50 German Baby Names: Meanings & Origins

The land of scientists, philosophers, and (of course) Oktoberfest, Germany has a long and fascinating history. Today, the nation continues to be a player on the world stage, and its cultural legacy carries on in the U.S. As of 2014, 15% of Americans had German ancestry. If you’re among those with Teutonic roots, you may want to consider giving your child a German name.

Despite its extensive influence, the German language can sometimes get a bad rap for not being music to the ears. (As a former college German instructor, I’ve heard all the jokes about the supposedly harsh, guttural nature of the language!) However, setting aside preconceived notions, you may find that many German names are not only quite beautiful but also full of strong meaning. Plus, there are plenty of inspiring German men and women to honor with a namesake.

Got a baby on the way? Consider these 50 German baby names.

Popular German Baby Names: Meanings and Origins
Name	Meaning	Origin
Annika	Grace, mercy	German
Bruno	Brown	German
Christopher	Christ-bearer	German, English
Dorothy	Gift of God	German, Greek
Johan	God is gracious	German, Hebrew
Karl	Warrior	German, Swedish
Kurt	Advisor	German, English
Louisa	Famous warrior	German, French
Matilda	Mighty in battle	German, Old English
Stephanie	Crown	German, Greek

Popular German Names for Girls

Check out some of the most popular German girl baby names to see if they are right for your child.

Anja

Origin: Russian, German
Meaning: Gracious, merciful
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Anya, Anna, Anne, Aine, Anje, Ania
Famous Namesakes: German mountaineer Anja Blacha, Danish charity worker Anja Ringgren Lovén
Peak Popularity: While the German spelling of Anja has never ranked in the top 1,000 baby names in the U.S., the name Anya has risen in popularity since the 1980s, peaking in 2009.

Anneliese

Origin: German, Dutch, Nordic
Meaning: Grace, favor
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Annaliese, Liese, Liesl, Annelies, Annalies
Famous Namesakes: German ballerina and choreographer Anneliese von Oettingen, German science historian Anneliese Maier
Peak Popularity: At peak popularity in 2005, 65 babies per million were given the name Anneliese.

Fun Fact: World War II diarist Anne Frank’s first name was actually Annelies.

Annike

Origin: German
Meaning: Grace, gracious, mercy
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Annika, Anika, Anni, Anike, Anneke
Famous Namesakes: German soccer player Annike Krahn, American actress Anika Noni Rose
Peak Popularity: Annika’s popularity peaked in 2003, but has remained high ever since.

Fun Fact: Anika Noni Rose served as the voice of Disney’s first African-American princess, Tiana, in The Princess and the Frog.

Adelheid

Origin: Dutch, German
Meaning: Noble, nobility
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Adelaide, Heide, Heidi
Famous Namesakes: Holy Roman Empress Saint Adelaide of Italy, German composer Adelheid Maria Eichner
Peak Popularity: The name Adelheid has never registered among the top 1,000 baby names in the U.S., but its diminutive form, Heidi, peaked in the 1970s at 1,257 babies per million.

Bertina

Origin: German
Meaning: Bright, famous, intelligent
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Bertine, Tine, Tina, Bertie
Famous Namesakes: Mozambican painter and sculptor Bertina Lopes
Peak Popularity: Bertina is unique! It has no history of ranking in the top 1,000 American baby names.

Dorothea

Origin: Greek, German
Meaning: Gift of God
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dorothee, Dorothy, Dorit, Doro, Thea
Famous Namesakes: American social activist Dorothea Dix, first female captain of the Swedish navy Dorothea Maria Lösch
Peak Popularity: Dorothea’s popularity reached its height in the 1910s, while the alternate spelling of Dorothy peaked in the 1920s.

Fun Fact: German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s middle name is Dorothea.

Elke

Origin: Low German, East Frisian
Meaning: Of noble birth
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Elka, Alke, Elkie
Famous Namesakes: German actress Elke Sommer, German journalist Elke Heidenreich
Peak Popularity: The name Elke has not recorded in the top 1,000 American baby names, but in 1990, the U.S. Census listed it as the 2,588th most popular given name for women.

Gisele

Origin: French, German
Meaning: Bright pledge
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Gisela, Giselle, Gisselle
Famous Namesakes: Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, Queen of Hungary Giselle of Bavaria
Peak Popularity: The 1950s saw the greatest number of babies named Gisele in the U.S.

Ilse

Origin: German
Meaning: Consecrated to God
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Elsa, Else, Ilsa
Famous Namesakes: Austrian writer Ilse Aichinger, Austrian mathematician Ilse Fischer
Peak Popularity: Although the name Ilse has not ranked among the top baby names in the U.S., its alternate spelling, Elsa, was extremely popular in the 1890s and has seen a resurgence since 2013.

