Top 100 Best Old German Names
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Germany is an ancient country with a lot of old German legends and history.
Many parents look for old German names or modified German names with a modern twist when naming your child. These old German names can bring out a little bit of historical importance to your first child's name.
German names follow the typical standard of having a first name and a family name, and some authentic German names have deep meanings that can shape a person's personality. The German language has different dialects which are categorized into High German or Low German, which differ in the pronunciation of consonants mostly; this list includes names from both dialects.
This list has not only some common old German male names and old German female names, but also some names of famous German personalities that you may be inspired to name your child after. A lot of the names are biblical references or inspired by noble ancestors of particular families.
Some popular German names are also names of brands like Kurt Geiger, Aldo and Hugo Boss. Below is a list of baby names with German origin for you to choose from.
For more naming inspiration take a look at these city names for boys and city names for girls.
Old German Names Inspired By Famous German Personalities
Here is a list of some famous people with Germanic names that can inspire you to name your kids after them.
1.Adam (M) (Low German origin) meaning "the earth" from Adam Ries, an ancient yet well known German mathematician.
2. Alfred (M) (Old High German origin) meaning "elf" from Alfred Weber, a German economist and philosopher with groundbreaking theories.
3. Alphonse (M) meaning "noble estate", from Alphonse Daudet, a French novelist. This could be a great male name for your boy with noble qualities.
4.Anne (F) meaning "grace" from Anne Frank, the famous diarist.
5.Boris (M) meaning "wolf" from Boris Becker, a German tennis player.
6.Bruno (M) meaning "brown" from Bruno Walter, a renowned German pianist and composer.
7.David (M) meaning "beloved" from David Hilbert, an influential mathematician. It is a popular name for boys with roots in Germany.
8.Dennis (M) meaning"belonging to Dionysius" from Dennis Schroder, a German basketball player.
9.Diane (F) referring to "Goddess of wellness" from Diane Kruger, an award-winning German actress.
10.Emanuel (M) meaning "God is always with us" from Emanuel Lasker, a German chess player and mathematician.
11.Emil (M) meaning "rival" from Emil Jannings, a German actor.
12.Fanny (F) from Fanny Hensel, a German musician.
13.Hans (M) meaning "gracious YHWH" from Hans Zimmer, a German music composer.
14.Hugo (M) meaning "mind" in German from Hugo Boss, a fashion designer.
15.Inga (F) meaning "from the land of Ing" from Inga Abel, a beautiful German actress.
16.Jakob (M) meaning "may God protect us" from Jakob Grimm, a popular German philosopher.
17.Karl (M) meaning "strong man" from Karl Benz, who is popular for creating the first known automobile.
18.Ludwig (M) (Old High German origin) meaning "war" from Ludwig Bamberger, a renowned German politician and economist.
19.Marcus (M) meaning "Mars God" from Marcus Goldman, a popular German economist and banker.
20.Matthias (M) meaning "God's gift" from Matthias Claudius, known best for his simple yet impactful poems.
21.Max (M) meaning "greatest" from Max Zorn, an artist known for his German street art.
22.Michael (M) meaning "like God" from Michael Ballack, a famous German football player.
23.Nina (F)meaning "flower" in German from Nina Hagen, a contemporary German music artist.
24.Petra (F) meaning "stone" from Petra Kelly, a German politician and activist.
25.Rudolf (M) meaning "noble fame" from Rudolf Augstein, a famous journalist and editor. A noble name for your son.
Old German Names For Girls
Are you looking for German names that will give your little girl a traditional touch? The list below is a comprehensive list of German names with meanings.
26.Ada meaning "noble" in German. Noble is a common meaning for old German names
27. Adalgisa meaning "a hostage who's noble". This is a sweet German name signifying a noble quality.
28. Aiga ( Low German origin) meaning "edge of a sword"
29. Bilke (Low German origin) meaning "gentleness" in German.
30. Carsta (Low German origin) meaning "strong" in German.
31. Gude ( Low German origin ) meaning "warrior" or "fighter".
32. Hannah (High German origin) meaning "favor or grace" in German.
33. Heidi ( High German origin)meaning "someone who is noble". Heidi is also the name of a popular German short story for children
34.Hibbel (Low German origin )meaning "protector".
35.Ilina ( High German origin) meaning "possessing high intelligence".
36.Lieken ( Low German origin ) meaning "Like a princess".
37.Maria ( High German origin) meaning "bitter".
38.Maxi (High German origin)meaning "greatest" in German.
39.Mia ( High German origin) meaning "mine" in German.
40.Nadine (High German origin) meaning "the courage of a bear".
41.Nina (High German origin) meaning "God is gracious".
