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62-628: People were granted the right to return to their original German given and family names , which had been abandoned by many during the Fascists ' programme of forced assimilation . This Italian history article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Austrian history article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . German names Personal names in German-speaking Europe consist of one or several given names ( Vorname , plural Vornamen ) and

124-410: A patronymic system as they survive in parts of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, but these do not form part of the official name. Women traditionally adopted their husband's name upon marriage and would occasionally retain their maiden name by hyphenation , in a so-called Doppelname , e.g. " Else Lasker-Schüler ". Recent legislation motivated by gender equality now allows a married couple to choose

186-567: A surname ( Nachname, Familienname ). The Vorname is usually gender-specific. A name is usually cited in the " Western order " of "given name, surname". The most common exceptions are alphabetized list of surnames, e.g. " Bach, Johann Sebastian ", as well as some official documents and spoken southern German dialects . In most of this, the German conventions parallel the naming conventions in most of Western and Central Europe, including English , Dutch , Italian , and French . There are some vestiges of

248-508: A German reading the name: Marquard , pronounced French pronunciation: [maʁkaʁ] in French, ended up being pronounced German pronunciation: [ˈmaʁkvaʁt] much like the German Markwart from which it was originally derived. Traditionally, the wife adopts her husband's Nachname on marriage and drops her own. However, due to the legal equality of sexes, the opposite

310-503: A family is about to die out or when a daughter inherits the family estate and marries a commoner, the Adelsrechtsausschuss can grant a dispensation from Salic law, allowing for a one-time transfer of a noble surname contrary to nobiliary law, to a person considered non-noble. The following criteria are most important in such cases: The Adelsrechtsausschuss does not recognize ennoblements made by heads of formerly ruling houses, but

372-494: A family or any heirs. Today, German nobility is no longer conferred by the Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present), and constitutionally the descendants of German noble families do not enjoy legal privileges. Hereditary titles are permitted as part of the surname (e.g., the aristocratic particles von and zu ), and these surnames can then be inherited by a person's children. Later developments distinguished

434-757: A large number of forenames, often six or more. This fashion was to some extent copied by the bourgeois class , but subsided again after the end of the 19th century, so that while two or three forenames remain common, a larger number is now rare. The practice persists among German nobility, e.g. Johann Friedrich Konrad Carl Eduard Horst Arnold Matthias, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen, Duke of Saxony (b. 1952), Ernst August Albert Paul Otto Rupprecht Oskar Berthold Friedrich-Ferdinand Christian-Ludwig, Prince of Hanover (b. 1954), Christian Heinrich Clemens Paul Frank Peter Welf Wilhelm-Ernst Friedrich Franz Prince of Hanover and Dukelin, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg (b. 1985). Traditionally, there are dialectal differences between

496-400: A major dowry. Most, but not all, surnames of the German nobility were preceded by or contained the preposition von (meaning "of") or zu (meaning "at") as a nobiliary particle . The two were occasionally combined into von und zu (meaning "of and at"). In general, the von form indicates the family's place of origin, while the zu form indicates the family's continued possession of

558-526: A major role in forming the new Centre Party in resistance to Bismarck's anti-Catholic Kulturkampf , while Protestant nobles were similarly active in the Conservative Party . In August 1919, at the beginning of the Weimar Republic (1918–1933), Germany's new constitution officially abolished royalty and nobility, and the respective legal privileges and immunities appertaining to an individual,

620-403: A man after an Adelsverlust were commoners and did not inherit the father's former nobility. Various organisations perpetuate the historical legacy of the former nobility, documenting genealogy, chronicling the history of noble families and sometimes declining to acknowledge persons who acquired noble surnames in ways impossible before 1919. Many German states, however, required a marriage to

682-400: A new upper class of wealthy common people had emerged following industrialization, marriages with commoners were becoming more widespread. However, with few exceptions, this did not apply to higher nobility, who largely continued to marry among themselves. Upwardly mobile German families typically followed marriage strategies involving men of lower rank marrying women of higher status who brought

