German husband names. German girl names

Personal names and surnames are an integral part of the culture of any people, capable of revealing their character, reflecting beliefs, way of life, value and aesthetic guidelines. The world of individual names and surnames is a world of meanings and meanings that require their decoding. Behind every name there is a mystery and riddle. Sonorous German female names carry echoes of German myths and ballads. You can hear the clanking of medieval lists in them, and the images of beautiful ladies and warlike Valkyries standing behind them influence the fate of their bearers. But is it?

German woman with national flag

German traditions in naming children

In Germany, children are given several names at birth. Their number can reach up to ten. With the onset of adulthood, everyone decides whether to choose only one name or leave all. First names can also be used as surnames.

The formation of compound personal names is very long tradition, associated with the ancient German naming system, which dominated Western Europe until the 10th century. Most often, the name consisted of two lexemes and acquired a comprehensive meaning. For male names, popular lexemes were used with the meaning “friendship”, “protection”, “struggle”, “war”, “strength”, “god”, “might”, “power”, “glory” and the like. Interestingly, many of them were also used in women's names. But, of course, basically the meanings of female names gravitated towards other meanings: “ancestress”, “fertile”, “friendly”, “portly”, “attractive”, “healthy”, “generous”, etc. From “cubes” lexemes formed personal names, unique and inimitable, having a sacred meaning and magical power. At the same time, one of the lexemes of the child’s name was very often a lexeme from the name of the parents or more distant ancestors.

From the end of the 10th century, naming traditions began to change. Titled nobles seek to justify their claims to complete power, including by choosing special names passed on from generation to generation. The prestige of aristocratic names made them popular among the broad masses. This led to a peculiar fashion and the spread of identical names.

TO XIII century The most common names for girls in Germany were: Ava, Greta, Adalisa (Adela, Lisa), Gertrude, Verta, Matilda, Heila.

Based on their origin, German female names can be divided into two groups. The first includes the names of ancient German origin. These are names such as Gertrude, Gerda, Carla, Emma and others. The second group is foreign-language names borrowed from Christianity - Katrina, Maria, Hannah, Margarita, etc. According to German law, girls cannot be given fictitious and place names, but it is allowed to use abbreviated versions (Inga, Lena, Mia), fusion of two names: Marlene = Maria + Marlena, Annamaria = Anna + Maria and others.

German names for girls

Of course, it is impossible to list all German female names. Not everyone likes the German language. Many consider it rude and too militant, but there are still female names of German origin, the sound of which is melodic to the ear and favorable in meaning. Many of them are great for modern girls. Let's focus on the most popular and beautiful ones.

List of popular German girl names and their meanings

• Mia – short for Maria;
• – means bitter, serene, desired;
• Hannah (Anna) – the mercy of God, brave;
• Emma – precious, universal;
• – wise;
• Leonie is a lioness;
• Joanna - merciful;
• - short for Helena, torch, torch;
• Ursula - bear;
• Katrina – pure;
• Helga – sacred, holy;
• – reborn, born again;
• – Sabine;
• Ingrid – beautiful, fertile;
• Monica is the only one;
• Petra - stone;
• Susanna – water lily;
• Brigid – strong;
• Erica – powerful, ruler;
• – Christian;
• Stephanie – crowned;
• Gertrude – spear+beloved;
• Elizabeth - my God - oath;
• Angelica – angelic;
• Gabriela - God's warrior;
• Ilsa is short for Elizabeth;
• Nicole is the conqueror of nations.

The first eight names are the most popular female names in Germany and Austria over the past ten years. The rest are the most common in 1890-2002. Some names, such as Hannah and Emma, ​​lost popularity during the 20th century, but have regained it in the 21st century.

