Note also that while names belong to languages, that doesn't necessarily say that much about the people who hold them, or their DNA.
You can usually find at least one of these books at the nearest large library in your area (including perhaps one at a university). If the library does not have it, then in the United States at least, the library can get it for you from another library via loans between libraries.
Origin or Place Names
| Name | Meaning |
| Bamberger | from city of Bamberg in Bavaria |
| Böhm | from Böhmen (Bohemia) |
| Kappelhoff | from the estate with the Kapelle (chapel) |
| Kirchthaler | from the Tal (valley) with the Kirche (church) |
| Kissinger | from Bad Kissingen |
| Unger | from Ungarn (Hungary) |
| Wiener | from Wien (Vienna) |
| Zuger, Zug | from the Swiss city of Zug |
Nicknames
| Name | Meaning |
| Frühauf | up early (connotes early riser) |
| Fuchs | fox (connotes cunning) |
| Hasenfus(s) | hare's foot (connotes coward) |
| Klug(e) | wise |
| Lahm | lame |
| Lang | long, tall |
| Mückenhirn | midget-sized brain |
| Schwar(t)z | black [hair] |
| Schwar(t)zkopf | black head |
| Weiss | white |
| Zorn | anger |
Patronymics
| Name | Meaning |
| Lorenz(en) | son of Lorenz |
| Peters(en) | son of Peter |
Occupation
| Name | Meaning |
| Bäcker | baker |
| Bauer | farmer |
| Becker | baker |
| Eisenhauer | ore miner |
| Fischer | fisherman |
| Müller | miller |
| Meier | estate supervisor |
| Pfannebecker | maker of clay roof tiles |
| Richter | judge |
| Schäfer | shepherd |
| Schmidt | blacksmith |
| Schneider | tailor |
| Schröder | tailor |
| Schreiner | carpenter |
| Weber | weaver |
| Zimmermann | carpenter |
Variations by Region
Because names are language-specific, they often reflect regional dialect differences:
| North | South | Central and East | Meaning |
| Knochenhauer | Metzger, Fleischhacker | Fleischer, Fleischhauer | butcher |
| Kock | Koch | cook | |
| Koopmann | Kaufmann | merchant | |
| Kröger | Krüger | innkeeper | |
| Möller | Müller | miller | |
| Muhrmann | Mauermann | bricklayer | |
| Niebuhr | Neubauer | Nauber | new farmer |
| Niemann | Neumann | Naumann | new man |
| Pöttner | Haf(f)ner | Töpfer | potter |
| Petersen | Peters | Peter | son of Peter |
| Schütte | Schütz | shooter/hunter | |
| Tischer | Schreiner | Tischler | cabinetmaker |
| Ungermann | Ungerer | Unger | from Hungary |
| van Ungern | von Ungern | from Hungary |
To read more about this topic, see "What's in a (German) Surname?" by Jürgen Eichhoff, professor of German linguistics at Pennsylvania State University, in German Life magazine (August/September 1999 issue).