German tradition is a strong undercurrent influencing American baby name choices.  With almost a fifth of Americans tracing Germanic roots, German baby names are an American tradition. 

According to the US Census, more than 23% of Americans are of German descent or claim to have German roots. With such a whopping percentage of the population having a connection to Germanic heritage, it is no wonder that German names are widely chosen among parents to be.

Looking at the latest American popular baby names statistics, the top two names for baby girls are Emily and Emma.  The name Emily can be traced back to the German name Amalia, which means “work.”  The baby name Emma ranks in number 2 and is of German origin as well, meaning “whole” or “universal.”  Although the top baby boy name spots are flooded with international favorites that stem from the Hebrew Bible, they are immediately followed by, not surprisingly, a German baby name!  William, ranking in number 10 in the nation, traces its roots to the Germanic name Wilhelm, which means “determined guardian or protector.”

German parents are proud and loyal to their German heritage when it comes to naming the next generation. Currently, the top German baby girl names are all of Germanic heritage, if not origin.  International favorites such as Marie, Sophie and Maria, are deeply rooted in German history.  German and American parent’s tastes in girl names are rather similar, but when it comes to baby boy names, German parents are tapping less into international trends and more into German tradition.  Alexander, Maiximilian and Leon, although not of Germanic origin, have been given to German baby boys for generations.

American parents with German roots, or simply those with a love for unique names may want to consider going farther back into German history for baby name ideas.  The chart below shows German baby name popularity over time. The 1916 statistics are taken from the Darmstadt (Hesse) region.

Related Readings:

The Most Popular Names in the World
Popular boy names in the US
Popular girl names in the US

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