German Names

German names are used in Germany and other German-speaking areas such as Austria and Switzerland. See also about German names.
gender
usage
Susanne f German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, English
German and Scandinavian form of Susanna.
Suse f German
German diminutive of Susanne.
Susi f German
German diminutive of Susanne.
Sven m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, German, Dutch
From the Old Norse byname Sveinn meaning "boy". This was the name of kings of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Svenja f German
German feminine form of Sven.
Swanhild f German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements swan "swan" and hilt "battle". Swanhild (or Swanachild) was the second wife of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel in the 8th century.
Sybille f German, French
German and French form of Sibyl.
Sylvester m English, German, Danish
Medieval variant of Silvester. This is currently the usual English spelling of the name. A famous bearer is the American actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-).
Sylvia f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
Variant of Silvia. This has been the most common English spelling since the 19th century.
Tabea f German
German short form of Tabitha. This form was used in earlier editions of the Luther Bible.
Tatiana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, French, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Greek, Georgian, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of the Roman name Tatianus, a derivative of the Roman name Tatius. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Rome under the emperor Alexander Severus. She was especially venerated in Orthodox Christianity, and the name has been common in Russia (as Татьяна) and Eastern Europe. It was not regularly used in the English-speaking world until the 1980s.
Tatjana f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, German, Latvian, Lithuanian, Finnish, Estonian
Form of Tatiana in several languages, in some cases via Russian Татьяна (Tatyana).
Teresa f Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan, Polish, Lithuanian, Finnish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
Form of Theresa used in several languages. Saint Teresa of Ávila was a 16th-century Spanish nun who reformed the Carmelite monasteries and wrote several spiritual books. It was also borne by the Albanian missionary Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), better known as Mother Teresa, who worked with the poor in India. She adopted the name in honour of the French saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who is the patron of missionaries.
Thea f German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English
Short form of Dorothea, Theodora, Theresa and other names with a similar sound.
Theda f German
Short form of Theodora. A famous bearer was actress Theda Bara (1885-1955), who was born Theodosia Goodman.
Thekla f German (Rare), Greek (Rare), Late Greek
From the ancient Greek name Θεόκλεια (Theokleia), which meant "glory of God" from the Greek elements θεός (theos) meaning "god" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, appearing (as Θέκλα) in the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla. The story tells how Thecla listens to Paul speak about the virtues of chastity and decides to remain a virgin, angering both her mother and her suitor.
Theo m English, German, Dutch
Short form of Theodore, Theobald and other names that begin with Theo.
Theodor m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Romanian
German form of Theodore, as well as a Scandinavian, Czech and Romanian variant of Teodor. A famous bearer was American children's book creator Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), better known as Dr. Seuss.
Theresa f English, German
From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. It was first recorded as Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek θέρος (theros) meaning "summer", from Greek θερίζω (therizo) meaning "to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).... [more]
Therese f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
German and Scandinavian variant of Theresa.
Theresia f German, Dutch
German and Dutch form of Theresa.
Thilo m German
Variant of Till. Saint Thillo was a 7th-century man of Saxony who was kidnapped and brought to Flanders by raiders. After his release he became a priest and did missionary work in France.
Thomas m English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Greek form of the Aramaic name תְּאוֹמָא (Teʾoma) meaning "twin". In the New Testament this is the name of an apostle. When he heard that Jesus had risen from the dead he initially doubted the story, until Jesus appeared before him and he examined his wounds himself. According to tradition he was martyred in India. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world.... [more]
Thorben m Danish, German
Variant of Torben.
Tiedemann m German (Archaic)
German form of Theotman (see Thijmen).
Till m German
From Tielo, a medieval Low German diminutive of Dietrich and other names beginning with Old High German diota or Old Frankish þeoda meaning "people". Till Eulenspiegel is a trickster in German folklore.
Tilman m German
Combination of Till and Old German man meaning "person, man". A notable bearer was the German sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider (1460-1531).
Tilo m German
Variant of Till.
Tim m English, German, Dutch, Slovene, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Short form of Timothy or (in Germany) Dietmar. It is borne by the fictional character Tiny Tim, the ill son of Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol (1843).
Timo 1 m Finnish, Estonian, German, Dutch
Finnish, Estonian, German and Dutch short form of Timotheus (see Timothy).
Timo 2 m German, Dutch
From Thiemo, an old short form of Thietmar (see Dietmar).
Timotheus m Biblical Latin, German (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
Latinized form of Timotheos (see Timothy).
Tina f English, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, Georgian
Short form of Christina, Martina and other names ending in tina. In addition to these names, it is also used in Dutch as a short form of Catharina, in Swedish and Croatian as a short form of Katarina, and in Georgian as a short form of Tinatin. A famous bearer is the American musician Tina Turner (1939-2023), born Anna Mae Bullock.
