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HEIKE'S GENEALOGY - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Origin of German Names
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German people of noble origin were not required to have a surname. People of nobility are, until today, only known by the origin or their reign, such as from the house of Habsburg or from the house of Windsor. In the German language it is easy to recognize if a person is of noble origin. His/Her name will always have the word "von" as part of the name, like Maria von Habsburg Empress of Austria. (See German Royalty Terms) This word "von" should never be mistaken by the Dutch word Van which does not have the same meaning. German speaking people did not have surnames, they were called by their first names, like Wilhelm or Heike. These names were of Germanic origin. But because of the rapid expansion of Christianity in Central Europe, many biblical names such as Elisabeth or Maria, became very common. In addition, many names of Slavic origin found their way to Germany. It was not until the Reign of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia demanded that "All Common People Must Have A Surname." Top There was one important other demand: People of "non-Germanic origin" would be given specific surnames, as was this the case with people of Jewish origin. German surnames are easily recognized: Most, if not all, end with the letters "er", like Kammer. The German language is spoken in Germany and Austria. Surnames of these two countries are not always of Germanic origin. It is said that of three people in Austria's capital city of Vienna (Wien), one has a German name like Mueller or Berger, the other a Slavic name like Janiceck which is Czechoslovakian origin, or a Hungarian name like Hrvatz. Some people who migrated to Germany or Austria have changed their names to make them look like German names, but it is usually quite easy to recognize a true Germanic name. |
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