Names by Origin
German Names
Names from the German tradition, with Germanic and Latin roots.
Ada
noble
Adelaide
noble kind
Adele
noble
Adelheid
noble kind
Adolf
noble wolf
Albert
noble and bright
Albrecht
noble and bright
Alfred
elf counsel
Alice
noble
Amalia
hardworking
Annegret
grace, pearl
Anneliese
grace, pledged to God
Arnold
eagle power
Aubrey
elf ruler
August
great, magnificent
Bernhard
brave as a bear
Berta
bright, famous
Bertram
bright raven
Brunhild
armoured battle maiden
Brunhilde
armoured battle maiden
Carl
free man
Conrad
brave counsel
Della
noble
Dietrich
ruler of the people
German-language naming forms
German given names grow chiefly out of Germanic roots, with a substantial Latin and Christian layer added through the church. The forms here are the established German shapes — Friedrich rather than Frederick, Heinrich rather than Henry. Many of these names have close cognates across Germanic and Romance Europe, which reflects centuries of shared Christian naming rather than any single origin.
Tradition is not current popularity
A name being traditional in German does not mean it is currently popular in Germany — some older Germanic names are now rare, while others have stayed common. This page does not make popularity claims; that belongs to the Popular Names section. Where a meaning is shown it rests on a recognised Germanic or Latin root, and names with uncertain etymology appear without one.
Meanings are included where reliable information is available. These names reflect a naming tradition, not current popularity in any country.