German Names

Could cute nickname Gertie, remembered as cute five-year-old Drew Barrymore in E.T., revive the long shunned Gertrude?
 It's tempting to dismiss Gertrude as a name on its way through the door marked Out Forever, except that its long and honorable pedigree--as a goddess in Norse mythology, as the gentle and mystical Saint Gertrude the Great, and another St. Gertrude who is the patron of cats, and its use by Shakespeare for Hamlet's (not exactly exemplary) mother--earns it a place on the permanent roster. It has also been borne by such varied figures as writer Gertrude Stein, swimming champ Gertrude Ederle, British stage star Gertrude Lawrence, and arts patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.
 The pinnacle of fashion a century ago, Gertrude reached as high as Number 23 in 1900, but dropped off the list completely in 1966.

Gertrude

A name with multiple origins, Meyers could be considered a German name meaning "tenant, farmer, bailiff" or "leader of the household", a Hebrew name meaning "enlightening, shining", a French name meaning "doctor", and an English name meaning "mayor".
 
While singular form Meyer was familiar as a given name in the late 19th-and early 20th-century, Meyers is rarer, though it does fit in with the likes of Brooks, Banks, Townes, and Rivers. First appearing in the US stats in 2013, it was given to 13 boys in a recent year.

Meyers

Rollin is a masculine name with related to the more familiar Roland. It might also be derived from an Old French surname meaning 'little roll' or 'small land.' 

Used in English-speaking countries since the 19th century, Rollin enjoyed modest popularity in the United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, it's an old-fashioned name that would make a distinctive choice.

Rollin

A strong surname sounding choice, Merrick feels both sharp and cheerful. Derived from a Welsh form of Maurice or the Germanic Emmerich, it was chosen for 16 girls compared to 165 boys in a recent year. 

Merrick

Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm. 

Tilda

Though you might have been a fan of tennis star Chris Evert, stick with EVERETT, which everyone will think you're saying anyway.

Evert

Briefly faddish a few decades ago when Darrell was cool. But does have a creative connection to poet Randall Jarrell.

Jarrell

Ancient saint's name used for cowardly cartoon lion. 

Lambert

Ludwig

Germans spell Stephanie with an f though the i ending is not traditional.  Lady Gaga dropped the Stefani and No Doubt's Gwen sports is as a surname.  Despite the celebrity connections, we say if you want to name your daughter Stephanie, name her Stephanie.

Stefani

In Europe, this name is mostly male, but here it's more fashionable for girls.  It's a diminutive of Alexander.

Sascha

Familiar in the US, Brazil, and Latvia in the early 20th century, Zelma has been off the radar for some time. While the Selma-Thelma-Velma connection might date it, with Zelda and Alma sparking recent interest and clunky names holding new appeal, Zelma may be one to reconsider. 
 
Derived from Anselm meaning "god's helmet", Zelma has been notably borne by singer and actress Zelma O'Neal, philanthropist and opera singer Zelma Watson George, and by civil rights activist Zelma Henderson (born Zelma Cleota Hurst). More recently, it has appeared on a character in the Marvel TV series Ironheart, while Liberian singer Zelma Davis and actress Zelma Cherem are two more bearers.
 
Zelma was given to just 17 girls in the US in a recent year, but this is the highest number born since the 70s.

Zelma

One of the coolest of names, thanks to legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Sphere Monk, who inherited this Latin-sounding German name from his father. It has been used very sparingly since the 1960's, with just a sprinkling of baby boys receiving the name each year, though it's one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/unique-names">unique baby names</a> we predict will get much less unique as more parents embrace its quirky charms.
 Monk's middle name Sphere is pretty unique too, a cousin of Cosmos and Cosmo.

Thelonious

While Amorie might be strictly a feminizing way to spell the unisex Amory, it also relates to the word Amore and the name Amoris, which mean love, 

Amorie

Alby is a diminutive form of Albert or Albin, friendly and approachable. It can also be spelled Albie.

Alby

Amory is the kind of executive-sounding surname name that became popular in the 1990s. Amory Blaine is the protagonist of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, This Side of Paradise.

Amory

Although they could be easily confused, Elsbeth is a fairly unusual contracted German version of Elizabeth, while cousin Elspeth hails from Scotland. With its 'beth' ending, Elsbeth feels closer to the mother name.

Elsbeth

Josefine

Drexel is an occupational surname but the original meaning of what a person who "turned" for a living actually did is unclear: It may mean turning the soil or making hay or spinning cloth or creating decorative objects.  With the rise of the similar-sounding Dexter, Drexel might catch on.

Drexel

Gatsby is one of the most famous literary surnames, borne by the titular character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The book's Jay Gatsby gussied up his surname from Gatz, whose meaning is given variously as left-handed, cat, God, and person from Gat. As a first name, it's got a lot of energy and that great literary pedigree.

Gatsby

German baby names on this list are those that have their roots in German and Germanic languages, which is not necessarily the same as names popular in modern Germany.

 include many choices that may not necessarily be German, such as the Latinate Mia and Sofia or the Irish Finn.

One of the top girl names in the US today is Emma, a German name. Along with Emma, German names in the US Top 500 for girls include Angela, Amelia, Alice, Adele, Amelia, Ella, Edith, Millie, and Matilda.

 is William. Along with William, the German boy names in the US Top 500 include Henry, Charles, Conrad, Henry, Leo, and Max.

 include Lina, Neele, Leni, and Ida. Popular boy names in Germany include Louis, Oskar, Moritz, and Anton.

 is near the head of the list in Germany as well as many other countries, and names of German origin such as Alice and Axel rank highly in many places in the Western World.

If you're looking for German names for your baby girl or baby boy, browse this full list of possibilities, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

German names for girls and boys, with meanings and popularity, including top German names and unique German baby names in Germany, the US, and around the world. (Page 15)