German surname directory
Browse German surnames with dictionary meanings, common-name notes, origin types, and spelling variants. The list starts with names such as Müller, Schmidt, Schneider, Fischer, Weber, and Meyer.
A surname meaning is a language note, not a claim about every bearer or family line.
German Last Names
Showing German surnames. Use the filters to narrow by type or first letter.
This directory includes 90 German surnames with concise meaning notes. Ranks use the Forebears Germany table when listed.
| German surname | Type | Meaning / origin | Variant | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MüllerForebears Germany rank 1 | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning miller, from German Müller. | Mueller | Copy |
| SchmidtForebears Germany rank 2 | Occupational | An occupational surname for a smith or metalworker, cognate with English Smith. | Schmitt / Schmid | Copy |
| SchneiderForebears Germany rank 3 | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning tailor or cutter. | — | Copy |
| FischerForebears Germany rank 4 | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning fisherman. | — | Copy |
| WeberForebears Germany rank 5 | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning weaver. | — | Copy |
| MeyerForebears Germany rank 6 | Occupational | A status or occupational surname for a steward, tenant farmer, or estate administrator. | Meier / Mayer / Maier | Copy |
| WagnerForebears Germany rank 7 | Occupational | An occupational surname for a wagon maker, wagon driver, or wainwright. | — | Copy |
| BeckerForebears Germany rank 8 | Occupational | An occupational surname from Middle High German becker meaning baker. | — | Copy |
| SchulzForebears Germany rank 9 | Occupational | A status surname from Schultheiß, a village headman or local official. | Schulze / Schultz | Copy |
| HoffmannForebears Germany rank 10 | Occupational | A status or occupational surname for someone connected with a farm, manor, or court. | Hofmann | Copy |
| KochForebears Germany rank 11 | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning cook. | — | Copy |
| RichterForebears Germany rank 12 | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning judge or arbiter. | — | Copy |
| BauerForebears Germany rank 13 | Occupational | An occupational surname from Old High German bur meaning peasant or farmer. | — | Copy |
| SchäferForebears Germany rank 14 | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning shepherd. | Schaefer | Copy |
| KleinForebears Germany rank 15 | Descriptive | A descriptive surname meaning small or little. | — | Copy |
| WolfForebears Germany rank 16 | Descriptive | A surname from the animal name wolf or from Germanic given-name elements using wolf. | — | Copy |
| SchröderForebears Germany rank 17 | Occupational | An occupational surname often explained as a cutter or tailor, especially a cloth cutter. | Schroeder | Copy |
| NeumannForebears Germany rank 18 | Descriptive | A descriptive or status surname meaning new man or newcomer. | — | Copy |
| SchwarzForebears Germany rank 19 | Descriptive | A descriptive surname meaning black, often for dark hair, clothing, or complexion. | — | Copy |
| BraunForebears Germany rank 20 | Descriptive | A descriptive surname meaning brown. | — | Copy |
| ZimmermannForebears Germany rank 21 | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning carpenter. | — | Copy |
| LangeForebears Germany rank 23 | Descriptive | A descriptive surname meaning long or tall. | Lang | Copy |
| HartmannForebears Germany rank 24 | Patronymic | A patronymic surname from a Germanic given name with hard or strong plus man. | — | Copy |
| KrügerForebears Germany rank 25 | Occupational | An occupational surname for an innkeeper or tavern keeper. | Krueger / Kruger | Copy |
Common German surnames
Exact order varies by source and by whether spelling variants are grouped. The table below follows Forebears Germany spellings, so Müller and Mueller are separate entries.
| Surname | Rank | Ranking source | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Müller | 1 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning miller, from German Müller. |
| Schmidt | 2 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname for a smith or metalworker, cognate with English Smith. |
| Schneider | 3 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning tailor or cutter. |
| Fischer | 4 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning fisherman. |
| Weber | 5 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning weaver. |
| Meyer | 6 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | A status or occupational surname for a steward, tenant farmer, or estate administrator. |
| Wagner | 7 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname for a wagon maker, wagon driver, or wainwright. |
| Becker | 8 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname from Middle High German becker meaning baker. |
| Schulz | 9 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | A status surname from Schultheiß, a village headman or local official. |
| Hoffmann | 10 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | A status or occupational surname for someone connected with a farm, manor, or court. |
| Koch | 11 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning cook. |
| Richter | 12 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning judge or arbiter. |
| Bauer | 13 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname from Old High German bur meaning peasant or farmer. |
| Schäfer | 14 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname meaning shepherd. |
| Klein | 15 | Forebears Germany | Descriptive | A descriptive surname meaning small or little. |
| Wolf | 16 | Forebears Germany | Descriptive | A surname from the animal name wolf or from Germanic given-name elements using wolf. |
| Schröder | 17 | Forebears Germany | Occupational | An occupational surname often explained as a cutter or tailor, especially a cloth cutter. |
| Neumann | 18 | Forebears Germany | Descriptive | A descriptive or status surname meaning new man or newcomer. |
| Schwarz | 19 | Forebears Germany | Descriptive | A descriptive surname meaning black, often for dark hair, clothing, or complexion. |
| Braun | 20 | Forebears Germany | Descriptive | A descriptive surname meaning brown. |
German surnames and meanings
These representative entries explain the highest-value meaning patterns in more detail: jobs, offices, descriptions, places, and spelling variants. The full table above keeps the broader directory, while this section helps interpret the most searched names.
