Do you know what the most common German boy names are? Some trends can help give you insight into the most common and traditional German names and German surname.
People with German heritage have a long and illustrious history. Many people decide to adopt the language to know the culture more. One way to do so is by learning the most common names of German origin. This blog will cover some of the most popular German boy names and meanings.
1. Leopold | 11. Williard | 21. Hermann | 31. Philipp |
2. Robert | 12. Reinhard | 22. Tybault | 32. Gerhard |
3. Alexander | 13. Wilhelm | 23. Kaspar | 33. Frantz |
4. Roland | 14. Karl | 24. Frederick | 34. Porsche |
5. Charles | 15. Paul | 25. Andreas | 35. Philbert |
6. Maximilian | 16. Ludwig | 26. Albrecht | 36. Nikolaus |
7. Fabian | 17. Hans | 27. Walther | 37. Lewis |
8. Markus | 18. Jonas | 28. Erik | 38. Robertson |
9. Ambros | 19. Bernhard | 29. Otto | 39. Barrett |
10. Boris | 20. Stark | 30. Arnold | 40. Baldwin |
Let us now explore 40 German baby boy names to blow your mind:
The name Leopold comes from the Latin word Leopardus, which means "tiger." It is a German baby name that follows after King Leopold of Belgium.
Robert means "bright and famous" in old German origin. Robert is a common name for white boys, but its popularity has declined over the years compared to other baby names such as Alexander or David, more distinctive than Robert.
Alexander is one of the most well-known German boys names. It meant "defender" in Greek origin and was the name of many kings, emperors, popes, etc.
Roland is another of the famous German Boy Names that has its roots in mythology/legend! Roland was a great hero of the middle ages, and to this day, he is still one of the notable characters in the literature of German roots.
Roland means "Famous throughout all land." Roland was also the name of several dukes, kings, emperors, etc. It's an old German boys name with lots of history behind it!
Charles is a German variant that means "Free Man". Charles was one of the names used by many kings in Europe, including France and Spain. As you can see, it's also easy to say in other languages too if your family has members who don't speak German!
Maximilian means "the greatest" in Latin. It was the name of one Holy Roman Emperor but has since been used by many other royals throughout history, including Napoleon Bonaparte and numerous princes/kings. It remains one of the German boy names, popular with parents!
Fabian is a unique name of German culture! It means "Bean grower" and comes from the Roman tribe of Fabius. In English, it's only used as a surname but not often as a first or middle name for baby boys.
Markus is one of the unique German boy names that means "warlike" in Latin. It was the name of many emperors throughout history, including some popes!
Ambros is a unique name in Germany! It comes from the Greek word Ambrotos, which means "immortal." It is only used as a surname in English but not often as a first or middle name for baby boys.
Boris is a German name from the Old Slavic word birati, which means "to choose." In Russian, Boris was used as a nickname for boys named Vania.
In English, it's only used as a surname but not often as a first or middle name for baby boys.
Williard is a unique name in Germany! It comes from the Old English words "will" and "geard," respectively.
Reinhard is a cool German name from the old High German words, "strong" and "brave/hardy."
Wilhelm is one of the most common boy names in Germany! It means "resolute protection" in Old High German. It is only used as a surname in English but not often as a first or middle name for baby boys.
Karl is one of the most common names in Germany! It means "man" in old German, and many kings named themselves throughout history, including Charlemagne, Karl der Große, etc.
Paul means "small" or "humble" and was the name given to many popes throughout history in German diminutive.
Ludwig is a German name for boys that comes from the old High German words liut/liud, which means people/folk and battle.
Hans is a German name that means "God is gracious". It was the name given to many kings throughout European history, including Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I!
Jonas is a German boy's name that comes from the Greek word for "dove". It was one of Jesus's apostles in Christian mythology.
Bernard means "strong/brave bear" and remained popular with parents throughout medieval history, including Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa.
Stark is one of the German boy's name that comes from the Old English word stearc, which means "strong".
Hermann meaning "army man," was one of many names used by kings throughout history and remained one of the most famous names.
Tybault is a very trendy German boy name! It emerges from the Old French word for "noble."