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744-428: A noble father, and these persons are not allowed to join a nobility association. Persons who bear a noble or noble-sounding surname without belonging to the historical nobility according to Salic law are classified as Nichtadelige Namensträger , 'non-noble name-carriers'. The inflation of fake nobility is one of the major concerns of the Adelsrechtsausschuss, and it is up to the commission to determine whether

806-502: A nobleman. Nobility was inherited equally by all legitimate descendants in the male line . German titles of nobility were usually inherited by all male-line descendants, although some descended by male primogeniture , especially in 19th and 20th century Prussia (e.g., Otto von Bismarck , born a baronial Junker (not a title), was granted the title of count ( Graf ) extending to all his male-line descendants, and later that of prince ( Fürst ) in primogeniture). Upon promulgation of

868-528: A person should be considered noble or non-noble. For instance, the German-American businessman Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt was born as Hans Robert Lichtenberg in Germany. He was married with Zsa Zsa Gabor and was adopted by Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt in 1980, allegedly arranged by the title dealer Hans Hermann Weyer , hence he is one of the 'non-noble name-carriers'. In special cases, for example when

930-577: A sentence, and then they are usually skipped, unless this creates confusion. In this, the German language practice differs from Dutch in the Netherlands, where the particle van is usually capitalised when mentioned without preceding given names or initials, or from Dutch in Belgium, where the name particle Van is always capitalised. Although nobility as a class is no longer recognised in Germany and enjoys no legal privileges, institutions exist that carry on

992-408: A special case, as they were introduced later, in the late 18th to early 19th century, per fiat . The Prussian authorities imposed made-up and sometimes derogatory names. For instance, the name "Waldlieferant" (lit.: forest supplier) was "created" to ridicule a Jewish timber trader. Even way more offensive expressions ("Afterduft"; lit.: anus odor) were in use. This is by no means the rule, though; on

1054-426: A specific title as heir to one of Germany's former thrones (e.g., Erbprinz ("hereditary prince"))—along with any heir to a title of nobility inherited via primogeniture, and their wives—were permitted to incorporate those titles into elements of the personal surname. However, these titles became extinct upon their deaths, not being heritable. With the demise of all persons styled "crown prince" before 1918,

1116-546: A woman of elevated social status in order for a nobleman to pass on his titles and privileges to his children. In this respect, the General State Laws for the Prussian States of 1794 spoke of marriage (and children) "to the right hand". This excluded marriages with women of the lower social classes, but did not mean a woman had to come from nobility herself. Especially towards the end of the 19th century and beyond, when

1178-534: Is no monarch who can ennoble anymore. However, dispensations are granted only in the most exceptional cases, as they infringe on the rights of a theoretical future monarch. When a person is granted a dispensation by the Adelsrechtsausschuss, he becomes the progenitor of a new noble family, which consists of all of his legitimate male-line descendants in accordance with nobiliary law. They are considered equal to nobles in all regards, and allowed to join nobility associations. A family whose nobility dates back to at least

1240-450: Is possible as well, though rare. A few examples of the practice under German law, if "Herr (Mr) Schmidt" and "Frau (Miss) Meyer" marry: All children of a family have to receive the same non-hyphenated Nachname at birth, which may be either the mother's or the father's Nachname (traditionally it was the father's). If the parents adopted an Ehename this is the Nachname of the child. It

1302-479: Is sometimes the second or third name in the sequence of given names on official record, even though it is the given name in daily use from childhood. For example, in the resume submitted by mathematician Emmy Noether to Erlangen University in 1907, the underlining of Emmy communicates that this is the Rufname , even though it is the second of two official given names. In Germany, the chosen name must be approved by

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1364-482: Is strictly forbidden to give children Doppelnamen if it is not the Ehename . The latter case can arise with traditional aristocratic Doppelnamen (e.g. Faber-Castell). In Austria (§ 93 ABGB), a couple can choose either of their surnames as married name. In the default case, this is the surname of the groom. The partner who is changing surnames (usually the bride) has the possibility to use their unmarried name alongside

