Contents [hide]

German History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

German History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Germany
Italy
Ireland

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought many new words to England from which surnames were formed. German was one of these new Norman names. It was specifically tailored to its first bearer, who was a person of German descent, or a person who was associated with that country through trade or other means. Another derivation of the name suggests that it derives from the Old French given name Germain. This name was borne by a popular French saint from the 5th century, and also meant of the same stock, or related to.

Germanus (378?-448), was "Bishop of Auxerre, and missionary to Britain, son of noble parents whose names are given as Rusticus and Germanilla, was born at Auxerre about 378, and after attending schools in Gaul went to study at Rome. " 1

German is a classic example of an polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently.

Early Origins of the German family

The surname German was first found in Essex where Jerman filius Willelmi was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1248. 2 However, Germanus was earlier listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3

Early History of the German family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our German research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1248, 1250, 1279, 1318, 1377, 1397, 1402, 1650, 1680, 1718, 1738 and 1769 are included under the topic Early German History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

German Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled German, Germans, Jermain, Jarman and others.

Early Notables of the German family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Robert German (died 1402), English politician, Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Nottingham from 1377 to 1397

German Ranking

In the United States, the name German is the 2,172^nd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 4

Migration of the German family to Ireland

Some of the German family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

German migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name German or a variant listed above:

German Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas German, who settled in Maryland in 1654
Ann German, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 5
John German, his wife Margaret and their two daughters, who were on record in Pennsylvania in 1683

German Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob German, who landed in New York in 1709 5
Benedict German, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1732
Benedict German, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 5
Christian German, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 5
Johan Ludwig German, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

German Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Anthony German, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 5
William German, aged 40, who arrived in New York in 1812 5
Michael German, who landed in New York in 1817 5
Patrick German, who arrived in New York in 1817 5
Edward German, who landed in New York in 1817 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

German migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

German Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John German, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. Christopher German U.E. who settled in Adolphus Town [Adolphustown], Ontario c. 1784 6
Mr. Christopher German U.E., "Christian" who settled in Adolphus Town [Adolphustown], Ontario c. 1784 son of John Sr. German he received land next to a Christopher German of no relation 6
Mr. Jacob German U.E. who settled in Adolphus Town [Adolphustown], Ontario c. 1784 son of John Sr. German 6
Mr. John German Sr., U.E. who settled in Adolphus Town [Adolphustown], Ontario c. 1784 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

German Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Allice E. German, who settled in Ontario in 1861
Ilko German, who landed in Manitoba in 1898
Ivan German, who arrived in Manitoba in 1899

German migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

German Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George German, English convict who was convicted in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Elijah German, English convict who was convicted in Cambridgeshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Hannah German, aged 18, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Marion" 9

German migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

German Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James German, aged 28, a farm labourer, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Renfrewshire" in 1878
Mary A. German, aged 27, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Renfrewshire" in 1878
Albert E. German, aged 7, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Renfrewshire" in 1878
Mary G. German, aged 3, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Renfrewshire" in 1878
Annie German, aged 1, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Renfrewshire" in 1878
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name German (post 1700) +

Jeffrey Michael German (1953-2022), American investigative reporter in Las Vegas, Nevada
Robert John German (b. 1978), American singer, guitarist, and songwriter
Lauren Christine German (b. 1978), American actress, known for her role as Agent Lori Weston in the television series Hawaii Five-0
Sir Edward German (1862-1936), English musician and composer, best known for his incidental music and his English comic opera
Sir Ronald German, English company director from Sussex, and the Reverend Canon Cyril Jarman of Chester Cathedral
Lindsey German, English activist
Aleksei Yuryevich German (1938-2013), Soviet and Russian filmmaker
Michael German (b. 1945), Welsh leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, and Member of the Welsh Assembly
Anna German (1936-1982), Polish-Russian singer
Thomas German Reed (1817-1888), English musician, son of Thomas Reed, a musician, born at Bristol

Historic Events for the German family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Samuel Henry German, English Assistant Pantry Steward from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 10

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
South Australian Register Tuesday 12th December 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marion 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marion1854.shtml
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/