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{{Germany | {{CountrySidebar | ||
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|Background=Naming Customs | |||
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'''Understanding customs used in German | '''Understanding customs used in German names can help you identify your ancestors in records. Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names.''' | ||
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==Online Tools== | ==Online Tools== | ||
*[https://script.byu.edu/ | *[https://script.byu.edu/00000184-9bb0-d9f7-af95-9bbc5e000001/german-name-examples '''List of Names in Old German Script'''] A comprehensive list of German given names, written in old script, with possible variations. | ||
*[https://script.byu.edu/ | *[https://script.byu.edu/german-handwriting/tools/names-general '''German Surnames'''] and [https://script.byu.edu/german-handwriting/tools/names-general '''German Given Names'''] | ||
::Sometimes, deciphering a surname or given name in an old handwritten document is not as easy as one might suppose. This could be due to the widespread use of abbreviations or to the difficulty in reading the handwriting. Use these lists of surname and given names to assist you in interpreting the names mentioned in the documents.<ref>"Old French Records", at"BYU Script Tutorial", https://script.byu.edu/ | ::Sometimes, deciphering a surname or given name in an old handwritten document is not as easy as one might suppose. This could be due to the widespread use of abbreviations or to the difficulty in reading the handwriting. Use these lists of surname and given names to assist you in interpreting the names mentioned in the documents.<ref>"Old French Records", at "BYU Script Tutorial", https://script.byu.edu/french-handwriting/introduction accessed 15 February 2021.</ref> | ||
*[https://surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/german '''Behind the Name: German Surnames'''] | |||
*[https://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/german '''Behind the Name: German Given Names'''] | |||
*[http://altdeutsche-schrift.de/adsschreiben.php#schrifftfeld '''Old German Script Transcriber (alte deutsche Handschriften):'''] See your family names in the script of the era. Type your name or other word into the font generator tool. Click on the 8 different fonts. Save the image to your computer and use it as you work with old Germanic records.<br> | *[http://altdeutsche-schrift.de/adsschreiben.php#schrifftfeld '''Old German Script Transcriber (alte deutsche Handschriften):'''] See your family names in the script of the era. Type your name or other word into the font generator tool. Click on the 8 different fonts. Save the image to your computer and use it as you work with old Germanic records.<br> | ||
*[https://www.kartezumnamen.eu/en/ '''Germany Distribution Map'''] | *[https://www.kartezumnamen.eu/en/ '''Germany Surname Distribution Map'''] | ||
*[https://nvk.genealogy.net/map '''CompGen Name Distribution Map'''] | |||
*[https://www.namenforschung.net/en/dfd/dictionary/list/ '''Digital Dictionary of Surnames in Germany (DFD)'''] | |||
*[https://ggsmn.org/surname.php '''Germanic Surnames List,'''] providing locations and date ranges of name occurrence | *[https://ggsmn.org/surname.php '''Germanic Surnames List,'''] providing locations and date ranges of name occurrence | ||
*[http://genealogy.familyeducation.com/browse/origin/german '''German Surnames and their meanings (in English)'''] | *[http://genealogy.familyeducation.com/browse/origin/german '''German Surnames and their meanings (in English)'''] | ||
*[http://geogen.stoepel.net/ '''Surname Distribution Tools for Germany'''], based on recent data presented on a 3-D map. | *[http://geogen.stoepel.net/ '''Surname Distribution Tools for Germany'''], based on recent data presented on a 3-D map. | ||
*[http://www.talmud.de/cms/Juedische_Vornamen.70.0.html '''Jewish Given Names'''] | *[http://www.talmud.de/cms/Juedische_Vornamen.70.0.html '''Jewish Given Names'''] | ||
* | *{{FSC|103656|item|disp='''Słownik imion'''}} (Second item on the film.) Dictionary of names, contains given names translated into 23 different European languages, including English. Names are listed alphabetically by the Polish name, as the author is Polish. An index at the back gives the Polish form of each name. Use that name to find the 23 translations in the main list. | ||
*[https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~mstone/genealogy/dialectical.html '''Internal Dialectical Clues in German Surnames'''] is a more thorough listing of known dialect clues. | *[https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~mstone/genealogy/dialectical.html '''Internal Dialectical Clues in German Surnames'''] is a more thorough listing of known dialect clues.<br> | ||