Fun Fact: Ilse is a derivative of Elisabeth.

Inge

Origin: German, Swedish
Meaning: Belonging to Ing (Nordic deity)
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Inga, Inge, Ingeborg, Ingrid
Famous Namesakes: Austrian poet and author Ingeborg Bachmann, American singer Ingrid Michaelson
Peak Popularity: Spelled Inga, this name peaked in popularity in the 1890s.

Johanna

Origin: Hebrew, German
Meaning: God is gracious
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Johannah, Johanne, Joanna, Joanne, Hanna, Hanne, Hannah
Famous Namesakes: Johanna Spyri, Swiss author of the Heidi book series, American interior designer and media personality Joanna Gaines
Peak Popularity: The name Johanna was most popular in 1984. In 2019, it ranked number 595 out of the top 1,000 baby names.

Jutta

Origin: Hebrew, Low German
Meaning: Mankind, child, descendant
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Judith, Jude, Judy
Famous Namesakes: 13th-century German saint St. Jutta of Kulmsee, German jazz musician Jutta Hipp
Peak Popularity: As a primarily German name, it’s not surprising that Jutta has not ranked in the top 1,000 baby names in the U.S.

Fun Fact: In German, Jutta is pronounced yuh-tah.

Katharina

Origin: German, Swedish (originally from Greek)
Meaning: The meaning of Katharina is unknown, though it is associated with the Greek word for “pure.”
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Katja, Kätchen, Käthe, Käthlyn, Katarina, Catherine, Katherine
Famous Namesakes: German artist Käthe Kollwitz, Katharina von Bora, wife of Protestant reformer Martin Luther, American actress Katharine Hepburn
Peak Popularity: Spelled Katharina, this name was quite popular in the 1890s. Other variations of the name have been consistently popular throughout the last 100 years.

Fun Fact: Katherine and its derivatives have been popular names for centuries. In the last 100 years, Katherine has averaged a position of the 41st most common girl’s name in the U.S.

Klara

Origin: Latin, German
Meaning: Clear, bright, famous
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Clara, Klaire, Claire, Clare
Famous Namesakes: Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross, German pianist Clara Schumann
Peak Popularity: The name Klara has not had significant popularity in the U.S., but spelled with a “C” it is more widespread. In 2019 it was the 95th most popular girl’s name.

Fun Fact: Clara is the name of the heroine in The Nutcracker, arguably the most famous ballet in history.

Louisa

Origin: French, German
Meaning: Famous warrior
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Luisa, Luise, Louise, Lou, Loulou, Eloise
Famous Namesakes: American author Louisa May Alcott, Jazz Age actress Louise Brooks
Peak Popularity: The 1880s were the heyday for this name. However, Louisa has grown in popularity during the 2010s and early 2020s.

Fun Fact: Louise Brown was the first person to be born as a result of in vitro fertilization.

Lorelei

Origin: German
Meaning: The Lorelei is a rock headland on the banks of the Rhine River.
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Lore, Loralei, Laurel, Lori, Loreley, Lorelai
Famous Namesakes: American actress and screenwriter Lorelei King
Peak Popularity: Lorelei is currently a very popular name. As of 2020, it ranked at 506 out of 1,000 most common baby names.

Fun Fact: In German legend, the Lorelei was a beautiful siren who lured sailors to crash on the banks of the Rhine.

Lotte

Origin: French, German
Meaning: Strong and virile, vigorous (derived from Charlotte)
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Charlotte, Lottchen, Lottie
Famous Namesakes: German nature photographer Lotte Herrlich, Austrian author Lotte Ingrisch
Peak Popularity: After a peak in the 1880s, Lotte has not held a place in the top 1,000 baby names.

Fun Fact: German author Erich Kästner’s Das Doppelte Lottchen (The Double Lotte), about twins separated at birth, was the basis for Disney’s The Parent Trap.

Margarethe

Origin: Greek, German
Meaning: Pearl
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Gretl, Gretchen, Greta, Margo, Margaret, Margarete
Famous Namesakes: German film director Margarethe von Trotta, former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher
Peak Popularity: Variations of this name have consistently held a place among the most popular baby names. Margaret ranks as the 126th most common girl’s name as of 2020.

Magdalena

Origin: Greek
Meaning: Surname of biblical figure Mary Magdalene
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Magdalene, Magda, Leni, Maggie, Lena
Famous Namesakes: American singer Lena Horne, Swedish princess Magdalena of Sweden
Peak Popularity: This name was most popular in 2004, when it ranked 806, but it has since gone down in popularity.

