Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Category:French_surnames_from_German&oldid=63603934, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The German word 'Mller' refers to the noble profession of the miller. This also led to the creation of many idioms related to Turkey and Turks. But these words might be retained in names such as place names and names of rivers. In South-Eastern France, many surnames also have elements of the Italian language due to population migration across Europe. After all, whether you have visited France and fell in love with the experience, have French ancestry that you'd like to highlight, or have a soft-spot for all things Frenchmusic, film, culture, language, etc., there are many reasons why French surnames could make their way onto your own baby name or pet name list. This surname of pre-Roman origin is said to comefrom the Basque language, being linked to the adjective young. German surnames derived from family origin Some names signified tribal affiliation, such as: Baier Franke Friese Hollnder Preu (Preuss) Sachse Others were based on place names: Hans from Nrnberg might be called Hans Nrnberger. Fax Number: +41 225 181 369 To a degree it makes sense to find the area by ones surname, but another way is to associate your surname with a name of a town/village ( with a slight lettering variation ) As for me: 26 in the veneto - north Italy. Watremez. The Meanings and Origins of Spanish Surnames, Neumann Surname Meaning and Family History, Schroeder Surname Meaning and Family History, The History of Popular German Last Names (Nachnamen), SCHMIDT Surname Meaning and Family History, SCHMITZ Surname Meaning and Family History, 50 Most Common Danish Last Names and Their Meanings, MLLER Surname Meaning and Family History, Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University. A surname connected to a family known for fishing. Aigner (Austrian Origin), last name referring to the tribal conflicts in ancient times. Yep, its a weird but old tradition there. ", This French last name means "a short sword.". Most people use the CD collections from around 19902000, because from that point forward, people began using cell phones, and the listings dont contain any information about their place of residence. The German surname is also found in France (mainly Lorraine and Alsace). You will find it with different spellings in surnames like Hodja, Hoda (Slovak), Hoca (Turkish), Hodi (Bosnian), Hotzakis (Greek), Hoxha (Albanian) or Al-Khawaja. Kazlauskas is the most common surname in Lithuania. The German word Mller refers to the noble profession of the miller. Originally an honorific name, it later became common as a surname. Halcro. A Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue was founded in Kingston. Smiles, in his book on 'The Huguenots' (1867), states, the Blancs, butchers, transmitted the business from father to son for more than 150 years, and they are still recognisable at Portarlington under the name of 'Blong.' This surname referred to someone who lived near a spring or well. This is because names are often based on words that come from Middle High German or Middle Low German, which are no longer spoken in Germany. Knowing more about your familys origins may help you understand more about their names, and vice versa. The email address is kept private and will not be shown. They were often documented as "a young girl of nine", "the prettiest woman in town", "the rich woman", "the reverend of" Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mrtain 'descendant of Martin' (compare 1 above). Telefon-CDs from that time contain around 35 million names, accounting for almost 50% of the population of Germany enough to get a reliable picture of name distribution. This occupational name would generally apply to a locksmith. Unsurprisingly, this surname means "small.". 1854. Many accepted this in order to conform to the new ideology but others, in particular political opponents, were willing to risk imprisonment and even execution in order to retain their own ethnic identity. This ones got us stumped: because Icelanders do not have surnames at all, but rather patronymics reflecting the first name of the immediate father (or mother) of a child, rather than the historic lineage. Pre-election polls are another source: they account for around 1,500 people, and the information often matches the mood of the population very precisely. French film director Franois Truffaut was one of the founders of the French New Wave movement. Dubois is a French surname that carries the meaning of "from the forest.". A very common French last name which means "powerful, brave.". This area was returned to France at the end of the First . Similarly, various artists may be interested in French surnames for the purpose of naming characters in upcoming novels or screenplays, using them in song lyrics, as inspiration for the titles of paintings, sculptures, or other artwork, and more. Do not confuse: the fairy tale collector Hans Christian Andersen was Danish and his family name spelled with a e. 7. Across Europe, children of all kinds owe a good deal of their education, not to teachers and textbooks, but to Fables. Among the most prominent Kazlauskas, we found Charles Kazlauskas (b. The prefix Jens- refers to the biblical name Ioanne in Danish. ", Popular French singer Franoise Hardy encompasses this surname meaning "bold, courageous.". To understand the meaning of a name derived from obsolete words, you need to have a background in the history of the German language especially Low German, which for a time was the dominant language of the entire Baltic Sea region in northern Germany. Check out the names of the German and Swiss witch bloodlines below. Famous Namesakes: German poet and philosopher Friedrich Schiller, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Meaning "sparrow," this last name is very familiar thanks to French singer dith Piaf. In 1945, the Allies declared victory in the Second World War on the French coast during the Battle of Normandy. They initially allowed people to differentiate between two people living in the same town or village with the same first name. Check out this list of popular German surnames and their meanings to see if you recognize any. For the most part, the name was chosen by people who knew the person and who used the name to describe him. and it even has a female version: Papadopoulou. Where does the surname WIELAND derive from? Mller, Schmidt and Meier: the most common German surnames The most common German surname, Mller (miller), is shared by around 700,000 people. get in touch using the enquiry form in the sidebar, contact our Geneva office directly between 10.00-19.00, Monday to Friday on, I consent to my data being stored in line with your, Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-F026160-0002A / Grfingholt, Detlef / CC-BY-SA 3.0. This French surname means "fierce warrior.". On the sunny side of the Alps, there are approximatively 12,000 people named Novak. This location-based name refers to someone who lives near aspen trees. Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist and the author of The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy. Talk about a powerhouse familythis surname means "all-powerful.". This old French surname has Germanic origin, and means 'noble'. Due to Italian emigration, it is also very common in other countries, including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and France. In this instance. Bauer (Austrian Origin), meaning "Peasant, Farmer". Which title do you prefer? Select countryUnited StatesUnited Kingdom---AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaireBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)BrazilBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCote d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraaoCyprusCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKoreaKoreaKuwaitKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsMexicoNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian TerritoryPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairn IslandsPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint BarthelemySaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint MartinSaint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Netherlands)Slovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia & S. Sandwich IslandsSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluU.S. The German von means 'from'. That's likely thanks to the current president of FranceEmmanuel Macron. Just as in Spain with Garcia, De Jong means the young one. German Last Names and Their Meanings Hoffman Origin: Ashkenazi Meaning: Steward or farm laborer. Nederlands Joods familiearchief. Accola. Brisbois French A form of an Old French word meaning "stable. French surnames of German origin. ", This popular French surname means "face.". Still, even if you cant determine the precise meaning of your German family names, its never been easier to research your German roots thanks to the availability of online records some of which, like the North Rhine-Westphalia collection, are exclusive to MyHeritage. Doyle. First Trimester To-Do List: Take Care of Yourself. As the French and Dutch version of the name Aloysius, this name is another version of the name Louis. Meaning: Peaceful ruler. This patronymic is one of the most common French surnames. There are two noble Nowak lines of Polish origin: the Bohemian barons from 1660 (Anatol Nowak, archbishop of Wrocaw, died in 1456) and Antoni and Jzef Nowak in Masovia known from 1750 they were Lieutenant Generals in the Polish Army during Napoleons Campaign. The common names Schmidt and Schmitz lead in the central German-speaking and eastern Low German-speaking areas. Most Ukrainian surnames (and surnames in Slavic languages in general) are formed by adding possessive and other suffixes to given names, place names, professions and other words. 140 German Surnames or Family Names With Meanings Germany has for long been called Das Land der Dichter und Denker, i.e, the land of poets and thinkers. Only about 10% of Icelanders have surnames as understood in the rest of Europe. Languages evolve over time, and words often become archaic and are no longer used. If learning about the background to these German names and their titles has piqued your interest about acquiring a prestigious Noble Title of your own get in touch using the enquiry form in the sidebar or you can contact our Geneva office directly between 10.00-19.00, Monday to Friday on +41 225 181 360. The name derives from the Latvian word brzs which means birch tree, with the i originally being a diminutive suffix used to form patronymics before finally becoming a simple surname ending. Or if you would like to go one step further than the suggestion of aristocracy, you could officially join the ranks of the noble classes with a genuine noble title. While Von or Zu can often indicate a history of aristocracy, or at least be a clue to a link to a noble lineage, it is not always an accurate indicator of aristocratic status. In Spain almost 3.5% of the population is called Garcia: thats around 1,378,000 people. 6. 5. The French language is spoken across continents, and French people are known for their strong sense of individualism. The thing which makes them different from traditional surnames, however, is that when a person moved onto a farm, he would change his name to that of the farm (a name which usually came from the farm's original owner). 6. List Of Popular German Last Names Or Surnames 1. Bierwagen (German origin) means "beer-cart". Other examples include names such as: Still others described the location where the person lived. The given name Peter is derived from the Greek petros meaning stone. This enormous popularity is often attributed to Saint Martin of Tours, who is among the most popular French Saint there is even a Pain de Saint-Martin to show you how well-liked the guy is in France. , and suggests a noble family being resident at a particular place, usually a country estate, family seat or inherited region. In this instance, zu is the German word for at, and suggests a noble family being resident at a particular place, usually a country estate, family seat or inherited region. The guide will also explain how to look up French surname frequency. . Marie Tussaud was a French artist known for her wax sculptures and now-infamous museum. FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This