Frisian names are used in Friesland in East and North Frisia in northwestern Germany. | |||
*[https://surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/frisian '''Behind the Name: Frisian Surnames'''] | |||
*[https://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/frisian '''Behind the Name: Frisian Given Names'''] | |||
*[https://www.familysearch.org/en/surname Surname experience] at FamilySearch - search by surname to learn its meaning and origin | |||
== Surnames == | == Surnames == | ||
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The use of patronymics continued until decrees were passed that required persons to adopt permanent hereditary family names. Subjects were often reluctant to comply, so several decrees were needed. These decrees were passed in 1771, 1820, and 1822 in the province of Schleswig-Holstein and in 1811 in Ostfriesland. | The use of patronymics continued until decrees were passed that required persons to adopt permanent hereditary family names. Subjects were often reluctant to comply, so several decrees were needed. These decrees were passed in 1771, 1820, and 1822 in the province of Schleswig-Holstein and in 1811 in Ostfriesland. | ||
=== | ===Hofnamen (Farm Names)=== | ||
'''In some areas of Germany, individuals took a second surname'''. <br> | '''In some areas of Germany, individuals took a second surname from the name of a farm.'''. <br> | ||
In many areas of Germany there is a widespread use of '''''"Hofnamen" or "farm names"''''' used. This is especially true for '''Westfalen (Westphalia) and Hannover and parts of Rheinland and Schlesien (Silesia)'''. Terms such as '''''modo'', ''vulgo'', ''genannt'', and ''alias '''''indicate this naming practice. Some farm families, particularly in Westphalia, used the particle '''''"von" or "zu"''''' followed by their farm or former farm's name as a family name. Men often take on the wife's surname if moving onto her property. Some of the children born to the couple may have used his surname, while others in the same family used the wife's family name. Be aware that as people moved, this might change their surname, and it may revert back and forth within the same records. Extra care needs to be taken to make sure that the correct people are included in the family group and that no one is accidentally overlooked. More about [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ehrhard/Farm%20Names.htm Hofnamen] can be studied here. | |||
===Occupations=== | |||
Some records preface names with occupations, and the occupation may erroneously be indexed as a given name. For example, Weber Ernst Friederich Zentner is a man named Ernst Friederich Zentner who is a weaver. | |||
=== | === Grammatical Changes in German Surnames === | ||
''' | '''Gender and grammar can affect German surname endings.''' | ||
==== -in ==== | |||
*Surnames of wives and mothers often end with ''-in''. This is common in Roman Catholic church records written in Latin. In Latin, suffixes are added to names of people and things (all nouns) to reflect relationships stated in the record. These suffixes belong to the Latin language, not to the names. For example, in records of Barbara Meyer's birth, baptism, marriage and her children's births and baptisms, her name may be written Barbara Meyerin but in her own death and burial records it is written Barbara Meyer. | |||
*Surnames ending in ''-in'' can have the Latin ''-in'' suffix. An example is the birth record of Maria Louisa Martin, daughter of Ludwig Christoph Martin: her name may be written Maria Louisa Martinin. | |||
*To decide if ''-in'' is a Latin suffix or part of the surname, try to find a surname index to the record you are searching, even if it doesn't start until many years later. You could also search pages back and forth in the record looking for a male with that surname. | |||
''' | |||
==== -sch, -sche ==== | |||
* In West Low German parlance the ending '''"…sch(e)"''' is sometimes added to surnames of women, related to the standard High German adjective ending "…isch" (cognitive to English "…ish"), suffixed to nouns or adjectives indicating belonging/pertaining to, being of the kind described by the suffixed word: for example, de Smidtsche, is Ms Schmidt (Smith), but literally about the Smithian (the woman pertaining to a man/family named Schmidt).[19] | * In West Low German parlance the ending '''"…sch(e)"''' is sometimes added to surnames of women, related to the standard High German adjective ending "…isch" (cognitive to English "…ish"), suffixed to nouns or adjectives indicating belonging/pertaining to, being of the kind described by the suffixed word: for example, de Smidtsche, is Ms Schmidt (Smith), but literally about the Smithian (the woman pertaining to a man/family named Schmidt).[19] | ||