1426-812: The Austrian nobility , which came to be associated with the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary . The nobility system of the German Empire was similar to nobility in the Austrian Empire ; both developed during the Holy Roman Empire and both ended in 1919 when they were abolished, and legal status and privileges were revoked. In April 1919, Austrian nobility was abolished under the First Austrian Republic (1919–1934) and, contrary to Germany,

1488-515: The Hochadel , the heads of their families being entitled to be addressed as Erlaucht ("Illustrious Highness"), rather than simply as Hochgeboren ("High-born"). There were also some German noble families, especially in Austria, Prussia and Bavaria, whose heads bore the titles of Fürst (prince) or Herzog (duke); however, never having exercised a degree of sovereignty, they were accounted members of

1550-482: The Hochadel, were considered part of the lower nobility or Niederer Adel . Most were untitled, only making use of the particle von in their surnames. Higher-ranking noble families of the Niederer Adel bore such hereditary titles as Edler (lord), Ritter (knight), Freiherr (or baron) and Graf . Although most German counts belonged officially to the lower nobility, those who were mediatised belonged to

1612-513: The Late Middle Ages . Many of such surnames are derived from nicknames . They are generally classified into four groups by derivation : given names, occupational designations, bodily attributes, and toponyms (including references to named buildings). Also, many family names display characteristic features of the dialect of the region they originated in. The preposition von ("of") was used to distinguish nobility ; for example, if someone

1674-468: The Weimar Constitution on 11 August 1919, all Germans were declared equal before the law. an exceptional practice regarding surnames borne by former members of the nobility: whereas the gender differentiation in German surnames , widespread until the 18th century and colloquially retained in some dialects, was abolished in Germany with the introduction of officially registered invariable surnames by

1736-418: The nobiliary particle von (meaning "of") or zu (meaning "to", sometimes "at"), often von und zu are also found together (meaning "of and to/at"). The legal rules for these names are the same as those for other Nachnamen , which gives rise to a number of cases where people legally bear such names but are not recognized by the associations of formerly noble families in Germany , which continue to apply

1798-448: The 14th century may be called Uradel , or Alter Adel ("ancient nobility", or "old nobility"). This contrasts with Briefadel ("patent nobility"): nobility granted by letters patent . The first known such document is from September 30, 1360, for Wyker Frosch in Mainz. The term Uradel was not without controversy, and the concept was seen by some as an arbitrary distinction invented by

1860-421: The 1990s, there has however been a trend of parents picking non-German forms of names, either for originality, or influenced by international celebrities, e.g. Liam (Gaelic form of William ) rather than the German equivalent Wilhelm and Mila . Most surnames are derived either from given names ( patronym ), occupations, or from geographical origin, less often from bodily attributes. They became heritable with

1922-568: The Empire's formerly quasi-sovereign families whose domains had been mediatised within the German Confederation by 1815, yet preserved the legal right to continue royal intermarriage with still-reigning dynasties ( Ebenbürtigkeit ). These quasi-sovereign families comprised mostly princely and comital families, but included a few dukes also of Belgian and Dutch origin ( Arenberg , Croÿ , Looz-Corswarem). Information on these families constituted

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1984-586: The German Empire. In addition, the ruling families of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen were accorded the dynastic rights of a cadet branch of the Royal House of Prussia after yielding sovereignty to their royal kinsmen. The exiled heirs to Hanover and Nassau eventually regained sovereignty by being allowed to inherit, respectively, the crowns of Brunswick (1914) and Luxembourg (1890). Nobility that held legal privileges until 1918 greater than those enjoyed by commoners, but less than those enjoyed by

2046-1097: The Kingdom of Prussia. Hochadel ("upper nobility", or "high nobility") were those noble houses which ruled sovereign states within the Holy Roman Empire and, later, in the German Confederation and the German Empire . They were royalty ; the heads of these families were entitled to be addressed by some form of "Majesty" or "Highness". These were the families of kings (Bavaria, Hanover, Prussia, Saxony, and Württemberg ), grand dukes (Baden, Hesse and by Rhine, Luxembourg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Oldenburg and Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach), reigning dukes (Anhalt, Brunswick, Schleswig-Holstein, Nassau, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen), and reigning princes (Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Liechtenstein, Lippe, Reuss, Schaumburg-Lippe, Schwarzburg, and Waldeck-Pyrmont). The Hochadel also included