German female names Hannah and Emma - rebirth

The name Hannah is of Hebrew origin and means “mercy of God,” “grace.” In Christianity, it is one of the most common and is associated with such biblical characters as Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, the mother of the prophet Samuel and others. The most famous German women with the name Hannah:

• Hannah Arendt - philosopher;
• Hanna Reich – pilot;
• Hannah Hech – artist;
• Hanna Schygulla is an actress.

The name Emma comes from an ancient Germanic name meaning "huge, all-encompassing." The meaning of the name determined Emma’s occupations - most often they are actresses, writers, and singers. It has become widespread throughout Europe, and now the triumphant “return” of this name to its historical homeland is being celebrated.

German female names first appeared several hundred years BC. Their sound reflected the life, culture and beliefs of the ancient Germanic tribes.

The Germans believe that a name can significantly influence a person’s destiny, so they approach the choice of a name for a newborn girl with special care. Many German women's names known to this day consist of two parts, each of which has its own meaning.

During the Middle Ages, the Germans borrowed names from other nationalities. Modern German female names come from literary works or films.

The Germans have it written down at the legislative level what girls can be called. It is forbidden to call them obscene, dissonant names. In Germany there is an official list of permitted female names.

Let's talk about some of the most beautiful ancient and modern German names and the meaning of some of them.

Ursula

Ursula is a popular German name, abbreviated to girls as Ulla or Uschi. Girls named Ursula are active and hardworking. They are demanding and sensitive to the world around them.

Ursulas have a strong character, they never get lost in difficult situations. Ulla loves praise, but sees flattery from afar. She doesn't like deceitful and insincere people.

Ursulas are efficient and always finish what they start. They treat others kindly, but only until such time as people affect Ulla’s interests.

For Ursula, colleagues are not comrades, but rivals. If there is an urgent need, Ulla is capable of compromises.

A woman with this name considers her opinion to be the only correct one, so she often lectures others. In general, Ursula is a committed and responsible person who achieves great success at work.

Ingrid

The name Ingrid means the need for dominance. A woman named Ingrid is not afraid of conflicts and tries to constantly demonstrate her power. She is always busy with something. Tireless Ingrid is ready to take part in several things at once, sometimes exhausting herself.

In personal relationships she is devoted and faithful, but due to her constant busyness she often does not have time to build strong family. Sometimes Ingrid can speak rudely and straightforwardly, she is very intolerant of other people's mistakes.

But he quickly moves away and calms down. Ingrid is a born leader, she is able to manage a huge team.

Hannah

The old name Hannah, popular in Germany, has Jewish roots and is directly related to Christianity. This was the name of Mary's mother who gave birth to Jesus Christ. The name Hannah has several meanings - the grace of God, brave, courage.

A woman who received this name strives for justice and independence from childhood. Little Hannahs are quick-tempered and vulnerable, they can cause a storm of emotions out of the blue.

With age, they stop being hot-tempered and learn to control themselves. Hannahs are sincere and always ready to help. They do not like fuss; in any difficult situations they behave calmly and judiciously.

Gertrude

The German name Gertrude has Scandinavian roots and translates as warrior. Hera has a masculine character and is capable of achieving a lot in life.

Little Gertrude is a quiet and timid child, she is a good student and demonstrates talents in various areas. Adult Gertrude has strong character, strict towards others. IN family life Hera is soft, gentle and devoted, she is a hospitable hostess, her house is always warm and cozy.

Elsa

Elsa is a German variant of the name Elisabeth and is a very common name in Germany. Elsa is determined and brave. As a child, he prefers to play with boys.

Elya takes what is happening to heart and demands an attentive and sensitive attitude towards herself. Little Elsa has a well-developed imagination, but she does not have any special abilities for learning.

Adult Elsa is a workaholic, leads an active lifestyle, and achieves heights in her career. She is usually closed with her colleagues, rarely sharing her personal life. Elsa is distinguished by her love for pets; there are usually many pets in her house.

In their personal life, Elsa prefers numerous novels; they are not prone to strong connections. They especially value intelligence in men. An overbearing character does not prevent Elsa from being a good and fair mother.

