85 Traditional German Names With Meanings and Incredible Histories

What ideas do you get when you hear names like Jonas, Leon, Frederick, Paul, John, Kurt? Well, these names are popular German names for boys which happen to be the most popular German first names. Some other popular German names ideas are Hannah, Lukas, Emma, Frieda, Marie, Kurt, Ben, Lena, Günter, Anja, Gisela, Ilse, and Maria.

Read on for some popular German names for male and female babies.

Traditional German Male Names

Some popular masculine German baby names are Jonas, Leon, Frederick, Ben, Conrad, Paul, John, and Kurt. A creative list of some old German names for males is given below. Pick your favorite one from among the options.

Adrean (Latin origin), meaning ‘man from Hadria’ or ‘the darker one’, is a good German name for males.

Alaric (German origin), meaning ‘all-powerful rulers’, is a traditional name dedicated to King Alaric and the rulers of Ostrogoths.

Archie (German origin), meaning ‘truly brave’ is one of the beloved names for a German boy and one of the common German names in European countries.

Burkhart (German origin), meaning ‘brave and strong’ is one of the unique German names that enjoys great popularity in Germany.

Baldrick (French origin), meaning ‘bold’ is one of the traditional German baby names for boys.

Berhtram (German origin), meaning ‘bright raven’, is a new version of the Old German name Berahthraben.

Conrad (German origin), meaning ‘brave counsel’, is one of the famous German baby names for boys.

Kurt (French origin), meaning ‘courteous’ is a unique German name.

Diedrich (German origin), meaning ‘king of nations’, is an excellent biblical German name.

Egon (German origin), meaning ‘strong with a sword’ is a common name with a very cool and edgy vibe.

Emmerich (German origin), means ‘work power’, is another traditional German name.

Frank (German origin), meaning’ free man’ is a common name for German boys.

Jakob (German origin), meaning ‘May God protect us’ is one of the German baby names for boys.

Kellen (German and Irish origin), is a gentle and graceful name that means ‘swamp’ or ‘slender.’

Ludwig (Old High German origin), meaning ‘war’ is an unusual name prevalent in many countries.

Leopold (Old High German origin), meaning ‘brave people’ is a strong name for a valiant and courageous man that came from the King Leopold of Belgium.

Matthias (German, Greek, and Dutch origin), meaning ‘Gift of God’, is a fantastic pick for German boy names.

Otis (Old German and English origin), meaning ‘wealth’, is a charming and unique baby name form.

Otto (Old High German origin), meaning ‘wealth’ and ‘prosperity’, is one of the popular German baby names for boys.

Valdemar (Scandinavian origin), meaning’ famous peaceful ruler’, is a perfect baby name for a German-born leader.

Zigmund ( German origin), meaning ‘victory’ or ‘protector,’ is a superb name for a powerful German boy. The Anglicized version of this name is Sigmund.

Traditional German Last Names

Popular German baby names for boys and girls are Ernst, Konrad, Friedrich, Walter, Karl, Arnold, Mandred, Wolfgang, Jürgen, Elke, Manfred, and Emma. Here are some traditional German family names and their meanings and origin. 

Abel (Old German origin), meaning ‘noble one’, is derived from the name ‘Albrecht’. The name meaning noble is great for a boy who is a man of peace.

Babler (German origin), meaning ‘battle-bright’, is derived from ‘Badubrecht’ the last name with Old German roots, and is a new version of ‘Babo.’

Bartel (German origin), meaning ‘bright’ and ‘rule’, is derived from the German name ‘Bertwald’. It is one of the popular first names for a boy.

Degler (German origin), meaning ‘earthenware’ or ‘pot’, is perfect for persons engaged in pottery.

Eberhardt (German origin), meaning ‘brave boar’, is a blend of two words, i.e., ‘eber’  meaning ‘boar’, and ‘hardt’ meaning ‘strong’. One of the noble first names for a man of peace.

Edinger (German origin), is an old name that is quite excellent and classy. The first name suits the people belonging to the Edingen place in Germany.

Fink (German origin), is also the noble name of a Finch bird in Germany. This is a unique pick for the cheerful and lively person.

Heinrich (German origin), meaning ‘peaceful ruler’, is a fabulous name derived from the name ‘Heimirich’ which is synonymous with peace.

Ingman (German origin), is a different name that can be spelled as ‘Engmann’, in which the word ‘eng’ means ‘narrow’. Therefore, this toponymic name is good for people living in a narrow place.

Jonke (German origin), another German eponym, is another version of ‘junc,’ a Middle High German word. The name is perfect for young people.

Klauss (German origin), meaning ‘victory of people’, is a name whose other variant is ‘Klaus.’ One more version of the name is ‘Nicholas.’

Lauer (German origin), is a professional name for tanners. The name is derived from a Middle German word, i.e., lower.

Lemmerz (German origin), is a German-originated eponym, which is a nice choice that you can pick up.

Lupertz (German origin), is a unique surname of German origin, but the meaning is not quite certain.

Neider (German origin), is the name of a place situated in Germany. This byname is perfect for the people living in Neider city.

