The inheritance of German surnames in Brazil is a direct reflection of the German immigration that occurred during the colonization period. Upon arriving in Brazil, encouraged by the promise of fertile land for agriculture, many German immigrants found themselves disappointed with reality. As a result, most of them settled in the southern region of the country, working hard to accumulate enough resources and acquire their own properties.
Consequently, some surnames that originated in Germany are quite common in Brazil today. The question remains: is yours among these names, some of which belong to significant personalities in German history?
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1. Becker
Becker, Bäcker and Baecker are surnames that indicate the profession of baker. The term Becker is also derived from the German word becher, meaning "cup" or "goblet".
2. brand
With the alternatives Brandt and Brant, this surname landed in Brazilian lands in the 19th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse proper name, Brandr, interpreted as "son of the blade" or "son of the flame".
3. graphic
Gräf is a surname that comes from a German noble title equivalent to count, called a graf, and means "count".
4. Gruber
This surname is quite popular in Austria and has its roots in the German language, specifically in the Middle High German word 'gruobe', which translates as 'moat'. The attribution of the name is usually related to a person who resided in a place of depressed or empty land.
5. Hoffmann
The surname Hoffmann, of German origin, was derived from a profession. Coming from the Middle High German words 'hoveman' and Middle Low German 'hofman', the term covers a number of occupations, including manager of a farm or country estate.
6. Klein
This German and Dutch surname Klein is a designation for people of short stature, meaning "small". It comes from the German term klein or the Yiddish Kleyn. Renowned fashion designer Calvin Klein bears this surname.
7. Krause
The German Krause family arrived in Brazil around 1870, in Espírito Santo. Due to this, the surname became popular in the region. As a variant of the surname Kraus, from the Germanic term krus, meaning "curly", referring to people with curly hair.
8. Kuhn
The surname Kuhn is quite popular in Brazilian families and derives from the Germanic name Conrado, possibly meaning "son of the prudent counselor".
9. ludwig
Common in Porto Alegre, especially in Rio Grande do Sul, the surname Ludwig derives from the first name Ludwing, equivalent to Luís in Portuguese. It means "son of the glorious combatant", "son of the illustrious warrior" or "son of the famous in war".
10. müller
Müller, a surname brought to Brazil by Peter Müller at the end of the 19th century, means “miller” or “miller”, that is, someone who works or owns a mill.
11. Rech
Rech is a surname of German origin with several meanings. It may refer to the "Riche" region in France, or be a patronymic name meaning "son of Richard".
12. ritter
The surname Ritter is of Germanic descendants concentrated mainly in Rio Grande do Sul. It comes from the Middle High German term riter, which means “knight”.
13. rockenbach
This German surname is considered to have a housing origin. These types of surnames are derived from the place where the first bearer of the name lived, that is, they refer to the name of the city or town of residence. Specifically, the surname Rockenbach suggests that its original holder was a resident of "Rockenbach".
14. ruschel
Ruschel is a popular surname among German descendants in Brazil, mainly in Rio Grande do Sul. Means "disheveled", "disheveled" or "quick".
15. scherer
Scherer, a popular surname among German descendants in Brazil, is also common in Austria and England. It means “to shear” or “one who cuts”, associated with people who cared for the shearing of sheep or cut excesses in finished fabrics.
16. Schmidt
Schmidt, which means “blacksmith” or “metalworker”, is one of the most common German surnames both in Germany and among Germanic descendants in Brazil. This surname corresponds to Smith in English and Ferreira in Portuguese.
17. Schneider
Schneider is a surname that means "tailor". This term comes from the German verb schneiden, which means "to cut".
18. Zimmermann
Originating from the profession, this surname comes from the Germanic words zimber and mann, which together translate as “carpenter”.
19. wagner
The surname Wagner is derived from the Germanic Waganari, given to people who worked with the transport of goods, wagons or wagons. Therefore, Wagner has the meaning of "wagon builder", "wagon maker" or "transporter".
20. Weber
A common surname in Germany, Weber comes from the Germanic word wëber, meaning "to weave". Therefore, Weber is translated "weaver". In English, its variants are Webber and Weaver. Max Weber, co-founder of sociology, is one of the most notable figures with that last name.
