60 Common & Uncommon German Surnames

Learn the origins behind German last names

Co-authored by Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: December 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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Uncommon

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Traditional

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Surname Origins

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If you have a last name like Müller or Schmidt, there’s a good chance you have German ancestry. Most German surnames have been in use for centuries and are related to professions or locations. If you want to learn more about these interesting names, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of common, uncommon, and traditional German surnames, along with their meanings. Plus, we’ll teach you all about the origins of these last names.

Popular German Surnames

Bauer (meaning “farmer, neighbor”)
Fischer (meaning “fisher”)
Müller (meaning “miller”)
Schmidt (meaning “smith”)
Schumacher (meaning “cobbler, shoemaker”)

Section 1 of 4:

Common German Last Names

There are currently about 850,000 different surnames in Germany, but some are far more common than others. For example, the name Müller is shared by about 700,000 people. Here are some of the most common German last names:
- Bauer (meaning “farmer, neighbor”)^{[1]
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- Becker (meaning “baker”)
- Fischer (meaning “fisher”)
- Hoffmann (meaning “landed farmer”)
- Klein (meaning “small”)^{[2]
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- Meyer (meaning “steward, landholder, leaseholder”)^{[3]
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- Müller (meaning “miller”)^{[4]
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- Neumann (meaning “new man”)
- Richter (meaning “judge”)
- Roth (meaning “red”)
- Schäfer (meaning “shepherd”)
- Schmidt (meaning “smith”)^{[5]
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- Schneider (meaning “tailor”)^{[6]
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- Schulz (meaning “mayor”)
- Stein (meaning “rock, stone”)
- Wagner (meaning “wagoner”)
- Walter (meaning “leader, ruler”)
- Weber (meaning “weaver”)
- Werner (meaning “defense army”)
- Wolf (meaning “wolf-like”)

Section 2 of 4:

Uncommon German Last Names

Not all German last names are commonly used. Some names may be pretty well-known in Germany, but may be unfamiliar to those living in other countries. Here are some German last names you may not have heard:
- Achterberg (meaning “behind the mountain/hill”)
- Albrecht (meaning “noble, famous”)
- Bierhals (meaning “beer-throat”)^{[7]
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- Brandt (meaning “fire, burn”)
- Durchdenwald (meaning “through the trees”)^{[8]
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- Fuchs (meaning “fox”)
- Graf (meaning “count, earl”)
- Handschuh (meaning “glove”)
- Koch (meaning “cook”)
- König (meaning “king”)
- Krause (meaning “curly-haired”)^{[9]
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- Lorenz (meaning “Laurentius”)
- Nachtnebel (meaning “foggy night”)^{[10]
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- Sauer (meaning “sour”)
- Seidel (meaning “mug”)
- Trinkenschuh (meaning “drink-shoe”)^{[11]
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- Vogel (meaning “bird”)
- Vogt (meaning “steward”)
- Weiß (meaning “white”)
- Winkler (meaning “angel”)

Section 3 of 4:

Old & Traditional German Last Names

Most German surnames have been around for centuries. A good way to tell if a last name is old is to research its meaning; if it’s tied to a profession, it’s probably been around for generations. Here are some traditional German surnames:
- Ackerman (meaning “plowman”)^{[12]
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- Adler (meaning “eagle”)
- Bach (meaning “stream”)
- Bergmann (meaning “miner”)
- Böhm (meaning “of Bohemia”)
- Goldschmidt (meaning “goldsmith”)
- Hartmann (meaning “strong man”)
- Huber (meaning “landowner”)
- Kaiser (meaning “emperor”)
- Kohler (meaning “charcoal-maker”)
- Kramer (meaning “small trader, dealer”)
- Lehmann (meaning “serf”)
- Schröder (meaning “carter”)
- Schubert (meaning “shoemaker”)
- Schulte (meaning “debt-broker”)
- Schumacher (meaning “cobbler, shoemaker”)
- Schuster (meaning “shoemaker”)^{[13]
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- Schwarz (meaning “black”)
- Zimmerman (meaning “carpenter”)
- Ziegler (meaning “brickmaker”)^{[14]
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Section 4 of 4:

German Surname Origins

German last names are typically tied to professions. Surnames came into common use in the Middle Ages and were used as a way of distinguishing between people more easily as settlements grew into larger cities. Because of this, most German surnames are related to professions or locations. For example, a person with the last name Fischer was likely a fisherman. These names were then passed down through generations, even if people no longer worked in that profession.^{[15]
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- Some German surnames are more complicated. In some locations, a person’s last name was tied to their farm’s name. If a person moved onto someone else’s farm, they might change their last name to that of the farm.
- Or, if a man’s wife inherited a farm, he might change his name to her maiden name.