Titus m Ancient Roman, English, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Roman praenomen, or given name, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to Latin titulus "title of honour". It is more likely of Oscan origin, since it was borne by the legendary Sabine king Titus Tatius.... [more]
Tobias m Biblical, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Greek form of Tobiah. This is the name of the hero of the apocryphal Book of Tobit, which appears in many English versions of the Old Testament. It relates how Tobit's son Tobias, with the help of the angel Raphael, is able to drive away a demon who has plagued Sarah, who subsequently becomes his wife. This story was popular in the Middle Ages, and the name came into occasional use in parts of Europe at that time. In England it became common after the Protestant Reformation.
Tom 1 m English, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Short form of Thomas. Tom Sawyer is the main character in several of Mark Twain's novels, first appearing in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). Other famous bearers include American actors Tom Hanks (1956-) and Tom Cruise (1962-), as well as American football player Tom Brady (1977-).
Toni 1 m Finnish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Spanish, Portuguese, German
Short form of Anttoni, Antun, and other related names.
Torben m Danish, German
Danish form of Torbjörn.
Torsten m Swedish, Danish, German
From the Old Norse name Þórsteinn, which meant "Thor's stone" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with steinn "stone".
Traudl f German
Diminutive of Gertraud or Waltraud.
Traugott m German (Rare)
Derived from German trau "trust" and Gott "God". This name was created in the 17th century.
Trudi f German, English
Diminutive of Gertrude and other Germanic names ending with the element drud "strength".
Udo 1 m German
Variant of Otto.
Ueli m German (Swiss)
Swiss diminutive of Ulrich.
Ulf m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
From the Old Norse byname Úlfr meaning "wolf".
Uli m & f German
Diminutive of Ulrich or Ulrike.
Ulla f Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German
Scandinavian diminutive of Ulrika or Hulda 1, or a German diminutive of Ursula.
Ulli m & f German
Diminutive of Ulrich or Ulrike.
Ulrich m German, Germanic
From the Old German name Odalric, derived from the element uodil "heritage" combined with rih "ruler, king". This was the name of two German saints. Another famous bearer was Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), also known as Huldrych, the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.
Ulrike f German
German feminine form of Ulrich.
Urban m Swedish, German, Slovene, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Biblical
From the Latin name Urbanus meaning "city dweller". This name is mentioned briefly in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. It was subsequently borne by eight popes.
Urs m German (Swiss)
German form of the Latin name Ursus, which meant "bear". Saint Ursus was a 3rd-century soldier in the Theban Legion who was martyred with Saint Victor. He is the patron saint of Solothurn in Switzerland.
Ursel f German
German diminutive of Ursula.
Ursula f English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Means "little bear", derived from a diminutive form of the Latin word ursa "she-bear". Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.
Uschi f German
Diminutive of Ursula.
Uta f German
Feminine form of Udo 1.
Ute f German
Variant of Oda. In the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied this is the name of the mother of Kriemhild and Gunther.
Utz m German
Diminutive of Ulrich.
Uwe m German
German form of Ove.
Valentin m French, Romanian, German, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish
Form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1) in several languages.
Valentina f Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.
Valeria f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Valerius. This was the name of a 2nd-century Roman saint and martyr.
Valerie f English, German, Czech
English and German form of Valeria, as well as a Czech variant of Valérie.
Valeska f German
Diminutive of Valeria.
Vanessa f English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch
Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa. He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular.
Veit m German
German form of Vitus.
Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, Georgian
Means "faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Verena f German, Late Roman
Possibly related to Latin verus "true". This might also be a Coptic form of the Ptolemaic name Berenice. Saint Verena was a 3rd-century Egyptian-born nurse who went with the Theban Legion to Switzerland. After the legion was massacred she settled near Zurich.
Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.... [more]
Viktoria f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belarusian
German, Scandinavian and Greek variant of Victoria. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Виктория or Ukrainian Вікторія (see Viktoriya) or Belarusian Вікторыя (see Viktoryia), as well as the usual Georgian transcription.
Vinzent m German (Rare)
German variant form of Vincent.
Vinzenz m German
German form of Vincent.
Viola f English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak
Means "violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke Orsino, she attempts to convince Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.
Volker m German
Derived from the Old German element folk "people" combined with heri "army".
Volkhard m German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements folk "people" and hart "hard, brave".
Volkmar m German
Derived from the Old German element folk "people" combined with mari "famous".
Vreni f German (Swiss)
Swiss diminutive of Verena.
Walburga f German
Means "power of the fortress" from Old German walt meaning "power, authority" and burg meaning "fortress" (or perhaps from Old English cognates, though as an Old English name it is unattested). This was the name of an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon saint who did missionary work in Germany.
Waldemar m German, Polish, Germanic
From the Old German elements walt "power, authority" and mari "famous", also used as a translation of the Slavic cognate Vladimir.
Walpurga f German
Variant of Walburga.
