120 German Names for Boys & Their Meanings

Naming a baby is a significant decision to be made between couples because it is something that your baby has to live with lifelong. Although there are numerous names cute names to choose from you will probably go with the one that sounds the best, has some meaning and hopefully suits the personality of your baby as he/she grows up. Many people look for names for their babies that are either easy to pronounce or spell. All names are beautiful in their way. In our list, some of the names are long, which could give rise to epic nicknames and some are so short that they don’t need nicknames at all. Here is our list of cool German baby names for boys.

Popular German Baby Boy Names with Meanings

1. Abelard

This name comes from Old German. The name Abelard means “resolute” or “noble strength”.

2. Achmad

Through the influence of the Ottoman Empire, Islam spread rapidly through Germany, and the name Achmad is a testament. It is the German version of the Arabic name Ahmed, which means “praiseworthy”.

3. Adrean

Adrean is a variation of the name Adrian, which has Latin roots and means “man from Hadria” or “dark one”.

4. Aelbehrt

Aelbehrt is a name that is of German origin. It is also spelt as Aelbert, and it means “a bright or shiny edge”.

5. Ambros

Ambros is the German variation of the name Ambrosius, which has Latin origins. It is one of the cool German first names, which means “immortal”.

6. Anselm

Anselm has German roots and consists of the two words, ans and helm, which means “divinity” and “protection; helmet”. Hence, Anselm means “divine helmet”.

7. Anton

Anton is a derivation of the Latin Antonius, an old Roman family name. There are many variations including Antonio, Antony amongst others, but the name Anton means “invaluable”.

8. Azzo

Azzo has roots in Italian and German culture. It comes from the Latin Accius, meaning “from Acca”. However, the Old German origin of the name says that it means “noble at birth”.

9. Adam

The name is of Hebrew origin and means ‘earth’ or ‘soil’.

10. Bastian

The name is a form of the name Sebastian and means ‘sublime’.

11. Baldrik

Baldrik is an alternate way to spell the name Baldric, and it comes from the Old French baudre. The name means “bold”.

12. Baldwin

Baldwin comes from the Old German name Baldavin, meaning “brave”. A famous namesake is an actor and comedian, Alec Baldwin.

13. Berchtwald

Berchtwald is one of the popular German boy names and has German origins. The name means “bright ruler; one who is charming and intelligent”.

14. Berhtram

Berhtram also has German origins and is a contacted version of the Old High German name Berahthraben, which means “bright raven”.

15. Bogart

Although Bogart has Middle English origins, it is also a German surname meaning “orchard”. In German, the first name Bogart means “bowstring”.

16. Boris

Boris comes from the Turkic name Bogoris. The name meant “short” or “wolf”. A famous namesake was King Boris I of Bulgaria in the 9th century.

17. Brenner

Brenner is a cool name for a boy and has Middle High German origins. It means “someone who does the job of burning things” and was probably derived from an occupation.

18. Burkhart

Burkhart has its origins in German and Dutch and is derived from the medieval name Burkhard, a combination of the words burg and hard meaning “fort” and “strong”. The name means “strong as a castle”.

19. Burnard

The name is a variation of the personal name Bernhard, consisting of the words bern and hard, meaning “bear” and “strong”. The name means “strong as a bear”.

20. Carl

Carl is a popular name across the world and means differently in different cultures. It is one of the common German names and means “free man”. An alternate way to spell it in Germany is Karl.

21. Christoph

The name has roots in the Latin word Christophorus, and it has multiple variations. Christoph is a German variation of it and means “Christ-bearer”.

22. Clemens

Clemens is a cool German name for a baby boy and has French origins. It is derived from the name Clement. The name means “good-natured; merciful and gentle”.

23. Curt

Also derived from French, Curt is a German baby name for boys, which means “courteous”.

24. Christian

The name means ‘follower of christ’.

25. Dennis

The name is of Greek origin and means ‘follower of Dionysus’.

26. Diedrich

It is a variation of the Old High German Dietrich, which means “king of nations”.

27. Detlef

Detlef is one of the traditional German names, which means, “People heritage”. Detlef Schrempf, the famous NBA player, adorns this name.

28. Dirk

Dirk is a Dutch of Low German name meaning “People Ruler”. It was made popular by another NBA superstar, Dirk Nowitzki.

29. Ebert

Ebert was a surname, which was also a nickname coming from the word eber meaning “boar”. The name Ebert, however, means “strong as a boar”.

30. Eckhard

Eckhard is a name of German origin consisting of the two words ek and hard, which means “edge” and “strong”, respectively.

31. Emmerich

It is an alternate way to spell the German Amalrich meaning, “work power”.

32. Egon

The name has multiple origins and represents a sword. 

33. Ferdinand

The name is of Germanic origin and means ‘bold’ or ‘peace’.

34. Filip

Filip is a variation of the commonly used Philip. Filip is now catching up with many across the world, and it means “lover of horses” from its Greek origin.

