100 Most Common German Surnames or Last Names with Meanings

Müller – Meaning “miller” or “grinder of grain.”

Schmidt – Referring to a “blacksmith” or “metalworker.”

Schneider – Signifying a “tailor” or “seamstress.”

Fischer – Meaning “fisherman” or “angler.”

Weber – Referring to a “weaver” or “textile worker.”

Schulz – Signifying a “mayor” or “village official.”

Koch – Meaning “cook” or “chef.”

Bauer – Referring to a “farmer” or “peasant.”

Richter – Signifying a “judge” or “magistrate.”

Becker – Meaning “baker” or “breadmaker.”

Klein – Referring to someone “small” or “little.”

Wolf – Signifying a “wolf” or someone who resembles a wolf.

Hoffmann – Meaning “farmhand” or “steward.”

Schröder – Referring to someone who lives by a “shelter” or “shed.”

Neumann – Signifying a “newcomer” or “recent arrival.”

Zimmermann – Meaning “carpenter” or “woodworker.”

Schwarz – Referring to someone “black” or “dark-haired.”

Krause – Signifying someone with “curly” or “frizzy” hair.

Maier – Meaning “farmer” or “cultivator of land.”

Herrmann – Referring to a “man” or “person.”

Wagner – Signifying a “wagon maker” or “cartwright.”

Lange – Meaning “tall” or “long.”

Schmitt – Referring to a “blacksmith” or “metalworker.”

Köhler – Signifying a “charcoal burner” or “carbon worker.”

Schmitz – Meaning “blacksmith” or “metalworker.”

Krüger – Referring to a “tavern keeper” or “innkeeper.”

Huber – Signifying someone who lives by a “hill” or “mound.”

Schultz – Meaning “mayor” or “village official.”

Kaiser – Referring to an “emperor” or “ruler.”

Fuchs – Signifying a “fox” or someone who resembles a fox.

Peters – Meaning “son of Peter.”

Lang – Referring to someone “long” or “tall.”

Jung – Signifying someone “young.”

Hahn – Meaning “rooster” or “chicken.”

Seifert – Referring to a “soap maker” or “soap merchant.”

Schuster – Signifying a “shoemaker” or “cobbler.”

Winter – Meaning “winter” or someone born in winter.

Roth – Referring to someone “red” or “red-haired.”

Günther – Signifying a “warrior” or “hunter.”

Stein – Meaning “stone” or someone who works with stones.

Vogel – Referring to a “bird” or someone who resembles a bird.

Sommer – Signifying “summer” or someone born in summer.

Engel – Meaning “angel” or “messenger.”

Brandt – Referring to someone from a “burnt” or “charred” area.

Haas – Signifying a “hare” or someone who resembles a hare.

Horn – Meaning “horn” or “antler.”

Bergmann – Referring to a “miner” or someone who works in mines.

Busch – Signifying a “bush” or “shrub.”

Böhm – Meaning “Bohemian” or someone from Bohemia.

Bach – Referring to a “stream” or “brook.”

Meyer – Signifying a “farmer” or “cultivator of land.”

Schreiber – Meaning “scribe” or “writer.”

Walter – Referring to someone who “rules” or “governs.”

Kuhn – Signifying “brave” or “bold.”

Kraus – Meaning “curly” or “frizzy.”

Frank – Referring to someone from the “Frankish” people.

Schulze – Signifying a “village official” or “mayor.”

Meier – Meaning “farmer” or “cultivator of land.”

Schmid – Referring to a “blacksmith” or “metalworker.”

Lehmann – Signifying a “vassal” or “retainer.”

Schulte – Meaning “village official” or “mayor.”

Keller – Referring to someone who lives in a “cellar” or “basement.”

Friedrich – Signifying “peaceful ruler” or “peaceful king.”

Simon – Meaning “hearing” or “listener.”

Kaiser – Referring to an “emperor” or “ruler.”

Hansen – Signifying “son of Hans” or “son of John.”

Neumann – Meaning “newcomer” or “recent arrival.”

Heinrich – Referring to “home ruler” or “estate ruler.”

Ritter – Signifying a “knight” or “horseman.”

Kruse – Meaning “curly” or “frizzy.”

Weiss – Referring to someone “white” or “fair-haired.”

Hermann – Signifying a “man” or “person.”

Götz – Meaning “God’s” or “devout.”

Schulz – Referring to a “mayor” or “village official.”

Schuster – Signifying a “shoemaker” or “cobbler.”

Ziegler – Meaning “brick maker” or “bricklayer.”

Keller – Referring to someone who lives in a “cellar” or “basement.”

Dietrich – Signifying “people’s ruler” or “leader of the people.”

Kuhn – Meaning “brave” or “bold.”

Horn – Referring to “horn” or “antler.”

Lorenz – Signifying “laurel” or “victory.”

Engel – Meaning “angel” or “messenger.”

Wolff – Referring to a “wolf” or someone who resembles a wolf.

Zimmer – Signifying “room” or “chamber.”

Bachmann – Meaning “river” or “stream.”

Böhm – Referring to someone from “Bohemia.”

Schilling – Signifying “shilling” or “money.”

Franz – Meaning “French” or someone from France.

Buchholz – Referring to a “beech forest.”

Graf – Signifying a “count” or “nobleman.”

Lange – Meaning “long” or “tall.”

Wenzel – Referring to “praising” or “glorifying.”

Ebert – Signifying “bright” or “illustrious.”

Gruber – Meaning “grove” or “small forest.”

Schröder – Referring to someone who lives by a “shelter” or “shed.”

Krebs – Signifying a “crab” or someone who resembles a crab.

Roth – Meaning “red” or “red-haired.”

Fink – Referring to a “finch” or someone who resembles a finch.

Dietz – Signifying “people” or “tribe.”

Krause – Meaning “curly” or “frizzy.”

These are some of the most common German surnames and their meanings. Keep in mind that surname meanings can vary, and some names may have multiple interpretations or historical origins.