Brigid

Brigittes are indecisive and fearful, preferring to stay in the shadows and restrain their emotions. Women with this name are true to their word, they always keep their promises. They have a hard time dealing with betrayal and betrayal.

If Brigitte became attached to someone, then you can be sure that it will be for a long time. Brigittes are hardy and tireless, and due to this they can achieve a lot. They become ideal housewives and wonderful mothers.

Rosemary

Rosemary has an ingenuous and simple character. They always have a lot of friends, they are active and cheerful. As a child, Rosemary can achieve certain heights in sports.

Adult Rosemary is distinguished by internal contradictions: she can fiercely love a person and also fiercely hate him. Women with this name are subject to frequent mood swings without any external reasons.

Other popular German names

• Rosemary is a reminder.
• Greta is a gem.
• Wilda is wild.
• Nicole is the conqueror of nations.
• Christina is a Christian.
• Bertha is brilliant.
• Emma is precious.
• Ida is kind.
• Susanna is a water lily.
• Astrid is beautiful.
• Angelica is angelic.
• Brigid is strong.
• Laura is a laurel.
• Monica is the only one.
• Gabriela is God's warrior.
• Hannah is brave.
• Anna is grace.
• Beata - blessed.
• Stefania is crowned.
• Katrina is pure.
• Sofia is wise.
• Renata is born again.
• Helga is a saint.
• Maria is desirable.
• Ursula is a bear.
• Gertrude - beloved + spear.
• Erica is powerful.
• Ingrid is fertile.
• Elizabeth is my God.
• Petra is made of stone.
• Helena is a torch.
• Adelinda is a noble snake.
• Amalia - work.
• Benedicta - blessed one.
• Griselda is a gray maiden.
• Yvonne - yew tree.
• Rebecca is a trapper.
• Jadwiga is a rich warrior.
• Franziska is free.
• Raffaela - God has healed.
• Elsa is a God-worshipper.
• Hilda is practical.
• Gertrude - the power of the spear.
• Brunnhilde is a warrior woman.
• Gretchen is a little gem.
• Juliana is a youth.
• Annemarie is a benefit.
• Sommer - summer.
• Margaret is a gem.
• Martha is a lady.
• Clara is bright.
• Carla is human.
• Ingeborg - protection.
• Isolde is an icy rule.
• Gabi is strong.
• Amalia - work.
• Erma is whole.
• Franziska is free.
• Eleanor is different.
• Emily is competitive.
• Teresa is a reaper.
• Susie is a lily.
• Felica is lucky.
• Helma - helmet.
• Odelia is rich.
• Ida is kind.
• Louise is a warrior.
• Ernesta - fighting death.
• Irma is a dedication to the god of war.
• Astrid is the goddess of beauty.
• Helena is the moon.
• Hilda is attractive.
• Frida is the power of the elf.
• Ulrika is power.
• Imma whole.
• Leona is a lioness.
• Lorelei - the muttering of a rock.
• Carlota is human.
• Jitta is majestic.
• Verena is wisdom.
• Volda is the rule.
• Hertha - the strength of the spear.
• Iolanta - violet.
• Isolde is cold gold.
• Jolenta is a purple flower.
• Matilda is strong in battle.
• Verena is sacred wisdom.
• Albertina is a bright nobility.
• Ermtraud is a total favourite.
• Adelaide is of noble birth.
• Heinrike is a home ruler.
• Svanhilda is a smitten swan.

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Previously, people of the lower class got by with only one name, for example, Heinrich, Anna, Dietrich. This fact is recorded in documents of the past, for example, in church books, contracts, court papers and literary works that time.

During the Late Middle Ages, a tendency arose when a nickname (Beiname) or surname (Familienname) began to be added to the common name (Rufname). Rufname is the name by which it was preferable to address a person, for example, Heinrich. Beiname is a nickname that a person received depending on his personal qualities, appearance, etc.

