There are other factors governing surnames as well. Wanting desperately to fit in, or maybe not to
have their houses burned down during the World War One anti-German hysteria, lots of our
ancestors changed their German surnames, and Jäger became Yager, Koch became Cook, Gärtner
turned into Gardener, Kaiser or König became a King, Schmidt (Schmitz, Schmitt and Schmid)
turned into plain old Smith, and Schwarz became Black. It is important to remember, as difficult as it
may be, that your German name might have undergone changes many times over the years, and it
may be entirely different in its English version than it once was. Often names were changed because
they just sounded funny or elicited snickers in English (probably a lot of you are relating to that).
After a few generations of blushes, they might have changed it a bit. All over Austria, one sees signs
such as the one shown below. But it might draw guffaws in Akron, Ohio.
have their houses burned down during the World War One anti-German hysteria, lots of our
ancestors changed their German surnames, and Jäger became Yager, Koch became Cook, Gärtner
turned into Gardener, Kaiser or König became a King, Schmidt (Schmitz, Schmitt and Schmid)
turned into plain old Smith, and Schwarz became Black. It is important to remember, as difficult as it
may be, that your German name might have undergone changes many times over the years, and it
may be entirely different in its English version than it once was. Often names were changed because
they just sounded funny or elicited snickers in English (probably a lot of you are relating to that).
After a few generations of blushes, they might have changed it a bit. All over Austria, one sees signs
such as the one shown below. But it might draw guffaws in Akron, Ohio.
| A Word about Names |
| The ß (eszett) is made on a Windows keyboard by simply holding down the "alt" key and pressing 225 on the numerical pad on the right side of the keyboard. |
| Substituting Umlauts for letters: Ä=Ae ä=ae Ö=Oe ö=oe Ü=Ue ü=ue |
| For writing umlauts, press "Alt" then the numbers on the numberical pad to get the following: ä Alt+0228 or Alt+132 Ä Alt+0196 or Alt+142 ö Alt+0246 or Alt+148 Ö Alt+0214 or Alt+153 ü Alt+0252 or Alt+129 Ü Alt+0220 or Alt+154 |
Lintner
Vent
Krantzer
Kainiz
Creuzer
Egger
Brochenberger
Heidel
Ibrahim
Khambl
Unteusch
Greismeier
Vent
Krantzer
Kainiz
Creuzer
Egger
Brochenberger
Heidel
Ibrahim
Khambl
Unteusch
Greismeier
Linder
Fent
Granser
Hainitz
Kreuzer
Ögger
Prochenberger
Haydl
Abraham
Kambl
Anteusch
Grossmeier
Fent
Granser
Hainitz
Kreuzer
Ögger
Prochenberger
Haydl
Abraham
Kambl
Anteusch
Grossmeier
Samples of Interchangeable Phonetic Spelling
in Austrian names:
in Austrian names:
Dd
Ff
Gg
Hh
Kk
Öö
Pp
Ÿÿ
Ab
Am
An
Gro
Ff
Gg
Hh
Kk
Öö
Pp
Ÿÿ
Ab
Am
An
Gro
Tt
Vv
Kk
Kk
Cc
Ee
Bb
Ii
Ib
Ham
Un
Grei
Vv
Kk
Kk
Cc
Ee
Bb
Ii
Ib
Ham
Un
Grei
The Council of Trent in 1563 decreed that all Catholic parishes had to keep full records of baptisms,
and Protestants soon followed this practice. It was not until the reign of Friedrich the Great from
1740 - 1786, that a political authority demanded that all common people must have a Surname.
and Protestants soon followed this practice. It was not until the reign of Friedrich the Great from
1740 - 1786, that a political authority demanded that all common people must have a Surname.
Before the early 19th century, there was great fluidity in German names and no single "correct"
spelling. Local church parishes were manned by various pastors, some from distant areas, who kept
the vital records. Unless it was a person of importance or of the nobility, they often ignored how
one's predecessor may have spelled the name and substituted it for one they liked more or one they
were familiar with, at times deciphering it phonetically, using all manners of different spellings, even
for the same individuals on different records! During the Napoleonic era this changed. French civil
servants introduced greater discipline in keeping vital records in German lands, and spellings of
surnames were "frozen" in whatever state they happened to be in at that time. This resulted in
situations whereby brothers living in different parishes now had their surnames spelled differently!
