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German Surnames
German surnames from Müller to Keller

The list that follows ranks the 50 most common family names in Germany. It was produced by surveying names found in German telephone books. Attached is the English meaning for each name. The most common German surname is Müller, which means "miller" - it points to their actual occupation. Keller on the other hand belongs to a class of names derived from WHERE someone worked, in this case, possibly a Ratskeller (cellar pub/restaurant) or Weinkeller (wine cellar). Names and their sources can be a tricky thing as they go so far back in Europe. On this list you find likely meanings/orgins of the most common ones.

Generally speaking, most names were based on

- occupations/social status
- location
- a person's physical characteristics

NOTE: German names that include "von" may indicate a member of (former) nobility, like the French "de" or the Dutch "van". At certain times and places, it was illegal for anyone who was not a member of aristocracy to use "von" before their family name. Therefore: Chances are that the person who has it in their name now was somehow related to this social class. (In the Middle Ages the "von" particle was still a common part of names and was widely used also by commoners, e.g. "Hans von Duisburg" meant Hans from [the city of] Duisburg.)


The 50 Most-Common German Last Names

Müller (Mueller, Möller) = miller
Schmidt (Schmitz, Schmitt, Schmid) = smith
Schneider = tailor
Fischer = fisher
Meyer (Meier, Maier, Mayer) = dairyman

Weber = weaver
Schulz (Schulze, Scholz) = mayor
Wagner = wagoner, wainwright
Becker = baker
Hoffmann (Hofmann) = landed farmer

Schäfer (Schaefer) = shepherd
Koch = cook
Bauer = farmer, peasant
Schröder (Schroeder) = carter
Klein = small, little

Richter = judge
Wolf = wolf
Neumann = new man
Schwarz = black
Schmitz (Schmidt) = smith

Krüger (Krueger) = potter
Braun = brown
Zimmermann = carpenter
Schmitt (Schmidt) = smith
Lange = long

Hartmann = tough/strong man
Hofmann (Hoffmann) = landed farmer
Krause = curly-haired
Werner = meaning uncertain
Meier = dairyman

Schmid (Schmidt) = smith
Schulze (Schulz) = mayor
Lehmann = serf
Köhler (Koehler) = charcoal-maker
Maier (Meyer) = dairyman

Herrmann = warrior
König (Koenig) = king
Mayer (Meyer) = dairyman
Walter = army leader; ruler
Peters = rock (from Latin/Greek)

Möller (Moeller, Müller) = miller
Huber = land owner (hoover)
Kaiser = emperor
Fuchs = fox
Scholz (Schulz) = mayor

Weiß = white/wheat
Lang = long
Jung = young
Hahn = rooster
Keller = cellar, basement (i.e. someone who worked in a wine cellar/Ratskeller)

Source: GfdS - Familiennamen

What is a Ratskeller?

Rathskeller (German: "council cellar", modern: Ratskeller) is a name in German-speaking countries for a bar, pub or restaurant below street level. The term originally referred specifically to restaurants that were located in the basement of city hall (Rathaus). As a proper noun, many taverns, nightclubs and similar establishments throughout the world now use this as a name.