Selecting German first names isn't just about how a word rolls off the tongue. It's complicated. For decades, parents in Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg leaned heavily into international trends, opting for names that sounded like they belonged in a California surf shop or a London café. Think Kevinism—a real sociological phenomenon in Germany where Anglo-American names became strangely polarizing. But things changed.
Now, we are seeing a hard pivot.
Old-fashioned, "grandparent" names are dominating the charts. If you walk through a playground in Prenzlauer Berg today, you aren't going to hear many kids named Justin. You’ll hear shouts for Emilia, Noah, and Leon. It’s a return to roots, but with a modern, softer twist that strips away the harshness people often associate with the German language.
The weird truth about naming laws in Germany
German first names aren't a free-for-all. Unlike in the United States, where you can arguably name your child after a fruit, a pilot light, or a random string of numbers, the German Standesamt (registry office) has historically been the gatekeeper of "naming decency."
They have rules. Lots of them.
Historically, the name had to clearly indicate the gender of the child. If you picked a neutral name like Kim or Alex, you often had to add a second, gender-specific name to satisfy the authorities. While these restrictions have loosened significantly following various court rulings—specifically a landmark 2008 Federal Constitutional Court decision—the Standesamt can still veto a name if they think it will expose the child to ridicule or if it isn't actually a name. You can't name your kid "Apple" in Germany. Well, you can try, but expect a very stern letter and a flat "Nein."
The International Handbuch der Vornamen is the thick bible these offices use to cross-reference names from around the globe. If your chosen name isn't in there, you might have to pay for a professional linguistic analysis from the University of Leipzig to prove it’s a legitimate name used somewhere in the world. It’s a bureaucratic hurdle that keeps the naming landscape relatively stable compared to the chaotic trends in the Anglosphere.
Why the "Oma" names are winning
Honestly, it’s all about the vowels.
German first names from the late 19th century are back because they sound melodic. Names like Mathilda, Ida, and Frieda have replaced the heavy, consonant-rich names of the mid-20th century. Nobody is naming their baby girl Gertrud or Helga anymore. Those feel "heavy." But Mila? It’s short. It’s punchy. It works in English and German.
💡 You might also like: Cooper City FL Zip Codes: What Moving Here Is Actually Like
The Society for the German Language (GfdS) tracks these shifts religiously. According to their 2024 and 2025 data, Noah has maintained a strange stranglehold on the top spot for boys. It’s a name that feels safe. It’s biblical but doesn't feel overly religious. It’s easy to spell.
For girls, Sophia (or Sofia) and Emilia are the undisputed queens. These aren't just German names; they are European names. This reflects a broader cultural shift where Germans see themselves as part of a global community, even while they reach back into their own history for inspiration.
The rise of the "L" and "M" sounds
If you look at the most popular German first names right now, you’ll notice a pattern.
- Leo
- Liam
- Leni
- Lia
- Mia
There is a phonetic softness here. Linguists call it "sonority." We’ve moved away from the "hard" German sounds—the ach and the ich—in favor of names that flow. Finn and Luca are perfect examples. They are short, usually two syllables, and end in a vowel or a soft nasal sound. This makes the names feel approachable and "cute," which is the primary aesthetic for modern German parents.
Regional divides: North vs. South
Germany isn't a monolith. The German first names you hear in the far north, near the Danish border, are wildly different from what you’ll find in the deep valleys of Bavaria.
In Northern Germany—Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hamburg—Frisian names are still a big deal. These are names that sound almost elvish or maritime.
- Fiete (A northern diminutive of Friedrich)
- Bente
- Lasse
- Momme
In the south, things stay a bit more traditional and, occasionally, Catholic. While Maximilian is popular everywhere, it’s a powerhouse in Bavaria. It feels "Kaiser-ish." It has weight. You’ll also see more kids named Korbinian or Benedikt in the south than you ever would in Berlin.
And then there's the East-West divide. It’s fading, but researchers still see remnants of the GDR naming culture. During the Cold War, East Germans often looked toward the West—specifically America—for naming inspiration as a form of "cultural longing." This is where the stereotype of "Kevinismus" began. Names like Peggy, Mandy, and Ronny were distinctively East German. Today, that gap is closing as the internet homogenizes tastes, but you can still sometimes guess a person’s birthplace and age just by the "Englishness" of their first name.
