Welcome to our list of the 50 most popular German girls names. Each name has a short explanation of its meaning along with a cool fact about the name.
This list is perfect for:
- Parents looking for a German baby name
- People who want to change their name via deed poll to a more German sounding one
- People who want to find out which are the most popular German names
***If you like this article be sure to check out our list of 50 most popular:
Scottish names for Boys
Italian Names for Boys
Greek names for Boys
Greek Names for Girls
French Names for Boys
French Names for Girls
Welsh Names for Girls
Russian Names for Boys
So without further interruption here is the list of the 50 most popular German names for girls.
- Adela
Adela means “noble” and comes from an ancient Germanic word. It was a popular name among Medieval German and Northern European nobility.
- Adelaide
This classic German girl’s name means “noble type”. Saint Adelaide was the wife of a Holy Roman Emperor and she popularized the name in German-speaking areas.
- Annaliese
Annaliese combines “Anna” with “Liese” (a short form of the name “Elizabeth”). It means “grace” and “favor”.
- Beatrice
Beatrice means “blessed” or “happy. It has been the name of many queens throughout history, including Beatrice of Bavaria and Beatrice of Swabia.
- Belinda
Belinda comes from an Old High German name that meant “bright serpent” or “bright linden tree”. The name is given throughout the world in many countries.
- Bertha
This is a traditional German name that originally belonged to a Germanic goddess of animals and weaving. It means “bright” or “famous”.
- Brunhilde
Brunhilde is an ancient name composed of the words “brun” (protection) and “hild” (battle). It belonged to a legendary Scandinavian heroine.
- Dietlinde
This is a more modern version of the Medieval German name “Theudelinda”, which means “soft person”. It was the name of a 6th century Lombard queen.
- Ebba
Ebba is the feminine form of the name “Ebbe”, meaning “brave”. It belonged to two saints and the mother of Queen Margaret of Sweden.
- Edith
Edith is a classic name with a long history as a name borne by both German and English noblewomen. It means “blessed” and “war”.
- Elvira
This name means “all true”. It was the name of a character in “Don Giovanni”, an 18th century opera by Mozart.
- Emma
Emma is a very popular German name that means “universal”. Emma of Normandy popularized the name in German-speaking areas and in England.
- Engel
Engel is a traditional German name that means “angel”. It was originally associated with the Angles, an ancient Germanic tribe.
- Freya
Freya was the goddess of love and beauty in Norse mythology. It means “lady” in Old Norse, and today it is popular throughout Germany and Scandinavia.
- Frida
Frida comes from the old Germanic root meaning “peace”, and may be alternately spelled “Freda”. Frida Kahlo is this name’s most famous namesake.
- Gertrude
The name Gertrude means “spear” and “strength”. Many notable women have this name, including Saint Gertrude the Great and American writer Gertrude Stein.
- Greta
Greta may be the short form of “Margareta” or a name in its own right. One of the most famous women with this name is the Swedish actress Greta Garbo.
- Gretel
Gretel is a traditional diminutive German name meaning “pearl”. It is best known as the name of the little girl from the 1812 Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel”.
- Hedwig
The name Hedwig comes from two Old High German words that mean “battle” and “war”. It was the name of a 14th century Polish queen and a 13th century German saint.
- Heidi
Heidi means “nobility” and can also be a nickname for names like “Adelheid” and “Heidelinde”. It gained popularity after the release of the 1937 movie “Heidi”.
- Hermina
This is the girl’s form of the name “Herman”, which means “army man”. Hermina Franks was a pitcher for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1940s.
- Ida
This name comes from an Old Norse word meaning “action”. It is particularly popular in Denmark, but it is common throughout Germany and northern Europe.
- Ingrid
Ingrid means “beautiful” and is currently most popular in Norway. Ingrid Peters is a famous German singer with this name.
- Isolde
This name means “ice” and “battle”. Isolde was a main character in an Arthurian legend and the 19th century opera “Tristan und Isolde”.
- Jutta
Jutta is a variation of the name “Judda”, which is likely derived from the ancient Germanic tribe of the Jutes. It is the name of two Medieval German saints.
- Katharina
Katharina is one of the most classic and popular German girl’s names. It may mean “pure”, or it may come from the name of the goddess Hecate.
- Katja
The name Katja is a form of the name “Katherine”. It may also be spelled as “Katya” and is the name of many prominent German women today.
- Kirsten
Kirsten is a popular German name that means “follower of Christ”. Kirsten Dunst is a famous American actress of German descent with this name.
- Lina
This name is traditionally a diminutive of names like “Evelina” and “Pauline”, but is also a name by itself. Lina Larissa Strahl is a modern-day German actress and singer.
- Liselotte
Liselotte is a combination of the names “Lise” and “Charlotte”. It was the childhood name of the Princess Palatine, Elizabeth Charlotte.
- Louisa
Louisa means “famous warrior”. Louisa May Alcott, an American author who wrote “Little Women”, is one of the most notable namesakes.
- Magda
Magda is a variation of the name “Magdalene” and is often given to honor Mary Magdalene. It is popular in Germany and Eastern Europe.
- Margrit
Margrit is a unique form of the name “Margaret”, which means “pearl”. Margrit Rainer was a well-known Swiss comedian of the 20th century.
- Matilda
A classic German name, Matilda means “strength in battle”. It has belonged to two English queens and a Holy Roman Empress.
- Minna
Sometimes used as a shortened form of the name “Wilhelmina”, the name Minna by itself means “courtly love”. The 18th century play “Minna von Barnhelm” popularized it.
- Nora
This name was popular among the Anglo-Normans. It means “honor” and may also be spelled “Noora” or “Norah”.
- Odilia
Saint Odilia was an 8th century nun who was blind, but gained her sight after her baptism. The name means “fortune”.
- Petra
Petra means “stone” and is the feminine form of “Peter”. It is popular in German-speaking countries, as well as in Croatia, Macedonia, Finland, and Bulgaria.
- Rebekka
This alternate spelling of “Rebecca” means “moderator”. It is particularly common among religious families in German-speaking areas.
- Roza
Roza comes from an Old Germanic word meaning “fame”. It is common throughout Germany and eastern Europe.
- Rosmarie
The name Rosmarie means “dew of the sea”. It may also come from the names “Rose” and “Mary”, and started being used more during the 19th century.
- Sabine
This German name comes from an ancient Italian tribe. Sabine was the name of early Catholic saints, and is also the name of many modern German women.
- Saskia
Saskia is a commonly seen German name meaning “knife” or “Saxon”. Saskia Fischer is a modern-day German actress.
- Selma
The name Selma started being used in Germany after it was used in one of James MacPherson’s poems in the 18th century. Its meaning is uncertain.
- Stefanie
Stefanie is a German name that comes from a Greek word meaning “crown”. It has been the name of many European princesses.
- Theda
Theda Bara was a well-known American silent film actress of the 19th and 20th centuries. The name means “gift from God”.
- Thora
Thora may be the feminine form of “Thor”, which belonged to the god of the sky and storms. Thora was also a mythological queen to the Danish king Ragnar Lodbrok.
- Ursula
Ursula means “little bear”. It was the name of a 4th century saint who is the patron of archers, orphans, and female students.
- Wanda
The name Wanda means “a Wend”, referring to a group of Slavic people who lived in eastern Germany during the 6th-14th centuries.
- Wilhelmine
Wilhelmine is a German name meaning “desire” and “protection”. Wilhelmine of Prussia was a 19th century German princess with this name.
If you are looking to change your name, we at the UK Deed Poll Office can help make the process quick and easy.
