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German

Quick answerThe name German derives from the Latin "Germanus," meaning "brother" or "genuine/authentic," with roots in the Proto-Indo-European word "ger-" (to gather or assemble).

Russian · Boy · 2 syllables

G
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#1,541
TrendStable
Peak year1991
Syllables2
OriginRussian
LanguageRussian
CultureRussian, Spanish
ReligionChristianity
Letters6
Numerology4 Chaldean 2
Global rank#402

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name German

The name German derives from the Latin "Germanus," meaning "brother" or "genuine/authentic," with roots in the Proto-Indo-European word "ger-" (to gather or assemble).

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The name German derives from the Latin "Germanus," meaning "brother" or "genuine/authentic," with roots in the Proto-Indo-European word "ger-" (to gather or assemble). It was historically used in Christian contexts, particularly in Spanish and Italian-speaking regions, often honoring Saint Germanus of Auxerre, and remains primarily a given name in Hispanic and Romance language cultures.

German currently ranks #1,541 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1991.

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