Names That Mean German
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Grim
English from Old Norse or Dutch and German surname
"masked person; stern, severe"
The Old Norse god Óthinn was also known by the epithet Grímr — translated into Middle English as Grim.
Anno
Form of Hanno, diminutive of Johan, German variation of John
"God is gracious"
Anno is an extreme rarity: a simple, familiar-sounding name with deep history that is completely unknown in the US and rare in its native Germany. Anno is the name of a saint also known as Hanno, a…
Almond
English word name or variation of Almund or Aleman, German
"almond; noble strength; German"
Almond may seem like a hippy modern name, but its use for American boys goes right back to the mid-nineteenth century. In these cases, it was either a variation of Almund, meaning "noble strength,"…
Carlene
English feminization of Carl or Charles, German, French
"free man"
A handful of baby girls are still named Carlene every year, but today other feminizations of Charles or Carl, from Carly to Charlotte, are much more popular.
Willing
English and German surname
"son of Willa; son of Wille"
Likely to be construed as a virtue name (a nice one, at that!), even though Willing is a traditional surname with both English and German roots. As an English name, Willing is a patronymic form of…
Marks
English, Dutch, or German surname
"son of Mark"
Marks is a surname that independently arose in several languages, most all of them as a patronymic form of Mark. Among Jewish families, Marks is typically a variation of Marx. Marx was a given name…
Stanisław
Polish variation of Stanislav, Slavic
"someone who achieves glory or fame"
Amalie
Danish, Norwegian, and German form of Amalia or Amelia
"work"
Popular in Norway and Denmark, but familiar across Europe, Amalie can be pronounced as a-MAHL-yah, much like sister Amalia. A variation of Amelia, it shares the same Germanic element, amal meaning…
Hershey
Diminutive of Hershel, German and Yiddish
"deer"
Hershey is best-known in the US as a brand of chocolate, named after the company's founder, Milton Hershey. Hershey and its many variations, including Hersh and Hershkovitz, is most commonly a…
Levitt
English or German Jewish surname
"place where yew trees grow; Levite"
As Levi becomes more common, we're noticing parents turn to more creative alternatives and Levitt is one such option. Similar in sound to the aforementioned Biblical name, it may also appeal to those…
Lajos
Hungarian variation of Louis, German and French
"renowned warrior"
Lindley
English and German surname
"from Lindley"
Updates Lindsey for the 21st century.
Metha
English variation of Meta, German and Scandinavian
"pearl"
We don't recommend using a baby name in which "meth" is the first syllable. Try the original form, Meta, instead.
Niklaus
Swiss German variation of Nicholas, Greek
"people of victory"
A surprising entrant into the US Top 1000, given that this variation of Nicholas is primarily used in Switzerland. Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson was a character on the TV show The Vampire Diaries .
Harlyn
Variation of Harlan, German and English
"rocky land"
Modern, feminine form of the rustic, boyish name Harlan. With the popularity of Harley and Harlow in recent years, it is no surprise that Harlyn on the rise too. The name Harlyn was given to 134 baby…
Louie
Variation of Louis, German and French
"renowned warrior"
With Stevie, Scottie, and Charlie on the rise, and Lula, Lucy, Eloise, and Lucia all in style, we're predicting a rise in baby girls called Louie. Fitting the "boyish-nicknames-for-girls" trend, it…
Josefine
Scandinavian and German variation of Josephine, French
"Jehovah increases"
Speck
English word name, German surname
"speck; one from Speck, bacon, butcher"
Not only did rocker John Mellencamp name his son Speck, but he appended the middle name Wildhorse to it.
Adaluna
Variation of Ada and Luna, German and Latin
"noble moon"
Adaluna is the ultra-stylish smoosh name that nobody's caught onto yet. It's a one-of-a-kind compromise if you're deciding between Ada or Adeline and Luna. But despite its modern appearance, Adaluna…
Alexandrine
Variation of Alexandra, Greek
"defending men"
Alexandra is a name with many international variations, elaborations and short forms, and Alexandrine is one of the more unusual, found mostly in France and Germany. Another, Alexandrina, was the…