Family names
Some of these names you will not find anywhere else. Search for yours, see how it is spelled in Russian, German and Spanish, and which villages it is documented in.
40 entries
Bergen
Берген · van Bergen
A place name: from Bergen, "at the hills".
Bergthal, Loma Plata, Steinbach
Braun
Браун · Brown · Bruns
A colour nickname — brown hair or brown cloth.
Espelkamp, Gnadenfeld
Doerksen
Дёрксен · Dörksen · Derksen
Son of Dirk / Derk, a Low German form of Dietrich.
Bergthal, Nuevo Ideal, Reinland
Dyck
1Дик · Dueck · Dick · Dijk
From Dutch dijk — dike. A family living by the dike, in a land that only existed because of dikes.
Chortitza, Cuauhtémoc colonies, Einlage +1
Enns
Энс · Ens · Enz
Origin uncertain; usually taken as a place or river name carried from the west.
Loma Plata, Rosental, Winkler
Epp
Эпп · Eppe
A short form of a Germanic name beginning in Eber- or Erp-.
Chortitza, Filadelfia, Halbstadt
Fehr
Фер · Fehrs · Ver
Probably from Low German/Dutch veer — ferry, or from the island of Föhr; both are argued.
Cuauhtémoc colonies, Riva Palacio, Spanish Lookout
Friesen
1Фризен · Friessen · Frisen
"The Frisian" — a name given to families who came from Friesland into the Vistula delta.
Chortitza, Halbstadt, Loma Plata +1
Froese
Фрезе · Fröse · Frose
Another "Frisian" name, from Low German Frese.
Halbstadt, Winkler, Witmarsum
Funk
Функ · Funck
German Funke — spark; a nickname name.
Halbstadt, Hillsboro
Giesbrecht
Гизбрехт · Giesbrecht · Gisbrecht
From the Germanic given name Gisbert / Giselbrecht.
Cuauhtémoc colonies, Hague-Osler, Osterwick
Harder
Хардер · Harders
From a Germanic given name in hard- (strong); also read as a Low German nickname.
Detmold, Halbstadt, Rudnerweide
Heinrichs
Гейнрихс · Хайнрихс · Heinrich
Son of Heinrich.
Altona, Detmold, Ohrloff
Hiebert
Хиберт · Hübert · Hiebner
From the given name Hubert.
Alexanderwohl, Hillsboro, Winkler
Isaak
Исаак · Isaac · Izaak
A biblical given name that became a surname in the colonies.
Espelkamp, Neuendorf, Slavgorod
Janzen
Янцен · Jantzen · Jansen
Son of Jan — the Low German and Dutch form of Johannes.
Alexanderwohl, Halbstadt, Hillsboro
Klassen
Классен · Claassen · Clasen
Son of Klaas, the Low German short form of Nikolaus.
Chortitza, Hague-Osler, Loma Plata +1
Krahn
Кран · Kran · Crane
Low German Krahn — crane; a nickname, probably for a tall person.
Hague-Osler, Osterwick
Kroeker
Крёкер · Kröker · Kroeger
A place name: from Krockow / Krokau in Pomerelia.
Espelkamp, Gnadenfeld, Slavgorod
Loewen
Лёвен · Löwen · Loeven
Probably a place name (Löwen / Leuven) rather than the animal; both readings are found in family records.
Nuevo Ideal, Osterwick, Steinbach
Martens
Мартенс · Martins
Son of Martin.
Ohrloff, Reinland, Witmarsum
Neufeld
Нойфельд · Нейфельд · Neufeldt
"New field" — a farmstead name from the newly drained land of the Werder.
Altona, Filadelfia, Gnadenfeld +1
Nickel
Никель · Nikkel
From Nikolaus, through its Low German short form.
Chortitza, Cuauhtémoc colonies
Penner
1Пеннер · Penners
Most likely a Low German occupational or place name; the exact origin is debated.
Filadelfia, Halbstadt, Ohrloff +1
Peters
Петерс · Peeters
Son of Peter.
Altona, Filadelfia, Halbstadt
Quiring
Квиринг · Quierin
From the saint's name Quirinus.
Halbstadt, Köppental
Reimer
Реймер · Reymer · Reimers
From the Germanic given name Reimar (ragin + mari, "counsel" + "famous").
Loma Plata, Spanish Lookout, Steinbach
Rempel
Ремпель · Rempelt
From a Germanic given name of the Ramb-/Rempel- group; the Vistula spelling settled early.
Espelkamp, Neuendorf, Slavgorod
Sawatzky
Саватский · Sawatsky · Zawadzki
Of Slavic origin (Zawadzki), taken on in Prussia and carried into the colonies.
Detmold, Neuendorf, Slavgorod
Schellenberg
Шелленберг
A place name from one of several villages called Schellenberg.
Filadelfia, Gnadenfeld
Siemens
Сименс · Simens
Son of Simon — the same root as the name of Menno Simons.
Halbstadt, Loma Plata
Suderman
Судерман · Sudermann
"The man from the south" in Low German.
Hillsboro, Rosental
Thiessen
Тиссен · Thießen · Tiessen
Son of Thies, a short form of Matthias.
Filadelfia, Halbstadt, Waldheim
Toews
Тевс · Töws · Tews · Töwes
From Tewes, a Low German short form of Matthäus.
Chortitza, Cuauhtémoc colonies, Steinbach
Unger
Унгер · Ungar
"The Hungarian" — a name for someone who came from, or traded with, Hungary.
Chortitza, Steinbach
Wall
Валл · Walle · van der Wall
From Dutch van der Wall — dweller by the wall or the sea dike.
Einlage, Riva Palacio, Winkler
Warkentin
Варкентин · Warkentien
From the village of Warkentin in Mecklenburg.
Hague-Osler, Nuevo Ideal, Rudnerweide
Wiebe
1Вибе · Wibe · Wiebé
From the Frisian given name Wibe / Wibbe, itself a short form of a Germanic name beginning in wīg- (battle).
Chortitza, Cuauhtémoc colonies, Rosental +1
Wiens
Винс · Wienz
Usually read as son of Wien / Wine, a Frisian short name.
Chortitza, Filadelfia, Spanish Lookout
Zacharias
Захариас · Sacharias
A biblical given name taken as a surname.
Loma Plata, Rudnerweide