Things To Consider When Having a German Name for Your Baby

When you finally decide to be a parent, you want all things to be unique for your child– the prints on their clothes, the color of their headbands, the design of their shoes, but what exactly parents would want their child to achieve uniqueness? It’s their name, and the German name is a good choice.

Yes, you heard it right! Naming a child is one of the most exciting yet the hardest thing a parent can ever think of. Some parents want their babies to have only one name for them to easily write it on when they start schooling. Others have named their child after their grandmothers/grandfathers to serve as dedication. But there are lots of parents who are interested in naming their precious one derived from other cultures or regions such as German names which has a very special meaning.

Knowing the german policies in choosing a baby name

Unknown to many, Germany is considered the country of poets and thinkers. What makes them unique is their language, traditions, and its people. You will be amazed to find that many German baby names will work for you if you’re planning on having a baby. There are many German baby names you can choose from, although Germany has set some limitations on the German names you prefer. When you get a German birth certificate for your child, it must be first approved by them, therefore, parents must select German names for their babies that are suitable and relevant for them.

If you want names with Germanic origins, you can certainly find them, may it be masculine, feminine or unisex names being used in Germany as well as in German-speaking countries like Austria and Switzerland. Germanic names are styled just like in any other countries which usually consists of more than one German first name followed by a family name. 

Familiarizing the german alphabets

Just a little trivia of the German alphabet. It has 26 letters, similar to English, although it also includes combined letters and three umlauted vowels (ä, ö, and ü). So when using German names for your baby, bear in mind that your baby’s name will have different pronunciation very different from the English names.

Finding a German baby name is quite challenging indeed. It is understandable that you want to carefully choose names from among the available list as your baby name, taking into account that this is acceptable to many especially their peers later. Germany believes that the name you choose must protect the well-being of the individual. That is why the German government imposes several restrictions when it comes to choosing a German name. They have in fact German names already prepared for you at the back of birth registration forms that you can choose from.

Gender-specific german name

A baby’s name can have several German first names. They are drawn from relatives to uphold the protection of the well-being of children especially to avoid being ridiculed. In Germany, parents cannot just use the German first names without having them officially approved by the Standesamt (local office of the population register).

German first names must not be absurd as to degrade the child. It is important that such names must not be associated with any evil characters like Satan or religious names like Jesus. It is also required to indicate the child’s gender. When parents choose a neutral German first name, then a second name that is gender-specific must be added. Cross naming is also prohibited.

Clearing the way for the unusual choice of the baby name

Parents must always consult the local Standesamt in advance if you choose an unusual name for your child just to clear the way. The German civil registration office where a baby is born to decide the names to use, except of course in the event when the baby is born to foreign parents where restrictions may be relaxed.

 German names are usually acquired from Biblical names, such as Josef (Joseph); Joannes (Joan) which is from the name of saints; or from Old German, such as Siegfried.

When the baby is baptized

There are two or more names that will be given to babies when they get baptized. In most places in Germany, a child is normally called by their first name given at baptism. In some areas, however, it is more usual for the child to be called by their second name. For example, if the first two males born in a family were named Jonas Paul and Leon Luis, they will be called by their second given names.

On the other hand, when an elder child dies young, their parents will still be using their exact name to be given to their next born baby of the same gender. However, some children received as many as three or more given names at baptism. A lot of given names were their parents or relatives’ names. But unknown to many, numerous of these names were often changed as the child grows up. They do not always use the name that was given to them at birth.

Below are some of the German names that may help you choose from, especially when you are confused about which name to give to your child, taking into consideration the German policies on baby names.

Two given names for your baby girl and baby boy 

• Landra Nixie
• Orlin Derrek
• Nickolaus Tahbert
• Patty Terell
• Baldwyn Halfrid
• Ollie Patty
• Carleen Eartha
• Galiana Adalheida
• Othman Adalbert
• Christoffer Edel
• Adelle Fonsie
• Claudette Hamlyn
• Eduard Baldrick
• Gabriele Xiomar
• Selma Odette
• Oliver Dell
• Jakob Jarman
• Jay Karl
• Ives Martin

One given name for your baby boy and baby girl 

• Halfrid
• Keifer
• Jansen
• Karleen
• Maddalene
• Nadette
• Harvey
• Saxon
• Karlesha
• Tedrick
• Selma
• Valdemar
• Kaiser
• Johannah
• Mady
• Johan
• Terry
• Katharina
• Verena
• Yvonne

Final words

The German name is not easy and free. This means German parents cannot just adopt a German name without the approval of the local civil registry where the baby was born.   

One should not use a name that has an allusion to the devil nor is they allowed to use the name of Jesus for this will be regarded as insensitivity. Cross naming such as, for example, using the name intended for a boy for a girl’s name and vice versa.

When a baby is baptized, he or she can use two or more names with the first name used to address him/her.

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