German Surnames: Meaning, Origin & Coat of Arms (page 1 of 7)

Someone connected with an abbot

Cultivated land or a field

"farmer, ploughman"

Eagle

A familiar name, eel fishing, or shoemaking

Son of Ahler

Eagle (Arnold/Arend)

Owner of his farm

Son of Albert

Noble and bright

Someone who was older than another with whom he was associated

The old man

Old house

Old farm

Bailiff

Apples; also other origins

A dweller near an apple tree

A dweller near an apple tree

A descendant of Arend (eagle, rule)

A descendant of Arend (eagle, rule)

From Arnold ("eagle power")

Eagle power

A branch-related nickname, a trade, or a place

Water meadow dweller

Meadow brook

"one who lived by a stream"

"bathhouse keeper"

Bear

Bavarian

A descendant of Balthasar

Someone from Bamberg

A descendant of little Bart

"son of Bartel"

Bearded, or from Bartholomäus

A pet form of Bartholomäus or a nickname for a bear

Farmer

Tree

Farmer, cultivator

"orchard keeper"

"a Bavarian"

A descendant of Betto, from names with Bercht, bright

Baker; brook

Baker

Little baker

Dweller by a brook

A dweller on, or near, a hill

Someone who came from Bohemia (home of the Boii)

A Low German pet form of Bernhard

Someone who lived at the sign of the bear

A dweller at the sign of the bear

Son of Bernd (Bernhard)

Someone who came from Bavaria, in Germany

Axe (axe-maker or user)

Someone who came from Bellingen

Someone who came from Bellingen

Cooper, barrel maker

A maker of baskets or cradles

A short form of Berthold or Bernhard

Dweller on a hill

Hill dweller

Mountain dweller; miner

Someone from Berlin, or a descendant of Berl

A descendant of Berndt (bear, firm)

Bear-brave / Bernhard

A descendant of Berinhard (bear, brave)

From the name Bernhard

Amber

Bavarian

Someone from Bieber, or a nickname from the beaver

An honest, upright man

Someone who came from Buhl or Buhler (small hill)

A dweller on, or near, a hill

Beer man / brewer

A descendant of Bilo

A descendant of Bilo

"cooper, barrel maker"

Pear tree

Member of a bishop's entourage or household

Bishop (servant/tenant)

Member of a bishop's entourage or household

A cooper who made tubs and casks

White, bright

Fair, bright

A fair-complexioned person, or someone wearing blue

Foreigner, Italian

Flower

Billy goat (nickname)

"messenger"

Bohemian

Someone who made, or sold, barrels or casks, a cooper

Bohemian

A short form of a Germanic personal name, or a bean grower

A place called Boll, a nickname, or a personal name

From Bollingen

A descendant of Burkhard

Someone who borrows or lends money or goods

Spring / well

A dweller at the brook or spring

Someone who had bristly hair

Cooper, barrel maker

From Brandenburg

Of Brand / fire

Little Brand / burnt clearing

Sword; land cleared by fire

"brewer"

Brown (hair or complexion)

The dark-complexioned man

"distiller or charcoal burner"

Someone who came from Breslau (named after King Vratislaw)

A descendant of Briddo

A village green, pasture or edge

Dweller on the field edge

Marsh dweller

A dweller near a brown stone, usually a boundary mark

A dweller near a brown stone, usually a boundary mark

Marsh brook

"one who lived by a bridge"

Bridge keeper

Bridge dweller

A Low German form of Brun or a nickname for brown

A descendant of Brun (brown)

Dweller by a spring

Son of Brun

Beech / book

A dweller in, or near, a beech grove

"beech wood"

A dweller at, or near, the beech trees

Beech dweller

A dweller in, or near, a beech grove

Someone living by a beech wood

Someone who lived near the beech wood

Someone who copied books

A cooper who made casks

Hill dweller

Citizen of a town

Strong fortress

Birch slope

A village headman or farmers' representative

Someone who tilled the land, a farmer

Bush, thicket

Man by the bushes