Nicknames may have been needed to indicate that of the dozens of people with the name Heinrich we're talking about specifically about the curly one: this is how Heinrich Krause could appear. This step was also important for the city administration and other bureaucrats, again to distinguish citizens from each other.

An important difference between a nickname and a surname was that it was not passed on to subsequent generations. The name could also be added to, transformed from the type of activity of its bearer, the area where he lives, or, again, personal qualities. Surnames are passed down from one generation to another by inheritance. Today it can be argued that surnames, as such, were formed from nicknames.

Names

Conventionally, we can divide German names into two groups - ancient Germanic and foreign-language (Latin and Greek), which came after the spread of Christianity. Names of ancient Germanic origin include, for example, Karl, Ulrich, Wolfgang, Gertrud. Ancient Germanic names consisted, as a rule, of two stems, each of which had its own meaning. Such names were supposed to influence the fate of a person, patronize him and protect him. Ancient documents (750-1080) indicate about 7,000 two-root Germanic names, most of which were masculine.

In the 11th century, such a variety of names came to naught due to the influence of the coming Christianity and the arrival of new, southern European names. New religion gradually contributed to the fact that German names lost popularity and fell into oblivion.

It is interesting that in ancient Germanic names many roots mean war, battle or weapons.

Examples of bases denoting:

Battle: badu, gund, hadu, hari, hild, wig

Weapons: ekka, ger (spear), isan, ort (point of weapon)

Basics indicating ammunition and protection:

Brun: chest shield

Burg: refuge

Gard: fence

Linta: linden shield

Rand: high shield

Roots meaning characteristics of battle:

Bald: (kühn) brave

Harti: (hart) strong

Kuni: (kühn) brave

Muot: brave

Trud: (Kraft) strength

And signifying the consequences of the battle:

Sigu: (Sieg) victory

Hruod: (Friede) peace

Fridu: (Waffenruhe) truce

Diet: (Natur) nature

Animal world:

Arn: (Adler) eagle

Bero: (Bär) bear

Ebur: (Eber) boar

Hraban: (Rabe) raven

Wolf, wulf: (Wolf) wolf

The original meaning of many names today is difficult to decipher, since some letters of the name were lost over time when connecting the roots. However, by studying ancient names one can undoubtedly discover many interesting cultural and historical details. Unfortunately, today the interpretation of ancient Germanic names is rather generalized. Also, in addition to the mentioned two-root names, there were also some single-root names. Famous among them are, for example, Karl, Bruno and Ernst.

Meanings of some German names:

Heinrich - housekeeper

Wolfgang - the way of the wolf

Ludwig - famous warrior

Wilhelm - reliable helmet

Friedrich - peaceful ruler

Rudolf - nice wolf

With the spread of Christianity, names of Greek and Roman origin were increasingly used rather than those of Germanic origin. In comparison with ancient Germanic names, they lacked the principle of division into two bases. Latin names with Roman origin are quite ordinary in their meaning and do not carry the greatness inherent in ancient Germanic names: Paulus is small, Claudius is lame. Children's names were often chosen depending on how the child was born: Tertiat - the third.

Traditional and beautiful-sounding names are very unsightly in their meaning, for example, Claudia - lame. Names that came under Greek influence were more cheerful. Amanda - worthy of love, Felix is ​​happy.

For the last five years, the leading places in the lists of the most popular female and male names are occupied by Mia and Emma among girls, and Ben, Jonas and Luis among boys.

And the most common names in Germany among the adult population (born between 1980 and 2000) sound completely different. For example, here are the most common male names: Peter, Michael, Wolfgang, Jurgen, Andreas, Stephan, Christian, Uwe, Werner, Hans, Mathias, Helmut, Jorg, Jens.