Walter m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, Germanic
From the Germanic name Waltheri meaning "power of the army", from the elements walt "power, authority" and heri "army". In medieval German tales (notably Waltharius by Ekkehard of Saint Gall) Walter of Aquitaine is a heroic king of the Visigoths. The name was also borne by an 11th-century French saint, Walter of Pontoise. The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Wealdhere.... [more]
Walther m German, Germanic
German variant of Walter. This name was borne by the 13th-century German poet Walther von der Vogelweide.
Waltraud f German
From the Old German elements walt "power, authority" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint who founded a convent near Mons, Belgium.
Waltraut f German
Variant of Waltraud.
Wanda f Polish, English, German, French
Possibly from a Germanic name meaning "a Wend", referring to the Slavic people who inhabited eastern Germany. In Polish legends this was the name of the daughter of King Krak, the legendary founder of Krakow. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by the author Ouida, who used it for the heroine in her novel Wanda (1883).
Wendel m & f Dutch (Rare), German (Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Old short form of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil meaning "a Vandal". The Vandals were a Germanic tribe who invaded Spain and North Africa in the 5th century. Their tribal name, which may mean "wanderer", has often been confused with that of the Wends, a Slavic people living between the Elbe and the Oder.... [more]
Wendelin m German, Germanic
Old diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil (see Wendel). Saint Wendelin was a 6th-century hermit of Trier in Germany.
Wenzel m German
German form of Václav.
Wenzeslaus m German (Rare)
German form of Václav, via the Latinized form Venceslaus.
Werner m German, Dutch
From an Old German name derived from the element warin, related to war meaning "aware, cautious", combined with heri meaning "army". This was the name of a 13th-century boy from Oberwesel, Germany who was formerly regarded as a saint. He is no longer recognized as such by the Church. Another famous bearer was the German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976).
Wernher m German, Germanic
Variant of Werner. A famous bearer was the German-American rocket engineer Wernher von Braun (1912-1977).
Werther m German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements werd "worthy" and heri "army". Goethe used this name in his novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774).
Wetzel m German (Rare)
Diminutive of Werner.
Wibke f German
Feminine form of Wiebe.
Wiebke f Frisian, German
Feminine form of Wiebe.
Wigand m German (Rare), Germanic
Derived from the Old German word wigant meaning "warrior".
Wigbert m German
German form of Wigberht.
Wilfried m German
German cognate of Wilfred.
Wilhelm m German, Polish, Germanic
German cognate of William. This was the name of two German emperors. It was also the middle name of several philosophers from Germany: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who was also a notable mathematician. Another famous bearer was the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845-1923).
Wilhelmina f Dutch, German (Rare), English
Dutch and German feminine form of Wilhelm. This name was borne by a queen of the Netherlands (1880-1962).
Wilhelmine f German
German feminine form of Wilhelm.
Willi m German
Diminutive of Wilhelm.
Willibald m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and bald "bold, brave". Saint Willibald was an 8th-century bishop of Eichstätt, Bavaria.
Willy m & f English, German, Dutch
Diminutive of William, Wilhelm or Willem. It is both masculine and feminine in Dutch.
Wilma f German, Dutch, English, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Latin American)
Short form of Wilhelmina. German settlers introduced it to America in the 19th century.
Wiltrud f German
Derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 10th-century German saint from Bergen.
Winfried m German
German form of Winfred.
Wolf m German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic
Short form of Wolfgang, Wolfram and other names containing the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" (Proto-Germanic *wulfaz). It can also be simply from the German or English word. As a Jewish name it can be considered a vernacular form of Zeev.
Wolfdietrich m Literature, German (Rare)
Compound of Wolf and Dietrich. Wolfdietrich is the title hero of a 13th-century Middle High German epic poem. By some traditions he is the grandfather of the more famous hero Dietrich von Bern.
Wolfgang m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements wolf meaning "wolf" and gang meaning "path, way". Saint Wolfgang was a 10th-century bishop of Regensburg. Two other famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
Wolfhard m German
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Wolfram m German
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parzival.
Wulf m German
Variant of Wolf.
Xaver m German
German form of Xavier.
Yvonne f French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
French feminine form of Yvon. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Zenzi f German
Diminutive of Kreszenz.
Zilla f German (Rare)
Diminutive of Cäcilie.
Ziska f German
Short form of Franziska.
Zita 1 f Italian, Portuguese, German, Czech, Slovak, Lithuanian, Latvian
Means "little girl" in Tuscan Italian. This was the name of a 13th-century saint, the patron saint of servants.
Zoe f English, Italian, Spanish, German, Czech, Ancient Greek
Means "life" in Greek. From early times it was adopted by Hellenized Jews as a translation of Eve. It was borne by two early Christian saints, one martyred under Emperor Hadrian, the other martyred under Diocletian. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by a ruling empress of the 11th century.... [more]