German
German is a given name, often the Slavic form of Herman. For the Spanish given name pronounced with stress in the second syllable see Germán.
Meaning & Origin of German
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
German is a given name, often the Slavic form of Herman. For the Spanish given name pronounced with stress in the second syllable see Germán.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of German
German first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 304 Germans were born — ranking #581 that year. As of 2026, German ranks #1,619 for baby boys with 106 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 10K Germans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like German
Phonetically similar names — useful when German is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about German
What does the name German mean?
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In which U.S. states is German most popular?
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About the name German
German is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. German's peak popularity came in 1991 when it ranked #581. Use the chart and map above to compare German's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1991 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.