German Baby Names

Whether you are of German descent yourself, or if you are simply attracted to the sound and shape of German names, this page can get you started by looking at popular German baby names and their meanings.

The most popular baby names in Germany for girls for the second half of the twentieth century include: Maria and Marie (which means bitterly wanted child, and often refers to the Christian Saint, the Virgin Mary), Sophie/Sofie/Sophia/Sophie (which means wisdom), Anna/Anne (note that even the spelling Anne is pronounced like Anna, where you pronounce the final ‘e’ that is silent in English. Anne means Grace), Lena (which can be short for Helena, which means bright, or Magdalena, which means Tower, and often refers to Mary Magdalene from the Bible), Laura (from the laurel bush, crowned with laurels, as in victorious), and Lea/Leah (weary).

The most popular baby names in Germany for boys for the second half of the twentieth century include: Leon (lion), Maximilian (the greatest, or literally, the little greatest), Alexander (defender of men), Lukas (from Lucania), Paul (humble), Tim (to honour God), David (beloved), and Felix (happy; lucky).

You might have noticed that many of these previously listed German baby names do not have Germanic origins: some are Hebrew baby names, others are Christian baby names, and many are the same names as in English, with slightly different pronunciation or with variations in spelling. This is because Germany and the German culture have been influenced by other cultures and languages for centuries. There are, however, many baby names that come from the German language itself.

In German, often the c and the k can be used interchangeably, as in the names Carsten/Karsten (for boys, meaning Christian), Victor/Viktor (for boys, meaning winner), Claus/Klause (for boys, meaning victory of the people), and Catrine/Katrine (pure). Katrine is a variation on the English Catherine/Katherine/Kathleen/Karen, and can sometimes also be spelled Katrina in German.

Some German baby names based in the German language for girls include Arabella (beautiful eagle), Fritzi (a peaceful ruler), Greta/Gretchen (a pearl), Ilse or Leisel (an abbreviation of Elizabeth, meaning consecrated to God), Luise (warrior maiden), Adelaide (noble and kind), Antje (grace), and Susanne (lily).

Some German baby names based in the German language for boys include Alphonse (noble, prepared), Carl (a free man), Dieter (warrior), Dietrich (ruler), Franz (free man, or man from France), Helmuth (protector, helmet), Kurt (a bold counsellor), Leonard (brave as a lion), Reinhold (powerful and wise ruler), and Viktor (the victor). Many German baby names for boys relate to being adept at war, including Ademaro (glorious in battle), Egmont (weapon), Garin (warrior), Gunther (brave warrior), Ludwig (famous warrior, or Lothar (famous warrior).

As with other languages, many German baby names can be adapted to suit either baby boys or baby girls. For instance, Robert for a boy becomes Roberta for a girl, and means famous. Erik/Erika means a powerful ruler. The baby name Hans (John), for boys, becomes Hansine, which means God is gracious.