Children can have several first names in Germany, which traditionally are inspired by relatives. However, with the aim to protect the well-being of children, there are some restrictions on first names to reduce chances of being ridiculed.
As a result, German first names must be officially approved by the Standesamt (local office of the population register).
Thus German first names must:
- be recognized as proper names – they cannot be absurd or degrade the child in any way.
- not associate with evil (e.g., Satan or Judas) or be insensitive to religious feelings (e.g., Christus or Jesus).
- not be a brand, a surname, an object or the name of a place.
- indicate the child’s gender – if a neutral first name is chosen, then a second name must be added that is gender-specific.
- must not cross genders – a boy’s name cannot typically be chosen for a girl and vice versa (with the exception of Maria, which can be placed as a boy’s second name).
Looking for strong female German names? Here are some of most popular, traditional and lovely German Baby Girl Names to use for your newest family member.
Selecting a new name for the new girl in your life can be an overwhelming choice. There are options ranging from traditional and old German to modern and popular German girl names.
For your little lady, you can look to your German heritage or just German culture to choose a girl’s name. German girl names can sound really traditional such as Hilda and Heidi or contemporary such as Alison and Adalee.
Statistics show that 17% of baby girls born had a name in the top 10 most popular names. The top German names for girls were reportedly:
- Mia
- Emma
- Sofia/Sophia
- Hannah/Hanna
- Emilia
- Anna
- Marie
- Mila
- Lina
- Lea/Leah
- Lena
- Leonie
- Amelie
- Luisa/Louisa
- Johanna
- Emily/Emilie
- Clara/Klara
- Sophie/Sofie
- Charlotte
- Lilly/LilI
Lovely German Baby Girl Names and their Meaning
Here Are A List Of Beautiful German Girl Names For Your Baby
1. Alia is German and means ‘all’ or ‘another.’
2 . Charlotte (French origin), is the feminine version of the name Karl, meaning ‘free’ and ‘proficient.’
3. Clara (Latin Origin) is a name that means ‘famous,’ ‘bright’ and ‘clear.’
4. Eléa (Swiss Origin) is a name that means ‘foreign’ and ‘strange’ in German, ‘compassion’ in Greek and ‘God is my light’ in Arabic.
5. Eliana (Greek and Hebrew Origin) is a name that means ‘bright,’ ‘torch,’ ‘beautiful,’ ‘shining’ and ‘light.’
6. Ella (Multiple Origins) is short for girl names ending in ‘Ella’ or beginning with ‘El’ and is a variant of the German baby name ‘Alia.’
7 . Emilian (Latin Origin) comes from the Latin name Aemilius and translates into the word ‘rival.’
8. Emily (Latin Origin) comes from the Latin name Aemilius and is a popular german girl name that means ‘rival.’
9. Emma is short for any Germanic names beginning with ‘Em’ or ‘I’m and means ‘whole’ or ‘universal.’
10. Freya (Nordic Origin) is a name derived from the Goddess of love, beauty, war, and death; it means ‘lady’ or ‘mistress.’
11. Frida is one of the common German names, which means the ‘princess of peace.’
12. Hannah (Hebrew Origin), also spelt as Hanna, is a common German baby girl name that means ‘favor’ and ‘grace.’
13. Leni (Latin Origin) is a name which means ‘light’, ‘sublime’, ‘torch’, ‘bright’ and ‘beautiful’.
14. Lia (Multiple Origins) is a name that means ‘lioness,’ ‘mistress,’ ‘rival,’ and ‘my God in abundance.’
15. Lilly (British Origin) also spelled as Lily, Lillie, Lili, and Lilli is a popular Germanic name, which means ‘my God is my oath’ and ‘my God is abundance.’
16. Malia (Swahili Origin) is a name that means ‘beloved,’ ‘a child that has been wished for,’ ‘rebellious,’ ‘brave,’ ‘soft,’ ‘diligent,’ and ‘queen.’
17. Mathilda is a name that refers to ‘the strength that one gains in the battle.’
18. Maya (Turkish Origin) is a name which means the ‘star of the sea,’ ‘exalted one,’ ‘beloved,’ ‘rebellious,’ and refers to ‘the child that has been wished for.’
19. Mia (Italian Origin) is a name that means ‘mine’ and ‘darling.’
20. Sophia (Greek Origin) is a name that means ‘wisdom.’
21. Sophie (Greek Origin) is an alternative name for Sophia, meaning ‘wisdom.’
GORGEOUS GERMAN GIRL NAMES TO CONSIDER (WITH MEANINGS)
People believe that the name you give to your princess can direct their path to success. Taking this into consideration, we’ve put together a list of old names for girls that reflect various personalities you could name your daughter after.
