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German girl names: 160+ female German names with meanings and origins

170 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

German girl names range from modern favorites like Emilia, Frieda and Mathilda to old Germanic classics such as Adelheid and Hildegard. Many traditional female German names are built from old words for noble, battle and strength, which is why they sound so sturdy.

Below are 160+ real German names for girls, each with its meaning, language of origin and, where it helps, a simple pronunciation. You will find the most popular names in Germany today, traditional and strong Germanic names, vintage favorites, common German women's names, German forms of international names, North German and Frisian names, short names that suit a female dog, cute nicknames and rare picks.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Rosi

    Rose; Latin, a pet form of Rosa. Say ROH-zee

  • Dörthe

    Gift of God; Greek, the Low German Dorothea. Say DUR-tuh

  • Gunda

    War; Germanic gund. A punchy pick for a guard dog. Say GOON-dah

  • Susi

    Lily; Hebrew, a pet form of Susanne. Say ZOO-zee

  • Heidrun

    Bright secret lore; Old Norse heiðr and rún. Say HY-droon

  • Rosa

    Rose; Latin. A flower name with old-world charm. Say ROH-zah

German name tools

Build a noble name the way German law has written it since 1919, see every surname a child can get from two parents under the 2025 rules, and learn how to say a German name.

A noble name, done right

The legal name today
Hans Freiherr von Hohenberg
Before 1919: Freiherr Hans von Hohenberg
In an index: Under H, for Hohenberg, ignoring Freiherr and von
In Austria, which abolished titles and von in 1919: Hans Hohenberg
The title is the German equivalent of baron.

Since 1919 a title is simply part of the surname, so it moved inside the name. Von alone does not prove nobility: some 200 to 300 ordinary German surnames contain it.

A child's surname from both parents

  • BeckerThe first parent's surname
  • SchmidtThe second parent's surname
  • Becker-SchmidtDouble name, hyphenated (the default)
  • Schmidt-BeckerDouble name, the other order
  • Becker SchmidtDouble name without a hyphen, if the parents choose it

Children born since 1 May 2025 may have a double name of two parts at most, hyphenated unless the parents decide otherwise; older children can switch, with their consent from age five.

How to say it, and how to spell it without umlauts

  • sch sounds like English sh.
  • j sounds like English y.
  • ü somewhat like the u in cute: say ee with rounded lips.
  • ö somewhat like the vowel in heard.
Without umlauts
Juergen Schroeder
In a passport's machine-readable line
JUERGEN SCHROEDER
Write ü as ue, never plain u: Muller for Müller is wrong, and German law treats that change as a change of name.
Want endless ideas? Try the german name generator and generate new names in one click.

Traditional German female names

Old Germanic names built from elements like adal (noble), gard (enclosure) and trud (strength).

  1. Adelheid: Nobility; Germanic adal, noble, and heit, sort. Say AH-del-hite
  2. Hildegard: Battle enclosure; Germanic hild and gard. Borne by the medieval abbess of Bingen
  3. Gisela: Pledge; Germanic gisil. Say GEE-zeh-lah
  4. Irmgard: Whole enclosure; Germanic irmin and gard. Say IRM-gart
  5. Wilhelmina: Will and helmet; Germanic, a feminine form of Wilhelm. Say vil-hel-MEE-nah
  6. Bertha: Bright; Germanic beraht. Say BAIR-tah
  7. Edeltraud: Noble strength; Germanic adal and trud. Say AY-del-trowt
  8. Elfriede: Elf strength; Old English, the German form of Elfreda. Say el-FREE-duh
  9. Sieglinde: Gentle victory; Germanic sigu and lind. Say zeek-LIN-duh
  10. Adele US #751: Noble; Germanic adal. Say ah-DAY-luh
  11. Irma: Whole, great; Germanic irmin. Say EER-mah
  12. Linda US #902: Soft, tender; Germanic lind. Also Spanish for pretty
  13. Gudrun: God's secret lore; Old Norse, long used in Germany. Say GOOD-roon
  14. Edith US #499: Rich in war; Old English. Germans say AY-dit
  15. Hermine: Army man; Germanic, a feminine form of Hermann. Say hair-MEE-nuh
  16. Luitgard: People and enclosure; Germanic liut and gard

Strong German girl names

Warrior names from Germanic legend and history, many built on hild, meaning battle.

