AHEAD: The ultimate list of German names for baby girls.
On the hunt for an amazing German girls’ name that’s cool in the United States?
You’re in the right place!
Below, you’ll find a huge list of over 100 German names for girls along with their meanings and current popularity.
As a bonus, I’ve included a whole bunch of pretty middle name ideas too!
Let’s dive in and check them out!
Related: German Boy Names
Popular German names in the U.S.
These names of German origin are ranking in the top 500 here in the United States.
Unless otherwise noted, the popularity data throughout this article is for names in the United States.
Ada
- Name meaning: Noble. (Means ornament in Hebrew).
- Popularity: #184
Adelaide
- Name meaning: Noble. South Australia’s cosmopolitan coastal capital.
- Popularity: #274
Related: 160 Seriously Cool City Names for Girls
Alice
- Name meaning: Noble.
- Popularity: #76
Amelia or Emilia
- Name meaning: Work.
- Popularity: Amelia ranks #6 and Emilia ranks #40. (Emilia the #1 most popular name in Germany!)
Annalise or Annalyse
- Name meaning: Beauty, elegance, graced by God.
- Popularity: Annalise ranks #441 and Annalyse isn’t ranking.
Ella
- Name meaning: Fairy maiden.
- Popularity: #15 (Ella is the 8th most popular name in Germany!)
Related: 265 Enchanted Middle Names for Ella
Emerson or Emersyn
- Name meaning: Emery’s daughter.
- Popularity: For girls, Emerson ranks #155 and Emersyn ranks #164. Emerson ranks #267 for boys.
Emery or Emory or Emerie
- Name meaning: Brave or industrious.
- Popularity: Emery ranks #89, Emory ranks #444, and Emerie ranks #598.
- Name meaning: Whole.
- Popularity: #2 (Emma is the 4th most popular name in Germany!)
Giselle
- Name meaning: To pledge.
- Popularity: #331
Heidi
- Name meaning: Noble.
- Popularity: #381
Jocelyn
- Name meaning: Member of a German tribe.
- Popularity: #268
Matilda or Tillie
- Name meaning: Strength in battle.
- Popularity: #478
Millie or Milly
- Name meaning: Having strength or being industrious.
- Popularity: Millie ranks #190 and Milly isn’t ranking.
Willa
- Name meaning: With gilded helmet, will, desire, protection.
- Popularity: #349
If you like these popular German girl names you might also like this list of modern names.
Familiar German names
The majority of these German girls’ names have a mainstream feel in the United States.
Adella
- Name meaning: Noble.
- Popularity: This 3-syllable girls’ name isn’t ranking.
Alda
- Name meaning: Wave.
- Popularity: This 4-letter German girls’ name isn’t ranking.
Amalia
- Name meaning: Work.
- Popularity: #570
Amelina
- Name meaning: Work.
- Popularity: This German A name isn’t ranking.
Carly
- Name meaning: Free woman.
- Popularity: #617
Elsa
- Name meaning: Pledged to God.
- Popularity: #918
Frederica
- Name meaning: Peaceful ruler.
- Popularity: This F name isn’t ranking.
Frida
- Name meaning: Peace.
- Popularity: #889
Greta
- Name meaning: Pearl.
- Popularity: #743
Gretchen
- Name meaning: Pearl.
- Popularity: This G name hasn’t ranked since 2008.
Gretel
- Name meaning: Pearl.
- Popularity: This cute German name isn’t currently ranking.
Hilda
- Name meaning: Battle or hiding.
- Popularity: This H name isn’t ranking in the U.S.
Ilsa
- Name meaning: Pledged to God.
- Popularity: This I name is not ranking in the U.S.
Isa
- Name meaning: God is abundance. Muslim name for Jesus.
- Popularity: This short baby name isn’t in the top 1000.
Ivara
- Name meaning: Yew tree or warrior.
- Popularity: This unusual German girls’ name isn’t ranking.
Leonora or Leonore
- Name meaning: Light.
- Popularity: Neither spelling of this elegant girls’ name is ranking.
Lorelei or Lorelai
- Name meaning: Temptress.
- Popularity: Lorelei ranks #506 and Lorelai is #525.
Romy or Romi
- Name meaning: Dew of the sea.
- Popularity: Neither spelling of this R name is ranking in the United States. (Romi is a popular girls’ name in Israel.)
Willamina
- Name meaning: With gilded helmet. Will. Desire. Protection.
- Popularity: This long girls’ name isn’t ranking.
Zelda
- Name meaning: Several possible meanings including blessed, happy, dark battle, strong woman, and gray fighting maid.
