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German Surnames: Meaning, Origin & Coat of Arms (page 2 of 3)

366 common German family names. Open a name to read its last name meaning, its surname origin and the heraldry associated with it.

  • Herzog
    Germany

    Duke

  • Hesse
    Germany

    From Hesse

  • Hildebrandt
    Germany

    From the name Hildebrand

  • Hinkle
    Germany

    Chicken

  • Hirsch
    Germany

    Stag

  • Hoch
    Germany

    "tall" or "one living high up"

  • Hofer
    Austria

    "farmer from a Hof"

  • Hoffmann
    Germany

    Manor farmer or court steward

  • Hoffmeister
    Germany

    "steward of a court"

  • Hofmann
    Germany

    Manor farmer; courtier

  • Holzer
    Austria

    Woodland dweller

  • Hoppe
    Germany

    Hop grower, or a nickname

  • Horn
    Germany

    Horn-shaped land; horn blower

  • Huber
    Germany

    Farm holder

  • Hübner
    Germany

    Holder of a Hube (farm holding)

  • Hummel
    Germany

    "bumblebee"

  • Jäger
    Germany

    Hunter

  • Jahn
    Germany

    From Johann (John)

  • Jakob
    Germany

    From Jakob (Jacob)

  • Jansen
    Germany

    Son of Jan (John)

  • Janssen
    Germany

    "son of Jan"

  • Jost
    Germany

    From the name Jodocus

  • Jung
    Germany

    Young

  • Kaiser
    Germany

    Emperor

  • Kastner
    Germany

    "granary keeper"

  • Katz
    Germany

    Priest of righteousness

  • Kaufmann
    Germany

    Merchant, trader

  • Keller
    Germany

    Cellarer, steward of stores

  • Kemper
    Germany

    Champion, fighter

  • Kern
    Germany

    Core, kernel; a nickname

  • Kessler
    Germany

    Coppersmith, kettle maker

  • Kirchner
    Germany

    "sexton"

  • Kirsch
    Germany

    Cherry

  • Klein
    Germany

    Small or young

  • Klose
    Germany

    From the name Nikolaus

  • Knoll
    Germany

    "one who lived by a knoll"

  • Koch
    Germany

    Cook

  • Kofler
    Austria

    Dweller below a crag

  • Köhler
    Germany

    Charcoal burner

  • Kolb
    Germany

    Club, a nickname

  • Koller
    Austria

    "charcoal burner"

  • König
    Germany

    King

  • Kopp
    Germany

    "head"

  • Korn
    Germany

    "grain"

  • Kraft
    Germany

    Strength, a nickname for a strong man

  • Krämer
    Germany

    Shopkeeper, trader

  • Kraus
    Germany

    Curly-haired

  • Krause
    Germany

    Curly-haired

  • Krebs
    Germany

    "crab, crayfish"

  • Kremer
    Germany

    "shopkeeper, pedlar"

  • Kretschmer
    Germany

    Innkeeper

  • Kroll
    Germany

    "curly-haired"

  • Krüger
    Germany

    Innkeeper (Low German)

  • Kuhlmann
    Germany

    Dweller by a hollow or pit

  • Kuhn
    Germany

    Short form of Konrad ("bold counsel")

  • Kunz
    Germany

    Son of Kunz (Konrad, "bold counsel")

  • Kürschner
    Germany

    Furrier

  • Kurz
    Germany

    Short

  • Lackner
    Austria

    Dweller by a pond

  • Lamprecht
    Germany

    From the name Lambert

  • Landis
    Switzerland

    From Landolt

  • Lang
    Germany

    The tall one

  • Lange
    Germany

    The tall one

  • Lechner
    Austria

    Tenant farmer

  • Lehmann
    Germany

    Feudal tenant, vassal

  • Lehner
    Germany

    Fief holder

  • Leitner
    Austria

    Hillside dweller

  • Lenz
    Germany

    From Lorenz (Lawrence)

  • Lindemann
    Germany

    Dweller by a lime tree

  • Lindner
    Germany

    Dweller by the lime tree

  • Lohmann
    Germany

    "one who lived by a wood"

  • Lorenz
    Germany

    From Laurentius (Lawrence)

  • Ludwig
    Germany

    Famous in battle

  • Lutz
    Germany

    From Ludwig (Louis)

  • Mack
    Germany

    From the name Markward

  • Maier
    Germany

    Steward, tenant farmer

  • Marquardt
    Germany

    "border guard"

  • Martens
    Germany

    Son of Martin

  • Marx
    Germany

    Son of Markus (Mark)

  • Maurer
    Germany

    Mason, wall builder

  • Mayer
    Germany

    Steward, tenant farmer

  • Meier
    Germany

    Steward, estate manager

  • Meister
    Germany

    "master craftsman"

  • Menzel
    Germany

    From the name Hermann

  • Merkel
    Germany

    From the name Markward

  • Messer
    Germany

    Knife maker

  • Metz
    Germany

    From Metz, or from Mechthild

  • Metzger
    Germany

    Butcher

  • Meyer
    Germany

    Steward or tenant farmer

  • Mohr
    Germany

    Dark-complexioned; dweller by the moor

  • Möller
    Germany

    Miller

  • Moser
    Germany

    Bog dweller

  • Müller
    Germany

    Miller

  • Nagel
    Germany

    Nail maker

  • Naumann
    Germany

    "newcomer"

  • Neff
    Germany

    Nephew, kinsman

  • Neumann
    Germany

    Newcomer

  • Noack
    Germany

    "newcomer" (Sorbian)

  • Nolte
    Germany

    From the name Arnold

  • Nussbaum
    Germany

    Walnut tree

  • Ostermann
    Germany

    Easter or east man

  • Oswald
    Germany

    From the name Oswald

  • Otto
    Germany

    Wealth, prosperity

  • Pape
    Germany

    "priest"

  • Paul
    Germany

    From Paulus, "small"

  • Peter
    Germany

    From Petrus, "rock"

  • Peters
    Germany

    Son of Peter

  • Pfaff
    Germany

    "priest"

  • Pfeiffer
    Germany

    Piper

  • Pichler
    Austria

    "one who lived on a hill"

  • Pietsch
    Germany

    From the name Peter

  • Pohl
    Germany

    Pole; Paul; pool

  • Popp
    Germany

    From the old personal name Poppo

  • Preuss
    Germany

    "a Prussian"

  • Probst
    Germany

    Provost

  • Raab
    Germany

    Raven

  • Rau
    Germany

    "rough, hairy"

  • Reichert
    Germany

    From Richard ("powerful and hardy")

  • Reimann
    Germany

    From the name Reinmar

  • Reinhardt
    Germany

    Brave in counsel

  • Reisinger
    Austria

    From Reising

  • Reiter
    Austria

    "rider" or "one from a clearing"

Every surname can be researched, even if it isn't listed here.

Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Coats of arms were granted to individuals, not to everyone with a surname.