  1. Brunhilde: Armor and battle; Germanic. A warrior queen in the Nibelungenlied. Say broon-HIL-duh
  2. Kriemhild: Mask and battle; Germanic. Heroine of the Nibelungenlied. Say KREEM-hilt
  3. Hilde: Battle; Germanic hild, short for many old names. Say HIL-duh
  4. Hedwig: Battle, warfare; Germanic hadu and wig. Say HAYT-vikh
  5. Gertrud: Spear strength; Germanic ger and trud. Say GAIR-troot
  6. Waltraud: Power and strength; Germanic walt and trud. Say VAHL-trowt
  7. Walburga: Power and fortress; Germanic. An English-born saint of Germany. Say vahl-BOOR-gah
  8. Roswitha: Fame and strength; Germanic hrod and swinth. Say ros-VEE-tah
  9. Hiltrud: Battle strength; Germanic hild and trud. Say HIL-troot
  10. Mechthild: Strength in battle; Germanic, a medieval form of Mathilda. Say MEKH-tilt
  11. Gerhild: Spear and battle; Germanic ger and hild. Say GAIR-hilt
  12. Swanhild: Swan and battle; Germanic. Borne by the wife of Charles Martel. Say SVAHN-hilt
  13. Sieghild: Victory and battle; Germanic sigu and hild. Say ZEEK-hilt
  14. Wiltrud: Will and strength; Germanic willo and trud. Say VIL-troot
  15. Ricarda: Brave ruler; Germanic, a feminine form of Richard. Say ree-KAR-dah

Old-fashioned German girl names

Vintage names with a grandmotherly charm, several of them pet forms of longer classics.

  1. Liesel: God is my oath; Hebrew, a pet form of Elisabeth. Say LEE-zel
  2. Ilse: God is my oath; Hebrew, a German short form of Elisabeth. Say IL-zuh
  3. Gretchen: Pearl; Greek, a German pet form of Margarete
  4. Lotte: Free man; Germanic, short for Charlotte. Say LOT-uh
  5. Helga: Holy, blessed; Old Norse, long used in Germany. Say HEL-gah
  6. Erika: Eternal ruler; Old Norse. Also the German word for heather
  7. Ingeborg: Ing's help; Old Norse, after Ing, a Germanic god. Say ING-eh-bork
  8. Ursula: Little bear; Latin, from ursa, bear. Say OOR-zoo-lah
  9. Renate: Born again; Latin renatus. Say reh-NAH-tuh
  10. Beate: Blessed; Latin beata. Say beh-AH-tuh
  11. Jutta: Jewish woman; Hebrew, probably a medieval German form of Judith. Say YOO-tah
  12. Ute: Wealth, fortune; Germanic, a form of Oda. Say OO-tuh
  13. Heidi US #340: Nobility; a German pet form of Adelheid made famous by the Swiss novel Heidi (1880). Say HY-dee
  14. Anneliese: Grace and God is my oath; Hebrew, Anne plus Liese. Say AH-neh-lee-zuh
  15. Annegret: Grace and pearl; Hebrew and Greek, Anne plus Grete
  16. Margarete: Pearl; Greek. The source of Grete and Gretel. Say mar-gah-RAY-tuh
  17. Dorothea: Gift of God; Greek. Say do-ro-TAY-ah
  18. Greta US #908: Pearl; Greek, short for Margarete. It fell out of Germany's top 200 in 2020. Say GRAY-tah

Common German women's names

Names that many grown German women carry, from postwar classics to 1980s favorites.

