75 German Last Names and Meanings: From Popular to Unique

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Many people around the world have German last names. These names can be traditional, interesting, or well-known. Some German last names come from old jobs, places, or family history. Today, many people want to learn what these names mean.

German last names are used in many countries, not only in Germany. Because of history, travel, and culture, these names are now common in different parts of the world. Some German last names are very old, and some are still used by families today.

In this article, we will share some of the most popular German last names and their meanings. We gathered the list from various sources, Thursday (15/5/2025). This list will help you learn more about German culture, history, and family background.

1. Bauer - Farmer or peasant

2. Becker - Baker

3. Braun - Brown-haired or brown complexion

4. Fischer - Fisherman or related to fishing

5. Frank - Free or someone from Franconia

6. Fuchs - Fox-like; someone cunning like a fox

7. Günther - Means "battle" or "warrior"

8. Hoffmann - Steward of a large farm or landed farmer

9. Huber - Landowner

10. Jung - Young; age is just a number for this family

11. Kaiser - Emperor; typically worked for a king

12. Klein - Small or short in stature

13. Koch - Cook; people with this name likely have mouthwatering recipes in their family line

14. König - King; typically used for someone who worked for a king

15. Krause - Curly-haired

16. Lange - Long; descendants likely had someone in their family known for being extra tall

17. Lehmann - Feudal tenant; someone loaned land in exchange for rent or service

18. Meyer - Landlord or self-employed farmer; in Middle Ages designated people who helped landlords manage land

19. Müller - Miller; related to operating a mill (milling)

20. Neumann - New; unsurprisingly means "new"

21. Peters - Patronymic, literally meaning "Peter's son"

22. Richter - Judge; occupational name for a judge

23. Roth - Red hair or ruddy complexion

24. Schäfer - Shepherd

25. Schmidt - Smith or blacksmith; relates to smithing (or craftsperson) job

26. Schneider - Tailor; refers to someone who worked as a tailor

27. Schulz - Mayor or man in charge of a village

28. Schwarz - Black, referring to hair or complexion

29. Wagner - Wagon maker; corresponded to someone who made or repaired wagon wheels

30. Weber - Weaver; someone likely from a family involved with weaving

31. Wolf - Wolf; resembled a wolf or lived near a house with a wolf sign

32. Zimmermann - Carpenter; an individual likely had a carpenter in their family

1. Albrecht - Noble

2. Arnold - Strength of an eagle

3. Baumann - Farmer or builder

4. Bergmann - Miner; families likely had mining in their occupational history

5. Berger - Location-based name for someone who comes from the mountains

6. Brauer - Brewer

7. Dietrich - People's ruler

8. Engel - Angel

9. Friedrich - From Old High German "fridu" (peace) and "rihhi" (powerful)

10. Gärtner - Gardener

11. Glaser - Glazier or glassmaker

12. Goldschmidt - Goldsmith

13. Hartmann - Strong man

14. Heinrich - From Old High German "heim" (home) and "rihhi" (powerful)

15. Jäger - Hunter

16. Keller - Cellar master or winemaker; someone who worked as an overseer of a cellar or store chamber

17. Krämer - Small trader or merchant

18. Metzger - Butcher

19. Schuster - Shoemaker or cobbler; someone who made or repaired shoes

20. Seidel - Mug

21. Stein - Rock or stone; used for a family living near a stone monument or rocky ground

22. Vogt - Steward

1. Altergott - Old God

2. Bierhals - Beer-throat

3. Böhm - Of Bohemia

4. Busch - Bush; a topographical name for someone who lived near a thicket or around many shrubs

5. Durchdenwald - Through-the-forest

6. Groß - Big

7. Hahn - Rooster

8. Handschuh - Glove

9. Horn - Horn

10. Kuhn - Councilman

11. Lorenz - From Latin "Laurentius"

12. Nachtnebel - Night fog

13. Otto - From Old High German "ot" meaning property or inheritance

14. Pfeiffer - Piper or musician

15. Pohl - Polish

16. Sauer - Sour; unsurprisingly means "sour"

17. Sommer - Summer

18. Trinkenschuh - Drink-shoe

19. Vogel - Bird; one with nature, this surname means "bird"

20. Weiß - White

21. Winter - Winter