The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. Often an ancestor’s name is distorted in such ways that even at close analysis it is difficult to find a German origin in it. Type your name or other word into the font generator tool. List of the least common surnames [last names] in America, rank 16,001-20,000 The following tables include all surnames with over 0.001% frequency in the US population during the 1990 census. Bezold (* Betzold, Betzoldt..), Petzoldt (* Petzold, Pezold) Beyer, Beier, Bayer, Baier Bezzenberger (cf. The table below includes last names ranked 16,001-20,000 in America. The largest single ethnicity/ancestry group in America is German. The acronyms are noted because you won't find the translations for these names in standard online translators or even most German dictionaries. According to the above table, from the 2000 Census, 17.11% of Americans have a surname among the top 100. Surname A-G. Surname H-K. Surname L-R. Surname S-Z. German surnames Anglicization of family surnames occurred frequently among children of German citizens born in the anglosphere, notably to German immigrants in America. Melchior Hofmann was a visionary religious leader in northern Germany in the early 16th century (he was to have some 20th century descendants, Karl and Nicholas von Hoffman, in America). The following tables include all surnames with over 0.001% frequency in the US population during the 1990 census. BRAND (2) German From Old High German brant "fire", originally a name for a person who lived near an area that had been cleared by fire. “Wherever there was an obvious near-equivalent in English to the German surname, American officials were likely to use it, with or without the permission of the bearer; thus, Schmidt-Schmied-Schmitz usually was recorded as Smith, Müller-Möller became Miller, Braun became Brown.” This practice was especially true for Germans immigrating in the 18th century. my ancesters are drummond from scotland also symons dunstall currie schofield carter, carters corner on facebook is our clan thank you for your great sites, i see you also have tharp ? Or derived from Old German "Brook" or "Brauk," for people near a marshy landscape, common in northern regions. Thomas is a common surname of English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, French, German, Dutch, and Danish origin.. The above-mentioned author has a rule of thumb: “When a German surname in America appears in the same form as it would in a modern-day telephone [directory] of a German city, one can usually be certain it pertains to [immigration to] America since the Civil War.” Names like Österreicher would be written Oesterreicher, and Dürr would be spelled Duerr. A famous bearer of this surname was the German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). If a German name was spelled awkwardly but the pronunciation was similar, names would change according to American spelling rules, such as Cook for Koch, Bower for Bauer, Myer for Meier, etc. This German surname derives from the Middle High German word ‘noll’ meaning ‘hill’. Required fields are marked *. Most German surnames derive either from archaic professions (such as Schmidt, Müller, Weber, or Schäfer) or places. For instance, Schmidt, which is ranked No. AHSGR is dedicated to making this research available to those who are researching these lines. Old German Script Transcriber (alte deutsche Handschriften):See your family names in the script of the era. October 8, 2014 Josiah Schmidt German Genealogy Tips. Actors. His American name was Uno Byers. Many attended German Evangelical churches in which the sermon was in German. I found somewhere (not sure where) that it was Bauer. The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. In some cases it may have originally denoted inhabitants of one of several places in Germany bearing the same name, such as ‘Nolle’ in Lower Saxony and ‘Noll‘ in Rheinland-Pfalz. Casey Affleck – actor and director. Then there was Friedrich Hoffmann, the physician to Notify me of follow-up comments by email. This is followed in popularity by the name Schmidt (along with variants such as Schmitt or Schmitz, this comes from the blacksmith's trade), with Meier coming in third place. They all trace their lineage back to one couple whose name was DAVIS. She has a teaching degree and an M.A. Even with less transparent names, a lingering knowledge about the meaning of the family name is handed down from generation to generation in most families. BROCKHAUS German Occupational hereditary surname for a person who was physically powerful, derived from Old German brock which may refer to persons with a stocky or strong build. Therefore, the German name Strasbach became Strasbaugh, and Richardsbach became Rickbaugh. She asks, Could the name Davis be an American form or a German name? German last names originate from places and professions in Germany and far beyond, as a list of 100 of the most common German surnames shows. In the table, the German name is listed on the left, with its origin (and explanation if needed) on the right. Another tricky thing about German last names: A last name could be what you would call a farm name. Discover the ethnic origin and meaning of last names. If a name was translatable, sooner or later family members would use such terms as Carpenter for Zimmermann, Taylor for Schneider, etc. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our, German Last Names and Their English Meanings, The Meaning and Origin of Famous German Names, The History of Popular German Last Names (Nachnamen), A List of Common German Names for Boys and Girls, Everything you need to Know About German Names, German for Travelers: The Basic Travel Phrasebook, A German-English Glossary of Popular German Abbreviations, "Young Frankenstein" and Those Whinnying Horses, German First Names and Their English Equivalents, Difference Between Samstag, Sonnabend, and Sonntag, Learn How to Say the Days of the Week in German, Roy Black's Version of "Jingle Bells" in German. The meaning of surnames and linking them to traceable lines in ancestral homelands remains a complex issue for the family historian. Some of the most common last names that are unforgettable are Graf, Einstein, Becker, Kahn, Klose, Ballack, Bach, and so on. BRAND (1) German, English Derived from the Germanic given name BRANDO or its Old Norse cognate BRANDR. What about the last name:Makin! With an estimated size of approximately 44.2 million in 2018, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the United States Census Bureau in its American Community Survey. This was an occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn or who played a horn, or a person who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river. Ben Affleck – actor and filmmaker. It is thus most likely to have originally referred to somebody living at the top of a hill or other peak. in German studies. The German Genealogy Group (GGG) Surname List is a compilation of the surnames submitted by members of the GGG. German Genealogy Tip #8: German Umlaut Names Became Double-Vowels in America. last name is Cox but seen a Kouch or de Kouch affiliated with it looked to change into Cox . How can a researcher know that behind such names are people of German origin? Thank you for your time in reading my reply. The acronyms OHG and MHG stand for Old High German and Middle High German, respectively. German Surnames in America BECKER - BAKER ZIMMERMANN - CARPENTER SCHWARZ - BLACK KLEIN - LITTLE It is a toponymic name referring to people who originally came from the city of Aachen in … Most of these Conversos fled to Turkey, some to West Africa, to the Caribbean Islands, South America and from there also to New Mexico, and a number of them settled in Germany and Poland. Many German surnames are self-explanatory as they were derived from people’s jobs. Because of this, German last names can be found throughout bordering countries, including Poland, Austria, France and Spain. Hoffmann surname first appeared in Silesia in the German-speaking world during the 14th century. This is a list of the most common surnames (also called last names or family names) in North America. Your email address will not be published. The latter groups arrived in the 19th century, thus their plentiful names follow different patterns. Acker. And have a great day. There are some people in Germany whose last names are more popular than their first names. Silesia in the DC area Brinkmann, Berger, and Danish origin,. Silesia in the United States have a surname occurred, those monikers are listed as commissioner unknown in. 8, 2014 Josiah Schmidt German Genealogy Tips living at the top of spelling... You for your time in reading my reply post of Gwynne Geyer are people of German origin rights reserved short! 19Th century, thus their plentiful names follow different patterns it to affiliated with it looked change... 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