  1. Kerstin: Follower of Christ; Greek, a Swedish form of Christina. Say KAIR-stin
  2. Anja: Favor, grace; Hebrew, via the Russian pet form Anya. Say AHN-yah
  3. Stefanie: Crown, garland; Greek, a feminine form of Stefan. Say SHTEH-fah-nee
  4. Christa: Follower of Christ; Greek, short for Christina. Say KRIS-tah
  5. Sonja: Wisdom; Greek, via Sonya, the Russian pet form of Sophia. Say ZON-yah
  6. Dagmar: Day maid; Old Norse dagr and mær. Say DAHG-mar
  7. Inge: After Ing, a Germanic god; short for names like Ingeborg. Say ING-uh
  8. Heidrun: Bright secret lore; Old Norse heiðr and rún. Say HY-droon
  9. Gerlinde: Spear and soft; Germanic ger and lind. Say gair-LIN-duh
  10. Liselotte: God is my oath and free man; Elisabeth plus Charlotte
  11. Svenja: Boy; Old Norse sveinn, a German feminine form of Sven. Say SVEN-yah
  12. Annika US #995: Favor, grace; Hebrew, a Swedish pet form of Anna. Say AH-nee-kah
  13. Christel: Follower of Christ; Greek, a German pet form of Christine. Say KRIS-tel
  14. Margit: Pearl; Greek, a Scandinavian form of Margaret used in Germany
  15. Sibylle: Prophetess; Greek sibylla, the German spelling of Sibyl. Say zee-BIL-luh
  16. Saskia: A Saxon; Germanic, after the Saxon people. Common in 1990s Germany. Say ZAHS-kee-ah
  17. Sigrid: Beautiful victory; Old Norse sigr and fríðr. A 1950s favorite. Say ZEE-grit

German forms of classic names

Names shared across Europe, in their German spelling and sound.

  1. Elisabeth US #925: God is my oath; Hebrew. Spelled with an s in German. Say eh-LEE-zah-bet
  2. Franziska: Frankish, French; Latin Franciscus. Say frahn-TSIS-kah
  3. Friederike: Peaceful ruler; Germanic, a feminine form of Friedrich. Say free-deh-REE-kuh
  4. Henrike: Home ruler; Germanic, a feminine form of Heinrich. Say hen-REE-kuh
  5. Ulrike: Heritage and power; Germanic, a feminine form of Ulrich. Say ool-REE-kuh
  6. Gabriele: God is my strength; Hebrew, a feminine form of Gabriel. Say gah-bree-AY-luh
  7. Susanne: Lily; Hebrew. Say zoo-ZAH-nuh
  8. Christiane: Follower of Christ; Latin, a feminine form of Christian. Say kris-tee-AH-nuh
  9. Angelika: Angelic; Latin, via Greek angelos, messenger. Say ahn-GAY-lee-kah
  10. Petra: Rock, stone; Greek, a feminine form of Peter. Say PAY-trah
  11. Magdalena US #850: Woman of Magdala; Hebrew, from a Galilee town named for a tower
  12. Martha US #713: Lady, mistress; Aramaic. Say MAR-tah
  13. Konstanze: Steadfast, constant; Latin. Mozart's wife spelled it with a C. Say kon-STAHN-tsuh
  14. Felicitas: Good luck; Latin. Say feh-LEE-tsee-tahs
  15. Eva US #134: Living, life; Hebrew, the German Eve. Say AY-vah
  16. Agnes: Pure, chaste; Greek. Say AHG-nes
  17. Agathe: Good; Greek, the German and French Agatha. Say ah-GAH-tuh
  18. Regina US #395: Queen; Latin. Germans say reh-GEE-nah with a hard g

North German and Frisian girl names

Short Low German and Frisian names from the north coast, many ending in the pet suffix -ke.

