German surnames
Schmidt, Weber, Fischer
German surnames follow patterns common to European naming traditions.
Many derive from occupations: Schmidt (smith), Müller (miller), Fischer (fisher), Schneider (tailor).
Others indicate ancestry through patronymics: Friedrich's son becomes Friedrichsen.
Place names and geographic features also supply surnames: Steinberg (stone mountain), Bachmann (brook man).
German surnames spread widely through emigration, often anglicized: Schmitt became Smith, Müller became Miller.
- SchmidtGerman surname meaning metalworker
- WeberGerman scholarly surname
- old countryImmigrant's ancestral homeland
- MüllerGerman grain-grinder surname
- FischerGerman surname, angler
Schulz · family tree · Hansen · Hoffmann · Koch · Braun · Wagner · Becker · patronymic · Richter · Jung · Peters · immigration · name change · Hartmann · Berlin · Black Forest · beer garden
- German ancestryPennsylvania Dutch
- German heritagelederhosen, dirndls, beer gardens, beer garden, Christmas markets
- surnamesSmith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, Jones
German surnamesgiven names
Individual's personal appellations
first names · forenames · baptismal names · Christian names · nicknames