35. Frideric

Variation of the Old High German Friedrich, a combination of the two words fridu and rihhi meaning, “peace” and “powerful” respectively.

36. Fritz

A nickname for Friedrich, it is also used as a name on its own.

37. Fulhert

It comes from the Old German filibert, which means “very bright”.

38. Gerd

Contracted form of the Old German name Gerdhard, which means “spear strong”.

39. Gunther

Gunther is one of the famous German names, which means “battle warrior”.

40. Griswald

Adrean is a variation of the name Adrian, which has Latin roots and means “man from Hadria” or “dark one”.

41. Gustav

There is some level of uncertainty with regards to its origin. However, many think it is from the Slavic name Gostislav which was borne by six different kings of Sweden. Gustav means “staff of the goths”.

42. Georg

The name comes from the Greek word georgios and means ‘farmer’.

43. Harald

The name is of Germanic origin and means ‘military-power’.

44. Hacket

Halag is a common German name with German roots. The name means “little woodcutter”.

45. Hans

Hans, too, is a prevalent German name that has German origins. It means “God is gracious”.

46. Helmut

This name is a combination of the two German words helm and muot meaning, “helmet” and “courage” respectively.

47. Hubert

Hubert, too, has Germanic origins and is a combination of the words hug, meaning, “heart” and beraht, meaning, “bright”.

48. Ivon

It is the German variant of the name Yvon with French origins. The name means “yew tree”.

49. Izaak

Izaak is the German derivation of the Greek name Isaàk, which means “he will laugh”.

50. Jakob

It is a cognate of the name Jacob, used in Germany and other Nordic countries. The name means “supplanter”.

51. Johan

It is the short form of the name Johannes, which has Latin roots. The name means “God is gracious” and is in use by multiple countries across the world.

52. Jacob

The name is quite popular and means ‘supplanter’.

53. Kaspar

The name is a variant of the name Casper and means ‘treasurer’.

54. Kurt

The name is of Turkish and German origins. It means ‘wolf’.

55. Kaiser

A German version of the Latin name Caesar, which means, “severed”.

56. Klaus

The German variant of the name Claus, which translates into “victor of the people”. It is a trendy name in Germany.

57. Konrad

Konrad has Polish and German origins and comes from the name Conrad, which means, “bold advisor”.

58. Leo

Leo is Latin for “lion” and was the name of several popes and early Christian saints.

In German, it is short for Leopold or Leon.

59. Luka

Luka is a German derivation of the name Lucas. It has its origins in the Greek name Loukas, which meant “from Luciana”.

60. Lydon

Although Lydon has Irish and Gaelic origins, it is also a German name meaning “one from the Linden tree hill”.

61. Leon

The name is of Latin and German origins. It means ‘lion’.

62. Manfred

The name is of Alemannic origin and means ‘man of peace’.

63. Max

Max is short for Maxwell or Maxmillian and is of German, English and Aboriginal origin. The name means “greatest”. It is a short and cool name and is widely popular.

64. Meinhard

It is a variation of the German name Meinhardt, which is a combination of the words mein and hardt meaning “brave” and “heart”.

65. Merten

Merten is the Low German version of the French Martin. The name means “of Mars”. It is a popular name that is used across different cultures.

66. Morgen

Morgen stems from Middle High German and means “morning”. It is a cool yet pleasant name for a baby boy.

67. Nikolaus

Nikolaus is the German form of the French name Nicolas. It means “victor of the people”.

68. Nisse

Nisse is a cool name that comes from German folklore and comes from expressions such as “Nisse god dräng”, which means, “Nisse good lad”.

69. Norman

The name is of English and Germanic origin. It means ‘north man’.

70. Oliver

The name is of Germanic origin and means ‘warrior’.

71. Obrecht

Obrecht is a German name that is derived from the term Od-brecht, meaning, “famed for his heritage”.

72. Oskar

Oskar is the German and Scandinavian variation of the name Oscar. Derived from Gaelic words os and cara meaning “dear” and “friend” respectively, the name combines to form the meaning, “dear friend”.

73. Otis

Otis is believed to be of German origin. The meaning in German and English is “wealth, prosperity”. It is a popular name around Europe.

74. Paul

The name Paul has Latin origins and means “small” or “humble”.

75. Phillip

It is a common name around the world and is derived from the Latin Philippus meaning, “lover of horses”.

76. Peppin

A variation of the French name Pepin, the name means “the perseverant one”.

77. Poldi

It is a diminutive of the name Leopold. Leopold is a German name that means “brave people”.

78. Philipp

The name is a combination of two words that means ‘horse friend’.

79. Rudolph

The name is of Germanic origin and means ‘fame wolf’. 

80. Rafael

Rafael comes from the Hebrew name Rafael, which translates to “God heals”. In Hebrew culture, Rafael is the name of an archangel.

81. Rainart

Rainart is a variation of the surname Reindhart. It is an Old German name, which means “strong judgment”.