Müller is the standard German occupational name for a miller. The Mueller spelling is a common plain-letter form in English-language records and database systems that do not preserve the umlaut.
Type: occupational. Variant: Mueller. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Schmidt belongs to the same occupational family as English Smith: a worker in metal. Schmitt and Schmid are related spellings, so compare exact spelling when using ranks or records.
Type: occupational. Variant: Schmitt / Schmid. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Schneider means tailor or cutter. It is one of the clearest German occupational surnames, and its high rank reflects the frequency of the exact spelling in the Forebears Germany table.
Type: occupational. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Fischer means fisherman. It is useful as a straightforward occupational example because the modern German word and the surname meaning are easy to connect.
Type: occupational. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Weber means weaver. Like many occupational surnames, it points to a word root or historical job label rather than proving that every bearer descends from one trade family.
Type: occupational. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Meyer can refer to a steward, tenant farmer, or estate administrator. The variant cluster is important: Meier, Mayer, Maier, and Meyer may be ranked separately by frequency sources.
Type: occupational. Variant: Meier / Mayer / Maier. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Wagner is connected with wagons, wagon driving, or wagon making. The surname works as an occupational example alongside Schmidt, Schneider, Fischer, Weber, and Becker.
Type: occupational. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Becker comes from Middle High German becker, baker. It is also useful in the Old German section because the dictionary explanation explicitly preserves the older-language form.
Type: occupational. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Schulz is a status or office surname related to Schultheiß, a local official or village head. Schulze and Schultz are related spellings, so grouped lists can differ from spelling-by-spelling ranks.
Type: occupational. Variant: Schulze / Schultz. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Hoffmann and Hofmann are connected with a Hof: a farm, manor, court, or household context. The note describes a role or location, not a single shared family origin.
Type: occupational. Variant: Hofmann. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Koch means cook. It is a compact occupational surname and belongs with names such as Becker, Fischer, and Weber in the job-name group.
Type: occupational. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Richter means judge or arbiter. It belongs to the office and occupation side of German surnames rather than to a place or nickname group.
Type: occupational. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Bauer is a farmer or peasant surname from Old High German bur. Because the older root is named in the source, Bauer also works well in the Old German Last Names section.
Type: occupational. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Schäfer means shepherd. Schaefer is a common plain-letter variant, especially in records where ä is written as ae.
Type: occupational. Variant: Schaefer. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Klein means small or little. It is a descriptive surname: the dictionary meaning is a nickname-style word root, not a measurement of any modern bearer.
Type: descriptive. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Wolf may come from the animal name or from Germanic given-name elements using wolf. That makes it less purely occupational than names such as Fischer or Weber.
Type: descriptive. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Schröder is usually explained as an occupational cutter or tailor name, especially a cloth cutter. Schroeder is the common plain-letter form in many English-language contexts.
Type: occupational. Variant: Schroeder. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
Neumann means new man or newcomer. It is best read as a descriptive or status label rather than as an origin-place surname.
Type: descriptive. Variant: —. Keep in mind: meaning notes describe the surname form, not a complete family story.
How German surnames formed
German family names often point to an occupation, a place, a description, or a given name. These labels describe word origin, not identity.
Müller, Schmidt, Schneider, Fischer, Weber, Meyer, Wagner, Becker
Hartmann, Werner, Günther, Albrecht, Simon, Otto, Heinrich, Dietrich
Berger, Frank, Winkler, Böhm, Stein, Brandt, Bergmann, Auer
Klein, Wolf, Neumann, Schwarz, Braun, Lange, Krause, König
Historical roots
“Old German last names” can mean three different things: surnames documented in historical German records, surnames built from Old High German roots, or surnames built from Middle High German occupational and descriptive words. This section only lists names where the published note gives older-language or historical wording; popularity alone is not enough.
Examples such as Bauer, Fuchs, Hahn, Brandt, Groß, Bergmann, Gerber, and Auer preserve named older Germanic word roots in their explanations.
Becker, Baumann, and Dreher show Middle High German occupational language. These are old-language clues, not proof of one shared family line.