22. Angela (Latin Origin) is one of the more famous German girl names, which means ‘Angel’ and ‘God’s messenger.’
23. Anne ( Latin Origin) is a great name for a German baby girl and means ‘grace’ and ‘the favored one.’
24. Brittany (French Origin) is one of the more common German baby girl names due to the singer Britney Spears.
25. Diane (Indo-European Origin) is a common choice for a girl and means ‘divine’.
26. Edda is a great name for a girl and refers to someone whose ‘achievement-oriented.’
27. Eva (Latin Origin) is a popular German baby name that means ‘life.’
28. Heidi (German/Swiss Origin) is a popular German name that refers to ‘someone who was born into a noble family.’
29. Irma is an old German name that means ‘universal’ or ‘whole.’
30. Juliane (Latin Origin) is a popular Germanic name that is made famous through various popular personalities.
31. Kirsten (German/ Scandinavian Origin) refers to ‘someone who follows Christ.’
32. Kim (Korean Origin) is one of the trending baby names and means ‘gold’.
33. Magda (Polish Origin) is a popular German name for a girl and means ‘woman’.
34. Marlene (Italian Origin) is one of the more common alternative German names for Mia and means ‘mine’.
35. Nastazja (Greek and Latin Origins) is a popular German name for a girl and means ‘resurrection.
36. Nicole (Greek Origin) is one of the more common girl names and means ‘the people’s victory.’
37. Pia (Latin Origin) is one of the names used for German girls meaning ‘devout’ or ‘holy.’
38. Roza (Italian Origin) is a popular Germanic version of Saint Rose, an Italian Saint who lived in the 13th-century.
39. Ruth (Hebrew Origin) is one of the names used for German girls and means ‘friend’.
40. Steffi is one of the popular German baby names and ‘crown.’
41. Zazie (Hebrew Origin) is one of the common names for German girls and means ‘movement’.
Lovely German Girl Names
Your little princess deserves something as unique and special as she is. The best thing that you can give her is an exclusive name that she can wear as a badge of honor. Here are a few German girls’ names that highlight how strong and kind your girls can be.
42. Acacia (Greek Origin) is one of the more common names for German girls, which means ‘thorny.’
43. Adolpha is a Germanic baby name, which means ‘noble wolf.’
44. Alexandrine (French Origin) is one of the trending names for girls and means ‘the defender of men.’
45. Alfonsine is a German baby name attributed to Saint Alphonso.
46. Alice is an old Germanic name that refers to ‘someone noble.’
47. Amalia is one of the more unique names for German girls and denotes the ‘productivity and the fertility of the person.’
48. Amaryllis (Greek Origin) is one of the trending names for girls and means ‘sparkle’.
49. Amorie ranks amongst the most unique names for girls and means ‘industrious’.
50. Annalise (Hebrew Origin) is one of the trending names for girls and means ‘grace’.
51. Anke (Greek Origin) is one of the names slowly gaining traction for girls and refers to ‘someone pure.’
52. Anja (Russian Origin) ranks amongst the most feminine names for girls and means ‘grace’.
53. Elsa is a German girls’ name that is translated into ‘pledged to God.’
54. Giselle is a German girls’ name that means ‘pledge.’
55. Greta is one of the best German baby girl names and means ‘pearl’.
56. Lorelei is one of the more unique German girls’ names and means ‘alluring’.
57. Millie is a girl’s name that means ‘hard worker.’
58. Mina (Scottish, Polish and German Origin) ranks as one of the most strong names and means ‘will.’
59. Rebekah (Hebrew Origin) is a unique German name that can be translated to ‘servant of God’.
60. Thea (Greek Origin) are amongst the girls’ names known for their exclusivity and means ‘Goddess’.
61. Willa is slowly becoming one of the popular German girls‘ names and means ‘resolute protection.
Popular German Baby Names
These days, it is not uncommon for parents to give their children non-binary names instead of traditional German girls’ names.
Here are a few strong, gender-neutral girls’ names that will bring character to any child.
62. Adalia is one of the more popular German girl’s names and means ‘noble’.
63. Adler is a non-binary title that is trending on the ‘German girl’s names’ list and means ‘eagle.’
64. Alary is German for ‘the Elf Ruler.’
65. Alex refers to someone who defends someone.
66. Aren is one of the more popular girls’ names and means ‘eagle ruler’.
67. Betelgeuse means ‘hand of the central one.
68. Billie is quite a popular German baby name today due to various personalities that have the same name.
69. Bodie is one of the more popular girls’ names and means ‘the messenger’.
70. Bowman means ‘archer’.
71. Brandt in German refers to ‘someone who is hot-tempered.’
72. Brenner is amongst the most popular German girls’ names and means ‘the charcoal-burner.’
73. Breslau is becoming a popular German baby name and is the name of a famous German city.
74. Cline is German for ‘the little one.’
75. Clove means ‘spice’.
76. Dale is German for ‘the Valley.’
77. Dresden is German for the ‘Forest people who live near the river’ and is also a prominent German city.
78. Edel is German for ‘noble.’
79. Hess refers to someone who is wearing a hood or helmet.
80. Ingram was originally a tribal name for the German people who invaded Britain.
81. Jung in German means ‘young’.
82. Karsten refers to someone who is Christian.
83. Katz has two meanings – ‘righteous priest’ and ‘cat.’
84. Keller was originally a German occupational surname, which means ‘the winemaker.’
85. Kern has two meanings – ‘Seed’ and ‘grain.’
86. Kyler has two meanings – ‘The cell of a monk’ and ‘church.’
87. Mahler, a now popular Germanic name, was once an occupational name that meant ‘stain glassmaker.’
88. Mendie means ‘little man’.
89. Mikkel refers to someone who is like God.
90. Oberon is a name that means ‘noble bear.’
91. Romy refers to someone who hails from Rome.
92. Rune means ‘secret’.
93. Sage refers to someone wise.
94. Sailor refers to someone who owns a boat.
95. Sascha means ‘warrior’.
96. Schneider means ‘tailor’.
97. Tammen refers to someone who is from the Tam region in Germany.
98. Tiguan is a combination of a few names.
99. Ull means ‘wolf power’.
100. Zada refers to someone who sows seeds.
