Gender: Masculine
Origin: Danish/German
Meaning: “Thor’s bear.”
The name is derived from the Old Norse, Þórbjörn, which is composed of the elements, Þór (Thor) and björn (bear).
Currently, Torben is the 177th most popular male name in Germany, (2011).
Other forms of the name include:
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Greek ‘Ιερωνυμος
Meaning: “sacred name.”
Eng (jə-ROM), Fre (zheh-HROME)
The name is derived from the Greek male name, Hieronymus (‘Ιερωνυμος).
It was borne by a 5th-century saint who is responsible for creating the Vulgate Bible. He is revered as a Doctor of the Church.
The name was common in England during the 12th-century, but fell out of usage after the Protestant Reformation, only to be reintroduced again in 19th-century America via Catholic immigrants from Germany, Ireland and Italy.
Currently, Jerome is the 208th most popular male name in Germany, (2011).
Other forms of the name include:
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Greek Τιμων
Meaning: “honour; esteem.”
Eng (TIE-men; tih-MONE)
The name is derived from the Greek time (τιμη), meaning, “honour; esteem.”
The name is borne by a very minor character in the New Testament as was used by Shakespeare for his eponymous character in Timon of Athens (1607).
Currently, Timon is the 203rd most popular male name in Germany, (2011).
Other forms of the name include:
A Polish feminine form is Tymona.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: German
(FRITZ)
The name was originally a diminutive form of Friederich but has exclusively been used as an independent given name since the 19th-century.
The name was so common at the beginning of the 20th-century that the term fritz was often used by American and British troups during the Second World War to designate a random German soldier.
Like many other vintage names, Fritz has recently started to gain momentum in popularity in Germany. Currently, it is the 157th most popular male name in Germany, (2011).
A common nickname is Fritzi.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: “old age.”
(EL-lee)
I love this, while it is not a name I’d ever use myself, it is one of those names that you would never suspect had such a long and symbolic history.
The name is often listed as a Germanic diminutive form of Elisabeth, which may be in part, true, but its usage as a given name actually pre-dates Elisabeth’s introduction to the Germanic world.
In Old Norse, elli is the word for old age, and she is personified in the Prose Edda. Her story is recounted in the Book of Gylfaginning, in which she defeats Thor in a wrestling match.
In pre-Christian Norse culture, old age often symbolized wisdom.
Elli has been a popular name throughout Scandinavia and Germany. It experienced a vogue in the 19th-century and seems to be experiencing a revival. It is currently the 172nd most popular female name in Germany, (2011). Another German spelling is Elly.
Elli is also used in Estonia and Finland.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Italian
The name is from an Italian hypocritistic form of Maria.
It is also the name of an extinct species of ammonoid.
Currently, Mariella is the 143rd most popular female name in Germany, (2011). Other forms of the name include:
The name is of a few different etymology depending on the source of the bearer. In Slavic-speaking countries, the name is a short form of any name containing the element dan meaning, “gift.” It could also be used as a diminutive form of Danijela or Daniela.
The name is also a modern form of the ancient Celtic theonym, Dânu, an early Irish mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Her name has been traced to early Indo-European roots and is believed to have some connection to water. This element appears in several river names across Europe, such as the Dnieper, Danube and Don. This form is borne by Irish singer, Dana Scallon (b.1951).
Its usage in the English-speaking world may actually derived from a Danish surname, usually pronounced (DAY-nah) in English, the former are both pronounced (DAH-nah).
Currently, Dana is the 146th most popular female name in Germany, (2011). Her rankings in other countries are as follows:
Gender: Feminine
Origin: German/Dutch
(YET-teh)
The name is from a German and Dutch diminutive form of Henriette, now used exclusively as an independent given name, it is the 99th most popular female name in Germany, (2011). Her rankings in other countries are as follows:
Another form is Jetta.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: German
Germ (ZEE-nah)
The name is a contracted form of either Rosina or Gesina.
It was a common enough name in the 18th and 19th-centuries and even appeared in the U.S. top 1000 between 1880 and 1899. The highest it ranked within those years was in 1884 coming in as the 463rd most popular female name. This may have been due to a large influx of German immigrants at the time.
Currently, it is 75th most popular female name in Germany (2011).
Gender: Feminine
Origin: German
(LEN-yah)
The name is possibly from a Slavic diminutive form of Helena.
It may have first been brought to the public attention via Austrian singer, Lotte Lenja (aka Lotte Lenya) 1898-1981.
It is currently the 109th most popular female name in Germany, (2011).
Another spelling is Lenya.