Female names: Ursula, Sabine, Monica, Susanne, Petra, Birgit, Andrea, Anna, Brigitte, Claudia, Angelika, Heike, Gabriele, Cathrin, Anja, Barbara. These names are not very common among young people and are more likely to be found among representatives of the older generation.

There are not many ways to form a diminutive name in German. The main ones are: -le, -lein, -chen. For example, in the names Peterle, Udolein, Susannchen. A person can be addressed by a diminutive name within the family circle.

Among friends, at school or university, they often use just the short form of the name, it is more neutral: Klaus from Nikolaus, Gabi from Gabriel, Sussi from Susanne, Hans from Johannes. Usually, short names are formed using the morpheme -i at the end of a word.

Today, it is not uncommon for parents to initially give their child a short form of a name: Toni (instead of the full Antonie) or Kurt (instead of Konrad). In this case, the names obtained in this way are used equally with the original ones. full forms. Usage short forms as independent names was officially permitted from the 19th century. It is noteworthy that short and diminutive names have for the most part neuter gender.

And my last name is too famous for me to mention it!

Just like in many other European countries, in Germany surnames first appeared among the nobility and feudal lords as a sign of belonging to a distinguished family at the beginning of the Middle Ages. Gradually, ordinary, non-noble people also received surnames. As in the Russian language, many surnames go back to designations of professions, types of activity, place of residence and qualities of a person (Kuznetsov, Popov, Volkov, Khoroshkin) or from personal names (Ivanov, Antonov). As for the differences, then German surnames, as a rule, do not have indicators of female or male, unlike Russians, where endings and suffixes almost always tell you gender carrier: Kuznetsov - Kuznetsova, Ilyin - Ilyina, Savelyev - Savelyeva. It is worth noting that this was not always the case, and until the beginning of the 19th century in Germany there were special female endings surnames

German surnames derived from personal names:

Walter, Hermann, Werner, Hartmann.

Surnames derived from nicknames:

Klein - small

Braun -brown

Neumann - new man

Krause - curly

Lange - long, lanky

Jung - young

Schwarz - black-haired

Stolz - proud

Bart - bearded man

Surnames formed from the names of professions and types of activity:

Müller - miller

Schmidt - blacksmith

Fischer - fisherman

Schneider - tailor, cutter

Wagner - carriage maker

Meyer - manager (of the estate)

Weber - weaver

Hoffman - courtier

Koch - cook

Becker - from it. Bäcker - baker

Schäfer - shepherd

Schulz - headman

Richter - judge

Bauer - peasant, country man

Schröder - tailor

Zimmermann - carpenter

Krüger - potter, innkeeper

Lehmann - landowner

König - king

Köhler - coal miner

Schuhmacher - shoemaker

10 most common surnames and their famous bearers:

Müller Otto Müller (1898 - 1979) - German artist and schedule.

Matthias Müller (1953) - head of the VW automaker.

Schmidt Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt (1918 - 2015), German politician (SPD), Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982.

Schneider Romy Schneider (1938 - 1982), Austrian-German actress, recognized for her role in the Sisi film trilogy.

Fischer Helene Fischer (1984) German singer, singer of hits and pop music.

Meyer Friedrich Wilhelm Franz Meyer (1856 - 1935) - German mathematician.

Weber Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (1864 - 1920) German lawyer, economist and co-founder of sociology.

Schulz Axel Schulz (1968) - German boxer.

Wagner Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883)- German composer, who wrote the music and libretto for the opera “The Ring of the Nibelung”.

Becker Boris Franz Becker (1967) is a German professional tennis player and Olympic champion.

Hoffman Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776 - 1822) - German lawyer, writer, composer, bandmaster, musical critic, artist. Author of the books “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, “ Worldly views Murrah the cat."

May I contact you?

When politely addressing a man with “You” they say Herr+(Nachname): Herr Müller When politely addressing a woman with “You” Frau+(Nachname): Frau Müller

When filling out official forms, you are always asked to indicate Vorname and Nachname. You should write your first name in the Vorname field, and your last name in the Nachname field.

