What do Americans consider typical German names?

what? · Jul 13, 2014

Which family names do Americans perceive as typically German?

I am NOT interested in the most common German surnames. I need a character surname that will make American readers think that this character is from Germany or has German ancestors.

Some names look and sound prototypically French, because they contain letter combinaitions that we regard as French, e.g. names ending in -aux (Michaux). The most common French name, on the other hand, Martin, is so common in other countries as well that it does not necessarily signify a French origin to us.

So what is German on that level of letters and sounds? Is it the umlaut in Müller, or the "sch" and "dt" in Schmidt? What signifies a German name?

Helix · Jul 13, 2014

I was about to answer this, then I remembered I'm not American.

Damn.

alleycat · Jul 13, 2014

If you used a name with a German accent mark that would be a definitive clue that the person is possibly German, something like BÖHLER.

There are so many people with German ancestry in the US that most German names won't surprise us.

Bauer is the first one that came to mind. Then Hach. Because I know people with these names.

Los Pollos Hermanos · Jul 13, 2014

I remember reading somewhere (but can't recall where) that German is the most common ancestry group in the US as a whole, although I assume that varies from place to place?

When I needed German surnames in my story, I raided my family tree.

Then, when I needed more, I raided my trusty friend Google.

I've been sniffing around on this website today to help name a new minor character:
http://surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/german

Mr Lehman features heavily in my current scene...

what? · Jul 13, 2014

Helix said:
I was about to answer this, then I remembered I'm not American.

Damn.

Thank you for controlling yourself.

amergina · Jul 13, 2014

Any surname that starts with Sch (Schneider, Schultz, etc.), Herr, Kautz... Warner,Wegener, etc. Busch. Bausch.

Really, any German Surname, actually. There are plenty of folks with German ancestry here. It's not exactly uncommon.

Maybe Google German-American social club and take a look at the names of the folks who run them?

what? · Jul 13, 2014

Thank you for the answers.

Los Pollos Hermanos said:
Mr Lehman

Wouldn't Lehmann (with two "n") make it even mor German?

Ken · Jul 13, 2014

amergina said:
Any surname that starts with Sch

seconded

Los Pollos Hermanos · Jul 13, 2014

I stuck with the single N based on something a guy I used to work with told me. He's American and we commented on his surname - Smith - being about as English as you could get. Turns out his paternal line was originally Schmidt, but had anglicised the name early on to fit in once in the US.

Lehman looks less German than Lehmann, imho. This minor character is American (I never go into his background as it's not necessary for the story), but I've been careful with my American characters that any surnames mentioned reflect the diversity of the country. I set some of it in Switzerland, so I googled Swiss-German surnames for that. English/other UK surnames are even easier for my "local" settings!

King Neptune · Jul 13, 2014

Hohenstauffen and Hohenzolleren are pretty thoroughly German, but many AMericans wouldn't recognise them. Most Americans would think of Schmidt as German, and Schultz is another.

what? · Jul 13, 2014

Los Pollos Hermanos said:
I stuck with the single N based on something a guy I used to work with told me. He's American and we commented on his surname - Smith - being about as English as you could get. Turns out his paternal line was originally Schmidt, but had anglicised the name early on to fit in once in the US.

Lehman looks less German than Lehmann, imho. This minor character is American (I never go into his background as it's not necessary for the story), but I've been careful with my American characters that any surnames mentioned reflect the diversity of the country. I set some of it in Switzerland, so I googled Swiss-German surnames for that. English/other UK surnames are even easier for my "local" settings!

Makes total sense. I once read that many names, not only of German origin, were anglicized by the immigration authorities, especially names that (appeared) to refer to occupations, such as Schmidt/Smith.

Los Pollos Hermanos · Jul 13, 2014

It didn't just happen in the US - in the UK the Germans on my mum's side and the Italians on my dad's side anglicised their surnames to fit in.

EarlyBird · Jul 13, 2014

Schroeder...with two dots over the o.

melindamusil · Jul 13, 2014

what? said:
Makes total sense. I once read that many names, not only of German origin, were anglicized by the immigration authorities, especially names that (appeared) to refer to occupations, such as Schmidt/Smith.

