What are common German last names?

List of the most common surnames in Germany

• Müller, occupation (miller)
• Schmidt, occupation (smith)
• Schneider, occupation (tailor)
• Fischer, occupation (fisherman)
• Weber, occupation (weaver)
• Meyer, occupation (originally a manorial landlord, later a self-employed farmer)
• Wagner, occupation (wainwright)

Is Holland a Dutch last name?

The Scottish name may also be from places called Holland in Orkney, Houlland in Shetland, Hollandbush in Stirlingshire, and Holland-Hirst in the parish of Kirkintilloch. English, German, Jewish (Ashkenazic), Danish, and Dutch: regional name from Holland, a province of the Netherlands.

When did Dutch people get last names?

1811
People started using Dutch family names after 1811, after the annexation of the Netherlands by Emperor Napoleon.

What does Van mean in Dutch surnames?

of
Van is also a preposition in the Dutch and Afrikaans languages, meaning “of” or “from” depending on the context (similar to de and di in the Romance languages). In surnames, it can appear by itself or in combination with an article (compare French de la, de l’).

What are the most common German surnames?

The most common German surname, Müller (miller), is shared by around 700,000 people. This is followed in popularity by the name Schmidt (along with variants such as Schmitt or Schmitz, this comes from the blacksmith’s trade), with Meier coming in third place.

What does the German surname mean?

Some German surnames are derived from locations, a place near the person who adopted the surname. -berg (meaning “mountain”) -bruck (meaning “bridge”) -burg (meaning “castle”) -furt (meaning “ford”) -holz (meaning “wood”) -rode (clearing in woods) -wald (meaning “forest” or “woods”)

What is the German surname?

Müller, Schmidt and Meier: the most common German surnames. In Germany, there are about 850,000 different family names. The most common German surname, Müller (miller), is shared by around 700,000 people.