2108-404: The associations of the formerly ruling and mediatized houses of Germany send representatives to the commission. This so-called (Nichtbeanstandung) , 'Non-Objection' results in the factual ennoblement of the recipient (even though the term is not applied), making Germany one of the few republics where it is still possible for non-nobles to join the ranks of the nobility even though there

2170-460: The beginning of central demographic records in the early modern period . The Vorname (in English forename ) is usually given to a child by the parents shortly after birth. It is common to give a child several Vornamen (forenames), one of them intended for everyday use and known as the Rufname ("appellation name" or "call name"). This Rufname is often underlined on official documents, as it

2232-598: The contrary, those surnames most quickly recognized as probably Jewish in origin are distinctly poetical ones, probably as they were made-up choices by the people themselves (e.g. Rosenzweig ). Immigration, often sponsored by local authorities, also brought foreign family names into the German-speaking regions. Depending on regional history, geography and economics, many family names have French , Dutch , Italian , Hungarian or Slavic (e.g. Polish ) origins. Sometimes they survived in their original form; in other cases,

2294-601: The dramatic industrialization and urbanization of Germany after 1850. Landowners modernized their estates, and oriented their business to an international market. Many younger sons were positioned in the rapidly growing national and regional civil service bureaucracies, as well as in the officer corps of the military. They acquired not only the technical skills but the necessary education in high prestige German universities that facilitated their success. Many became political leaders of new reform organizations such as agrarian leagues, and pressure groups. The Roman Catholic nobility played

2356-483: The dynasty's origin might have been called of A-Town [{and at} A-Town] furthermore, while a new, junior branch could then have adopted the style of, say, of A-town [and] at B-ville , sometimes even dropping [and] at , simply hyphenating the names of the two places. Other forms also exist as combinations with the definite article: e.g. " von der " or von dem → " vom " ("of the"), zu der → " zur " or zu dem → " zum " ("of the", "in the", "at the"). Particularly between

2418-402: The estate from which the surname is drawn. Therefore, von und zu indicates a family which is both named for and continues to own their original feudal holding or residence. However, the zu particle can also hint to the split of a dynasty, as providing information on the adopted new home of one split-off branch: For instance, a senior branch owning and maybe even still residing at the place of

2480-536: The former royal families of Prussia and Bavaria were allowed use of Prinz/Prinzessin ; or Herzog/Herzogin. In the cases of the former kings/queens of Saxony and Württemberg, the ducal title borne by non-ruling cadets of their dynasties before 1919, or Herzog/Herzogin for the six deposed grand dukes (i.e., the former rulers of Baden , Hesse , Mecklenburg-Schwerin , Mecklenburg-Strelitz , Oldenburg , and Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach ) and their consorts were retained. Any dynasty who did not reign prior to 1918 but had held

2542-635: The late 18th and early 20th century when an increasing number of unlanded commoners were ennobled, the " von " was typically simply put in front of a person's surname. When a person by the common occupational surname of " Meyer " received nobility, they would thus simply become " von Meyer ". When sorting noble—as well as non-noble—names in alphabetic sequence, any prepositions or (former) title are ignored. Name elements which have developed from honorary functions, such as Schenk (short for Mundschenk , i.e., " cup-bearer "), are also overlooked. Nobiliary particles are not capitalised unless they begin

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2604-399: The late 19th century, former noble titles transformed into parts of the surname in 1919 continue to appear in female and male forms. Altogether abolished were titles of sovereigns, such as emperor/empress, king/queen, grand duke/grand duchess, etc. However, former titles shared and inherited by all members of the family were retained but incorporated into the surname. For instance, members of