An old root can belong to a very common surname. Bauer and Becker are common in Germany, while the older-language root explains etymology rather than rarity.
| Surname | Name note | Root clue |
|---|---|---|
| Müller | An occupational surname meaning miller, from German Müller. | Older Germanic or historical wording |
| Becker | An occupational surname from Middle High German becker meaning baker. | Middle High German root |
| Bauer | An occupational surname from Old High German bur meaning peasant or farmer. | Old High German root |
| Fuchs | A descriptive surname from Old High German fuhs meaning fox, often a red-hair nickname. | Old High German root |
| Hahn | A descriptive surname from Old High German hano meaning rooster. | Old High German root |
| Baumann | An occupational surname from Middle High German bumann meaning farmer or builder. | Middle High German root |
| Brandt | A geographical or descriptive surname from Old High German brant, fire or fire-cleared land. | Old High German root |
| Groß | A descriptive surname from Old High German groz meaning tall or big. | Old High German root |
| Bergmann | A geographical surname from Old High German berg and man, originally someone who lived on a mountain. | Old High German root |
| Gerber | An occupational surname meaning tanner or leather dresser, from Old High German garawen. | Old High German root |
| Auer | A geographical surname from Aue, Old High German ouwa, a meadow by a river or wetland. | Old High German root |
| Dreher | An occupational surname meaning turner, a person who worked a lathe. | Older Germanic or historical wording |
| Grimm | A descriptive surname from Old High German grim meaning stern, severe, or angry. | Old High German root |
| Böttcher | An occupational surname meaning cooper or barrel maker. | Older Germanic or historical wording |
Less common examples
Explore uncommon German last names and rarer surnames only where this page has a frequency note or a rare-name label. These entries are not “rare” in every country or record set.
| Surname | Meaning | Why included |
|---|---|---|
| Fleischer | An occupational surname meaning butcher. | Forebears Germany surname table lists Fleischer at rank 361. |
| Gerber | An occupational surname meaning tanner or leather dresser, from Old High German garawen. | Forebears Germany surname table lists Gerber at rank 422. |
| Auer | A geographical surname from Aue, Old High German ouwa, a meadow by a river or wetland. | Forebears Germany surname table lists Auer at rank 490. |
| Baumgartner | An occupational or geographical surname for a person working or living at an orchard. | Forebears Germany surname table lists Baumgartner at rank 520. |
| Biermann | An occupational surname connected with beer, often interpreted as a brewer or tavern keeper. | Forebears Germany surname table lists Biermann at rank 541. |
| Dreher | An occupational surname meaning turner, a person who worked a lathe. | Forebears Germany surname table lists Dreher at rank 609. |
| Gump | A rare German surname possibly from a Middle High German nickname meaning to hop or jump. | Behind the Name labels this surname as German (Rare). |
Spelling variants
German surnames with umlauts often have plain-letter alternatives in international records: Müller / Mueller, Schröder / Schroeder, Schäfer / Schaefer, Köhler / Kohler, and Weiß / Weiss. Treat variants as spellings to verify, not as a new surname meaning.
Müller, Meyer, Möller
Schmidt, Schneider, Schulz, Schäfer, Schröder, Schwarz
Fischer, Fuchs, Frank, Fleischer
Weber, Wagner, Wolf, Werner, Weiß, Winkler
Becker, Bauer, Braun, Berger, Beck, Baumann
Hoffmann, Hartmann, Huber, Hahn, Heinrich, Horn
Koch, Klein, Krüger, Krause, Köhler, König
Richter, Roth
How we checked the list
This page separates meaning notes from rank notes, so a frequency rank is never treated as a family-origin claim.
Behind the Name is used as the main surname reference for German surname forms, short etymology notes, and origin labels such as occupational, geographical, descriptive, and patronymic.
Forebears Germany is used for rank, incidence, and frequency notes by spelling. If a source groups variants differently, names such as Müller, Mueller, Meyer, Meier, Mayer, and Maier may appear in a different order.
The notes do not identify a person’s nationality, background, family line, or social status. They explain surname spellings and word roots for browsing, writing, and name research.
Explore more last names
German surname FAQ
Forebears ranks Müller, Schmidt, Schneider, Fischer, Weber, Meyer, Wagner, Becker, Schulz, and Hoffmann as the top ten exact spellings in its Germany table. The exact order varies by source and by variant grouping.
Many German surnames come from jobs, places, descriptions, or given names. Examples include Müller for a miller, Fischer for a fisherman, Klein for small, and Berger for a mountain or hill dweller.
Old German last names can mean historical German surnames or surnames whose roots trace to Old High German or Middle High German words. This page marks older-language roots only when a surname reference supports them.
German surnames generally do not change form based on the bearer's gender. Searches for male German last names usually reflect character-name intent rather than a separate male surname form.
Von literally means from or of. It can be a locative element and is associated with nobiliary particles in some contexts, but it should not be treated as proof that every bearer belongs to a noble line.
