referred to a hard worker.
9. Bierwagen: An uncommon occupational German surname meaning “beer cart.”
10. Blum: A Middle German surname meaning “flower.”
11. Blumenthal: A German and Jewish surname meaning “flower valley.”
12. Bogart: A surname and male given name meaning “orchard” or “bowstring.”
13. Böhm: A geographic name given to a person from Bohemia.
14. Bohn: A short surname meaning “bean,” likely used for a bean grower.
15. Braun: A descriptive name meaning “brown-haired” or “dark-featured,” from Middle High German brun.
16. Breiner: Derived from Middle High German, this surname translates to “porridge.”
17. Breitbart: A descriptive German and Jewish surname from Middle High German breit (broad) and bart (beard), used for a man with a full beard.
18. Brodbeck: A specific occupational variant of Becker meaning “bread baker.”
19. Busch: A German variant of the surname Bush, meaning “shrub.”
20. Dietrich: Meaning “ruler of the people,” used as both a surname and a given name.
21. Dressler: The German form of the occupational surname Turner, meaning “to turn.”
22. Dürr: A descriptive surname from Middle High German meaning “thin.”
23. Eder: A geographic name for someone who lived near a “wasteland.”
24. Eichel: A nature-inspired surname meaning “acorn.”
25. Einstein: A surname from ein (one) and stein (stone), likely for a stonemason or someone who lived by a prominent rock; physicist Albert Einstein made it famous.
26. Engel: A traditional German surname meaning “angel.”
27. Feigenbaum: A German and Jewish surname meaning “fig tree.”
28. Fischer: An occupational surname meaning “fisherman,” from German fisch; it is one of the five most common German surnames, and the 2010 Census counted 72,357 bearers.
29. Fleischer: An occupational Yiddish and German last name meaning “butcher.”
30. Frank: A geographic name for a person from Franconia.
31. Friedrich: A German surname and given name meaning “peaceful ruler.”
32. Fuchs: Meaning “fox-like,” often given to clever or sly individuals.
33. Gabler: An occupational surname meaning “fork,” used for a utensil maker.
34. Geier: A descriptive surname meaning “vulture.”
35. Geiger: A musical surname meaning “fiddle player.”
36. Graf: A German surname and a historical title of nobility similar to a count.
37. Gross: Derived from Old High German, this surname means “big” or “tall.”
38. Gruber: The most common surname in Austria, meaning “pit” or “mine” in German.
39. Günther: A given name and last name meaning “battle warrior.”
40. Haas: A surname derived from a nickname meaning “hare.”
41. Hahn: An animal-inspired surname meaning “rooster” or “cock.”
42. Hartmann: Meaning “strong man,” this masculine German name projects strength.
43. Hauer: An occupational surname meaning “chopper,” used for professional woodcutters or miners.
44. Heinrich: Meaning “home-ruler,” similar to the given name Henry.
45. Hermann: Meaning “army man,” a classic choice among German last names for boys.
46. Hertz: A descriptive surname meaning “big-hearted.”
47. Hoffman: A medieval surname from German Hof (farmstead, court), historically for a farm owner or the steward of an estate; it was the 224th most common surname in the 2010 Census, with 131,401 bearers.
48. Holland: A geographical surname referring to a person from the Netherlands.
49. Horn: A short occupational or geographical surname meaning “horn.”
50. Huber: An agricultural German last name meaning “farmer.”
51. Jäger: An occupational surname meaning “hunter,” from German jagen, “to hunt.”
52. Jung: A descriptive surname meaning “young.”
53. Kahler: A German surname derived from a nickname meaning “bald.”
54. Kaiser: A surname from the imperial title “emperor,” itself from the Roman name Caesar; usually a nickname rather than a claim of rank.
55. Keller: Meaning “cellar,” this occupational surname traditionally denoted a winemaker.
56. Kissinger: A habitational surname for a person from Bad Kissingen, a Bavarian spa town; diplomat Henry Kissinger is a noted bearer.
57. Kistler: An occupational surname for a craftsman who creates cabinets.
58. Klein: A descriptive surname meaning “short” or “small”; the 2010 Census counted 81,471 bearers, ranking it 392nd.
59. Klingermann: An occupational surname for a weapons maker, meaning “blade.”
60. Knobloch: A descriptive or occupational surname meaning “garlic.”
61. Koch: A short occupational surname meaning “cook,” from Old High German koch, itself from Latin coquus.
62. Köhler: An old occupational surname for a charcoal maker.
63. König: A surname meaning “king,” often a nickname for a person of regal bearing or one who played a king in village pageants.