*Another form, indicating a female bearer of a surname, was the addition of a genitive '''"s"''' | |||
==== -s ==== | |||
*Another form, indicating a female bearer of a surname, was the addition of a genitive '''"s"'''. A daughter or wife of Mr. Bäcker (literally Baker) would appear as Ms Bäckers (in German without an apostrophe), as being Bäcker's daughter or wife.<ref>"German name", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_name, accessed 12 February 2021.</ref> | |||
===Surname Spelling Variations by Dialect=== | ===Surname Spelling Variations by Dialect=== | ||
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Dialect spellings can often give a clue to the origin of the name and even the region where an ancestor lived. | Dialect spellings can often give a clue to the origin of the name and even the region where an ancestor lived. | ||
*[[The Dialect Basis of Spelling Variation in German Surnames|'''The Dialect Basis of Spelling Variation in German Surnames''']] is | *[[The Dialect Basis of Spelling Variation in German Surnames|'''The Dialect Basis of Spelling Variation in German Surnames''']] is a short article describing this phenomenon | ||
*[https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~mstone/genealogy/dialectical.html '''Internal Dialectical Clues in German Surnames'''] is a more thorough listing of known dialect clues. | *[https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~mstone/genealogy/dialectical.html '''Internal Dialectical Clues in German Surnames'''] is a more thorough listing of known dialect clues. | ||
===Surname | ===Jewish Surname Customs=== | ||
'''As German | '''Before the 1800s, the use of a surname by Jews was left to the discretion of the individual.'''<br> | ||
Jews in Germany followed the custom of using only a given name and the name of the father, such as Isaac, son of Abraham (Isaac ben Abraham). Most Jews did not adopt hereditary family names until required to do so by law. By the 1820s, most small German states had extended civil rights to Jews and required them to adopt surnames. | |||
===Surname Changes of German Immigrants in the United States=== | |||
'''As German immigrants moved into English-speaking countries, their surnames were impacted in a variety of ways.''' | |||
<br> | <br> | ||
*Most of the time the surname spelling changed to | *Most of the time the surname spelling changed to accommodate the '''different phonetic spelling in the English language'''. In other words, the recorder tried to write the name the way he heard it. | ||
*Surnames may also have been '''translated outright into English''', sometimes with a slight twist. Examples: Feuerstein= Firestone, Schwarzenbach(er) = Blackcreek [which evolved into "Blackrick" and other phonetic spellings], or simply "Black". | *Surnames may also have been '''translated outright into English''', sometimes with a slight twist. Examples: Feuerstein= Firestone, Schwarzenbach(er) = Blackcreek [which evolved into "Blackrick" and other phonetic spellings], or simply "Black". | ||
*Within the German community, such as the local parish, immigrants may continue to use the proper German name, while at the same time '''using English-language equivalents when dealing with local government, census takers, and other non-Germans.''' | *Within the German community, such as the local parish, immigrants may continue to use the proper German name, while at the same time '''using English-language equivalents when dealing with local government, census takers, and other non-Germans.''' | ||
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*Prior to 1900, formal surname changes documented in local court records are relatively rare. | *Prior to 1900, formal surname changes documented in local court records are relatively rare. | ||
*During the early 20th Century, especially the World War I era, surname changes are recorded more frequently, as immigrants or, more often, their children, tried to adopt more neutral surnames. | *During the early 20th Century, especially the World War I era, surname changes are recorded more frequently, as immigrants or, more often, their children, tried to adopt more neutral surnames. | ||
===Surname Changes of German Immigrants in Hungary=== | |||
* Spelling of German surnames often changed to reflect '''different phonetic spelling in the Hungarian language''': S would be written Sz and Z would be written Cz. | |||
===Surnames Historical Development=== | ===Surnames Historical Development=== | ||
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== Given Names == | == Given Names == | ||
*German given names are | *German given names are often derived from '''Biblical names''', such as Josef (Joseph); from the '''names of saints''', such as Joannes (Joan); or '''from Old German''', such as Siegfried. | ||