82. Rex

Much like Raj, Rex comes from Latin and means “King”. It is a great name for your baby boy as it has a lot of character.

83. Reynold

Reynold comes from the Old German elements of ragin and wald meaning, “advice” and “power”. The name Reynold means “King’s advisor”. It is also a distant relative of the name Ronald.

84. Ruprecht

It is the German variant of the name Robert and means “bright flame”.

85. Riker

Riker was a German surname but has been used as a given name for some time now. It comes from the Germanic rike meaning, “rich”.

Common German Names for Boys

1. Siemen

It is the Dutch and German variant of the Greek Symeon meaning, “hearkening”.

2. Thomas

The name is of German origin and means ‘twin’ or ‘master of Air Bending’.

3. Tabbert

It is a contracted form of the Old High German name Dagobert. The name means “bright day”.

4. Tedrick

The name Tedrick has Greek roots and means “gift of God”.

5. Tihalt

A unique name with German origins, Tihalt means “people’s prince”.

6. Traeger

Traeger is of German origin and means “someone who carries something”.

7. Ulbrecht

Ulbrecht comes from the two German words wulf and beraht meaning, “wolf” and “bright”, hence, “bright wolf”.

8. Ulrich

The name comes from the two elements uodal and ric meaning, “prosperity” and “power”. Lars Ulrich, the drummer from Metallica, adorns this name.

9. Urs

The Latin Ursus is where this name comes from. It means “bear”.

10. Uwe

Uwe has Scandinavian origins and comes from the word Ove meaning, “little edge”.

11. Valdemar

Valdemar is a German name that has Scandinavian roots. The name means “famous ruler”.

12. Stadtler

Although a surname, Stadtler comes from The Middle High German word stadel, meaning “a barn” and is used as a first name for boys.

13. Stefan

Stefan is the German variation of Stephen, which is derived from the Greek word Stephanos meaning, “crown”.

14. Stein

Stein is a popular German-Jewish name and means “stone”.

15. Sebastian

The name has multiple origins and means ‘from Sebastia’.

16. Wolfgang

Wolfgang has been and is still a popular name in Germany. Many boys are named Wolfgang, and it has Germanic origins. It is a cool name that means “advancing wolf”.

17. Wolfrick

Similar to Wolfgang, Wolfrick is a variation of the name and also has German origins. It means “wolf ruler”. A boy’s name cannot get cooler than the meaning’ ruler of wolves’.

18. Xiomar

Xiomar is one of the very, very few names in German starting with the letter X. It is of Spanish origin and means “famous in battle”. Names starting with the letter X are cool by default.

19. Yvo

Yvo is an Old German name that comes from the word iv meaning, “yew”. The name means “yew tree”.

20. Zigmund

Zigmund comes from the two German words sigu and mund meaning, “victory” and “protector”. The Anglicized version of the name is Sigmund and is very popular across the world.

Traditional and Old-fashioned German Boy Names

1. Seigfried

It is an Old High German name from the elements sige and frid meaning, “victory” and “peace”.

2. Valentin

German variation of the Latin name Valentinus and means, “healthy, strong”. Variations of this name are used across different countries.

3. Valter

The name Valter has Swedish origins and is picking up popularity in Germany. The name means “strong fighter, warrior”.

4. Vergil

The name is taken from the Latin Vergilius and means “flourish”. There are other variations of the name across the world.

5. Volker

Volker is an Old German name coming from the two words folc and heri meaning, “people” and “army”.

6. Wagner

The name is derived from an Old German surname Waganari, which means “wagonmaker” but is a cool name for a baby boy.

7. Wolfgan

The name comes from Old German and translates to ‘wolf journey’.

8. Waldemarr

It is an alternate way to spell the name Valdemar and also has Scandinavian roots. The name means “famous ruler”.

9. Waldheri

A variation of the Old High German name Walthari. The name means “ruler of the army”.

10. Waldo

The name Waldo means “to rule” and has German origins. It became more popular after the 90s children’s puzzle “Where’s Waldo”.

11. Wendall

There are numerous ways to spell the name Wendall, and it is a popular name across the world. In German, the name means “wanderer”.

12. Werner

The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the name Warnier, which was a German name. It consists of warin and hari and combining them; the meaning is “covered warrior”.

13. Wilbert

It is the German equivalent of the name Wilboerht, which has Anglo Saxon origins. The name means “resolute” and comes from the two elements will and beraht.

14. Wilfred

This name also has multiple ways of spelling it. The name has Germanic roots and means “resolute peace”.

15. Wilhelm

It is an Old High German name, which is a combination of the words will and helm meaning, “will” and “helmet”.

German names always sound cool and have a particular character to them. Be sure to go through our list to choose the name that you find best for your baby boy. Always remember, it is a decision that must be made with great thought since your baby will grow up with it. Be it a long name, or a short one, you must make sure that you are entirely convinced before naming your baby. Hope our list had enough and more options to provide you with a starting point in this beautiful journey. All the best!