Oberhaus (German origin), another name for a place in Germany, is a good choice surname for the people of Oberhaus.

Peifer (German origin), a good German name, is a variant of the term ‘Pfeiffer.’ This is an occupational name for the pipe players.

Rathenau (German origin), is another German-originated surname whose meaning is not clear yet, but it sounds quite good, and you can go for it.

Salzberg (German origin), is a fantastic surname and the name of a place in Germany. The name is a perfect choice for Salzberg’s people.

Todenhofer (German origin), meaning ‘death yard’, is one more extravagant family name. This name also has a German origin.

Ulrich (German origin), meaning ‘prosperity and power’, is a folkloric German name.

Traditional German Food Names

This subheading covers some delicious and mouth-watering German foods that you must like. Have a look and try it at your home.

Bratkartoffeln (German origin), is an everyday dish of Germans and is made from boiled potato slices covered with many onions and bacon.

Bratwurst (German origin), famous street food in Germany, is made with veal and pork.

Brezel (German origin), a German term for ‘pretzel’, is a German dish made with long strips of dough.

Currywurst (German origin), is a German food that originated in Berlin and is prepared from pork sausage.

Eintopf (German origin), is one of the most popular and easiest German dishes to make.

Fischbrotchen (German origin), is a German sandwich made with fish and other ingredients like pickles, remoulade, onions, lettuce, or horseradish.

Gulasch (German origin), is another traditional German dish made with thick pieces of beef and is cooked in rice sauce or red wine.

Kartoffelpuffer (German origin), is a German side dish that is shallow pan-fried pancakes.

Knodel (German origin), is a unique German dish that is made from old bread.

Labskaus (German origin), is a well-known German food, is a beef dish and is prepared by mixing salted beef, onions, and potatoes.

Leberkäse (German origin), is a German snack made of pork meat.

Maultaschen (German origin), a Swabian dish, is another fantastic food to try in Germany. Monks of Germany first invented food.

Pretzel (German origin), is an excellent food which is a delicious knot of bread that is sprinkled with salt.

Rollmops (German origin), is a German hangover breakfast that is fried.

Rouladen (German origin), is a common traditional German food, is the rolls of beef slices and are rolled around bacon, pickles, onions, and mustard.

Sauerbraten (German origin), is one of the favorite foods of Germany. The food is prepared from a high-quality piece of beef and is cooked on low heat for a long time until it gets softer.

Sauerkraut (German origin), is one of the favorite foods of Germany.

Saumagen (German origin), is another German dish that is prepared with a pig’s stomach.

Schnitzel (German origin), is another amazing German food made from thinly sliced pieces of veal meat coated with flour, egg, and bread crumbs.

Schweinshaxe (German origin), is a meat dish popular in Bavaria. It is also known as pork knuckle.

Spargel (German origin), is the most popular German dish prepared during the harvest time around mid-April.

Spätzle (German origin), is a German vegetarian food that is the most famous.

Popular Traditional German Girl Names

An overwhelming list of German girl names is given below. Choose your favorite names for girls.

Adolpha (German origin), meaning ‘noble wolf’, is a unique German girl.

Alexandrine (French origin), meaning ‘the defender of men’, is a powerful name for German girls.

Amorie (German origin), meaning ‘industrious’, is one of the best Germanic girl names.

Annalise (Hebrew origin), meaning ‘grace’, is one of the trending names falling in the category of German girl names.

Charlotte (French origin), meaning ‘free’ and ‘proficient’, is a feminine name for German girls

Diane (Indo-European origin), meaning’ divine’, is a superb name for girls.

Emily (Latin origin), meaning ‘rival’, is a sweet name that came from Aemilius.

Eva (Latin origin), meaning ‘life’, is a pretty name for German girls.

Freya (Nordic origin), meaning ‘lady’ is an excellent name for a German girl derived from the Goddess of love, beauty, war, and death.

Giselle, (German origin), meaning ‘pledge’, is a cute and charming name.

Hannah (Hebrew origin), meaning grace, beauty, and favor, is the topmost name in the list of German girl names.

Heidi (High German origin), meaning’ someone noble’, is another unique name for German girls.

Leonie (Latin origin), meaning ‘lion’, is a powerful name popular in Lichtenstein.

Lilly (English origin), meaning ‘my God is my oath’, is a famous Germanic name. The name can also be spelled Lily, Lillie, Lili, and Lilli.

Magda (Polish origin), meaning ‘woman,’ is a perfect Germanic name for girls.

Marlene (Italian roots), meaning ‘mine’, is another German name for girls.

Nicole (Greek origin), meaning ‘the people’s victory’, is a fantastic German name for girls.

Rebekah ( Hebrew origin), meaning ‘servant of God’, is a name that ranks among the for German girls.

Sophia (High German origin), meaning ‘wisdom art’, is a graceful German girl-name.

Theresa (High German origin), meaning ‘hunter or guardian’, is one of the best German Girl names.

Zazie (Hebrew origin), meaning ‘movement’ is an extravagant name for German girls.