*When baptized, children were | *With '''the Reformation''', the Protestant territories started to frown on names of saints being given to their children. The trend was now to choose names from the Old and New Testaments. Preferred were Abraham, Rebekka, Esther, Lea, Salome. | ||
*If an elder child died young, the parents frequently '''reused the deceased child's exact name''' on the next born child of the same gender. This can be a good guide in terms of your research, but it is not an absolute.'' Do not assume | *When baptized, children were often given '''two or more given names'''. Which name they actually went by can vary by location and time period. In many areas, however, it was common for the child to be called by the second name. For example, if the first two males born in a family were named Johann Christoph and Johann Friedrich, they were usually called Christoph and Friedrich. | ||
*If an elder child died young, the parents frequently '''reused the deceased child's exact name''' on the next born child of the same gender. This can be a good guide in terms of your research, but it is not an absolute.'' Do not assume ''the older child with the exact name died unless you find his/her death date. | |||
*Some children received as many as four or more given names at baptism. Multiple given names were often the names of '''parents or other relatives'''. Many of these names were frequently dropped as the child matured. Thus, a person's '''later records do not always use the name he or she was given at birth.''' | *Some children received as many as four or more given names at baptism. Multiple given names were often the names of '''parents or other relatives'''. Many of these names were frequently dropped as the child matured. Thus, a person's '''later records do not always use the name he or she was given at birth.''' | ||
===German Naming Pattern=== | ===German Naming Pattern=== | ||
'''German families | '''Some German families used the following pattern for naming children, mostly in areas close to the Netherlands, because this pattern was really a Dutch, not German, custom:''' | ||
{| | {| | ||
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'''Gender and grammar can affect German name endings.''' | '''Gender and grammar can affect German name endings.''' | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
*Germans occasionally use "-chen" and "-lein" as diminutive endings meaning “little.” Gretchen could be translated little Greta (Margret). The endings -s or -es show possession. Hermann Josefs Sohn would mean Joseph's son Hermann. Notice that there is no apostrophe. | *Germans occasionally use "-chen" and "-lein" as diminutive endings meaning “little.” Gretchen could be translated little Greta (Margret). Use of the ending may result in vowel changes, such as "Hänschen", which is "little Hans". (Hans itself is a familiar variant of Johan.) | ||
<ref>"German name", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_name, accessed 12 February 2021.</ref> | *Germans may also use "-el" as a diminutive ending. For example, Hansel and Gretel for Johan and Margret. | ||
*The endings -s or -es show possession. Hermann Josefs Sohn would mean Joseph's son Hermann. Notice that there is no apostrophe.<ref>"German name", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_name, accessed 12 February 2021.</ref> | |||
=== Given Names in Foreign Languages === | === Given Names in Foreign Languages === | ||
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The following '''online''' source contains given names translated into 23 different European languages, including English: | The following '''online''' source contains given names translated into 23 different European languages, including English: | ||
*Janowowa, Wanda, et al. '' | *Janowowa, Wanda, et al. ''{{FSC|103656|item|disp='''Słownik imion''' (Second item on the film.)}} (Dictionary of names).'' Wrocław, Germany: Zakład Narodowy im Ossolińskich, 1975. (FS Library book Ref 940 D4si; film 1181578 item 2; fiche 6,000,839.) Names are listed alphabetically by the Polish name, as the author is Polish. An index at the back gives the Polish form of each name. Use that name to find the 23 translations in the main list. | ||
=== "Nicknames", Variations on Given Names === | === "Nicknames", Variations on Given Names === | ||
'''Many given names have variants and dialectical forms.'''<br> | '''Many given names have variants and dialectical forms.'''<br> | ||