Marlene

Origin: German
Meaning: Combination of Maria and Magdalene
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Marlo, Marla, Leni
Famous Namesakes: German actress Marlene Dietrich
Peak Popularity: Although the name Marlene peaked in popularity in the 1930s, it remains a well-established choice.

Fun Fact: In German, Marlene is pronounced mar-layn-uh.

Mathilde

Origin: German, Old English
Meaning: Mighty in battle
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Matilda, Tilly, Tillie, Mechtild
Famous Namesakes: Empress Matilda, 12th century German queen, British actress Tilda Swinton
Peak Popularity: Matilda’s popularity has been on the rise since 2010.

Fun Fact: In Old English, “hild” means “battle,” so names that contain this suffix, such as Mathilde, Brunhilde, and Berthilde, all refer to battle.

Renate

Origin: Latin, German
Meaning: To be born again
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Renata, Rena, Renee, Renita
Famous Namesakes: Italian soprano and opera director Renata Scotto, Czech tennis player Renata Voráčová
Peak Popularity: Renata burst onto the American baby name scene in the 1970s and has remained relatively popular since them.

Rosamund

Origin: German, Latin
Meaning: Protector of horses
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Rosamina, Rosamond, Rosamia, Rose, Rosie, Rosa
Famous Namesakes: British actress Rosamund Pike
Peak Popularity: There is no record of Rosamund reaching the top 1,000 baby names for girls.

Fun Fact: In modern German, rosa means “pink” and Mund means “mouth.”

Sabine

Origin: Italian
Meaning: Woman of the Sabine people (ancient Italian tribe)
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Sabina, Sabrina
Famous Namesakes: Sabine Zlatin, member of the French resistance in WWII, Sabine Hossenfelder, German theoretical physicist
Peak Popularity: Spelled Sabina, this name had its moment in the 1910s.

Fun Fact: Although the name Sabine is of Italian origin, it has been extremely popular in Germany. In the 1960s, it was the number one German girl’s name.

Stefanie

Origin: German
Meaning: Crown
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Stephanie, Steffi, Steph, Steffany
Famous Namesakes: German tennis player Steffi Graf, American actress Stefanie Powers
Peak Popularity: After a high in the 1980s, Stefanie has not ranked in the top 1,000 baby names for girls since 2001.

Fun Fact: Tennis player Steffi Graf held the position of the number one women’s tennis player in the world for a record 377 weeks.

Popular German Names for Boys

Here are some of the most popular German baby names for boys, along with their origins, meanings, and popularity.

Albrecht

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Noble, bright, famous
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Albert, Adalbrecht
Famous Namesakes: German artist and printmaker Albrecht Dürer, German Renaissance painter Albrecht Altdorfer
Peak Popularity: Albrecht makes a very unique name, as it has never been among the most popular baby names in the U.S.

Fun Fact: The earliest known usage of the name Albrecht was before the 7th century.

Arnold

Origin: English, German
Meaning: Strength of the eagle
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Arnie, Arne, Ari, Arnwald
Famous Namesakes: Austrian-American actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Peak Popularity: The 1920s was the era when this name was most common.

Fun Fact: The Arnold Palmer beverage is a mixture of iced tea and lemonade, said to have been frequently requested by the American professional golfer of the same name.

Bruno

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Brown
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Brun, Brüno
Famous Namesakes: American pop singer Bruno Mars, Swiss actor Bruno Ganz
Peak Popularity: The name Bruno dates back to at least the 9^th century and has enjoyed steady popularity ever since baby names have been tracked in the U.S. It ranked 709 for boy’s names in 2020.

Christoph

Origin: German variant of English Christopher
Meaning: Christ-bearer
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Christopher, Christof, Kristoff, Kristof, Chris, Kris
Famous Namesakes: Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, Christoph Bach, German musician and grandfather of J.S. Bach
Peak Popularity: Although Christoph has never appeared on the list of 1,000 most popular baby names, its English variant, Christopher, was the second most popular name for boys in the 1980s.

Dirk

Origin: German, Dutch, English
Meaning: Famous ruler
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dierk, Dirks, Dierk, Dierks
Famous Namesakes: American country singer Dierks Bentley, 20^th century English actor Dirk Bogarde
Peak Popularity: In the 1960s, Dirk jumped to a position on the top 1,000 boy’s baby names. Since then it has declined.

Fun Fact: Country singer Dierks Bentley’s first name is actually Frederick. Dierks is his middle name.