In everyday life, the word der Name denotes the surname: “Mein Name ist Müller.”

Interestingly, German law prohibits giving children geographical names (Bremen, London), titles (Prinzessin), trademarks (Coca-Cola), surnames or fictitious names (as is customary, for example, in the USA) as names. But it is allowed give the child up to five names - and only two of them can be written with a hyphen (Anne-Marie).

Also unacceptable are names that are considered immoral and degrading to the child, are considered a religious taboo, or are not names. If the civil registry office refuses to enter the chosen name, the issue will be resolved in court.

Words and expressions:

Das Kind beim Namen nennen - calling a spade a spade

Die Dinge beim Namen nennen - calling a spade a spade

Auf einen Namen hören - respond to a nickname (about animals)

Unter falschem Namen - under someone else's name

Mein Name ist Hase - my hut is on the edge

Natalia Khametshina, Deutsch Online

There are male German names known throughout the world, the bearers of which have determined the glory of Germany for centuries. Johann Sebastian, Ludwig, Wolfgang, Berthold - humanity without these people would not be what it is today.

Glory to all mankind

Bach, Beethoven, Goethe, Brecht - the list goes on for quite a long time. Robert, Peter, Gunther, Erich - these names are known, loved, they are common and popular. The most important thing, at least in this article, is that these are truly German names for men. In a global, cosmic sense, it is obviously not very important what name a genius bears. But just as the names Ivan Turgenev and Pyotr Tchaikovsky sound to the Russian ear, so to the German ear do Heinrich Heine and Robert Schumann.

Smiles of time

It is absolutely impossible to ignore the name Karl. And not only because Marx wore it (although most of humanity is certainly familiar with it). Charlemagne, king of the Franks, is no less famous. Faberge and Lagerfeld, a world-famous jeweler and king of fashion, are also well-known. What to say about Karl Urban. He played the role of one of the heroes of The Lord of the Rings! All the other Karls pale in comparison - who knows the height of Marx or Faberge? Urban has grown to 185 centimeters. Any football fan knows the football Carls - Rummenigge and Cort. And Papa Carlo is a symbol of an unlucky worker! In a word, the name is famous, ancient, and has not lost its popularity today.

Ancient names

The same ancient German names include the names of the heroes of the national epic “The Song of the Nibelungs” - blue-eyed and blond Siegfried, a symbol of a purebred Aryan, Sigmund, Alberich and others. Despite their advanced age, these names are in demand. Siegfried Schneider is a two-time Olympic champion, Siegfried Lenz is a popular film actor. Sigmund, thanks to Freud, - legendary name. Augustine also belongs to the ancients, a name glorified over the centuries by the Austrian folk song “Ah, my dear Augustine.” Such male German names as Hermann, Martin, Friedrich, Wilhelm, Gustav and Alfred are of considerable age, but are still popular today.

Availability and influence of information

Information flows are very large, the number of heroes that young people want to imitate is endless. The Internet did Earth one house, there are a lot of favorite names in it, and I want to name the child in honor of the idol. Therefore, sometimes they become the most popular. At all times, fashion has played an important role, and it has not bypassed German Modern ones clearly confirm the influence of the United States on the entire life of Western Europe. Ben (topping the popularity list) - when did this name become German? According to 2012 data, less than a third were included in the list of the most popular names for newborns. There is nothing to be done - modern Children live in society, and it dictates its own conditions. There are many examples in literature when children lived with hateful names, blaming their parents for their entire lives. An example is Publius Valerius, one of the heroes of the Forsyte Saga. His father named him this way in honor of the horse that came first in the race. But this is certainly an extreme case.