- Popularity: #559
Zinnia
- Name meaning: Colorful flower.
- Popularity: This nature-inspired baby name isn’t ranking.
If you like these familiar German girl names you might also like this list of names ending in A.
Popular names in Germany
These pretty girls’ names are all ranking in the top 100 in Germany. They’re relatively unheard of here in the United States!
Ida
- Name meaning: Industrious or prosperous.
- Popularity: This 3-letter German name isn’t ranking in the U.S. but ranks #17 in Germany.
Juna
- Name meaning: Month of June.
- Popularity: This Latin J name isn’t ranking in the U.S. but ranks #34 in Germany.
Leni
- Name meaning: Shining light.
- Popularity: This German girls’ name isn’t ranking in the U.S. but ranks #12 in Germany.
Related: 100+ Stunning Girl Names that Mean Sun
Leonie
- Name meaning: Lion.
- Popularity: This Latin L name isn’t ranking in the U.S. but ranks #14 in Germany.
Lotta
- Name meaning: Free person.
- Popularity: This Italian name isn’t ranking in the U.S. but ranks #33 in Germany.
Maja
- Name meaning: Splendid.
- Popularity: This German/Scandinavian M name isn’t ranking in the U.S. but ranks #23 in Germany.
Merle
- Name meaning: Blackbird.
- Popularity: This French bird name isn’t ranking in the U.S. but ranks #54 in Germany.
Nele
- Name meaning: Horn. (Pronounced NEE-la).
- Popularity: This German N name isn’t ranking in the U.S. but ranks #29 in Germany.
Tilda
- Name meaning: Strength in battle.
- Popularity: This German/Estonian T name isn’t ranking in the U.S. but ranks #38 in Germany.
If you like these girls’ names that are popular in Germany you might also like this list of exotic names or these Irish names.
Popular names in Germany and the U.S.
Interestingly, the vast majority of the top-ranking names in Germany overlap with the most popular names in the United States.
Alina
- Name meaning: Noble. Kind. Bright. Beautiful. (Many other meanings).
- Popularity: Alina ranks #170 and Aleena is #597.
Amelie
- Name meaning: Work.
- Popularity: #806
Anna
- Name meaning: Grace.
- Popularity: Anna ranks #68, Ana ranks #245, and Anne is #625.
- Name meaning: Free woman. The most populous city in North Carolina.
- Popularity: #4
Clara
- Name meaning: Clear and bright.
- Popularity: #103
Elena
- Name meaning: Shining light.
- Popularity: Elena ranks #55 and Elaina is #249.
Elisa
- Name meaning: Pledged to God.
- Popularity: Eliza ranks #115 and Elisa is #511.
Emily
- Name meaning: Rival or to excel.
- Popularity: Emily ranks #18 and Emely is #522.
- Name meaning: Grace.
- Popularity: Hannah ranks #39, Hanna ranks #526, and Hana ranks #755. (Hannah is the 2nd most popular girls’ name in Germany!)
Johanna
- Name meaning: God is gracious.
- Popularity: #644
Lara
- Name meaning: Fortress.
- Popularity: #706
Laura
- Name meaning: Bay laurel plant (a symbol of victory or honor).
- Popularity: #357
Leah or Lea
- Name meaning: Weary.
- Popularity: #45 (Lea is the 9th most popular girls’ name in Germany!)
Lena
- Name meaning: Ray of light.
- Popularity: #270
Lia
- Name meaning: Bringer of good news.
- Popularity: #289
Lily or Lillie
- Name meaning: Flower.
- Popularity: #35
Lina
- Name meaning: Sunlight.
- Popularity: #684 (Lina is the 7th most popular girl’s name in Germany)
Louisa or Luisa
- Name meaning: Famous warrior.
- Popularity: Louisa ranks #725 and Luisa ranks #990.
Malia
- Name meaning: Bitter.
- Popularity: Malia ranks #259, Maliyah ranks #463, and Maleah ranks #869.
Mara
- Name meaning: A river.
- Popularity: #627
Marie
- Name meaning: Drop of the sea; or beloved.
- Popularity: #619 (Marie ranks #10 in Germany!)
Melina or Milena
- Name meaning: Honey or gracious.
- Popularity: Melina ranks #648 and Milena ranks #821.
Mia
- Name meaning: Mine. (From biblical name Miriam).
- Popularity: #8 (Mia ranks #3 in Germany!)
Related: 195 Cool Middle Names for Mia
Mila
- Name meaning: Beloved.
- Popularity: #20 (Mila ranks #6 in Germany!)