First names changed as well, for example, Karl on one record later became Carl in another, or the
birth records spelled Carl yet the gravestone spelled Karl. There was no actual "official" fixed spelling
of surnames before 1875, and one wrote what one heard.
spelling. Local church parishes were manned by various pastors, some from distant areas, who kept
the vital records. Unless it was a person of importance or of the nobility, they often ignored how
one's predecessor may have spelled the name and substituted it for one they liked more or one they
were familiar with, at times deciphering it phonetically, using all manners of different spellings, even
for the same individuals on different records! During the Napoleonic era this changed. French civil
servants introduced greater discipline in keeping vital records in German lands, and spellings of
surnames were "frozen" in whatever state they happened to be in at that time. This resulted in
situations whereby brothers living in different parishes now had their surnames spelled differently!
First names changed as well, for example, Karl on one record later became Carl in another, or the
birth records spelled Carl yet the gravestone spelled Karl. There was no actual "official" fixed spelling
of surnames before 1875, and one wrote what one heard.
Some Salzburg exiles ended up with several variations, even in the same family since the Salzburger dialect was
often unintelligible to officials in other German regions, and the names were often mutilated. In Prussian lists, for
example, Rattersberger, Ebmer, Lachner appear instead as Rautenberger, Immer, Lehner or Lainer.
often unintelligible to officials in other German regions, and the names were often mutilated. In Prussian lists, for
example, Rattersberger, Ebmer, Lachner appear instead as Rautenberger, Immer, Lehner or Lainer.
In non-German speaking areas, the umlaut in some names was simply eliminated, changing a name
entirely. Names we see now which contain the vowel clusters ue and oe usually indicate the former
presence of an umlaut (Schroeder/ Schröder, Schuette/ Schütte). Likewise, the purely German ß, (or
the "eszett" or "scharfes s") unlike all other German letters, exists only in the lower case. Usually, it
can be substituted with "ss" but non-German officials sometimes unknowingly wrote it as a "b".
entirely. Names we see now which contain the vowel clusters ue and oe usually indicate the former
presence of an umlaut (Schroeder/ Schröder, Schuette/ Schütte). Likewise, the purely German ß, (or
the "eszett" or "scharfes s") unlike all other German letters, exists only in the lower case. Usually, it
can be substituted with "ss" but non-German officials sometimes unknowingly wrote it as a "b".
In various scripts found in very old family records, etc., "s" might appear as "f" just as it does in old
English documents, for instance, when"castle" becomes "caftle." Speaking of caftles, usually knights
and nobleman went by their first name followed by the name of their fief or manor, and the use of
Von in the name usually indicates a royal connection, but sometimes it simply means "from" or "of".
English documents, for instance, when"castle" becomes "caftle." Speaking of caftles, usually knights
and nobleman went by their first name followed by the name of their fief or manor, and the use of
Von in the name usually indicates a royal connection, but sometimes it simply means "from" or "of".
Women's last names were also sometimes made feminine with an "in" added to the end of a name
and it is confusing: A Salzburger fraulein named Anna Kambl might be referred to as Anna Kamblin
(but it might also be spelled Kambel, Kamble or Kambol in other German areas and then dreadfully
perverted during later immigration into Cambell or Campbell, turning a German into a Scot)!
and it is confusing: A Salzburger fraulein named Anna Kambl might be referred to as Anna Kamblin
(but it might also be spelled Kambel, Kamble or Kambol in other German areas and then dreadfully
perverted during later immigration into Cambell or Campbell, turning a German into a Scot)!
Among Salzburgers there are Lindners and Lindtners, Leitels and Leidels and Leidls, Hadls and Hadel, Haydn and
Haydens, Scheidberger, Schaidberger, Schaitberger, Schaitperger, Scheidtberger..and on and on....and worse,
three or four out of the sixteen or twenty kids in a family sometimes all went by different variations.
Haydens, Scheidberger, Schaidberger, Schaitberger, Schaitperger, Scheidtberger..and on and on....and worse,
three or four out of the sixteen or twenty kids in a family sometimes all went by different variations.
Many German names have their roots in the middle ages, with some German surnames having been
around since the 1100s. The earliest are names derived from the location of the home, and if a
person migrated they were identified with a prefix, suffix or combination of both describing the place
of their origin: some names in this category end in -bruck (bridge), -burg (castle), -berg (mountain),
-t(h)al (valley), -furt (ford), -rode (clearing in woods), Zumwald-at the forest; Kaltenbach-cold creek
around since the 1100s. The earliest are names derived from the location of the home, and if a
person migrated they were identified with a prefix, suffix or combination of both describing the place
of their origin: some names in this category end in -bruck (bridge), -burg (castle), -berg (mountain),
-t(h)al (valley), -furt (ford), -rode (clearing in woods), Zumwald-at the forest; Kaltenbach-cold creek
Then came the largest group, names derived from the vocation of the bearer. Occupational Surnames
are more commonly found in German than in almost any other culture. Examples of these are:
Becker - baker; Brenner - distiller; Fleischer - butcher; Kessler - coppersmith; Kramer - merchant;
Krieg, Krieger - war, warrior; Rader - wheelwright; Schultheis - village mayor; Schreiber - secretary
or scribe; Schreiner - cabinet maker; Schubert - one who made or sold shoes; Wagner - wagoner,
wagon maker; Weber - weaver. This group also tends to include objects/materials: Nagel - nail;
Knopf - button; Eisen - iron; Erzberger - ore mountain; But remember that German tends to string
words together to form new vocabulary because its grammar allows for it, while English break them
up into several words. Simply, a chimney sweep in English can be a Schornsteinfeger in German.