2666-559: The laws and customs in the German-speaking area , until the beginning of the 20th century. Historically, German entities that recognized or conferred nobility included the Holy Roman Empire (962–1806), the German Confederation (1814–1866), and the German Empire (1871–1918). Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in the German Empire had a policy of expanding his political base by ennobling nouveau riche industrialists and businessmen who had no noble ancestors. The nobility flourished during

2728-420: The laws. Whereas the title previously prefixed the given and surname (e.g., Graf Kasimir von der Recke ), the legal usage moves the former title to the surname (i.e., Kasimir Graf von der Recke ). However, the pre-1919 style sometimes continues in colloquial usage. In Austria, by contrast, not only were the privileges of the nobility abolished, but their titles and nobiliary particles as well. German nobility

2790-793: The legal tradition of pre-1919 nobiliary law, which in Germany today is subsumed under Sonderprivatrecht , 'special private law'. The Deutscher Adelsrechtsausschuss , 'German Commission on Nobiliary Law' can decide matters such as lineage, legitimacy, and a person's right to bear a name of nobility, in accordance with codified nobiliary law as it existed prior to 1919. The Commission's rulings are generally non-binding for individuals and establish no rights or privileges that German authorities or courts would have to consider or observe. However, they are binding for all German nobility associations recognized by CILANE ( Commission d'information et de liaison des associations nobles d'Europe ). In 1919, nobiliary particles and titles became part of

2852-523: The legitimate, male-line descendants of the ennobled person. Families that had been considered noble as early as pre-1400s Germany (i.e., the Uradel or "ancient nobility") were usually eventually recognised by a sovereign, confirming their entitlement to whatever legal privileges nobles enjoyed in that sovereign's realm. Noble rank was usually granted to men by letters patent (see Briefadel ), whereas women were members of nobility by descent or by marriage to

2914-423: The local Standesamt (civil registry office). Although a 1980 law previously stated that the name must indicate the gender of the child, a 2008 court ruling unanimously upheld the right of parents to decide their child's name, stating that the only legal limitation is that the name does not negatively affect the well-being of the child. Among German nobility , a fashion arose in the early modern period to give

2976-520: The local dialects, such as the south German, Austrian and Swiss diminutive endings -l -el , -erl , -le or -li as in Kleibl , Schäuble or Nägeli (from 'Nagel', nail). The same is true for regional variants in the naming of professions. While a barrel-maker from Hamburg may have been called "Böttcher", a Bavarian could easily have been called "Schäffler". The surnames of the German Jews are

3038-472: The lower nobility (e.g., Bismarck , Blücher , Putbus , Hanau , Henckel von Donnersmarck , Pless , Wrede ). The titles of elector , grand duke , archduke , duke , landgrave , margrave , count palatine , prince and Reichsgraf were borne by rulers who belonged to Germany's Hochadel . Other counts, as well as barons ( Freiherren/Barons ) , lords ( Herren ), Landed knights ( Ritter ) were borne by noble, non-reigning families. The vast majority of

3100-454: The married name with hyphenation. In Switzerland (Art. 160 ZGB), the couple can opt to both retain their unmarried name, or the couple can choose to use either surname as their married name. If both retain their name, they need to declare which will be the surname of any future children. Titles of former aristocrats (like Graf for "Count") have become parts of the Nachname in Germany, giving longer names of several words, usually including

3162-550: The old rules of the German Empire in their publications. Most of these cases come about when a woman of noble descent marries a man with no title, and the two adopt the woman's name as their common Nachname , which was impossible under imperial law. German nobility Defunct Defunct The German nobility ( deutscher Adel ) and royalty were status groups of the medieval society in Central Europe , which enjoyed certain privileges relative to other people under

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3224-493: The regions of German-speaking Europe, especially visible in the forms of hypocorisms . These differences are still perceptible in the list of most popular names, even though they are marginalized by super-regional fashionable trends: As of 2012, the top ten given names of Baden-Württemberg (Southern Germany) and of Schleswig-Holstein (Northern Germany) share the entries Ben, Paul, Finn, Luca, Max (male), Mia, Emma, Lea, Leonie, Anna, Lena, Hanna , while Schleswig-Holstein retains