Barbara, for example, can appear as '''Barbel, Barbele, Barbeli, Bärbel, | Barbara, for example, can appear as '''Barbel, Barbele, Barbeli, Bärbel, Bärbelchen, Bärmel, Bäbi, or even Wawerl or Wetti'''. Some areas of Germany may use diminutive forms of names more than others. A good way to determine naming customs of the area is to study the patterns found in the records of birth/christening, marriages, and burials/deaths. If major changes occur in the naming patterns or form used, that could indicate a ministerial change, perhaps one coming from another area. Several books are available that list variant forms of given names. | ||
==For Further Reading== | ==For Further Reading== | ||
*For more details about German '''naming customs, spellings, grammatical endings, and variants:''' | *For more details about German '''naming customs, spellings, grammatical endings, and variants:''' | ||
**Kenneth L. Smith's | **Kenneth L. Smith's {{FSC|498963|item|disp=German Church Books : Beyond the Basics}} Camden, Maine : Picton Press, 1989. (943 D27skL.) {{WorldCat|560609906|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} | ||
**Melchers, Paul & Wasserzieher, Ernst. | **Melchers, Paul & Wasserzieher, Ernst. <u>'''''Hans Und Grete '''''</u> (2500 First names explained). Bonn, Germany: Ferd. Dümmlers Verlag, 1972. (FS Library book 943 D4w 1972) {{WorldCat|4802433|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} | ||
**Minert, Roger P. '''''Spelling Variations in German Names: Solving Family History Problems Through Applications of German and English Phonetics'''''. GRT Publications; Woods Cross, UT, 2000. | **Minert, Roger P. '''''Spelling Variations in German Names: Solving Family History Problems Through Applications of German and English Phonetics'''''. GRT Publications; Woods Cross, UT, 2000. (FS Library book 943 D47m) {{WorldCat|44623991|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} | ||
*There are also many books that discuss '''German names and their meanings. Some indicate the cities or regions where some surnames are most common or the earliest date and place the name was documented:''' | *There are also many books that discuss '''German names and their meanings. Some indicate the cities or regions where some surnames are most common or the earliest date and place the name was documented:''' | ||
**Bahlow, Hans. '''''Deutsches Namenlexikon (German name dictionary).''''' Frankfurt/Main, Germany: Suhrkamp Taschenbuch, 1972. ( | **Bahlow, Hans. '''''Deutsches Namenlexikon (German name dictionary).''''' Frankfurt/Main, Germany: Suhrkamp Taschenbuch, 1972. (FS Library book 943 D4ba 1972.) {{WorldCat|742422822|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} | ||
*Part of a German's first name(s) could come from '''the "saint name"''' associated with the date on which he/she was christened. Two sources which could be used for checking this out are: | *Part of a German's first name(s) could come from '''the "saint name"''' associated with the date on which he/she was christened. Two sources which could be used for checking this out are: | ||
**Weidenhan, Joseph L. | **Weidenhan, Joseph L. <u>'''''Baptismal Names...'''''</u> Baltimore, Maryland: Kenmore Productions, 19--. Republished by Gale Research Company: Detroit, Michigan, 1968. (FS Library book 929.4 W426b) {{WorldCat|6444472|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} | ||
**Grotefend, H & Ulrich, Th. | **Grotefend, H & Ulrich, Th. <u> [https://archive.org/details/taschenbuchderze00grot '''''Taschenbuch der Zeitrechnung des Deutschen Mittelalters und der Neuzeit''''' (Online)] </u> Hannover, Germany: Verlag Hahnsche Buchhandlung,1971. (FS Library book 943 H3gh 1971) {{WorldCat|10400769|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}} | ||
*More such books are listed in the '''FamilySearch Catalog:''' | *More such books are listed in the '''FamilySearch Catalog:''' | ||
**{{ | **{{FSC|Germany - Names, Personal|subject|subject-id=279528516|disp= Germany - Names, Personal}} | ||
**{{ | **{{FSC|Germany - Names, Personal - Dictionaries|subject|subject-id=1094965813|disp= Germany - Names, Personal - Dictionaries}} | ||
**{{FSC|Germany - Names, Personal - Handbooks, manuals, etc.|subject|subject-id=1694123491|disp= Germany - Names, Personal - Handbooks, manuals, etc.}} | |||
**{{ | **{{FSC|Germany - Names, Personal - Indexes|subject|subject-id=247751817|disp= Germany - Names, Personal - Indexes}} | ||
**{{ | **{{FSC|Germany - Names, Personal - Maps|subject|subject-id=192495698|disp= Germany - Names, Personal - Maps}} | ||
**{{ | **{{FSC|124420|subject_id|disp= Germany - Names, Personal - Periodicals}} | ||
**{{ | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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{{Germany|Germany}} | {{Germany|Germany}} | ||
[[fr:Allemagne : Noms et Surnoms]][[pt:Alemanha - Nomes Pessoais]] | [[fr:Allemagne : Noms et Surnoms]][[pt:Alemanha - Nomes Pessoais]] | ||
[[Category:Germany]] [[Category: | [[Category:Germany]] [[Category:Naming Customs]] [[Category:Naming Customs]] | ||
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