  1. Elke: Nobility; Low German pet form of Adelheid. Say EL-kuh
  2. Anke: Favor, grace; Low German pet form of Anna. Say AHN-kuh
  3. Antje: Favor, grace; Frisian pet form of Anna. Say AHNT-yuh
  4. Heike: Home ruler; Low German pet form of Henrike. Say HY-kuh
  5. Frauke: Little lady; Low German, from frau, lady. Say FROW-kuh
  6. Silke: Blind; Low German form of Cecilia, from Latin caecus. Say ZIL-kuh
  7. Wiebke: War; Frisian, from short forms of wig names. Say VEEP-kuh
  8. Imke: Whole, great; Frisian pet form of irmin names. Say IM-kuh
  9. Inken: Ing's help; Frisian pet form of Ingeborg. Say ING-ken
  10. Wenke: Friend; Low German pet form of wini names. Say VEN-kuh
  11. Dörthe: Gift of God; Greek, the Low German Dorothea. Say DUR-tuh
  12. Elske: God is my oath; Hebrew, a Frisian pet form of Elisabeth. Say ELS-kuh

German female dog names

Short, crisp German girl names that are easy to call across a park. All are real names with real meanings.

  1. Gerda: Spear and brave; Germanic, a feminine form of Gerd. Say GAIR-dah
  2. Gunda: War; Germanic gund. A punchy pick for a guard dog. Say GOON-dah
  3. Helma: Will and helmet; Germanic, short for Wilhelmina. Say HEL-mah
  4. Gisa: Pledge; Germanic gisal, short for Gisela. Say GEE-zah
  5. Else: God is my oath; Hebrew, a short form of Elisabeth. Say EL-zuh
  6. Lioba: Dear and battle; Old English, after a saint who worked in Germany
  7. Ulla: Little bear; Latin, a German pet form of Ursula. Say OO-lah
  8. Anni: Favor, grace; Hebrew, a German pet form of Anna. Say AH-nee
  9. Rike: Ruler; Germanic, short for Friederike or Henrike. Say REE-kuh
  10. Lilo: God is my oath and free man; short for Liselotte. Say LEE-loh
  11. Gitta: Exalted one; Irish, a German short form of Brigitta. Say GIT-tah
  12. Marga: Pearl; Greek, a pet form of Margarete. Say MAR-gah
  13. Senta: Growing; Latin, a pet form of Kreszentia. Wagner's Dutchman heroine. Say ZEN-tah
  14. Evi: Living, life; Hebrew, a German pet form of Eva. Say AY-vee
  15. Ziska: Frankish, French; Latin, short for Franziska. Say TSIS-kah

Cute German nicknames for girls

Pet forms Germans use every day, often ending in -i, -chen or -el.

  1. Lieschen: God is my oath; Hebrew. Pet form of Elisabeth; Lieschen Müller is German for an average woman
  2. Gretel: Pearl; Greek. Hänsel's sister in the Grimm fairy tale
  3. Bärbel: Foreign woman; Greek, a pet form of Barbara. Say BAIR-bel
  4. Uschi: Little bear; Latin, a pet form of Ursula. Say OO-shee
  5. Steffi: Crown, garland; Greek, a pet form of Stefanie. Say SHTEF-ee
  6. Gabi: God is my strength; Hebrew, short for Gabriele. Say GAH-bee
  7. Susi: Lily; Hebrew, a pet form of Susanne. Say ZOO-zee
  8. Emmy US #445: Whole, universal; Germanic, a pet form of Emma
  9. Elfi: Elf strength; Old English, a pet form of Elfriede. Say EL-fee
  10. Traudl: Strength; Germanic trud, a pet form of Gertraud or Waltraud. Say TROW-dl
  11. Hedy: Battle, warfare; Germanic, a pet form of Hedwig. Say HAY-dee
  12. Franzi: Frankish, French; Latin, a pet form of Franziska. Say FRAHN-tsee
  13. Zenzi: Growing; Latin crescens, a pet form of Kreszenz. Say TSEN-tsee
  14. Fritzi: Peaceful ruler; Germanic, a pet form of Friederike. Say FRIT-see
  15. Wilma: Will and helmet; Germanic, short for Wilhelmina. Say VIL-mah
  16. Trudi: Spear strength; Germanic, a pet form of Gertrud. Say TROO-dee
  17. Rosi: Rose; Latin, a pet form of Rosa. Say ROH-zee

Unique German girl names

Rarely used names with real history, from saints, legends and old Germanic roots.

