Browse Surnames

Etymology and OriginSüss is a German surname originating as a variant of Süß (often transliterated as Suess). The root Süß itself derives from Old High German suozi meaning "sweet." Originally, such bynames were used as...

Etymology and OriginSwango is a surname that represents an Americanized form of the German surname Schwangau. The original German name derives from the town of Schwangau in southern Germany, whose name may be related to...

Switzer is an Americanized form of the German surname Schweitzer, which derived from the Middle High German Swïzer, ultimately referring to an inhabitant or native of Switzerland. The term "Switzer" itself originally den...

Szwarc is a Polish phonetic spelling of the German Schwarz, meaning "black" (from Old High German swarz). As a Polonized version, it reflects the adaptation of German surnames into Polish orthography and phonology, often...

Tangeman is a German surname of topographic or locational origin, denoting a person who came from a place named Tange, a locality in northern Germany.Etymology and Geographic RootsThe surname Tangeman derives from the Ge...

Tanzer is a German surname meaning "dancer," derived from the Middle High German word tanzen ("to dance"). It originated as an occupational name for a professional dancer or entertainer, a common practice in medieval Eur...

Taube is a German surname derived from a nickname meaning "dove". The dove has long been a symbol of peace, purity, and gentleness in European culture, particularly within Christian iconography where it represents the Ho...

EtymologyTeufel is a German surname derived from the German word Teufel, meaning "devil". It originated as a nickname for a mischievous or cunning person, or someone considered devil-like in appearance or behavior. This...

Thälmann is a German surname that originated as a variant of Thalmann. It derives from the given name Thilo, which itself is a diminutive of Till, ultimately tracing back to names containing the Old High German element "...

Tolkien is a German surname with a debated etymology. It likely derives from a Low German byname Tolk, meaning "interpreter", which itself is of Slavic origin. However, the most famous bearer, the English author J. R. R....

Tritten is a German surname with a locative origin, referring to someone who lived near a set of steps or a stairway. The name is derived from the Middle High German word trit, meaning "step" (modern German Tritt). The p...

Trumbauer is a German surname with roots in the Middle High German language. It likely originated as an occupational or descriptive name, combining the words trame (meaning "rafter" or "frame") and bauer (meaning "peasan...

Trump is a German surname derived from Middle High German trumbe meaning "drum". The name likely originated as an occupational surname for a drummer or someone who made drums. It is borne by the American president Donald...

Tschida (pronounced /ˈtʃiːdə/ CHEE-də) is a German surname of Slavic origin, possibly derived from a Slavic given name of unknown meaning. The name reflects historical cultural exchanges in Central and Eastern Europe, wh...

Etymology and OriginUnkle is a German surname primarily associated with a musical act, but its origin lies in a locational derivation: it likely denoted a person from the town of Unkel in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. T...

Unruh (or Unrug) is a German surname that originally described a restless, fidgety, or nervous person, derived from the German word Unruhe meaning "unrest." The name may have been applied as a nickname for someone who wa...

Vieth is a German surname.EtymologyVieth derives from the given name Veit, the German form of Vitus. The Latin name Vitus comes from Latin vita meaning "life". Saint Vitus, a child martyr from Sicily in the early 4th cen...

Vogel is a Dutch and German surname derived from the Old High German and Old Dutch word fogal, meaning "bird." The name originally described a bird catcher (occupational surname) or served as a nickname for someone with...

Vogt is a German occupational surname derived from Middle High German voget, meaning "bailiff, administrator, steward," and ultimately from Latin advocatus. The term referred to a medieval office holder, particularly imp...

Called Vogts, this is a German surname that serves as a patronymic variant of Vogt. The root name Vogt originates from Middle High German voget, meaning "bailiff, administrator, or steward," and ultimately derives from L...

EtymologyVoigt is a German surname, primarily a variant of Vogt. The root name Vogt is derived from the Middle High German word voget, meaning "bailiff, administrator, steward", which itself comes from Latin advocatus. T...

Voigts is a German patronymic surname, derived from the occupational name Vogt, meaning 'bailiff, administrator' or 'steward'. The name ultimately comes from Middle High German voget, which traces back to Latin advocatus...

Volk is a German surname with roots in the Old High German element folk meaning "people." It originated as a patronymic or derivative of given names such as Fulco, which contained the same folk element. The name thus ref...

Voll 2 is a German surname, a variant of Volk. The root name Volk itself derives from given names beginning with the Old High German element folk, meaning "people." This element was common in early Germanic personal name...

Von Brandt is a German surname of topographic origin, meaning "from the area cleared by fire". The name derives from Middle High German brant, which refers to land that has been cleared through burning, a common agricult...

Von Essen is a German-language toponymic surname meaning "from Essen", a city in western Germany. The first part, von, is a German preposition meaning "from" or "of", often used in noble or aristocratic surnames to indic...

Von Grimmelshausen is a German surname meaning "from Grimmelshausen," a town in Germany. The name is a locational surname, a class of names derived from a place of origin. The town's name is composed of Grimmel, of uncer...

Von Ingersleben is a German surname, indicating a family's origin from the town of Ingersleben (now part of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany). The name translates to 'from Ingersleben,' with the preposition 'von' signifying nobili...

EtymologyVonnegut is a German surname, likely deriving from the common German elements von meaning "from, of, by" and gut meaning "good". It originated as a toponymic or locative name referencing a place called "Gut" or...

Etymology and OriginVoß is a German surname, a variant of Voss. The root name derives from Middle Low German vos meaning "fox", originally a nickname for a clever or sly person, or someone with red hair. The spelling Voß...

