Re: Satu!
in reply to a message by Lucille
Hi Lucille,
I'm sorry, but I haven't been able to find lists like that anywhere...
In a book "Das neue große Vornamenbuch" by Friedrich-Wilhelm Weitershaus, I found these names:
Popular names in Germany in the 17th and 18th century:
boys:
Johannes
Hans
Conra
Claus
Nikolaus
Peter
Georg
Caspar
Christian
Christoph
Jakob
Heinrich
Henrich
Friedrich
Hermann
Balthasar
Daniel
David
Philipp
Jost
Eberhard
Wilhelm
Ludwig
Michael
Martin
Franz
Anton
Paulus
Adam
Andreas
Melchior
Velten
Valentin
Bernhard
Berthold
Burkhard
Ulrich
girls:
Maria
Marie
Anna
Elisabeth
Elsbeth
Else
Margarethe
Greta
Katharina
Christina
Susanna
Magdalena
Dorothea
Barbara
Ursula
Johanna
Johannette
Gertrud
Bertha
Agnes
Clara
Sophia
Franziska
Helena
Martha
Charlotte
And popular names in the year 1900:
boys:
Adolf
Albert
Alexander
Alfred
Alois
Anton
Artur
August
Bernhard
Bruno
Edmund
Euard
Emil
Erich
Ernst
Erwin
Eugen
Felix
Franz
Franz-Josef
Friedrich
Fritz
Georg
Gerhard
Günther
Gustav
Hans
Heinrich
Heinz
Helmut
Herbert
Hermann
Horst
Hugo
Jakob
Johann
Johannes
Joseph
Julius
Karl/Carl
Konrad
Kurt
Leo
Leopold
Louis
Ludwig
Martin
Max
Maximilian
Oskar
Otto
Paul
Philipp
Reinhard
Reinhold
Richard
Robert
Rolf
Rudolf
Ruprecht
Siegried
Siegmund
Theodor
Walter/Walther
Werner
Wilhelm
Willi
Wolfgang
girls:
Agathe
Agnes
Alice
Anna
Antonie
Auguste
Bertha
Charlotte
Claire
Clara
Cläre
Dorothea
Dora
Edith
Eleonore
Elfriede
Elisabeth
Elise
Ella
Elli
Elsa
Elsbeth
Else
Emilie
Emma
Emmi
Erna
Ernestine
Eva
Franziska
Frieda
Friederike
Gertrud
Greta
Grete
Hedwig
Helene
Hermine
Hertha
Hilde
Hildegard
Ida
Irma
Johanna
Johannette
Josefa
Karoline
Katharina
Käthe
Lina
Lisbeth
Lotte
Louise/Luise
Lucie
Magdalene
Margarete
Maria
Marie
Martha
Mathilde
Meta
Minna
Olga
Paula
Paulina
Rosa
Rosalie
Selma
Sophie
Therese
Trude
Walburga
Wanda
Wilhelmine
But you have to keep in mind that there were big differences between the different parts of the country. You would hardly have found Rolf or Friederike in southern Germany, and Leopold and Walburga in the north, just to name some examples.
I hope it helped a little bit... If anyone else knows some statistics, I'd be interested as well!
Regards, Satu
I'm sorry, but I haven't been able to find lists like that anywhere...
In a book "Das neue große Vornamenbuch" by Friedrich-Wilhelm Weitershaus, I found these names:
Popular names in Germany in the 17th and 18th century:
boys:
Johannes
Hans
Conra
Claus
Nikolaus
Peter
Georg
Caspar
Christian
Christoph
Jakob
Heinrich
Henrich
Friedrich
Hermann
Balthasar
Daniel
David
Philipp
Jost
Eberhard
Wilhelm
Ludwig
Michael
Martin
Franz
Anton
Paulus
Adam
Andreas
Melchior
Velten
Valentin
Bernhard
Berthold
Burkhard
Ulrich
girls:
Maria
Marie
Anna
Elisabeth
Elsbeth
Else
Margarethe
Greta
Katharina
Christina
Susanna
Magdalena
Dorothea
Barbara
Ursula
Johanna
Johannette
Gertrud
Bertha
Agnes
Clara
Sophia
Franziska
Helena
Martha
Charlotte
And popular names in the year 1900:
boys:
Adolf
Albert
Alexander
Alfred
Alois
Anton
Artur
August
Bernhard
Bruno
Edmund
Euard
Emil
Erich
Ernst
Erwin
Eugen
Felix
Franz
Franz-Josef
Friedrich
Fritz
Georg
Gerhard
Günther
Gustav
Hans
Heinrich
Heinz
Helmut
Herbert
Hermann
Horst
Hugo
Jakob
Johann
Johannes
Joseph
Julius
Karl/Carl
Konrad
Kurt
Leo
Leopold
Louis
Ludwig
Martin
Max
Maximilian
Oskar
Otto
Paul
Philipp
Reinhard
Reinhold
Richard
Robert
Rolf
Rudolf
Ruprecht
Siegried
Siegmund
Theodor
Walter/Walther
Werner
Wilhelm
Willi
Wolfgang
girls:
Agathe
Agnes
Alice
Anna
Antonie
Auguste
Bertha
Charlotte
Claire
Clara
Cläre
Dorothea
Dora
Edith
Eleonore
Elfriede
Elisabeth
Elise
Ella
Elli
Elsa
Elsbeth
Else
Emilie
Emma
Emmi
Erna
Ernestine
Eva
Franziska
Frieda
Friederike
Gertrud
Greta
Grete
Hedwig
Helene
Hermine
Hertha
Hilde
Hildegard
Ida
Irma
Johanna
Johannette
Josefa
Karoline
Katharina
Käthe
Lina
Lisbeth
Lotte
Louise/Luise
Lucie
Magdalene
Margarete
Maria
Marie
Martha
Mathilde
Meta
Minna
Olga
Paula
Paulina
Rosa
Rosalie
Selma
Sophie
Therese
Trude
Walburga
Wanda
Wilhelmine
But you have to keep in mind that there were big differences between the different parts of the country. You would hardly have found Rolf or Friederike in southern Germany, and Leopold and Walburga in the north, just to name some examples.