  1. Edelgard: Noble enclosure; Germanic adal and gard. Say AY-del-gart
  2. Irmtraud: Great strength; Germanic irmin and trud. Say IRM-trowt
  3. Adelinde: Noble and gentle; Germanic adal and lind. Say ah-deh-LIN-duh
  4. Theda: Gift of God; Greek, short for Theodora. Say TAY-dah
  5. Thekla: Glory of God; Greek. An early Christian saint's name. Say TEK-lah
  6. Cordula: Little heart; Latin, from cor, heart. Say KOR-doo-lah
  7. Benedikta: Blessed; Latin, a feminine form of Benedikt. Say beh-neh-DIK-tah
  8. Anselma: God and helmet; Germanic ans and helm. Say ahn-ZEL-mah
  9. Regula: Rule; Latin. A patron saint of Zurich. Say RAY-goo-lah
  10. Ottilie: Wealth, fortune; Germanic od, via Odilia. Say o-TEE-lee-uh
  11. Rosamunde: Horse protection; Germanic hros and mund, later read as rose
  12. Kunigunde: Clan and war; Germanic. A medieval empress and saint. Say koo-nee-GOON-duh
  13. Dietlinde: People and soft; Germanic theod and lind. A Lombard queen's name
  14. Ortrud: Point and strength; Germanic ort and drud. A role in Wagner's Lohengrin
  15. Ortrun: Point and secret lore; Germanic ort and runa. Say OR-troon
  16. Reinhild: Counsel and battle; Germanic regin and hilt. Say RINE-hilt
  17. Herlinde: Army and soft; Germanic heri and lind. An 8th-century abbess

How to pick the right name

Say it the German way

In German, w sounds like v, j like y and a final e is spoken, so Wilhelmina is vil-hel-MEE-nah and Heike is HY-kuh. Decide whether you want the German sound or an English one before you choose.

Read the two parts

Old Germanic names usually join two words, often chosen for sound or family ties rather than to make a phrase. Gertrud is spear plus strength and Hildegard battle plus enclosure.

Plan for the nickname

Germans shorten names all the time: Elisabeth becomes Liesel, Margarete becomes Gretel and Franziska becomes Franzi. Pick a full name whose pet form you like too.

Pair vintage with modern

A sturdy old name like Hedwig or Ottilie works well as a middle name next to a modern first name like Emilia or Mila.

German girl names: 170 ideas from Nomezo

Save this list for later

Pin it to a naming board, or tap the heart next to any name to keep it in your favorites on this device.

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German girl names: what parents in Germany choose, and how names date a woman

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 25, 2026 · How we research names

Germany has two popular-name rankings. The Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (GfdS) counts registry-office data and groups spellings that sound the same; the hobby statistician Knud Bielefeld counts birth announcements, and for 2025 he also merged spellings that sound the same. Both agree that Sophia, Emma and Emilia lead, and that old Germanic names such as Ida, Mathilda and Frieda are back.

German names also date a woman as clearly as American ones do: Brigitte and Renate were 1950 favorites, Sabine and Petra 1960s ones. The tools above show how a German name is said and spelled.

  1. Step 1Pick a styleModern favorite, old Germanic or a short northern name.
  2. Step 2Learn how it is saidW sounds like v, j like y, and a final e is spoken.
  3. Step 3Check both countriesA name can be top 10 in Germany and rare in the US.
  4. Step 4Plan for the paperworkUmlauts often vanish on US documents.

