The Most Popular Old German Girl Names
In this article you'll find a long list of Old German girl names for babies. It runs from short Old German girl names to longer Old German girl names and on to Old German girl names with a modern twist, plus the most popular Old German girl names of the last 100 years.
Old German girl names, just like Grandma's
In a world where we keep updating our devices, our software and our dating apps, there is nowhere we can relax and kick back quite like Grandma's house. Technology keeps moving faster, yet something steady and deeply rooted stays with us: our grandmothers' names.
These classic Old German girl names, once written in Grandma's diary or on her letters, are now making a comeback much like her meatballs and vegetable soup. They say the way to the heart is through the stomach, so the revival of these traditional girl names has to offer what Grandma's plate of comfort food offers: stability and tradition. And there is more. These names also bring back a pinch of nostalgia and timeless elegance, two things that often get lost in a fast-paced online world.
Short Old German girl names
German history is long, and so is the list of Old German girl names. The names themselves, though, can be quite short. Below you'll find a few classic German girl names and their meanings, and none of them is a tongue twister.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Anna | "Grace" or "charm" |
| Elsa | "God is my oath" |
| Erna | "serious" or "eager" |
| Greta | "pearl" or "the noble woman" |
| Lina | "gentle" or "delicate" |
| Lies | Short form of "Elisabeth," meaning "God is my oath" |
| Mara | "bitter" (also known to mean "the beloved") |
| Ruth | "friendship" or "compassion" |
| Vera | "truth" or "trustworthy" |
Short and seemingly simple, these Old German girl names have accompanied generations of women, and they still do. Traditions never really go out of style, and vintage is still very much in.
Long Old German girl names
Blame it on the vintage charm, but Old German girl names instantly carry a sense of grandeur and elegance. The longer names listed below in particular have a royal ring to them. Did anyone bring a crown?
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Adelheid | “of noble kind” or “noble origin” |
| Agnes | “pure” or “holy” |
| Gertrud | “strong spear bearer” |
| Irmgard | “great protection” |
| Jutta | “daughter of Jut” or “one from the tribe of the Jutes” |
| Mathilde | “strong in battle” |
| Richarda | “strong and mighty” |
| Sibylle | “the prophetess” |
| Waltraud | “strong ruler” |
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Old German girl names with a modern twist
Good things take time, and sometimes a small change here and there. In the list below you'll find traditional Old German girl names with a modern twist or sound.
- Brigitte (Gitta)
- Edith
- Elsbeth (Elsa)
- Frieda
- Hildegard (Hilde)
- Klara
- Liselotte (Lotte)
- Rosa
Whether you lean toward tradition or toward trends, choosing an Old German girl name never means settling for a boring one. A name can carry historical depth and still be on everyone's lips today.
Most popular Old German girl names of the last 100 years
Not every grandmother lives to 100, but over the last century many women across several generations were named after their grandmother or after a name with similar historical weight. In the list below you'll find the most popular Old German girl names of the last 100 years, all with Germanic roots.
- Adelheid
- Agnes
- Alice
- Alma
- Augusta
- Anna
- Berta
- Bertha
- Elsbeth
- Elsa
- Emma
- Erika
- Frieda
- Friedrike
- Gertrud
- Greta
- Hilda
- Hilde
- Hildegard
- Irmgard
- Johanna
- Käthe
- Klara
- Louise
- Lieselotte
- Margarete
- Martha
- Mathilde
- Roswitha
- Thekla
The names above, the most popular Old German girl names of the last 100 years, have this in common: they are timeless, traditional and tasteful. This list of baby names reflects the many layers of German history and shows that an old-school name is always a safe choice.
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85 more Old German names for girls and women and what they mean
If none of the Old German names for girls and women so far has caught your eye, we have 85 more German girl names and their meanings for you.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Adelgard | Noble and enclosure |
| Adelma | Noble protectress |
| Alida | The noble one |
| Almut | The noble one or the protecting one |
| Amal | The hardworking one |
| Amalia | The capable one |
| Amalie | The capable one |
| Antje | Grace |
| Ava | Strength |
| Belinda | Battle and gentle, soft |
| Bianca | White, shining, beautiful |
| Brenda | Burning |
| Brunhilde | Protector in battle |
| Carola | The free one |
| Charlotte | The free woman |
| Deike | Ruler of the people |
| Edeltraud | The noble one or the beloved |
| Edith | Fighter for the inheritance |
| Eila | The eager one |
| Eleonor | The shining one |
| Elisabeth | My God is abundance |
| Elvira | The truth or the white one |
| Emilie | The eager one |
| Emmeline | The worker |
| Ernestine | The steadfast one |
| Evke | The lady of the house |
| Fara | The alluring one |
| Fenja | The peaceful one |
| Franka | The brave one |
| Franziska | The free one |
| Frauke | The little woman |
| Freya | The lady |
| Gesa | The strong one |
| Gisela | Little spear |
| Gislind | Spear and gentle, mild |
| Gunda | Battle |
| Gundula | The fighter |
| Hanna | The gracious one |
| Heidrun | Manner and secret |
| Heike | The ruler |
| Helene | The radiant one |
| Henriette | The ruler |
| Henrike | The ruler |
| Hilla | The fighter |
| Ida | The hardworking one |
| Imke | The great one |
| Ina | The pure one |
| Ingeborg | Protection |
| Isolde | The beautiful one |
| Jana | God is gracious |
| Karla | The free woman |
| Karolina | The free woman |
| Kriemhild | Mask, ghost |
| Leni | The radiant one |
| Luise | Fame and battle |
| Maike | The bitter one |
| Marga | The pearl |
| Marlene | The one from Magdala |
| Merlinde | Famous and gentle |
| Milda | The gentle one |
| Minna | Love |
| Nele | The radiant one |
| Paula | The little one |
| Pauline | The little one |
| Rike | The mighty one |
| Rosalinde | Fame and gentleness |
| Rosamunde | Fame and protection |
| Selma | The protector |
| Sigune | The victorious one |
| Silke | The blind one |
| Svea | The Swede |
| Thea | The goddess |
| Theresa | The huntress |
| Thialda | The mighty one |
| Tilda | The fighter |
| Ulrike | The mighty one |
| Vanadis | The goddess |
| Viktoria | Victory |
| Wanda | The Vandal |
| Wibke | The fighter |
| Wilhelmine | The strong-willed one |
| Willa | The strong-willed one |
| Zita | The maiden |
| Zelda | The gray warrior |
| Ziska | The free one |
Final thoughts on Old German girl names
Progress and improvement are welcome, in technology for example, but some things only grow more beautiful when they stay the way they were. Old German girl names, with their long history, cultural heritage and sentimental value, are showing up more and more often on today's birth certificates.
This love of old-fashioned charm shows that, in many cases, Grandma really does know best. And what better way to honor her than by choosing her Old German name for the next generation?