are more commonly found in German than in almost any other culture. Examples of these are:
Becker - baker; Brenner - distiller; Fleischer - butcher; Kessler - coppersmith; Kramer - merchant;
Krieg, Krieger - war, warrior; Rader - wheelwright; Schultheis - village mayor; Schreiber - secretary
or scribe; Schreiner - cabinet maker; Schubert - one who made or sold shoes; Wagner - wagoner,
wagon maker; Weber - weaver. This group also tends to include objects/materials: Nagel - nail;
Knopf - button; Eisen - iron; Erzberger - ore mountain; But remember that German tends to string
words together to form new vocabulary because its grammar allows for it, while English break them
up into several words. Simply, a chimney sweep in English can be a Schornsteinfeger in German.
Modern family names sometimes reveal what region a person's ancestors come from: Schwabs were
from Swabia, Sachs from Sachsen (Saxony), Bayers from Bayern (Bavaria), and Flemings from
Flanders, now in Belgium. The common name Hess refers to Hesse.
from Swabia, Sachs from Sachsen (Saxony), Bayers from Bayern (Bavaria), and Flemings from
Flanders, now in Belgium. The common name Hess refers to Hesse.
There is also a group where includes both the place of origin and the occupation, for example, the Austrian name
Schwarzenegger. 'Schwarz' means black, and 'egge' means harrow, so together it becomes 'the person who
harrows black fields.' Names ending in -baum refer to various kinds of trees. Holt, Hurst, and names ending in
-wald all refer to woods.
Schwarzenegger. 'Schwarz' means black, and 'egge' means harrow, so together it becomes 'the person who
harrows black fields.' Names ending in -baum refer to various kinds of trees. Holt, Hurst, and names ending in
-wald all refer to woods.
Some names are derived from a physical or other characteristic of first bearer: Altmann - old man;
Klein - short; Lange - the long one; Kurz - the short one. Rot(h)bart - red beard; Weiss - white
appearance; Schwar(t)z - black appearance; Stammler - stutterer. Hirsch is "deer," Kray is "crow"
and Strauss is "ostrich." Bernhart is 'brave like a bear," Eberhart is "strong like a boar" while
Hummel is "busy like a bee." Some personal names are uncomplimentary: Klapp is a gossip, Grimm
grim. Schimmelpfennig, as in the famous Civil War General, means "mouldy penny" for a tightwad.
Klein - short; Lange - the long one; Kurz - the short one. Rot(h)bart - red beard; Weiss - white
appearance; Schwar(t)z - black appearance; Stammler - stutterer. Hirsch is "deer," Kray is "crow"
and Strauss is "ostrich." Bernhart is 'brave like a bear," Eberhart is "strong like a boar" while
Hummel is "busy like a bee." Some personal names are uncomplimentary: Klapp is a gossip, Grimm
grim. Schimmelpfennig, as in the famous Civil War General, means "mouldy penny" for a tightwad.
Also, old tribal and regional divisions are also sometimes often reflected in names. Patronymic &
Matronymic Surnames, on the other hand, or those based on a parent’s first name, are not as
common in Germany as in many other European countries, but some are: Friedrich, Fritz, Albrecht,
Dietrich, Eberhard(t), Heinz, Reinhard, Werner. These sometimes flow back to the old Germanic
world: Albrecht (Albright), Die(d)trich, Gunther, Hagen, Hildebrandt.
Matronymic Surnames, on the other hand, or those based on a parent’s first name, are not as
common in Germany as in many other European countries, but some are: Friedrich, Fritz, Albrecht,
Dietrich, Eberhard(t), Heinz, Reinhard, Werner. These sometimes flow back to the old Germanic
world: Albrecht (Albright), Die(d)trich, Gunther, Hagen, Hildebrandt.
As is often the case today, immigration officials and others sometimes butchered German surnames,
some being changed far from their original form.
some being changed far from their original form.