Internationality of names

There are many French names on the list - Louis, Luca, Leon. Quite a few Scandinavian ones - Jan, Jacob, Johas, Nicholas, and, of course, American ones - Tom, Tim. But the name Noah is somehow double. It is believed that this is a Hebrew female name, however, if it is translated as Noah, then the surprise still remains. Noa is a popular Israeli singer. Probably, after all, German boys are named after American actor, who has Indian roots, the hero of the film “The Last Airbender” - Noah Ringer. Let's hope that the French and American names in combination with do not sound as wild as Harry Kravchenko. So, the most popular German names today are Ben, Leon, Lucas, Luca (the song brought fame and love to this name). This only says that, despite the popularity of Berlinaria, there are a lot of American products on the screens of cinemas in Germany, as well as throughout the world.

Names that have retained significance for contemporaries

Maybe Hansel sounds archaic, and the boy is better off living with the name Johas - the Germans will judge. It is pleasant to note Philip (a horse lover) and Alexander (a courageous defender), who have not lost their popularity since ancient times. In addition to those listed above, the 2012 list includes such popular German male names as Felix, David, Henry. Times change, and names change along with them.

Names that have become household names

Every people has names that represent it as a nation. Russian Ivan, American Uncle Sam, German Fritz. They have a negative stamp on them. During the war, all occupiers were called “Kruts.” If we consider Fritz as a shortening of the full name Friedrich, then the picture changes dramatically. It testifies to the greatness of Germany - Nietzsche, Engels, Schiller, Barbarossa. These were great people. The royal names William and Henry are generally unrivaled in terms of monumentality and grandeur. In Europe there were dozens of reigning persons who wore them with honor. Heinrich Heine, the poet, added to his worldwide fame. Considering the wars unleashed by Germany in the 20th century, every German name, the most beautiful and noble, could belong to a war criminal. the head of the Gestapo, did not add human sympathy to him.

Typically German names

Erich, Gustav, Alfred, Heinrich, Wilhelm, Adolf, Friedrich - these are the most common German names. And the most characteristic. To them we can safely add Hermann and Otto, the most famous of whom was Bismarck, the “Iron Chancellor” who united the scattered German principalities into one state. But people of the older generation knew very well the handsome West German actor Otto Wilhelm Fischer and Otto Yulievich Schmidt.

Some male German names have received deserved obstruction. Adolf was very unlucky. Derived from the ancient Germanic name Adalwolf (translated as " noble wolf"), it characterized very decent person. He was characterized by elegance, restraint, sociability, willpower and intelligence. And for the time being it belonged to quite nice, talented people - Erichson (architect, master of Russian modernism), Andersen (the greatest chess player), Dassler (founder of the Adidas company). The Adolfs were the King of Nassau and Dobryansky-Sachurov, a major public figure, philosopher and writer. Thanks to Hitler, this name, like the name of King Herod, will personify and inspire horror and disgust for centuries.

Beautiful names

In Germany, like in any other country, there are beautiful German male names. It’s rare that someone is called Maximilian these days, and it didn’t happen very often in the past. But very beautiful name. And the West German actor was very handsome and talented. The name translates as “descendant of the greatest”; its bearers have many positive traits. Maximilian I, the German king, and Maximilian Voloshin, the Russian encyclopedist, were erudites. Aren’t the names Alfred (the famous Musset bore him), Arnold (there may have been famous Arnolds, but Schwarzenegger eclipsed everyone), Martin (“Martin Eden”). In some sources, Altaf, which translates as “the cutest, most charming,” and simply “handsome,” refers to German names. Such male German names listed in reference books as Lorenz, Raphael, Walter are most likely just names often given to boys in Germany. They are definitely of foreign origin.

Rare names

German deserves special words, which translated from Latin means close, half-brother, true, even brother. The name is so international and popular that Germans consider it German, and Russians consider it Russian. Pastor Kant, as well as the famous Jesuit Busembaum, speak in favor of the first version. In favor of the second - the hero " Queen of Spades", cosmonaut Titov, saints of Valaam, Constantinople, hermit Solovetsky. They were all Germans.