There were also a lot of German-sounding names that were Anglicized during WWII, to separate "German-Americans" from "Germans".

Xelebes · Jul 13, 2014

A Sorbian last name. Wowčer (Wowtscher), Pohonč (Pohontsch), Młynk (Melnich), Burik (Burich), Hornčer (Hörntscher), Kowar, Korčmar (Körtschmarr), Smoler (Schmöller), Čiban (Schieban). I don't know many North Americans with Sorbian last names. I assume you want the read to think that they are from German, not necessarily of wholly German ancestry.

King Neptune · Jul 13, 2014

Xelebes said:
A Sorbian last name. Wowčer (Wowtscher), Pohonč (Pohontsch), Młynk (Melnich), Burik (Burich), Hornčer (Hörntscher), Kowar, Korčmar (Körtschmarr), Smoler (Schmöller), Čiban (Schieban). I don't know many North Americans with Sorbian last names. I assume you want the read to think that they are from German, not necessarily of wholly German ancestry.

Sorbian names are too Slavic for most people to consider them German. After all, Sorbs are Slavs.

Chase · Jul 13, 2014

King Neptune said:
Hohenstauffen and Hohenzolleren are pretty thoroughly German, but many AMericans wouldn't recognise them.

Except a U.S. soldier stationed at Cook Barracks in Göppingen directly below Ruine Hohenstauffen might think the names were quite Germanic. I have lots of photos.

Thanks for the memory.

Xelebes · Jul 13, 2014

King Neptune said:
Sorbian names are too Slavic for most people to consider them German. After all, Sorbs are Slavs.

You are meaning to tell me that a Gerhard Körtschmarr from Potsdam would not have you thinking he was a German? Korĉmer would certainly have them guessing they were from Prague or Warsaw than Potsdam.

snafu1056 · Jul 13, 2014

Schultz. Thats the most stereotypical German name that comes to mind. Maybe Kruger too. And of course, anything with "von" in it, but that might drift into cartoonish territory.

Cyia · Jul 13, 2014

Schultz is an obvious one, as is Schmidt.

My cousin's German dad is named Bauhaus.

snafu1056 · Jul 13, 2014

Los Pollos Hermanos said:
I remember reading somewhere (but can't recall where) that German is the most common ancestry group in the US as a whole, although I assume that varies from place to place?

Yeah. I believe Germans were the first big immigrant wave into the US. They just kept coming after that. Certainly among white people Germans are the majority here.

Bolero · Jul 13, 2014

Los Pollos Hermanos said:
It didn't just happen in the US - in the UK the Germans on my mum's side and the Italians on my dad's side anglicised their surnames to fit in.

As did the Royal Family

Under the usual way of surnames coming down the male line, George V had the surname of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until he changed it to Windsor. - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Windsor

And a bit more on topic. If it were me I'd avoid surnames needing umlauts purely because of the "fun" of typing them.

Incidentally, out of curiosity, would the surname of Hanover
a) look Germanic in the US
b) Ring bells regarding the Boston Tea Party?

Gringa · Jul 13, 2014

anything with "von" in front of it

aruna · Jul 13, 2014

EarlyBird said:
Schroeder...with two dots over the o.

No -- Schroeder would be the correct anglicized version. The e replaces the Umlaut; so Schröder becomes Schroeder. Schröeder does not exist!

ETA: Shoot, I was wrong -- it DOES exist: see posts below. Though this would mean that transliterated into English it would have to be spelled Schroeeder!

King Neptune · Jul 13, 2014

Xelebes said:
You are meaning to tell me that a Gerhard Körtschmarr from Potsdam would not have you thinking he was a German? Korĉmer would certainly have them guessing they were from Prague or Warsaw than Potsdam.

It would depend on how it is pronounced, but that thing over the "c" would make me think Prague before I would think of anything German. Linguistically Sorbia is Slavic, not German.

What do Americans consider typical German names?

what?

Helix

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alleycat

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Los Pollos Hermanos

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what?

amergina

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Ken

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King Neptune

what?

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EarlyBird

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melindamusil

practical experience, FTW

Xelebes

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Chase

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Xelebes

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Cyia

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