Florian

Origin: Roman, German
Meaning: Blond, blooming, flowering
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Florien, Floriano, Fiorino, Florin
Famous Namesakes: German musician Florian Schneider
Peak Popularity: Florian held a place among the top 1,000 American baby names from the 1880s through the 1930s.

Fun Fact: Saint Florian is the patron saint of Upper Austria.

Friedrich

Origin: German
Meaning: Peaceful ruler
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Fritz, Fred, Frederick, Rick, Rich
Famous Namesakes: German poet and philosopher Friedrich Schiller, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
Peak Popularity: From 1880 to 1957, Frederick was in the top 100 American baby names. Today it falls around number 500. Its German spelling, however, is not among the top 1,000 boys’ names.

Fun Fact: Frieden means peace in German. Names like Friedrich, Gottfried, Siegfried, and others all have meanings pertaining to peace.

Günther

Origin: German, Old Norse
Meaning: Warrior
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Gunter, Günter, Gunther, Gunnar, Gunner
Famous Namesakes: German novelist Günter Grass, German-American mechanical engineer Günter Wendt, known for his work in the U.S. human spaceflight program
Peak Popularity: Although it may be a familiar name, Günther has never ranked in the top 1,000 American boy’s names.

Fun Fact: Gundahar, from which Günther is derived, was the name of a 5th century Burgundian king. He appears in the epic poem Nibelungenlied, in which he woos the Icelandic queen Brünhild.

Johann

Origin: German, Hebrew
Meaning: God is gracious
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Johan, Johannes, Hans, Hannes, Jan, Yohan, Yohann, Yoan
Famous Namesakes: German composer Johann Sebastian Bach, German poet, writer, and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Peak Popularity: Johann made it onto the list of 1,000 most popular boy’s names in 2010 with a rank of 911.

Fun Fact: Johann is the German version of the name John. Over the last 100 years, John was the second most popular boy’s name in the U.S.

Jürgen

Origin: Dutch, German, English
Meaning: Farmer or earthworker
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jurgen, Jurg
Famous Namesakes: German-American actor Jürgen Prochnow, Mexican soccer player Jürgen Damm
Peak Popularity: Jürgen makes a truly unique baby name. It has never reached the top 1,000 names for boys in the U.S.

Fun Fact: Jürgen is the Germanic form of the name George.

Karl

Origin: German, Swedish, English
Meaning: Free man or warrior
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Carl, Karel, Charles, Charlie, Carlo, Carlos, Karol
Famous Namesakes: Swiss theologian Karl Barth, German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld
Peak Popularity: Karl’s popularity spiked in the 1950s.

Fun Fact: Seven Holy Roman Emperors were named Karl.

Kaspar

Origin: Hebrew, German
Meaning: Treasurer
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Casper, Caspar, Kasper, Gaspar, Jesper
Famous Namesakes: German romantic landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich, Swiss astronomer Kaspar Gottfried Schweizer
Peak Popularity: If you’re looking for an unusual name, Kaspar is it! There is no record of it registering in the top baby names for boys.

Kiefer

Origin: German
Meaning: Pine tree
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Keefer, Keefir
Famous Namesakes: Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland
Peak Popularity: Kiefer is a well-recognized name, but it has not appeared in the top 1,000 baby names for boys.

Fun Fact: In German, the word Kiefer has two meanings: Pine tree and jaw bone. It also may be related to the English name Cooper, which means barrel maker.

Konrad

Origin: German, Scandinavian, Polish
Meaning: Brave counsel
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Conrad, Kondrat, Konrád
Famous Namesakes: German chancellor Konrad Adenauer, German rocket scientist Konrad Dannenberg
Peak Popularity: Spelled with a “C,” Conrad has placed in the top 1,000 baby names for boys for the last 140 years. It reached its highest popularity in the 1920s, but as of 2020 was 548th.

Kurt

Origin: German, English
Meaning: Counselor, advisor
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Curt, Curtis, Curtiss, Kurtis, Kurtiss
Famous Namesakes: American musician Kurt Cobain of Seattle’s 1990s grunge movement, American writer Kurt Vonnegut
Peak Popularity: The name Kurt hit peak popularity in the 1960s.

Leopold

Origin: German
Meaning: From the Germanic name Luitbald, meaning brave people
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Leo, Leopald, Léopold
Famous Namesakes: Conductor Leopold Stokowski, Catholic saint Leopold Mandić
Peak Popularity: The 1910s saw the most boys named Leopold, but with the increasing popularity of the name Leo, Leopold may be poised for a comeback.

