Two tasks, one local tool
The German Name Generator creates first names, last names, or full names from static entries. The German Last Names explorer supports spelling search, A–Z browsing, filters, and same-page details.
Generation, search, favorites, and exports run in your browser. There is no login, account, cloud history, or AI name service.
How the dataset is organized
Each entry has a stable ID, canonical spelling, concise meaning or origin note, broad context labels, known variants, source references, and an evidence label. Dataset releases are versioned so content changes can be reviewed and rolled back.
455 given names and 1769 surnames ship with the site. Catalog membership and reviewed etymology are separate: a name can be source-verified for inclusion while its meaning, region, or pronunciation remains unreviewed.
Source catalog
Given-name catalog entries are the intersection of the City of Cologne’s official 2019–2022 birth-name records and Wikidata records classified as German-language given names. Cologne publishes the source file under Datenlizenz Deutschland – Zero – Version 2.0; Wikidata structured data is CC0.
Surname catalog entries come from Wikidata records classified as German-language family names that also have a German Wikipedia entry. The Digital Dictionary of Surnames in Germany (DFD) is used only as a manual research reference because its site terms do not grant bulk republication rights.
StieDeMann does not copy DFD definitions. Reviewed entries contain short original summaries; open catalog entries with no reviewed interpretation keep that field unknown.
What the notes can—and cannot—show
Name meanings and origins can vary by spelling, region, time, and family history. The same surname may have formed independently in different places. Region and era labels are broad reference points, not demographic conclusions.
StieDeMann is not a genealogy service, legal naming service, identity checker, or linguistic authority. A result cannot prove ancestry, nationality, ethnicity, religion, personality, or legal availability.
Independent project
StieDeMann is not officially connected with a government registry, genealogy company, or any reference publisher. External source names identify research materials, not endorsements.
Questions or corrections
Report a spelling, sourcing, accessibility, or licensing concern at hi@stiedemann.com. We can review site data, but we cannot investigate an individual family history.