3286-482: The second section of Justus Perthes ’ entries on reigning, princely, and ducal families in the Almanach de Gotha . During the unification of Germany, mainly from 1866 to 1871, the states of Hanover, Hesse-Kassel, Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (in 1850), Schleswig-Holstein and Nassau were absorbed into Prussia. The former ruling houses of these states were still considered Hochadel under laws adopted by

3348-574: The spelling would be adapted to German (the Slavic ending ic becoming the German -itz or -itsch or Baltic "-kis" becoming "-ke"). Over time, the spelling often changed to reflect native German pronunciation ( Sloothaak for the Dutch Sloothaag ); but some names, such as those of French Huguenots settling in Prussia , retained their spelling but with the pronunciation that would come naturally to

3410-495: The status of nobility"). Until the late 19th century, for example, it was usually forbidden for nobles, theoretically on pain of Adelsverlust , to marry persons "of low birth". Moreover, nobles employed in menial labour and lowly trades or wage labour could lose their nobility, as could nobles convicted of capital crimes . Adelsverlust only concerned the individual who had violated nobility codes of conduct. Their kin, spouse, and living children were not affected, but children born to

3472-589: The subsequent use and legal recognition of hereditary titles and aristocratic particles and use as part of surnames was banned. Today, Austrian nobility is no longer conferred by the Republic of Austria (1945–present), and the public or official use of noble titles as title or part of the surname, is a minor offence under Austrian law for Austrian citizens. In Germany, nobility and titles pertaining to it were recognised or bestowed upon individuals by emperors, kings and lesser ruling royalty, and were then inherited by

3534-560: The surname they want to use, including an option for men to keep their birthname hyphenated to the common family name in the same way. It is also possible for the spouses to do without a common surname altogether and to keep their birthnames. The most common given names are either Biblical (" Christian ", derived from names of Biblical characters or saints; Johann/Hans "John", Georg/Jörg "George", Jakob "Jacob" and "James"; Anna , Maria , Barbara , Christina ) or from Germanic names ( Friedrich "Frederick", Ludwig "Louis", etc.) Since

3596-505: The surname. Therefore, they can be transmitted according to civil law, for example from wife to husband, to illegitimate children and by way of adoption. The only difference to normal surnames is that noble surnames are deflected according to gender. Some impoverished nobles offered adoptions for money in the 20th century, and the adoptees adopts extensively themselves, creating a "flood" of fake nobility. A noble or noble-sounding surname does not convey nobility to those not born legitimately of

3658-422: The term Kronprinz no longer exists as a legal surname element. Traditional titles exclusively used for unmarried noblewomen, such as Baronesse , Freiin and Freifräulein , were also transformed into parts of the legal surname, subject to change at marriage or upon request. All other former titles and nobiliary particles are now inherited as part of the surname, and remain protected as private names under

