Ever wonder what German last names really mean and where they came from?
Here is a list of the origins of some German names, usually tied to occupations or attributes.
| German Last Names and Meanings | |
| Albrecht | Noble |
| Bauer | Farmer or peasant |
| Beck | Living near a stream or brook |
| Becker | Baker |
| Berger | Someone who comes from the mountains |
| Bergmann | Miner |
| Brandt | Someone living in an area that was cleared by fire |
| Braun | Brown haired |
| Busch | Someone who lived near shrubs |
| Engel | Angel |
| Fisher | Fishing occupation |
| Fuchs | Fox-like |
| Gunther | Battle |
| Haas | Hare |
| Hahn | Rooster |
| Heinrich | Home ruler |
| Hoffmann | Steward of a large farm |
| Huber | Landowner |
| Jung | Young |
| Kaiser | Emperor |
| Keller | Overseer of a cellar or storage chamber |
| Klein | Small, short |
| Koch | Cook |
| Konig | Someone working for a king |
| Krause | Curley haired |
| Kruger | Tavern keeper |
| Lange | Being extra tall |
| Lehmann | Feudal tenant, loaned land in exchange for rent or service |
| Ludwig | From a first name meaning fame and war |
| Meyer | Landlord or self employed farmer |
| Muller | Related to operating a mill |
| Peters | Peter’s son |
| Richter | Judge |
| Roth | Red Hair |
| Sauer | Sour |
| Schafer | Shepherd |
| Schmidt | Smithing or craftsperson |
| Schneider | Someone working as a tailor |
| Schroder | Worked as a cloth cutter or tailor |
| Schulz | Someone in charge of a village, like a mayor |
| Schuster | Someone who makes or repairs shoes |
| Stein | Family living near a stone monument or rocky ground |
| Vogel | Bird |
| Voigt | Steward of a large farm |
| Wagner | Someone who makes or repairs wagon wheels |
| Weber | Weaving |
| Ziegler | Tiler or brickmaker |
| Zimmermann | Carpenter |