German Family History
German Surname Meaning
English: ethnic name from Old French germain ‘German’ (from Latin Germanus). This sometimes denoted an actual immigrant from Germany but was also used to refer to a person who had trade or other connections with German-speaking lands. The Latin word Germanus is of obscure and disputed origin; the most plausible of the etymologies that have been proposed is that the people were originally known as the ‘spear-men’ with ancient Germanic gēr gār ‘spear’ as the first element.
Spanish and Hungarian (Germán); English (of Norman origin) and German: from the personal name Spanish and Hungarian Germán, Old French Germain, German German from Latin Germanus (see Germain), a Christian saint's name. Americanized form of German Germann, a name of ancient Germanic origin.
Ukrainian and Rusyn (also from Slovakia and Poland): from the personal name German, which can be from both Latin Germanus (see Germain compare 2 above) and German Hermann (compare 5 below).
Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): variant of Herman or Hermann, originating under Russian influence since Russian has no h and alters it to g in borrowed words and names. In some cases possibly also an American shortened form of Greek Germanos: from the personal name Germanos (see Germain), bestowed in honor of several saints of the Eastern Church, in particular Saint Germanos from the 8th century, liturgical poet and patriarch of Constantinople.
Italianized form of Slovenian and Croatian Jerman.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022