Mira
- Name meaning: Wonderful, peaceful, prosperous. Means rising water in Hebrew.
- Popularity: #485
Nora
- Name meaning: Light.
- Popularity: Nora ranks #30 and Norah ranks #151.
Sarah or Sara
- Name meaning: Princess.
- Popularity: Sarah ranks #87 and Sara is #183.
Sophia or Sofia
- Name meaning: Wisdom.
- Popularity: Sophia ranks #5 and Sofia ranks #17. (Sophia ranks #5 in Germany too!)
Sophie
- Name meaning: Wisdom.
- Popularity: #75
Thea
- Name meaning: Gift of God.
- Popularity: #303
Victoria
- Name meaning: Winner.
- Popularity: #34
If you like these popular names in Germany (and the United States), you might also like this list of 5-letter girl names or these vintage girl names.
German-ish names
You’ll see these names on lots of “German Girls’ Names” lists, probably because they’ve been popular in Germany over the years.
However, their origins aren’t technically German.
Alexandra
- Name meaning: Defender.
- Origin: Greek
- Popularity: #137
Related: Middle Names for Alex: Modern Ideas for Boys & Girls
August or Augusta
- Name meaning: Magnificent.
- Origin: Latin or Slavic
- Popularity: August ranks #856 and Augusta isn’t ranking.
Carolina
- Name meaning: Free woman.
- Origin: French
- Popularity: #451
Edith
- Name meaning: Prosperous in war.
- Origin: Old English
- Popularity: #473
Emmeline
- Name meaning: Work.
- Origin: German/French/English
- Popularity: #873
Ingrid
- Name meaning: Loved or beautiful.
- Origin: Norse
- Popularity: This 2-syllable girls’ name hasn’t ranked since 2019.
Julianne
- Name meaning: Youthful.
- Origin: Latin
- Popularity: This baby girls’ name hasn’t ranked since 2016.
Madison
- Name meaning: Child of Matthew.
- Origin: Old English
- Popularity: Madison ranks #23, Maddison ranks #475, and Madisyn ranks #726.
Related: 150 Seriously Cool Middle Names for Madison
Nadine
- Name meaning: Hope.
- Origin: Russian
- Popularity: This great rainbow baby name hasn’t ranked since 2001.
Nicole
- Name meaning: People of victory.
- Origin: Greek
- Popularity: #266
Nina
- Name meaning: Little girl.
- Origin: Russian
- Popularity: #329
Odette
- Name meaning: Wealthy.
- Origin: French
- Popularity: This O name isn’t ranking.
Stella
- Name meaning: Star.
- Origin: Latin
- Popularity: #42
Taylor
- Name meaning: Clothing tailor.
- Origin: Old English
- Popularity: This nonbinary name ranks #161 for girls and #597 for boys.
Vera
- Name meaning: Faith.
- Origin: Russian
- Popularity: #246
Zoey or Zoe or Zoie
- Name meaning: Life.
- Origin: Greek
- Popularity: Zoey ranks #32, Zoe is #41, and Zoie is #963.
Now we’ll pair all of these German girl names with pretty middle names!
Middle name ideas
(How cute is this old-fashioned German postcard?!)
Here is a consolidation of all of the middle names on the graphics throughout this article—plus a bunch you haven’t seen yet!
Note: All of the first names on this list are of German origin. The middle names are from all over!
A
- Ada Noelle
- Adelaide Blair
- Adella Marie
- Alda Madelyn
- Alice Mirabel
- Amalia Hazel
- Amelina Ruby
- Annalise Lily
C
- Carly Sage
E
F
- Frederica Everly
- Frida Emerald
G
- Giselle Lacey
- Greta Avery
- Gretchen Hannah
- Gretel Alexandra
H
- Heidi Madison
- Hilda Mackenzie
I
J
- Jocelyn Blake
- Juna Hadley
L
M
N
- Nele Charlotte
R
- Romi Addilyn
T
- Tilda Sophie
W
- Willa Emberly
- Willamina Belle
Z
- Zelda Blakely
- Zinnia Embry
Related: Cool Middle Names for Girls: The Only List You’ll Ever Need
Final thoughts on German names for girls
Whether you’re looking to honor your German heritage or you’re just someone who appreciates German culture, hopefully, you’ve found a few lead contenders on this list, or at least come away with some baby name inspiration.
Whether you prefer a name that’s trendy, traditional, timeless, long, short, nature-inspired, spiritual, familiar, or rare, all of these girls’ names are beautiful choices.
Congratulations and good luck choosing the perfect German name for your daughter!
Follow on Pinterest