📖 Related: Why People That Died on Their Birthday Are More Common Than You Think
The "Kevinismus" stigma you should know about
We need to talk about the "Kevin" in the room. In Germany, there is a legitimate, albeit unfair, bias against certain names.
A few years ago, a study from the University of Oldenburg went viral because it suggested that teachers subconsciously gave lower grades to students named Kevin, Chantal, or Justin. They associated these names with lower socioeconomic status and behavioral issues. It sounds ridiculous, but "Kevin is not a name, it's a diagnosis" became a common, if mean-spirited, joke in Germany.
This is why many middle-class German parents are so terrified of picking the "wrong" international name. They want something that sounds sophisticated but not snobbish. This anxiety is a huge driver behind the "Retro-Trend." You can’t go wrong with Emma. Emma is safe. Emma sounds like she plays the cello and goes to a private Gymnasium.
Religion and the modern German name
Germany is becoming more secular, but German first names are staying surprisingly biblical. However, it’s not the names of the apostles like Petrus or Johannes anymore. It’s the Old Testament names.
Elias, Levi, and Samuel are everywhere.
At the same time, the massive Turkish-German population has influenced the naming charts for decades. Names like Mohammed (in its various spellings) are consistently in the top 10 in multicultural hubs like Berlin or Bremen. Names like Elif, Layla, and Ali are standard German names now. They represent the reality of a country that has been a land of immigration for over sixty years. Interestingly, many Turkish-German parents are also choosing names that "work" in both cultures, such as Hanna or Enis.
Short names are the new standard
If you look back at names from the 1950s, they were often long or compound. Hans-Peter. Klaus-Dieter. Karl-Heinz.
That is dead.
👉 See also: Marie Kondo The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: What Most People Get Wrong
The modern German first name is rarely longer than five letters. Paul, Ben, Luis. Parents today want efficiency. They want names that fit on a small touchscreen and look good in a minimalist Instagram bio.
There's also a move toward "unisex" sounds, even if the names are technically gendered. Lian and Liana. Leon and Leonie. The similarity between boy and girl names is at an all-time high. It’s almost as if the language is trying to find a middle ground where everything sounds equally soft and melodic.
What to consider if you're choosing a German name
If you are looking for German first names for a child or even a character in a book, you have to consider the "Nachname" (last name) factor.
German last names are often descriptive or trade-based (Mueller, Schmidt, Schneider). A very modern or international first name can sound "off" when paired with a very traditional German last name. This is why Max Schmidt works better than Jayden Schmidt to the German ear.
- Check the flow: German names often place the emphasis on the first syllable. HA-na. LU-kas.
- Beware of the "Umlaut": Names like Jörg or Bärbel are practically extinct for newborns. They are difficult for non-German speakers to pronounce and feel dated even to locals.
- The "Grandparent Rule": If the name was popular in 1920, it’s probably cool again in 2026.
- Pronunciation shifts: Be aware that a name like Christian is pronounced "Krees-tee-an" in Germany, not "Chris-chun."
Moving forward with your search
To find the right fit, don't just look at the "Top 10" lists on generic baby sites. Those are often lag indicators. Instead, look at the annual reports from the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (GfdS). They provide the most granular data, including regional variations and the specific reasons why certain names are rising or falling.
If you want something unique but still culturally grounded, look into old Prussian or Germanic names that haven't quite hit the mainstream yet—names like Alaric, Leona, or Emmeram.
The best way to understand the current "vibe" of German naming is to look at the intersection of history and melody. The country has moved past its phase of rejecting its own tongue in favor of English, and has found a way to make old German sounds feel fresh, light, and modern again.
Before finalizing a name, run it through a German pronunciation tool. Ensure the "R" sound—which is often uvular in German—doesn't change the name's appeal for you. Also, verify that the name doesn't have an unintentional meaning in modern slang; for example, the name Kevin still carries that "Kevinismus" baggage in certain social circles, even if the trend is slowly dying out. Stick to the classics or the soft-vowel modernists, and you'll be perfectly in line with the current German zeitgeist.