User-created list
Awesome German Names
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Gregor
Scottish form of Gregory
"vigilant, a watchman"
Two prominent literary namesakes make Gregor a somewhat risky choice. On the highbrow side, there's Gregor Samsa, the Kafka character who woke up one day to find himself turned into a cockroach. And…
Gretel
Diminutive of Margarete, German
"pearl"
Gretel originated as a nickname for Margarete, the German form of Margaret. It’s a charming name, but most American parents prefer Greta, as Gretel is strongly tied to the fairy tale heroine. The…
Gunda
Gunda is a feminine name with Germanic and Scandinavian roots. It derives from the Old Norse element 'gundr' meaning 'battle' or 'war,' highlighting the warrior traditions in Norse culture. In some…
Gunter
Gunter is a Germanic masculine name derived from the elements 'gund' meaning 'war' and 'hari' meaning 'army' or 'warrior'. It has historical significance in Germanic mythology and medieval…
Gustav
Teutonic
"staff of the Goths"
Gray-bearded name heard primarily in Sweden and Germany.
Hannelore
German
"grace + god is my light"
A pretty and substantial German smoosh name, a combination of Hanne and Eleonore. Most popular in Germany from the 1930s to the 1950s. Former German Chancellors Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt both…
Hans
German, Dutch, and Scandinavian, diminutive of Johannes
Though familiar to all via such childhood icons as Hans Brinker, Hans(el) and Gretel, and Hans Christian Andersen, few Americans have chosen this name for their sons because of its intractably Old…
Helmut
German
"brave protector"
Photographer Newton...or that hard thing you wear on your head.
Ilona
Hungarian variation of Helen, Finnish
"shining torch; light; joy"
This variant of Helen is used across Europe, in France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and it's native Hungary. Reminiscent of Elena, Leona, Ilaria, Fiona and Lola, it nevertheless remains a rarity in…
Ilse
Dutch variation of Ilsa
"pledged to God"
Pronounced with two syllables, as if spelled Ilsa, Ilse is popular in The Netherlands and may rise here with cousin Elsa.
Ina
Diminutive of Martina, Christina, Carolina, and similar
"warlike; Christian; free man"
Short, sweet, and to the point, Ina is a derived from the likes of Martina, Christina, Carolina, and so on. Used across Europe as a stand-alone name and as a diminutive, Ina was once popular in the…
Inge
Inge is a feminine name with deep Scandinavian and Germanic roots, derived from the Norse god Ing or Yngvi, associated with fertility and peace. In Germanic countries, it's traditionally a feminine…
Ingrid
Norse
"fair; Ing is beautiful"
The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid…
Isa
Germanic, Persian, or diminutive of Isabel
"ice; strong-willed; pledged to God"
Isa is a name unto itself as both a Persian name meaning "strong-willed" and as Germanic one derived from the element is meaning "ice". It can also be a short form of Isabel, Isabella, Isadora,…
Isaak
Variation of Isaac
Cool spelling of the venerable Isaac used in several different cultures.
Isolde
Welsh, German
"ice ruler"
Sleek, sharp, and soulful, Isolde is the German form of Iseult, the fabled lover of Tristan in the Arthurian romances. First appearing in the 12th-century, the name was fairly popular in the form of…
Jakob
German, Norwegian, and Slovenian variation of Jacob, Hebrew variation of James
"supplanter"
After cracking the US Top 200 in the early 2000s, fueled by Jacob's rise, this name has been losing steam in recent years. But Jakob is the top form of the name in many other countries, cultures, and…
Jana
International feminine variation of Jan
A sweet name with many cross-cultural ties: it's an equivalent of Jane in languages including Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German, Slovene, Catalan, Estonian, and Latvian.
Janina
Polish; Finnish; Lithuanian; German; Swedish
"God is gracious"
A sweet and sprightly feminine form of John.
Jasmin
Variation of Jasmine, a Persian flower name
"jasmine flower"
Jasmin doesn't have the grace of Jasmine (which in 2016 ranked at 122 in the US Top 1000), but it is far more preferable to the trendier versions doing the rounds like Jazmin or Jazzmyn. If you are…