I hope it helped a little bit... If anyone else knows some statistics, I'd be interested as well!
Regards, Satu
Replies
Thanks a bunch, Satu! This also helps me a lot! :-D
I'm surprised to see that Adelheid & Helga aren't listed as a popular name for the girls, and for the boys I'm kinda surprised that Ottokar isn't listed. But I guess that Ottokar (like other names as Adelmar, Adelbrand, Wolfram, etc.) was probably much more common in the centuries before the 17th century.
Question: I saw that Adolf was listed as a popular name in 1900. But I thought that name never really was popular, even before Adolf Hitler? Ofcourse, after Adolf Hitler, the use of Adolf must've lessened quite significantly, which is a pity really (I think it's a beautiful name, and names shouldn't be judged by persons had borne those names). It's like people think: "Those people named their son Adolf, so they must be supporting Hitler." Ridiculous! >:-(
Anyway, I'm wondering: did the name Adolf still get used in Germany after WWII? And what about nowadays? Does it still (rarely) get used?
Anyway - thanks again for your help! :)
Hugs,
Lucille
I'm surprised to see that Adelheid & Helga aren't listed as a popular name for the girls, and for the boys I'm kinda surprised that Ottokar isn't listed. But I guess that Ottokar (like other names as Adelmar, Adelbrand, Wolfram, etc.) was probably much more common in the centuries before the 17th century.
Question: I saw that Adolf was listed as a popular name in 1900. But I thought that name never really was popular, even before Adolf Hitler? Ofcourse, after Adolf Hitler, the use of Adolf must've lessened quite significantly, which is a pity really (I think it's a beautiful name, and names shouldn't be judged by persons had borne those names). It's like people think: "Those people named their son Adolf, so they must be supporting Hitler." Ridiculous! >:-(
Anyway, I'm wondering: did the name Adolf still get used in Germany after WWII? And what about nowadays? Does it still (rarely) get used?
Anyway - thanks again for your help! :)
Hugs,
Lucille
Hi Lucille,
Adelheid:
Of course Adelheid was a very popular name (popularity began about 1800 again after a long break - it had been extremely popular in the Middle Ages).
I think the reason why it isn't on the list is that a lot of short forms were used as full names. (Preferably in the south) you could find forms like Heidi, Adela, Adele, Alice etc. and (preferably in the north) forms like Alke, Elke, Alida etc.
Helga:
This name was very popular in the northern part of the country, but I don't think it has been as popular in the south.
Ottokar:
Yes, I think you're right. Ottokar was quite popular in the Middle Ages, but during that period you are looking for, the form Otto was much more popular!
Adolf:
I know of MANY Adolfs born before the Nazi time in Germany, it was really popular. But I don't know any Adolf who was born during the Nazi regime and nowadays it would be impossible to name a child Adolf. I really agree with you that it is a pity that the name is destroyed. I think it will take a few more years before it can be okay to use that name again.
I know of many people in Sweden who would have wanted to name their sons Adolf just because of that nice sound - but they didn't do so of course. In Sweden these old fashioned names like Rudolf, Gustav, Wilhelm, August, Otto, Elsa, Greta, Ida etc. are becoming extremely popular at the moment, so Adolf would fall into that taste of course.
Regards,
Satu
Adelheid:
Of course Adelheid was a very popular name (popularity began about 1800 again after a long break - it had been extremely popular in the Middle Ages).
I think the reason why it isn't on the list is that a lot of short forms were used as full names. (Preferably in the south) you could find forms like Heidi, Adela, Adele, Alice etc. and (preferably in the north) forms like Alke, Elke, Alida etc.
Helga:
This name was very popular in the northern part of the country, but I don't think it has been as popular in the south.
Ottokar:
Yes, I think you're right. Ottokar was quite popular in the Middle Ages, but during that period you are looking for, the form Otto was much more popular!
Adolf:
I know of MANY Adolfs born before the Nazi time in Germany, it was really popular. But I don't know any Adolf who was born during the Nazi regime and nowadays it would be impossible to name a child Adolf. I really agree with you that it is a pity that the name is destroyed. I think it will take a few more years before it can be okay to use that name again.
I know of many people in Sweden who would have wanted to name their sons Adolf just because of that nice sound - but they didn't do so of course. In Sweden these old fashioned names like Rudolf, Gustav, Wilhelm, August, Otto, Elsa, Greta, Ida etc. are becoming extremely popular at the moment, so Adolf would fall into that taste of course.
Regards,
Satu