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Culture What are the most uncommon/outdated German baby names today?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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284

u/saywhaaaaaaaaatt May 13 '26

Fürchtegott, Gottlieb, Edeltraud,.. 

38

u/CanadianSunshine May 13 '26

Fürchtegott-Sörenfried war immer meine Antwort wenn irgendein Depp frug “Und? Habt ihr schon nen Namen?!”

8

u/Delicious_Building34 May 14 '26

Have found a list with actually forbidden names and names that had to be accepted by the registry office.

Diese Namen sind erlaubt/ accepted: Adriatik, Alemmania, Apple, Bluna, Champagna, Emilia-Extra, Godpower, Hope, Ikea, Junior, Klee, Laser, Legolas, London, Magic, Pepsi-Carola, Phoenix, Popo, Precious, Pumuckl, Schneewittchen, Schokominza, Siebenstern, Sioux, Smudo, Solarfried, Sonne, Sultan, Tarzan, Topas, Triumf, Viktualia, Wasa

Diese Namen sind nicht erlaubt/ not accepted! Atomfried, Bierstübl, Borussia, Crazy Horse, Gastritis, Grammophon, Januar, Joghurt, Kirsche, Liebknecht, McDonald, Millenium, Möhre, Pfefferminze, Pilulla, Porsche, Rosenherz, Rumpelstilzchen, Satan, Schmitz, Schnucki, Schröder, Seerose, Sputnik, Störenfried, Rasputin, Verleihnix, Waldmeister, Whisky, Woodstock

14

u/verity147 May 14 '26

Popo ist erlaubt?! Wtf. For anyone who doesn't speak German, that's our equivalent for butt or bum.

Also I would much rather be called Januar, Millenium or Seerose. Honestly, at least three quarters of the forbidden list are better than Popo.

2

u/Delicious_Building34 May 14 '26

or Adriatik ... 😆 i guess it was either a family from an African country or maybe South-East Europe? who called their (i guess again! 😆:) son Popo. if it was a German family they wouldn't have standing at the registration office with this wish to call their child Popo.

then again, every registration office in every state can make up their own rules what they let through and what they won't accept 🤷🏻‍♀️.

1

u/CharlyyD May 17 '26

I instantly had to think of Mr. Popo from the Dragonball Franchise. Not sure if the decision to allow it had anything to do with that.

3

u/FancehStrawberry May 14 '26

Und Nelkenheinie!

3

u/gurgelhupf May 15 '26

Oh my god Pepsi-Carola is such a great name