Given name & surname
German
“a man from Germany”·“one who is brotherly”
German is a variant of Germain. Interpretations include “a man from Germany” and “one who is brotherly”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
German is a variant of Germain. Interpretations include “a man from Germany” and “one who is brotherly”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
German is a variant of Germain. Germain has been associated with French and Latin naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
German through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10,295
- 10,290 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 1991
- 304 babies
- 2025
- 112
- #1,541 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −22%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 112 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,541 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 21.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 304 in 1991. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (23). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 24,881 as a first name in 2020; 15,717 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
German’s family of names
In English usage, German has a short form in Jerry. German has a related form in Germain. In Polish usage, German has a conventional equivalent in the French form Germain.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
German has relatives in 7 languages.
9 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 121
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Jerryclipped form · English
- Evertvariant · Swedish
- Germainvariant · French
- Andisvariant
- Schachtmanvariant
- Glossbrennervariant
- Starkmanvariant
- Stehmanvariant
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Henkelmanvariant
- Gottmanvariant
- Begemanvariant
- Mohlmanvariant
- Rittmanvariant
- Schermanvariant
- Gontermanvariant
- Dendingervariant
- Kuntzmanvariant
- Ferdigvariant
- Ahlgrimvariant
- Klusmanvariant
- Battermanvariant
- Strohmanvariant
- Stumpffvariant
- Klingermanvariant
- Romickvariant
- Bensingervariant
- Struckmanvariant
- Ninnemanvariant
- Allgyervariant
- Zaringvariant
- Stoltmanvariant
- Heldermanvariant
- Gerdemanvariant
- Mussmanvariant
- Tuchmanvariant
- Lechmanvariant
- Selnervariant
- Justmanvariant
- Eplinvariant
- Hopmanvariant
- Bittermanvariant
- Gehrisvariant
- Urmanvariant
- Taubmanvariant
- Briskivariant
- Ringenbergvariant
- Gromanvariant
- Rutmanvariant
- Dietzmanvariant
- Diemertvariant
- Wartmanvariant
- Brummondvariant
- Tinsmanvariant
- Axtmanvariant
- Wallackvariant
- Neuharthvariant
- Nihartvariant
- Kamlervariant
- Ehrlichmanvariant
- Hergesheimervariant
And 61 more.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 24
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Hermanequivalent
- Andrasequivalent
- Alfridaequivalent
- Ludvigequivalent
- Hermannequivalent
- Шлосбергequivalent
- Winehouseanglicized form
- Rosenbushanglicized form
Show 16 moreShow fewer
People named German
- Gherman TitovSoviet cosmonaut (1935-2000)
- German GrefRussian economistborn 1964
- German ApukhtinRussian footballer (1936-2003)
- Herman of AlaskaSaint, monk1756–1837
- German SveshnikovSoviet fencer (1937-2003)
- Germano de FigueiredoPortuguese footballer (1932-2004)
- German KhanRussian businessmanborn 1961
- German TitovRussian ice hockey playerborn 1965
- GermanoBrazilian footballer (1911-1977)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love German, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Hernan
“a bold adventurer”
>99% boys
Stefan
“crowned with garland”
>99% boys
Efrain
“one who is tertile; productive” · “fruitful”
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Stephan
“crowned with garland”
>99% boys
Gino
“a wellborn man”
>99% boys
Keenan
“a small woman” · “of an ancient family”
>99% boys
Gilberto
Gilberto is a masculine given name. It is used in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and 2 other languages.
>99% boys
Deshawn
“God is gracious”
>99% boys