last name would apply to a person from the Picardy, a region of France. Aside from Germany this surname occurs in 163 countries. It literally means son of Hans, and is also spelled as Hanssen. In addition there are about 40 000 people with a variation of this surname. In the Czech Republic almost 70,000 people share this surname. The name was first anglicized to MacMurphy and then to Murphy in the early 19th century. For example, the last name "Chevrolet" translates to "goat farmer". Three suffixes which often indicate a German occupational name are: -er (one who), commonly found in names such as Fischer, one who fishes; -hauer (hewer or cutter), used in names such as Baumhauer, tree chopper; and -macher (one who makes), found in names like Schumacher, one who makes shoes. For example, German surnames, introduced into the Quebec population by German mercenaries who were recruited by the British army during the American revolution, were so different from the French . Regional differences. All around the world, last names can be fascinating to learn about and discussespecially since the way a name is pronounced or spelled can give you clues to where it originated. According to Jrgen Udolph there are in total about 700 000 German named Mller. A very vivid linguisticmelting pot! 3. Wonder no more: lets take our tour around the most frequent family names in Europe. This page was last edited on 26 August 2018, at 22:32. Keep all this in mind when you delve into. German surnames of French origin. This occupational surname originally referred to someone who worked as a carrier of goods. Prof. Dr. Udolph is a name researcher, father of 4, and a tenured professor at Leipzig University, and he is the most sought-after expert today when it comes to the interpretation of names. Martin - Derived from Mars, the Roman God of War and fertility, Martin. A topographical reference to a family who lived in an area with roses. It was only in the 19th century that surnames became hereditary. It is an especially well-known name thanks to French artist Henri Matisse. Meaning without surprise the son of Jens, Jensen is the most common surname in Denmark where it is shared by about 5% of the population (288,050 people). Someone with this last name was likely from a family who lived near a vineyard. Among them are: These names originated from descriptions of the persons appearance, character, habits, and so on. Id Like to know, which ancestory has more German ancestory to its surname: My great great grandmother was a Streiger. Also used as a topographic name for someone who may have lived near a vineyard. One that originated in the Middle Ages, this surname holds the meaning "little fighter.". This last name is one of the most prevalent in France, and as of 2015, ranked third in most common last names there, with almost 96,000 people bearing the name. Its less common in northern and western Slovenia and in the Gorika region on the border with Italy, it is quite rare. While the name Kazlauskas was probably mostly brought from Poland via migration, there is also a possibility that it was adopted by some Lithuanians who had the word for a goat in their original surname during the era of polonisation. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. As you might expect from the Von in his surname, Wernher von Braun has aristocratic roots a fact that is compounded by the term Freiherr in his full name, (Freiherr is the German word for Baron, or literally Free Lord). For example, ask (spear), beraht (bright, radiant), degan (warrior), fruma (benefit, advantage, blessing), hagen (fenced place), wig (fight, struggle), or witu (wood). There were a lot of birch trees in Latvia in the early 1800s, at the time when laws were enacted requiring that peasants be given surnames: so lots of men just adopted a name that was to hand. German surnames developed from four major sources: A variation on locality names, farm names in Germany are names which came from the family farm. Durchdenwald (German origin) meaning "through-the-forest". In a similar way, the prefix Zu in a German surname can also be an indication of nobility. The French have the prefixes: D', De, La, Le, Du, and Des while the Italians have: A, D', Da, De, Del, Della, Di, Li, in addition to Lo. Have a look at some of the most famous European paintings. A Anspach Asperger Auf der Maur B Bauer Bernstein Blauschild Blumenfeld Blumenthal Bollinger D Dietemann Dreyfus E Eisenberg Eisenhauer In the country of fantastic creatures and monsters, this family name is quite imaginative as it means small deaf. https://www.thoughtco.com/german-surnames-meanings-and-origins-1420789 (accessed March 5, 2023). 2. is used to reflect where a person is from similar to, Throughout the evolution of the European aristocracy in the Middle Ages, these prefixes have related to a land-holding or estate that belonged to a noble family, or a region that was inherent in a noble title. It was pretty easy to adopt any last name you wished until 1474 when the king decreed that all last name changes had to go through him. ALSACE-LORRAINE HISTORICAL OVERVIEW Alsace-Lorraine has a lengthy history of being alternately under German and French rule. Virgin IslandsU.S. Knig Meaning: King. Scarth. Garnier - From a Germanic personal name, Warinhari, composed of the German words for the elements of war. By plotting the distribution of a surname in Germany, you can determine whether the name originated in Germany or came into use due to immigration (mostly as a result of World War II). youve probably been spending a lot of time with their surnames. Bosnian are famous for their sense of humour and it applies to their family names as well! Mitzis real name and full title is Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber. The French surname is an occupational name for a shepherd, from Old French bergier (Late Latin berbicarius, from berbex 'ram'). There were even childrens songs celebrating his dict I mean, leadership. This very common French last name is a patronymic from Mars, which is also the Roman god of fertility and war. Hungarian surnames, just like in other countries, often refer to a profession such as Smith, Tailor or Miller. A patronymic coming from the given name of Bernard.