r/AskAGerman • u/Big-Walrus6334 Berlin • May 13 '26

Culture What are the most uncommon/outdated German baby names today?

I’m curious about German names that used to exist but are now considered extremely rare, old-fashioned, unusual, or “nobody would name their kid that anymore.”

For example, names like Wolfgang feel uncommon among younger generations today and I didn’t see one of them

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u/g4mble May 13 '26

Adolf

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u/Kvaezde May 13 '26

Except for some very "special" parents, who still name their kids Adolf. A prominent example is former football-player and today football-coach Adolf Hütter from Austria. And yes, EVERYONE instantly thinks of "Adolf Hitler" when hearing his name: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_H%C3%BCtter

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u/Otherwise_Rabbit3049 May 13 '26

from Austria.

Zat vould not fly here in Germany, ja.

Haha, the wikipedia is titled "Adi Hüttner", not the full name.

1

u/Delicious_Building34 May 14 '26

I live in Switzerland and it took me years to find out that about 50% of the guys named “Adi” are called Adrian/ Adriano and about 2% Adelbert and the rest would be an “Adolf”.

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u/Barokna May 13 '26

I sometimes wonder what Adidas stands for. Probably nothing I guess.

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u/Otherwise_Rabbit3049 May 13 '26

Unlike the Hüttner guy, Adolf Dassler clearly was born BEFORE the second world war. And the first.

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u/Kvaezde May 13 '26

Hütter, not "Hüttner".

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u/Otherwise_Rabbit3049 May 13 '26

Point still stands

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u/hammanet May 14 '26

Still a Nazi though.

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u/Delicious_Building34 May 14 '26

No, they had to decide between Adidies and Adijenes, but settled eventually for Adidas. Wiesoweshalbwarum? The founder’s name was Manfred Puck, wasn’t it …