Best German Baby Names

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Do you have German ancestry you’d like to honour by giving your baby a German name? Perhaps you’re German yourself, and you’re looking for inspiration for what to name the newest addition to your family. So, to help you out we’ve compiled a list of some of the best german baby names for both boys and girls.

Top 10 German Baby Names for Boys 

Charlie

Charlie means ‘free man’ or ‘warrior’.

Christoph

A variation of the name ‘Christopher’ with Greek origins. It means ‘the one who holds Christ in his heart’.

Fredrick

Means ‘peaceful ruler’, and is a variation of the name ‘Frederick’.

Jonas

You may have heard Jonas as a surname, which was made famous thanks to the music group ‘Jonas Brothers’. However, as a first name, it has Hebrew origins and means ‘dove’.

Jürgen

Means ‘Earth walker’.

Karl

Means ‘strong man’.

Nikolaus

A variation on the name ‘Nicholas’, it means ‘victor of the people’.

Mika

Playfully, Mika means ‘the knowing raccoon’, but can also mean ‘intelligent’ and ‘beautiful’.

Milo

Coming from the Latin word ‘miles’, Milo means ‘soldier’ and ‘merciful’.

Hugo

A variation of the name ‘Hugh’, it means ‘intellect

Top 10 German Baby Names for Girls

Charlotte

Charlotte comes from the old German word ‘heri’ and means ‘warrior’ or ‘free woman’.

Emilia

Means ‘competitor’ and ‘rival’.

Emily

From the Roman word Aemilius, it means ‘industrious’.

Emma

From the German word ‘ermen’ and means ‘whole’ or ‘universal’.

Hannah

A name with Hebrew origins, it means ‘grace’ or ‘favour’.

Johanna

A variation of the name ‘Joanna’, it means ‘God is gracious’.

Lilly

Also commonly spelled ‘Lilie’ or ‘Lili’, it has links to nature thanks to the flower sharing the same name.

Mia

A variation of ‘Maria’, it means ‘my’ or ‘mine’.

Mila

A name made famous thanks to actress Mila Kunis, it means ‘dear’ or ‘gracious’.

Sofia

Also spelled ‘Sophia’, it means ‘wisdom’ and ‘art’.

Popular German Baby Names by Year

The most popular German baby names given by parents to their kids often change from year to year, but will invariably make a reappearance.

  • 2021 – Matteo and Emilia
  • 2020 – Noah and Emilia
  • 2019 – Noah and Hannah
  • 2018 – Ben and Emma
  • 2017 – Maximilian and Marie
  • 2016 – Luka and Mila
  • 2015 – Ben and Mia
  • 2014 – Maximilian and Sophie
  • 2013 – Ben and Mia
  • 2012 – Luka and Sophie
  • 2011 – Ben and Mia

In the past ten years, Ben has been the most popular boy’s name four times, and Mia has been the most popular girl’s name three times. Noah, Ben, Luka, Emilia, Maximilian, and Sophie also make repeat appearances. Just three names only made one appearance: Matteo, Marie, and Hannah.

Meanings and Origins of Popular German Baby Names

As well as having German origins, some of the best German baby names have a history dating back to Latin, Greek, and Old English. They also have complex and deep meanings, which may influence parents’ decisions in choosing a name.

Below are some more popular German baby names and what they mean.

Boy’s names

Bruno

An Old High German name that means ‘brown’.

Dirk

A German name with English and Dutch history, it means ‘notable ruler’.

Florian

A name of Roman origin, it means ‘blooming’ or ‘flowering’.

Friedrich

A German name with many alternative spellings. It means ‘peaceful ruler’.

Kaspar

A Hebrew and German name that can also be spelt like ‘Caspar’. It means ‘treasurer’.

Leopold

A name of German origin that means ‘bold’ and ‘brave’.

Ludwig

An Old High German name and the first name of composer Beethoven. It means ‘famous warrior’.

Matthias

With a history going back to ancient Greece, Matthias means ‘Gift of God’.

Otto

Another Old High German name, and means ‘wealth’.

Reiner

With German and Scandinavian roots, Reiner means ‘edge’ or ‘embankment’.

Sigmund

A name made famous by the psychologist Freud, it’s a German name that means ‘protection through victory’.

Ulrich

A German name that means ‘mighty ruler’.

Völker

A name with German origins that means ‘warrior’.

Werner

A German name that means ‘defender’.

Wolfgang

An Old High German name that means ‘wolf’s path’. 🐺

Girl’s names

Anja

A name with a history going back to Russia, it means ‘merciful’ and ‘gracious’.

Anneliese

With Scandinavian and Dutch origin, Anneliese means ‘favour’.

Bertina

A name with German origin, and often shortened to ‘Tina’, it means ‘famous’ and ‘intelligent’.

Dorothea

With a history going back to Greece, and an alternate to Dorothy, it means ‘Gift of God’.

Elke

With Low German origins, it means ‘of noble birth’.

Inge

A German and Swedish name, meaning ‘Ing’s protection’.

Jutta

A Hebrew name that means ‘mankind’ and ‘child’.

Katharina

A Greek name that means ‘pure’.

Klara

A name with Latin origins, and means ‘clear’ and ‘bright’. ☀️

Magdalena

A name of Greek origin that means ‘tower’.

Marlene

A German name that means ‘woman from Magdala’.

Mathilde

An Old English and German name that means ‘battle’.

Renate

A Latin name that means ‘born again’.

Rosamund

A German and Latin name that means ‘protector of horses’. Made popular by the actress Rosamund Pike.

What to Consider When Choosing a German Name

In Germany, the name you give to your baby must be approved by a local Standesamt, aka a civil registration office. To be approved, the name must meet two criteria:

  • It is specific to the sex of the child and is not gender-neutral
  • If choosing a non-German name, you must prove that it’s a common name related to your family history or country of origin

Due to these reasons, children are rarely given unique or unusual names in Germany.

How to Pronounce Popular German Names

The German language pronounces various letters differently from how they’re pronounced in English-speaking countries, which means some names are pronounced differently to how you might expect. These include:

  • Albrecht – Al-brach-t (the ch is more guttural)
  • André – And-ray (not On-dray)
  • Anne – Ann-uh
  • Benjamin – Ben-ya-min
  • Björn – B-yorn
  • Günther – Goon-ter
  • Hans – Hons
  • Julika – Yu-lick-ah
  • Jörg – Yurg
  • Klaus – Klow-ss (Not like Santa Claus)

Restrictions on Baby Names and Naming Laws in Germany

We’ve already covered two points that are important to bear in mind when naming your children in Germany. However, there’s one more important point to note, which is that certain names are banned in Germany – some of which you may not be surprised about:

  • Adolf Hitler
  • Osama Bin Laden
  • Stompie
  • Matti
  • Kohl

For more inspiration on baby names and parenting, check out our other blogs below!

Baby-led Weaning | Cool Baby Names | Unusual Baby Names and What They Mean | Unique Baby Names | Baby Names Inspired by Animals

Or for cool things to do with your kids, visit Day Out With The Kids.

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