In Germany, like in any other country, there are rare German male names. There are a lot of them, from the noble Abelard to the bright Angelbert. These include Berndt, Willafrid, Detlef, Etzel and many others.

Names - the image of Germany

In general, when you pay attention to German male names, you are shocked by the greatness of the picture. No matter how many of them are listed, it is impossible to cover all the Germans who brought glory to their country and made their names immortal. Is it possible to ignore Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart if paintings called “Amadeus” appear on the screens of the world one after another? The names of philosophers, composers, writers - Liszt, Hegel, Kant and Schopenhauer - will always be the most famous for Germans. And only they themselves can judge the significance and popularity of their names. I would like to believe that the time will never come when the names of geniuses will be known to humanity only as the names of turtles and dogs (Raphael and Beethoven), and no one will remember the bearers of these names.

Like any other country, Germany has its own popular names. In general, there are no official statistics on the popularity of names in Germany, but several institutions are working on this issue. The most famous ratings of the Society German language(Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache - GfdS).

Data from approximately 170 German registry offices (Standesamt) are usually assessed here. Thus, according to reports from the German Language Society, in the chart of the most popular male names in different years Constantly fighting for supremacy Maximilian(Maximilian) Alexander(Alexander) and Lucas(Lucas). And among female names they alternately take the lead Marie(Marie) and Sophie(Sophie).

A slightly different picture, however, is painted by the Internet project beliebte-vornamen.de, which also studies the popularity of names in Germany. In 2013, they studied more than 180 thousand data on the birth of children and found that parents most often named girls - Mia(Mia), and the boys - Ben(Ben). Other popular names in 2013:

Illustration from the portal beliebte-vornamen.de

This difference in results is also explained by the fact that beliebte-vornamen.de takes into account only the first name in its ranking (for example, Anna Maria Louise - only Anna), while the German Language Society - all names given to the child.

What influences parents' choice of name?

Euphony definitely plays a big role. This explains the popularity of names starting with the letters M or L: Louise, Lena, Laura, Lina, Lea, Leon, Lucas, Maximilian, Max, Michael. Apparently, these sonorous ones are considered the most melodic and pleasant to the ear.

The popularity of a name is influenced, among other things, by social events and pop culture. The victory at Eurovision by Lena Meyer-Landrut in 2010 strengthened the popularity of the corresponding female name. Not on last place when choosing a name there is a fashion. How else can we explain the fact that at one time children were often called Angelinas, Justins or Kevins? Some parents name their offspring after fictional characters of any books or films, for example, in Germany there is already Nymphadora and Draco - and these are not characters from the world of Harry Potter, but real children.

By the way, at the same time, the opposite trend is observed: more and more Germans are choosing “old-fashioned” names for their babies, such as Matilda, Frida, Karl, Julius or Otto. Have you noticed that in Russia there is similar picture - old names becoming more and more popular? If among our peers it was only occasionally possible to meet Stepan or Timofey, Ulyana or Vasilisa, now in the sandbox you will not surprise anyone with Varvara, Yaroslava, Miron, Platon, or even Kuzma.

freedom of choice

By the way, the registry office may refuse to register an unusual-sounding name. The freedom of parents to choose any name for their child is limited by several principles: the name must not be obscene or degrading to the child, and must also clearly indicate gender. So, for example, last year, among others, the following names were not allowed: Venus, Cezanne, Schmitz, Tom Tom, Pfefferminze, Partizan, Junge ) and Puppe.

However, this does not mean that creative parents always fail at registry offices. For example, back in 1995, the court did not approve the use of the word “November” (November) as a name. And in 2006, November was already allowed to name a boy, and in 2007 - a girl. Here are examples of other equally exotic-sounding names registered by registry offices : Galaxina, Cosma-Schiwa, Chelsea, Dior, Bo, Prestige, Fanta, Laperla, Napoleon.

Aigul Berkheeva, Deutsch-online