42.Nix (High German origin) meaning "night".
43.Sophia (High German origin) meaning "wisdom art".
44.Steffi (High German origin)meaning "garland" or "crown".
45.Stella (High German origin) meaning "star".
46.Susanne (High German origin) meaning "lily".
47.Tanya (High German origin) meaning "princess" in German.
48.Thea (High German origin) meaning "first gift of God".
49.Theresa (High German origin)meaning "hunter or guardian".
50.Zoe (High German origin) meaning "good life".
Old German Names For Boys
German names have an old charm attached to them. Here's a list of popular yet meaningful old High German names for boys that you can consider for your cute little boy.
51.Baldwin (Old German origin) meaning "brave, bold friend". Baldwin is also a common old High German family name.
52. Bendix (Low German origin) which is a Biblical reference, also meaning Benedict.
53.Ernest (High German origin) meaning "serious" or "determined". It is a famous name because of the famous poet, Ernest Hemingway.
54.Frank (High German origin) means "brave" or "noble" in German.
55.Gunther (Low German Origin)a name meaning "a brave army man". It is also the name of a popular character from the TV show, 'Friends'.
56.Hamlet (Low German origin) meaning "homely". Hamlet is a popular English play written by Shakespeare and based in Germany.
57.Harold meaning "power" in German.
58.Kurt (High German origin) meaning "wolf". Kurt Geiger is a famous footwear brand for both men and women by a German man.
59.Leo (High German origin) meaning "lion". It is a popular sun sign and a memorable name that is easy to remember.
60.Leopold meaning "brave person" in German.
61.Luka is a popular Biblical name in Germany.
62.Lydon is a popular Biblical name.
63.Merten meaning "strong as bear". It is the German version of the popular English male name, Martin.
64.Oskar (High German origin) meaning "the god's spear". Oskar is the old German version of malename, Oscar, best known for Oscar Wilde, an Irish poet and playwright.
65.Otis meaning "wealthy". Otis is a famous name because of the first elevator manufacturer and very common Otis elevators.
66.Paul meaning "small or humble" in German.
67.Philip meaning "a horse lover" in German.
68.Rafael meaning "God heals". It is a famous name because of Rafael Nadal, one of the top male tennis players in the world.
69.Reynold (High German origin) meaning "brightness".
70.Riker meaning "strong power".
71.Sigmund meaning 'protection through victory'.
72.Stadtler meaning "responsible". Stadtler is a common old German stationery company.
73.Stefan (High German origin) meaning "crown".
74.Stein (High German origin) meaning "stone" or "rock" in German.
75.Valentin meaning "strong" or "healthy".
Gender Neutral Old German Names
Some old High German names, are extremely meaningful and gender neutral. These German names have been put out in a list for you below.
76.Alex (Old High German origin) meaning "noble". It is an old common unisex name.
77.Andy (Old High German origin) meaning "brave" .
78.August (Old High German origin) meaning "great" or "maleficent".
79.Bailey (Old High German origin) meaning "powerful" in German.
80.Bobby meaning "shining bright". Bobby is a popular gender neutral name in many countries.
81.Brooke (Old High German origin) meaning "sweet" in German. This has often been used as one of the old German girl names.
82.Charlie meaning "a free warrior" in German.
83.Emery meaning "brave" or "valiant" in German.
84.Finn meaning "fair headed".
85.Henny (Old High German origin) meaning "keeper of the heart".
86.Jamie meaning "holder of the heel". It is a popular name that is associated with the chef, Jamie Oliver.
87.Leni (Old High German origin) meaning "bright" or "illuminating".
88.Levi (Old High German origin) meaning "together" or "joint". Levi is a name that is easy to remember because of a popular old denim jeans brand named Levi's.
89.Lonnie (Old High German origin) meaning "ready for battle".
90.Madison meaning "child of the mighty noble warrior". It is also a popular old neighborhood in New York City and an easy to remember name.
91.Maude (Old High German origin) meaning "powerful battler".
92.Mica meaning "the new moon" in German.
93.Reese meaning "one with a big heart".
94.Robin meaning "fame" or "bright".
95.Sloane (Old High German origin) meaning "warrior" or "fighter".
96.Stark meaning "strong" or "powerful". A popular name because of the superhero Tony Stark.
97.Tate meaning "cheerful". Tate is also a popular old museum in London and a memorable name.
98.Taylor was first derived from the old German "snidanaere," referring to a cloth cutter or a clothing tailor.
99.Terry meaning "power of the first tribe".
100. Toni (Old High German origin) meaning "a colorful flower".
Kidadl has lots of great names articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for old German names then why not take a look at these German girl names, or for something different take a look at these medieval male names.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature.
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