Fun Fact: Conductor Leopold Stokowski conducted the orchestra in Disney’s Fantasia.

Lothar

Origin: German, Scandinavian
Meaning: Army of fame
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Lotar, Luther, Lothaire
Famous Namesakes: German chemist Lothar Meyer, German wrestler and Olympic medalist Lothar Metz
Peak Popularity: The name Lothar has not had a recorded spike in popularity in the U.S.

Fun Fact: One of the worst winter windstorms to ever hit Europe was known as Lothar’s Big Brother. It raged through several northwestern European countries in March 1876.

Ludwig

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Famous warrior
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Chlodwig, Hludwig
Famous Namesakes: World-famous German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein
Peak Popularity: Ludwig had its peak in the 1890s, when 43 babies per million were given this name.

Fun Fact: No one is actually sure of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth date.

Manfred

Origin: German
Meaning: Man of peace
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Mannfred, Manfried, Mannfried, Manny, Fred, Freddy
Famous Namesakes: Manfred Mann, namesake and keyboardist for the eponymous English band
Peak Popularity: Manfred has never ranked in the top 1,000 names in the U.S.

Matthias

Origin: Greek, German
Meaning: Gift of God
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Mathias, Matthew, Mathew, Matt
Famous Namesakes: Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle to replace Judas Iscariot, German botanist and co-founder of cell theory Matthias Jakob Schleiden
Peak Popularity: After decades with little popularity, Matthias burst on the baby name scene in the early 2000s. It peaked in 2018 with a rank of 404, but has since started to decline.

Otto

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Wealth, prosperity
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Oto
Famous Namesakes: Otto Frank, Holocaust survivor and father of Anne Frank, 19th-century German chancellor Otto von Bismarck
Peak Popularity: Otto’s peak popularity in the U.S. was in the 1880s, but has risen somewhat since 2012.

Fun Fact: Otto von Bismarck served as the first chancellor of modern Germany, beginning his term in 1871.

Reiner

Origin: German, Scandinavian
Meaning: From two words meaning counsel and army; also may derived from words meaning edge or embankment
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Rainer, Reyner, Ragnar
Famous Namesakes: Bohemian-Austrian lyrical poet and novelist Rainer Maria Rilke, German classical guitarist Rainer Scheurenbrand
Peak Popularity: Neither Reiner nor any of its variations have ever attained great popularity in the U.S.

Fun Fact: Despite its derivation from ancient words, in modern German, the word “rein” means “pure.” In common usage, “reiner” means “purer.”

Sigmund

Origin: German
Meaning: Protection through victory
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Siegmund, Siggi, Ziggy
Famous Namesakes: Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud, East German cosmonaut Sigmund Jähn
Peak Popularity: The 1910s saw a boom of babies named Sigmund, probably due to interest in Sigmund Freud’s psychological principles.

Fun Fact: The real name of singer “Jackie” Jackson of the Jackson Five? Sigmund!

Udo

Origin: German
Meaning: Power of the wolf
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Udi, Ido, Ado
Famous Namesakes: Udi Baron, founder of Udi’s gluten-free bread, German actor Udo Kier
Peak Popularity: Although Udo is a well-known name in German-speaking countries, it has never been common in the U.S.

Fun Fact: Udo is pronounced ooh-doh.

Ulrich

Origin: German
Meaning: Heritage, ruler, mighty
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ulrick, Aldrich, Ulreich
Famous Namesakes: Swiss Reformation leader Ulrich Zwingli, German physicist Ulrich Merkel
Peak Popularity: Ulrich has not made it on the list of 1,000 baby names for boys in the last 140 years.

Völker

Origin: German
Meaning: Warrior of the people
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Volker, Folker
Famous Namesakes: German filmmaker Völker Schlöndorff
Peak Popularity: This one is truly unusual! Völker has no record of making it to the top 1,000 boy’s names in the U.S.

Fun Fact: Although Völker comes from old German, to this day the word “Volk” means “folk” or “people” in German.

Werner

Origin: German
Meaning: The defender, defending warrior
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Warner, Wernher, Verner
Famous Namesakes: German film director Werner Herzog, German-American aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun
Peak Popularity: Werner hit its highest popularity as a baby name in the U.S. in 1930.

Wolfgang

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Path of the wolf
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Wolf, Wolfi, Wulf, Wulfgang
Famous Namesakes: Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, German-American news commentator Wolf Blitzer
Peak Popularity: Despite Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart being a household name, the first name Wolfgang has never reached the top 1,000 American baby names.

Fun Fact: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his first symphony at age eight.

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