Kaspar means "treasurer" and was one of many names used by kings throughout European history, including Holy Roman Emperor Casimir III the Great, etc.
Frederick is one of the most common names in Germany! It comes from the old High German words ''fridu'' and ''ric'', which mean peace/protection and power.
Andreas means "manly" or "brave." In Greek, Andreas was another name for St Andrew, who was an apostle in Christian mythology.
Albrecht means "bright/famous" and was the name of many kings throughout European history, including Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.
Waltier is one of the German names for boys that come from the old High German words wald + Hari, meaning "ruler" and "army".
Erich is a German boy's name from the Old Norse word for ruler/king, Eriks or Eric in English! It was one of many names used by kings throughout the history of Anglo Saxon origin.
Otto's meaning comes from the old High German word for "prosperous." In English, it's only used as a surname but not often as the first or middle name for baby boys.
Arnold means "eagle power" in Old German, which makes this name perfect for nature lovers! It was one of many names used by kings throughout European history, including Holy Roman Emperor Henry II.
Philip is a German boy's name from the Greek word for "horse lover/friend" and was one of many names given to popes, emperors, and other royalty throughout history.
Gerard is a German boy's name that comes from the old High German words 'gisil', which means "pledge/hostage" and bright/famous". It was one of many names used by kings throughout European history, including Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, etc, of the Roman family.
Do you know how to speak German? If yes, you will know Frantz is a German boy's name that comes from the old High German words frant and ric, which mean respectively "freeman" and "power."
Porsche is a German boy's name from the old High German word for "chariot". It was not used much as a first or middle name until car manufacturer Ferdinand Porsche named his company after himself, and it became popular.
Phillip is one of the popular German baby boy names from the Greek word for "horse lover/friend" and was one of many names given to popes, emperors, and other royalty throughout history.
This is a German variation for Nicholas in English, which can be used as an independent given or part of compound names like Nikolaus-Maximilian, etc.
It is an old German name which means "famous warrior". It's a very popular traditional all-powerful ruler German boy names.
This name is of Scottish origin, and it means "son of Robert". It's a very popular boy name German in recent times.
In English, this name may be used as an independent given or part of compound names like Robertson-James, etc.
Barrett meaning brave possessing bear strength, is of Old English origin.
In English, this name may be used as an independent given or part of compound names like Barrett-Daniel, etc.
Baldwin, meaning brave as a wild boar, is of Germanic origin.
In English, this name may be used as an independent given or part of compound names like Baldwin-Gabriel, etc.
German baby names are often made up of two or more first names given to the children by their parents, with a family name. Several masculines, feminine, and gender-neutral German names are derived from German origin used in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The German alphabet consists of 26 letters, similar to English, although three umlauted vowels are included (ä, ö, and ü). Certain letters might cause your baby name's to be pronounced differently in different languages; for example, J and W are pronounced differently in German.
In Germany, boys' names often end with -s or -el. It is an essential rule in the grammar of the German version! The "-s" and the "–es" at the end of nouns describe either plurality (the presence of more than one) or possession (something belongs to somebody).
Although they may sound awkward in English, most of them have an interesting meaning. They have names of Scandinavian origin and are remarkable. Visit Germany once, and you know the essence of the land. But before visiting, do not forget to get your documents translated by a NAATI certified German translator.
Surnames usually consist of a single word and were initially descriptive. For example, the old German surname meaning "Schmidt" is blacksmith or craftsman. They come from names of objects or places and professions, physical characteristics, or even character traits.
Here are some variations of traditional German baby boy's name that you may not know about:
Maximilian → Maximilien or Maximillian
Berndt → Bernhard
Hans-Georg → Hans-Joachim or Hans-Jochen
Andreas → Andreas, Andrej or Andriy
Uwe → Uwe, Ove, Jou etc.
Also read How To Greet The World With A 'Hello' In 15 Different Languages.
These German names Boy are simply great! They are powerful, and people living in Germany use them with pleasure and thus used them as international names. You can find more names of the Germanic origin when you visit a website with a registered trademark. Hence, the next time you consider what name to give your baby, remember these tremendous German names!