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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

German boys names

114 replies

FünfundvierzigLuftballons · 28/01/2024 16:22

Would love some suggestions on German boys names that work well in English. I generally like short and snappy over long and flowing but open to anything.

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Perhapsanorhertimewouldbebetter · 01/02/2024 07:18

@ShoesoftheWorld I like Ludwig too but I fear a lot of Loodwigg pronunciations coming. It's a lovely name when pronounced correctly.

ShoesoftheWorld · 01/02/2024 07:11

Conrad's great IMO (I much prefer the C version but that's personal preference). It's not common in the current generation, but it works fine with the styles of name a lot of people are using atm. I also like Clemens a lot, but the pronunciation varies again - Clay-mens in Germany.

To the PP who said don't use Ludwig - I know of two in their teens - it's very much come back with old man chic, and I should think most English speakers would be able to make a decent stab at the pronunciation.

Perhapsanorhertimewouldbebetter · 01/02/2024 06:05

What about Conrad/Konrad?
Would that work well with your second name?
Or does that sound too old?

DiamondSnake · 31/01/2024 07:38

Sebastian is a great name in many European languages.

plantapalm · 31/01/2024 07:28

Fabian is also a nice name.

plantapalm · 31/01/2024 07:27

I think you should go for something that works in both languages. Nothing ' too German '.

Coming from a fellow German..

My favourites

Sebastian
Alexander
Felix
Christian
Frank
Frederick ( Freddie )
Maximilian

Don't go for

Guenter Dieter Karl-Heinz Lothar Ludwig etc 😂

You could go for :

Andreas
Thomas
Juergen

( I don't like these as much, but they'd work in English ).

DuchessOfSausage · 31/01/2024 07:13

@FünfundvierzigLuftballons , I deliberately picked names of people aged 60 or older Smile

Adrian is a bit of a Gary sort of name. It sounds dreary in a UK accent.
You might have heard of Adrian Mole.

Original poster
FünfundvierzigLuftballons · 30/01/2024 22:24

DuchessOfSausage · 30/01/2024 14:38

If you want a list of current names in a different culture or language, you need a list of names for children. I watched a youth festival type programmes and the same names seemed to come up again and again.
The UK equivalets might be something like Sophia Rose, Sophia Grace, Arlo, Reuben, Elodie, Elsie, Arthur...

Those names probably won't be widespread in your workplace yet.

If I was asked for German names I'd probably say names like Tanja, Petra, Angelica, Frank, Reinhard, Dieter etc but they're probably names used for babies about 65 years ago

Yes def true for the majority of suggestions on the thread. But we are German so have somewhat of an idea of what would very much be a ‘Gary’ kind of name. Just trying to maybe get some new ideas for names that can work in both languages that we haven’t thought of. Eg Adrian as above.

OP posts:
DuchessOfSausage · 30/01/2024 14:38

If you want a list of current names in a different culture or language, you need a list of names for children. I watched a youth festival type programmes and the same names seemed to come up again and again.
The UK equivalets might be something like Sophia Rose, Sophia Grace, Arlo, Reuben, Elodie, Elsie, Arthur...

Those names probably won't be widespread in your workplace yet.

If I was asked for German names I'd probably say names like Tanja, Petra, Angelica, Frank, Reinhard, Dieter etc but they're probably names used for babies about 65 years ago

DuchessOfSausage · 29/01/2024 20:34

Most of the non-English name threads @TheSquareMile are likely to include a lot of dated names.

I think if you had the equivalent list of British names there would be a few current names and a lot of Paul, Mark, Sharon, Tracy, Ryan, Rebecca type names.

sunflowerpinks · 29/01/2024 20:28

German-English families we know have boys named

Quentin
Max(imilian)
Sebastian
Oskar/Oscar

Original poster
FünfundvierzigLuftballons · 29/01/2024 20:27

TheSquareMile · 29/01/2024 19:31

These are the top baby names for last year in Germany.

https://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/jahrgang/j2023/top-500-2023

This is perfect thank you!

OP posts:
Gullillahvit · 29/01/2024 19:35

Ingo is perfekt

TheSquareMile · 29/01/2024 19:29

DuchessOfSausage · 29/01/2024 19:23

@TheSquareMile , the downside is that those names are the names of adults.
If you looked at British MPs names, quite a few of them have names that aren't baby names these days.
List of MPs for constituencies in England (2019–present) - Wikipedia

Yes, that did strike me afterwards! You're right!

Mimilamore · 29/01/2024 19:26

Roman
Bruno

DuchessOfSausage · 29/01/2024 19:23

@TheSquareMile , the downside is that those names are the names of adults.
If you looked at British MPs names, quite a few of them have names that aren't baby names these days.
List of MPs for constituencies in England (2019–present) - Wikipedia

CottonPyjamas · 29/01/2024 19:08

I'm part German. In our family, we have Richard, Philip, Adrian, Hans, Andreas, Bernard, Otto, and Martin. Jürgen may be better known now due to football and the Great British Bake Off

TheSquareMile · 29/01/2024 18:47

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

TheSquareMile · 29/01/2024 18:23

I was pondering earlier on where you might see a snapshot of German names in an easily accessible way and it struck me that the names of the Bundestag's Abgeordneten would be quite a long list.

I've had a quick peruse and can see a Fabian and a Christoph, which I like.

https://www.bundestag.de/abgeordnete

DiamondSnake · 29/01/2024 17:27

Unfortunately I do think naming your child Florian is asking to get them beaten up in the UK - or at least constantly defending themselves. Names have connotations, whether we want to admit it or not.

I would recommend asking a large group of men what they think of the name rather than a predominantly female website.

DoggusDomesticus · 29/01/2024 17:24

TheSquareMile · 29/01/2024 10:58

I like the name Florian.

I lived in a street called Florian-Geyer-Strasse when I was working in Schweinfurt for the summer many years ago.

I'd not heard the name Florian before but have met a few guys called Florian when I have been to Germany since.

I love the name Florian, but can't help thinking it sounds a little too... floral to work in UK.

TheSquareMile · 29/01/2024 10:58

I like the name Florian.

I lived in a street called Florian-Geyer-Strasse when I was working in Schweinfurt for the summer many years ago.

I'd not heard the name Florian before but have met a few guys called Florian when I have been to Germany since.

DoggusDomesticus · 29/01/2024 08:11

NameChange30 · 29/01/2024 08:04

You have to tap the 3 dots (top right of post) and then quote.

Show quote history

Yes, but OP has pressed the reply button which you'd also expect to quote... it doesn't seem to do anything at all!

NameChange30 · 29/01/2024 08:04

FünfundvierzigLuftballons · 29/01/2024 05:06

God why does it not quote if you press reply?

Show quote history

You have to tap the 3 dots (top right of post) and then quote.