Germany's most popular girls' names, 2025

  • Marie tops the list of all names given, but mostly as a middle name: it is used about 224 times as a second name for every 100 times as a first (GfdS).
  • One name is normal. Of babies born in 2025, 63.7% got one first name, 33.2% two and 2.9% three. With several names, the one a child goes by is the Rufname (GfdS).
  • Old names are back. In Knud Bielefeld's 2025 ranking, Ida is 12th, Mathilda 14th, Frieda 16th, Charlotte 24th and Luisa 26th, while Greta has fallen to 228th (Bielefeld).
Top 10 girls' names in Germany, 2025 (GfdS)
RankNameShare of girls' first names
1Sophia / Sofia1.33%
2Emma1.25%
3Emilia1.25%
4Mia1.01%
5Lina1.00%
6Ella0.94%
7Hanna / Hannah0.92%
8Klara / Clara0.92%
9Mila0.89%
10Lia / Liah0.86%

Source: GfdS, the most popular first names of 2025. Spellings that sound the same are counted together. Emma leads in the north, Sophia in the south and west, and Emilia in the east (GfdS detail).

Names that date a German woman

Top girls' names in Germany by year of birth
Born inTop names
1950Brigitte, Renate, Karin, Angelika, Monika
1960Sabine, Susanne, Petra, Birgit, Gabriele
1970Nicole, Anja, Claudia, Stefanie, Andrea

Source: Knud Bielefeld, popular names by year. These are unofficial counts from birth announcements.

Germany and the US like different names

German girls' names in the US, 2025
NameUS rank in 2025In Germany
Charlotte#224th (Bielefeld)
Emma#32nd (GfdS)
Sophia#51st with Sofia (GfdS)
Clara#63Klara and Clara together 8th (GfdS)
Klara#1,804The usual German spelling is rare in the US
Heidi#340Peaked in the US at #60 in 1974
Greta#908228th in Germany in 2025

US source: Social Security Administration, 2025 data.

German naming rules, and umlauts abroad

  • The registry office decides. In Germany the Standesamt must accept a first name. The child's welfare comes first: plain surnames, everyday words and random strings of letters are refused, but a foreign origin is no obstacle. The GfdS gives opinions, which are advice only (GfdS).
  • Gender. A name once had to show the child's sex. Since a 2008 Federal Constitutional Court ruling the only legal limit is the child's well-being, though a name clearly of the other sex can still be refused (Wikipedia).
  • Umlauts. US federal documents such as passports and Social Security cards do not carry diacritical marks, so Bärbel may become Barbel. Germans themselves write ä, ö and ü as ae, oe and ue when they must, so Baerbel is the more German spelling (NBC News).

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular girl name in Germany?

Sophia (counted together with Sofia) topped the 2025 ranking of the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (GfdS), followed by Emma and Emilia. Mia and Lina completed the top five.

What are traditional German girl names?

Adelheid, Gertrud, Hildegard, Hedwig, Gisela and Mathilda are traditional Germanic names. They are built from old elements such as adal (noble), hild (battle) and trud (strength).

What are cute German nicknames for girls?

German pet forms often end in -i, -chen or -el: Liesel and Lieschen come from Elisabeth, Gretel from Margarete, Uschi from Ursula and Steffi from Stefanie.

What are common German women's names?

Kerstin, Anja, Stefanie, Sonja, Dagmar and Christa are names many German women carry, alongside older classics like Ursula, Renate and Helga.

What are good German names for a female dog?

Short German girl names like Gerda, Gunda, Ulla, Anni, Rike and Senta are easy to call across a yard. Classics such as Heidi, Greta and Frieda work well too.

Why is Marie so common in Germany?

Mostly as a middle name. In 2025 Marie was used about 224 times as a second name for every 100 times as a first name, which puts it at the top of the list of all names given (GfdS).

What were popular German girl names in the 1960s?

Sabine, Susanne, Petra, Birgit and Gabriele topped Knud Bielefeld's list for 1960. In 1950 the leaders were Brigitte, Renate, Karin, Angelika and Monika.

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