64. Kramer: An occupational surname for a “merchant,” “hawker,” or “tradesman.”
65. Krause: A descriptive surname meaning “curly-haired,” from Middle High German krus.
66. Krebs: An animal-inspired surname meaning “crabs.”
67. Krüger: An occupational surname meaning either “potter” or “tavern-keeper.”
68. Kühn: Derived from the same stem as the first name Conrad, meaning “brave.”
69. Lange: A descriptive surname meaning “tall” or “long,” given to a notably tall person.
70. Lichtenberg: A locational name for a person from Lichtenberg, meaning “light mountain.”
71. Lorenz: A German variant of the Roman family name Laurentius.
72. Ludwig: A surname and male given name meaning “famous war.”
73. Maurer: An occupational German surname meaning “bricklayer.”
74. Mayer: An occupational name meaning “bailiff” or “mayor.” The Meyer spelling is the one that took hold in the United States: 150,895 people reported it at the 2010 Census.
75. Meier: A variant of Mayer meaning “bailiff,” common in northern Germany.
76. Metzger: A German and Yiddish last name meaning “butcher.”
77. Moser: A geographical name for someone who lived near a peat bog.
78. Mullen: A habitational German surname from Millingen in the Rhineland; the name also carries separate Irish and English mill-related roots.
79. Müller: The most common German last name, meaning “miller.” Its English form Miller sat seventh in the United States at the 2010 Census with 1,161,437 bearers, and another 64,191 people kept the Mueller spelling.
80. Neumann: A classic German last name meaning “new man.”
81. Otto: A surname derived from the given name Otto, meaning “wealth.”
82. Pfeiffer: An occupational surname for a whistle or pipe player.
83. Pichler: A South German surname meaning “hill.”
84. Pohl: A locational surname meaning “one from Poland.”
85. Prusseit: A historical surname meaning “a Prussian.”
86. Reinart: A German surname from Old High German ragin (counsel) and hart (strong), meaning “brave counsel.”
87. Richter: An occupational surname meaning “judge” or “arbiter,” from German richten, “to judge.”
88. Ritter: A historical surname meaning “knight.”
89. Rosenbauer: A specific variant of Bauer meaning “rose farmer.”
90. Roth: A color-inspired pick among German surnames meaning “red.”
91. Sauer: A descriptive surname meaning “sour.”
92. Saufhaus: A locational or descriptive surname meaning “drink house.”
93. Schäfer: An occupational surname meaning “shepherd,” from Middle High German schaefaere.
94. Schimmelpfennig: A unique surname historically given to someone who hoards money until their pennies mold.
95. Schmidt: The German equivalent of Smith, an occupational last name meaning “blacksmith”; 147,034 Americans carried it at the 2010 Census, which put it 185th in the country.
96. Schmitz: A common variation of Schmitt, also meaning “smith.”
97. Schneider: An occupational surname meaning “tailor,” from schneiden, “to cut”; it sits among Germany’s most common surnames and reached 101,290 bearers in the 2010 Census.
98. Schroeder: A Northern German occupational surname meaning “tailor” or “cutter.”
99. Schubert: An occupational surname meaning “shoemaker,” common in Bavaria and Austria; composer Franz Schubert carried it.
100. Schulze: An occupational surname meaning “constable” or “village headman.”
101. Schumacher: An occupational surname meaning “shoemaker.”
102. Schuster: Another common occupational surname meaning “cobbler” or “shoemaker.”
103. Schwarz: A descriptive surname meaning “black-haired” or “dark-complexioned.”
104. Schwarzenegger: A locational name from Schwarzenegg, meaning “black corner” or “black edge,” a place in Austria; actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is the best-known bearer.
105. Schwarzkopf: A descriptive surname meaning “black-headed.”
106. Sommer: A seasonal surname meaning “summer.”
107. Springborn: A medieval German surname meaning “spring born,” used for someone living near a well.
108. Stadtler: A locational or occupational German last name meaning “barn.”
109. Stein: A common geographic surname meaning “rock” or “stone.”
110. Töpfer: An occupational surname meaning “potter.”
111. Vogel: An animal nickname meaning “bird,” sometimes given to a cheerful person or a bird catcher.
112. Vogt: An occupational surname for a “bailiff” or “overseer.”
113. Voigt: A variation of Vogt, meaning “steward.”
114. Von: A preposition meaning “from,” historically used to indicate nobility.
115. Vormelker: A specific occupational surname meaning “pre-milker.”
116. Wagner: An occupational surname meaning “wagon maker” or “cartwright”; composer Richard Wagner is a famous bearer, and the 2010 Census counted 155,795 Wagners, 173rd nationally.
117. Walter: A last and given name derived from Old High German, meaning “army ruler.”
118. Weber: A common occupational surname meaning “weaver,” from German weben, “to weave”; 109,433 Americans carried it at the 2010 Census.
119. Weiss: A descriptive German last name meaning “white.”
120. Werner: A common last name meaning “defender.”
121. Winkler: A German and Jewish surname meaning “corner,” given to someone who lived on a corner.
122. Winter: A seasonal surname historically given to someone with a cold demeanor or white hair.
123. Wolf: An animal-inspired last name derived from the wolf.
124. Ziegler: An occupational surname meaning “brickmaker.”
125. Zimmerman: An occupational surname meaning “carpenter,” from German Zimmer (timber, room) and Mann; 83,265 Americans reported it at the 2010 Census.

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