Our German name database contains 37.010 German surnames and 43.936 German first names categorized by gender and frequency. After payment you can download the German name database in CSV, SQL or JSON format. In Germany we received a name and gender database from the German government and merged it with publicly available data sets. To create the German name database we used 573.345 validated German social media profiles. We have a detailed explanation of our methodology and illustrate our approach with several examples.

Popular German surnames

This table show popular German surnames. In Germany, a person's surname is typically passed down from the father. However, in some cases, a woman may choose to keep her maiden name after marriage. In some regions, it is also common for a person to have a double-barrelled name, combining the surnames of both parents. Additionally, some people may have a prefix or suffix added to their surname, such as "von" or "zur" indicating nobility or origin.

Surname Frequency*1 Percentage*1 Alternative countries*2
Müller 4.026 0.7% American Brazilian Swiss
Schmidt 3.224 0.6% American Brazilian Canadian
Schneider 1.920 0.3% American Brazilian Swiss
Fischer 1.737 0.3% American Austrian Swiss
Weber 1.482 0.3% American Brazilian French
Meyer 1.394 0.2% American French Mahoran
Becker 1.349 0.2% American Brazilian British
Wagner 1.336 0.2% American Brazilian Austrian
Höffmann 1.267 0.2% American Brazilian British
Schulz 1.207 0.2% American Brazilian Canadian
  • *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 573.345 German social media profiles.
  • *2 Alternative countries are countries where this surname also is used. They are sorted on popularity.

German first names

In Germany, parents typically choose a first name for their child based on a combination of personal preference and cultural tradition. They may consider names that are popular within their community or family, as well as traditional German names such as Johann, Hans, and Maria. They may also take into account the child's surname and the sound of the first name when paired with it. Ultimately, the decision is a personal one and parents may choose a name that holds special meaning or significance for them.

Popular German male names

First name Frequency*1 Percentage*1 Alternative countries*2
Michael 9.448 2.4% American British Canadian
Thomas 7.967 2.0% American British French
Christian 7.561 1.9% American British Spanish
Andreas 6.581 1.7% Swedish Austrian Swiss
Daniel 5.764 1.4% American British Spanish
Stefan 5.495 1.4% Dutch American Swedish
Martin 4.807 1.2% British American Argentinean
Sebastian 4.804 1.2% Colombian Argentinean American
Peter 4.351 1.1% British American Dutch
Markus 4.350 1.1% Austrian American Swiss
  • *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 573.345 German social media profiles from which 398.698 (70%) is male.
  • *2 Alternative countries are countries where this first name also is used. They are sorted on popularity.

Popular German female names

First name Frequency*1 Percentage*1 Alternative countries*2
Julia 2.376 1.4% American Brazilian British
Anna 2.105 1.2% American British Spanish
Sandra 1.684 1.0% Spanish American British
Sarah 1.670 1.0% British American Canadian
Claudia 1.566 0.9% Spanish American Italian
Andrea 1.544 0.9% Italian American Spanish
Nicole 1.512 0.9% American British Canadian
Laura 1.439 0.8% British American Spanish
Lisa 1.429 0.8% American British Canadian
Sabine 1.416 0.8% Dutch French Austrian
  • *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 573.345 German social media profiles from which 174.647 (30%) is female.
  • *2 Alternative countries are countries where this first name also is used. They are sorted on popularity.