Many English-speaking countries have a history of high levels of immigration from Germany, and yet German names are not particularly common. This is often true even in families of German ancestry: I am of part-German descent myself, and my siblings and I do not have particularly German names, although our names are readily understood in Germany.

　　There are such strong links between German and English that it is easy to assimilate and choose the English form of a name (George instead of Georg), and two world wars have strongly encouraged such assimilation. Some traditional German names now seem awkward and outdated, even in their country of origin.

　　Yet clunky names are beginning to come back into fashion, and there are also many sprightly German short forms of names with tons of vintage style.  Here are some examples of both.

　　

German Girl Names

Amalia

Latinised form of the name Amala, a short form of names beginning with the German element amal, meaning “vigour, courage”, with connotations of hard work and fertility. It is thus an older or more obviously German variant of Amelia – and makes a good alternative to that popular name. Amalia was traditional among German aristocracy and royalty, and is still used by modern European royals: Prince Félix of Luxembourg has a daughter named Princess Amalia. In the Top 100 most popular names in Germany, Amalia is in the US Top 600 and rising.

　　

Anneliese

Combination of the names Anna and Liese, a short form of Elisabeth. The spelling Annalise is more popular in the English-speaking world, and is in the US Top 500 and rising. This name is very pretty, and would be a good alternative to popular names like Anna and Annabelle, while also suitable for honouring an Anne and an Elizabeth at the same time.

　　

Gretel

Pet form of Grete, short for Margarete, a German form of Margaret. It’s probably best known from the Grimm’s fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, in which Gretel's cleverness and cunning save her brother from being eaten by a witch. Gretel seems like a cute yet sophisticated choice, an alternative to more popular Greta.

　　

Leni

Short form of Helene or Magdalena. German supermodel Heidi Klum has a young daughter named Helene, who is called Leni. Leni is a Top 20 name in Germany, and very much on trend, fitting in with cute short names like Ellie, and L names like Layla. The variant spellings Lainey and Laney are more popular in the US.

　　

Lulu

Pet form of Luise, the German form of Louise. Lulu is the main character – a femme fatale – in two plays by German playwright Frank Wedekind, often combined into one called Lulu; they inspired the silent film Pandora’s Box with Louise Brooks as Lulu. Lulu is often chosen as a stage name, such as the Scottish singer Lulu (born Marie Lawrie), but singer-songwriter Lulu Simon, daughter of Paul Simon, has Lulu as her full name. A popular name in the 19th century, little Lulu is a cute, sexy name that gives Lola a run for its money. It can be used as a nickname for any name with a Lu sound in it, from Lucinda to Eloise.

　　

Mitzi

Pet form of Maria. Like Lulu, it’s more often chosen as a stage name, such as Hollywood star Mitzi Gaynor (born Francesca Gerber), and child star Mitzi Green (born Elizabeth Keno), who was in the 1932 version of Little Orphan Annie. In Germany Mitzi is more popular for cats and dogs than humans, and in the US it has not charted since the 1970s. However, itsy-bitsy Mitzi is a bright vintage charmer that will appeal to those wanting something a little different while still fitting in with current trends.

　　

Ottilie

Modern form of the ancient Germanic name Odilia. This is often said to be a feminine form of Otto, but may actually be from the Germanic odal, meaning “fatherland”. It has been something of a favourite in fiction, being chosen by the authors Goethe, Truman Capote, John Wyndham, and Robert Louis Stevenson – in all these works, the woman named Ottilie is an object of desire. American parents are only using it in small numbers, but Ottilie is in the UK Top 200 and rising fast, boosted by YouTube star Zoella choosing the name for her daughter in 2021. It also has the option of Tilly as a nickname.

　　

Thea

Short form of Dorothea or Theodora. In the Top 100 in Germany, Thea has also risen sharply in the English-speaking world in the last decade: it entered the US Top 1000 in 2014, and is now heading towards the Top 300. It’s short and simple, yet somehow substantial, and a perfect female counterpart to popular boy name Theo.

　　

Wilhelmina

Feminine form of Wilhelm, the German equivalent of William; in the form Wilhelmine, this was a traditional name amongst German royalty but is now out if style in its native land. In the US, Wilhelmina now seems cool rather than clunky, and it has seen a low-key revival in the last decade, and is now given to just over 100 baby girls each year. Dignified yet quirky, Wilhelmina has a host of adorable nicknames, including Billie, Willa, Mina, Minnie, and Minka.

　　

Zella

Short form of Marcella, a feminine form of the name Marcus. Zella peaked in the 19th century, when it fit in with other names from that era, such as Zelda and Zelie. Today it sounds like Zoe + Ella – a vintage name which now blends in seamlessly with current trends.

　　For more information, see our current list of the most popular German baby names.

　　This post is a revised version of an original published in August 2015.

　　

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Anna Otto

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　　Waltzing More Than Matilda is the creation of Anna Otto, who blogs about a wide variety of Australian names, and Aussie name trends.

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