3720-3183: The traditionally northern (Low German) forms Lasse (male) and Neele (female) in the top ten. The following table gives the most popular given names in Germany for every tenth year (since 1890). Anna, Martha / Marta, Frieda / Frida, Berta / Beertha, Emma, Marie, Maria, Margarethe / Margarete, Erna, Elsa Carl / Karl, Wilhelm, Otto, Heinrich, Friedrich, Paul, Hans, Gustav, Max, Ernst Anna, Martha / Marta, Frieda / Frida, Emma, Marie, Elisabeth, Maria, Berta / Bertha, Gertrud, Margarethe / Margarete Wilhelm, Carl / Karl, Heinrich, Hermann, Friedrich, Paul, Otto, Ernst, Hans, Walter / Walther Gertrud, Erna, Martha / Marta, Hertha / Herta, Margarethe / Margarete, Anna, Käthe, Elisabeth, Frieda / Frida, Hildegard, Walter / Walther, Carl / Karl, Hans, Wilhelm, Otto, Curt / Kurt, Heinrich, Hermann, Paul, Helmut / Helmuth Ilse, Hildegard, Gertrud, Irmgard, Gerda, Lieselotte, Elfriede, Ursula, Edith, Erna Hans, Carl / Karl, Heinz, Curt / Kurt, Werner, Walter / Walther, Günter / Günther, Herbert, Helmut / Helmuth, Gerhard, Rolf Ursula, Helga, Gisela, Inge, Gerda, Ingrid, Ingeborg, Ilse, Edith, Hildegard Günter / Günther, Hans, Carl / Karl, Heinz, Werner, Gerhard, Horst, Helmut / Helmuth, Walter / Walther, Curt / Kurt, Rolf Karin, Ingrid, Helga, Renate, Elke, Ursula, Erika, Christa, Gisela, Monika Peter, Klaus / Claus, Hans, Jürgen, Dieter, Günter / Günther, Horst, Manfred, Uwe, Wolfgang Brigitte, Renate, Karin, Angelika, Monika, Ursula, Ingrid, Marion, Barbara, Gisela, Regina Peter, Hans, Wolfgang, Klaus / Claus, Manfred, Jürgen, Michael, Bernd, Werner, Günter / Günther Sabine, Susanne, Petra, Birgit, Gabriele, Andrea, Martina, Ute, Heike, Angelika Thomas, Michael, Andreas, Peter, Frank, Uwe, Klaus / Claus, Stefan / Stephan, Jürgen, Jörg Nicole, Anja, Claudia, Stefanie / Stephanie, Andrea, Tanja, Katrin / Catrin / Kathrin, Susanne, Petra, Sabine Stefan / Stephan, Michael, Andreas, Thomas, Frank, Markus / Marcus, Christian, Oliver, Matthias, Torsten Julia, Katrin / Catrin / Kathrin, Stefanie / Stephanie, Melanie, Sandra, Anja, Nicole, Nadine, Christina, Sabrina Christian, Michael, Sebastian, Stefan / Stephan, Jan, Daniel, Martin, Dennis, Alexander, Thomas Julia, Sarah / Sara, Jennifer, Katharina, Lisa, Christina, Jessika / Jessica, Anna, Laura, Melanie Jan, Tobias, Christian, Alexander, Daniel, Patrick, Dennis, Sebastian, Marcel, Philipp Anna, Lea / Leah, Sarah / Sara, Hannah / Hanna, Michelle, Laura, Lisa, Lara, Lena, Julia Lukas / Lucas, Jan, Tim, Finn / Fynn, Leon, Niklas / Niclas, Tom, Jonas, Jannik / Yannik / Yannick / Yannic, Luca / Luka Mia, Hannah / Hanna, Lena, Lea / Leah, Emma, Anna, Leonie / Leoni, Lilli / Lilly / Lili, Emily / Emilie, Lina Leon, Lukas / Lucas, Ben, Finn / Fynn, Jonas, Paul, Luis / Louis, Maximilian, Luca / Luka, Felix Mia, Emilia, Hannah / Hanna, Emma, Sofia / Sophia, Lina, Ella, Mila, Clara, Lea / Leah Noah / Noa, Ben, Mateo / Matteo / Matheo / Mattheo, Finn / Fynn, Leon, Elias / Elyas, Paul, Henry / Henri, Luis / Louis, Felix Surnames ( family name ; Nachname , Familienname ) were gradually introduced in German-speaking Europe during

3782-532: Was baron of the village of Veltheim, his family name would be von Veltheim . In modern times, people who were elevated to nobility often had a 'von' added to their name. For example, Johann Wolfgang Goethe had his name changed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe . This practice ended with the abolition of the monarchy in Germany and Austria in 1919. Sometimes von is also used in geographical names that are not noble, as in von Däniken . With family names originating locally, many names display particular characteristics of

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3844-617: Was not simply distinguished by noble ranks and titles, but was also seen as a distinctive ethos. Title 9, §1 of the General State Laws for the Prussian States declared that the nobility's responsibility "as the first social class in the state" was "the defence of the country, as well as the supporting of the exterior dignity and the interior constitution thereof" . Most German states had strict laws concerning proper conduct, employment, or marriage of nobles. Violating these laws could result in temporary or permanent Adelsverlust ("loss of

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