I’ve been particularly interested in my [name]German[/name] ancestry lately, and I’ve been thinking about incorporating that into my list somehow. I’m looking for something a bit more [name]German[/name] in feeling than the more mainstream options like [name]Emilia[/name], [name]Charlotte[/name], [name]Sofie[/name], [name]Josefine[/name], etc., but nothing that has ever been too dated/trendy here in the US (I’m looking at you, [name]Bertha[/name]).
So far, I’m contemplating [name]Johanna[/name], [name]Clara[/name]/[name]Klara[/name], [name]Adelaide[/name]/[name]Adelheid[/name], and Annegret, but I feel like there’s got to be a lot of really great options out there! [name]Do[/name] you have any favorite [name]German[/name] names? Or have you come across a really great [name]German[/name] list?
I find a lot of [name]German[/name] names intersting- my own [name]German[/name] heritage playing a small role- but I’ve yet to find a really exciting name list. When I was searching for names for some of my [name]German[/name] characters, some of these were suggested or stumbled upon:
[name]Kornelia[/name]
[name]Kordula[/name]
[name]Ottilie[/name]
[name]Luise[/name]
[name]Elsa[/name]
[name]Ida[/name]
[name]Auguste[/name]
Käthe
[name]Dorothea[/name] (actually popular between 1890-1910)
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Henriette[/name]
[name]Alwine[/name]
[name]Marianne[/name]
[name]Friederike[/name]
[name]Magdalene[/name]
Elfriede
[name]Wilhelmine[/name]
[name]Frieda[/name]
[name]Marta[/name]
As far as [name]German[/name] names [name]Klara[/name] is my absolute favourite, and I love love love [name]Johanna[/name] & [name]Adelheid[/name].
Some of my other loves (some are Dutch as well as German):
[name]Elke[/name], Marlies(e), [name]Lotte[/name], [name]Elisabet[/name], [name]Katja[/name], [name]Margarethe[/name], [name]Aurelia[/name], [name]Freja[/name], [name]Lorelei[/name] (I’m not sure if [name]Lorelei[/name] is used around Germany too much, but it definitely has its [name]German[/name] roots)
Thanks, ladies! So far I’m really loving [name]Johanna[/name] and [name]Clara[/name]/[name]Klara[/name], but I’ve discovered Adalind/[name]Adelind[/name]/Adelinde on several sites I’ve been looking at, and I’m really loving that. Unfortunately, I’m trying to steer clear of “A” names because I don’t really like their flow with the FN I’m trying to pair up with–[name]Eva[/name]. I suppose [name]Eva[/name] Adalind could work (as well as [name]Eva[/name] [name]Adelaide[/name], [name]Eva[/name] [name]Anneliese[/name], [name]Eva[/name] [name]Annika[/name], etc.)–and while the -a A- thing doesn’t usually bother me, it does with [name]Eva[/name], unfortunately.
I really like the idea of [name]Eva[/name] [name]Clara[/name] as a double name, though, [name]Eva[/name] [name]Clara[/name] something or other. Plus, [name]Clara[/name] is a family name, so that makes it even more appealing… Hmm.
So just as a heads up most naming sites, including NB, don’t make a distinction between names that are [name]German[/name] in origin and names that are Germanic in origin. As a native [name]German[/name] speaker, it’s a huge pet peeve I have and I’ve been considering compiling a list of names that are incorrectly attributed for NB once my Grad-semester is over.
[name]German[/name] languages names refer to names that come from regions of Europe that speak [name]German[/name] - so Germany, [name]Austria[/name], parts of Switzerland, ect. Germanic names refer to names that come from the greater northern European area - this includes [name]German[/name] speaking countries, but also includes [name]England[/name], [name]Sweden[/name], Denmark, [name]Ireland[/name], ect. So going with the [name]Adelaide[/name] example. [name]Adelaide[/name] is actually the English version of the [name]German[/name] name [name]Adelheid[/name]. In fact [name]Adelaide[/name] would sound a little funny in [name]German[/name].
Looking at [name]German[/name] naming sites can be behindthename.com because they do make that distinction (most of the time) or a [name]German[/name] naming site. However, [name]German[/name] naming sites often speak to [name]German[/name] naming trends which aren’t always restricted to only [name]German[/name] names, just like American naming trends aren’t restricted to purely American names.
@ottille Rikke, Vilhelmine, [name]Hedvig[/name] are not [name]German[/name] spellings. I think it’s Fredericke/Frederikke, [name]Wilhelmine[/name], and [name]Hedwig[/name]. ([name]German[/name]'s use the letter v fairly rarely because it has a much harsher sound than a w). @cajeller [name]Mila[/name] is not originally [name]German[/name], it might be fairly popular in Germany but it was originally Eastern European. Leyna was probably [name]Lena[/name]. (y’s aren’t very popular in [name]German[/name] spelling either). [name]Emmeline[/name] is English in origin.
My favourite [name]German[/name] name is [name]Ada[/name], followed by [name]Alice[/name], but I really love and I think its because of my heritage as well!
I also like:
[name]Adelaide[/name] - But I live in [name]Adelaide[/name] so I couldn’t use this!
[name]Anneliese[/name]
[name]Elisabeth[/name] as opposed to [name]Elizabeth[/name], it sounds pretty to me
[name]Hannelore[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Greta[/name]/Griet (but its Dutch,) my great-great-grandmother’s name was [name]Margarethe[/name].
[name]Elsa[/name] - My great nanna’s name was [name]Elsie[/name]
[name]Eva[/name] is also beautiful.
While I was in Germany though I noticed that most [name]German[/name] women have very modern names and these beautiful ones are harder to come by!
Ahh, I love [name]Elisabeth[/name]! I also love that it’s the French spelling–while I’m only an itty bit French, I have other really strong ties to the French culture, and I think [name]Elisabeth[/name] honors both cultures so well. I’m just not sure I really love [name]Eva[/name] [name]Elisabeth[/name].
I also love [name]Hannelore[/name], but with [name]Hannah[/name] [name]Lenore[/name] also being on my list, it might be a bit much. I sort of like Hannelotte, but I think it sort of overshadows little sweet [name]Eva[/name]…
I see! Well [name]Elisabeth[/name] has been used by many [name]German[/name] princesses as well![name]Elisabeth[/name] is beautiful! Yeah I don’t know if they go together properly hmm..
Yes that could be a problem! haha.
[name]Eva[/name] is so lovely! Its too popular where I live and so is its cousin [name]Ava[/name].
Haha, yeah, you’re right about Vilhelmine and [name]Hedvig[/name], I used the norwegian variant (rarely uses the w). Rikke however is german. I know two!