EtymologyVoss is a German surname derived from Middle Low German vos, meaning "fox." Originally, it served as a nickname for a clever person or someone with red hair, drawing on the animal's slyness and distinctive color...

Wägner is a German surname that represents a variant of Wagner. The name originated as an occupational surname for a wagon maker or cartwright, derived from the Middle High German wagen meaning "wagon" or "cart."Etymolog...

Wähner is a German surname that functions as a variant of the renowned occupational name Wagner. Like its root, Wähner belongs to a family of surnames derived from the occupation of wagon-making or cartwrighting, stemmin...

Wahner is a German surname, a variant of Wagner. Wagner is an occupational surname for a carter or wagon maker, derived from the Germanic elements wagen (wagon) and the agent suffix -er, meaning 'one who works with' or '...

Waldvogel is a surname of German origin, derived from a nickname for a carefree person, combining the words Wald meaning "forest" and Vogel meaning "bird" – thus literally "bird of the forest". The name evokes the image...

Walkenhorst is a surname of German origin.EtymologyThe name is likely derived from the German place name Falkenhorst, composed of the elements Falken, meaning "falcons", and Horst, meaning "thicket" or "bird's nest". Ove...

Waltz is a German surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Walther. It belongs to a broader family of surnames originating from medieval Germanic personal names, highlighting the common practice of forming pat...

Wang (3) is a Dutch and German surname with an entirely distinct origin from the more common Chinese surname Wang. It derives from the Middle High German and Middle Dutch word wange, meaning "cheek." The surname likely o...

Wang is a German, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish surname derived from the Old High German wang or Old Norse vangr, meaning "grassy slope, meadow." The name originates as a topographic surname for someone who lived on or...

Waxweiler is a German surname that originally denoted someone from the village of Waxweiler, located in the Eifel region of western Germany. The name is a toponymic, derived from the place where the bearer lived, and it...

Weber is a German occupational surname, the cognate of the English surname Weaver 1. It derives from the German word Weber meaning "weaver," reflecting the medieval German tradition of identifying individuals by their tr...

Etymology & MeaningWechsler is a German occupational surname derived from the word Wechsler, meaning "money changer" or "banker." The term comes from wechseln ("to exchange") combined with the agent suffix -er. In me...

Wedekind is a German surname derived from the given name Widukind.EtymologyThe name Wedekind originates from the Old Saxon personal name Widukind, composed of the elements widu meaning "wood" and kind meaning "child". Th...

Weeber is a German cognate of the English surname Weaver 1, ultimately deriving from an occupational name for a weaver. The root is the Old English verb wefan "to weave", reflecting the trade of cloth production in medie...

Wehner is a German surname, primarily a variant of Wagner, an occupational name meaning "wagon maker, cartwright." The German element Wagen ('wagon, cart') combines with the agent suffix -er, yielding the designation for...

Wehnert is a German surname, a variant of Wagner, which originally denoted a wagon maker or cartwright. The name is deeply rooted in the German occupational naming tradition, where many surnames were derived from crafts...

Wehunt is an Americanized form of the German surname Wiegand, itself a variant of the medieval Germanic name Wigand. The root name Wigand is derived from the Old High German word wigant, meaning "warrior", reflecting the...

EtymologyWeigand is a German surname derived from the given name Wiegand. Wiegand is itself a variant of Wigand, which traces back to Old High German elements meaning "warrior." The root element wigant ("warrior") belong...

Etymology and OriginWeimann is a German occupational surname that originated in the Middle Ages. It derives from Middle High German wīn meaning "wine," combined with mann ("man"), thus denoting a wine seller, wine mercha...

EtymologyWeiner is a German surname that originated as a regional variant of Wagner, ultimately deriving from the Middle High German wagenære meaning “wagon maker” or “cartwright.” The spelling reflects a dialectal pronu...

Weiß is a German surname, respelled in standard German orthography, which uses the ß (Eszett) character where the variant Weiss uses "ss". The Wiktionary entry confirms the etymology: it originates from the Middle High G...

Weiss is a German and Yiddish surname derived from the Middle High German word wiz or the Yiddish word װײַס (vais), both meaning "white". This surname originated as a nickname for someone with white hair or pale skin, re...

Welter is a German surname derived from the given name Walter. The name Walter comes from the Old High German Waltheri, which itself is a compound of the elements walt “power, authority” and heri “army,” giving the meani...

West is an English and German surname originally denoting a person who lived to the west of a settlement or who migrated from the west. The name derives from the Germanic word west, which is rooted in the Indo-European *...

Wieck is a German toponymic surname meaning "village, town," derived from the Latin word vicus (village, district). The name likely originated as a designation for someone who lived in or near a village or small settleme...

Wild is an English and German surname with topographic and nickname origins. Derived from Old English wilde and Middle High German wilt, both meaning "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", it originally described a person who li...

Wildgrube is a surname with German origins. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a lost or unidentified place in Germany, composed of the elements wild (meaning "wild, untamed") and Grube (meaning "hollow,...

Winkler is a German surname that originated as an occupational name for a shopkeeper or tradesman, derived from the Old High German winkil meaning "corner". The name likely referred to someone who kept a shop or stall on...

Wirner is a German surname derived from the given name Werner, itself originating from Old Germanic elements meaning "army guard" — a combination of war ("aware, cautious") and heri ("army"). As a patronymic surname, Wir...

Wirnhier is a German surname derived from the given name Werner, itself originating from Old German elements war meaning “aware, cautious” and heri meaning “army.” This places Wirnhier among patronymic or habitational su...