27 Gorgeous German Names You Need to Consider
If you’re fascinated with baby names that have an international slant, have you thought of Germany? There are plenty to choose from, and as it just so happens, citizens of Germany have to choose names that adhere to the rules of the country.
Names must be deemed appropriate in order for parents to received a birth certificate for their child. One of the rules is that the name must denote the gender of the child: girls’ names for girls and boys’ names for boys. Many parents opt to choose a traditional German name or an English one to avoid problems with the local registry.
You will find that many of the names are traditional or have cultural significance, with spellings that are variations of popular English names.
Others have Old Germanic origins or are derived from Roman times. This list below draws from some of the most popular names in Germany from 2017, older Germanic names, and variations of names you may already know. Check out these lovely monikers and their meanings!
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Ema
This feminine name means “serious”.
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Adela
Similar to Adele, this one means “pleasant” or “noble”.
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Heidi
Heidi, which may remind you of the book character Heidi or supermodel Heidi Klum, means “of noble birth”.
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Matilda
Matilda made the popularity list in Germany for 2017, and means “battle maiden” or “mighty”. It can also be spelled as “Mathilda.”
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Isa
Alternate form of Isabella, meaning strong-willed.
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Elsie
Pretty name meaning “Consecrated to God”.
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Amalia
In Germanic, this name means “work”.
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Evi
This is the German variation of Eve.
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Anneliese
A lovely combination of Anne and Lisa, where Anne means “grace” and Liese/Lisa means “God is bountiful”.
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Gisa
Gisa is a form of Giselle. Derived from the German word gisil, it means “pledge”.
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Johanna
Feminine form of Johan, meaning “gracious”.
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Jordis
Comes from Old Norse and means “sword goddess”.
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Leni
Lion, brave.
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Katharina
Also spelled Catharina, Catarina, or Katarina, this beautiful name means “pure”.
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Arne
Stems from the Norse word for eagle and is a form of Arnold.
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Christoph
German form of the name Christopher, and means “Christ bearer”.
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Johan
Variation of John and means “God is gracious”.
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Hans
Shortened version of Johan – “God is gracious”.
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Dietrich
Male name meaning “powerful ruler”.
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Kaspar
Means “treasured secret” or “treasured gift”. Also one of the 3 Wise Men.
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Kord
A form of the name Conrad, meaning “honest adviser”.
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Lorenz
German form of Laurence (Lawrence), a common name during Roman times and for saints. Probably derived from Latin for laurel tree.
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Terell
Means “powerful”. Can also be spelled Terrell, Terrel, or Terrall.
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Maximillian
Can you beat a name that means “the greatest”?
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Oskar
Derived from Norse and means “divine spear” or “spear of the gods”.
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Niklas
Niklas scored high on the German popularity name lists, and it means “people’s victory”.
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Raimar
Old Germanic name meaning “famous”, and “advice”.
Are you interested in giving your child a name with German roots? Do you like any of the names on this list? Which ones?
