German names that start with N. The page includes German names for boys and girls from different eras, as well as last names.
The list is divided into several sections. The modern names are baby names and other names popular in the 2000s, while the traditional names are those common among people born in the 1900s. Some names that have remained popular over the years appear on both lists.
Most of the first names come from data provided by Beliebte-Vornamen.de, a site that lists the most common German names over the years. The surnames are the 1,000 German family names that are currently the most popular. All of the names also appear in my Random German Name Generator.
- Traditional Male German Names that Start with N
- Modern Male German Names that Start with N
- Traditional German Names that Start with N
- Modern Female German Names that Start with N
- German Last Names that Start with N
There are more modern than traditional names on the lists because I used a larger pool of modern names. The 2000s data includes the 500 most common names today and the top 10 from previous years, while the 1900s data only includes the top 10 for each year. Therefore, the longer lists don’t necessarily mean that an initial has become more popular over time.
Classic German Male Names Starting with N
- Nico
- Niklas
Male names starting with N were quite rare in traditional German naming traditions because few names of old Germanic or biblical origin began with that letter. Most classic male names derived from saints, rulers, or warriors – fields where N-initial names were almost absent.
The few exceptions, like Nikolaus, came from Greek rather than native Germanic roots, and were often seen as formal or regional. Only in more recent decades, as international names became popular, did N-names like Noah, Nico, and Nils gain ground, reflecting modern trends toward short, smooth, and globally familiar sounds.
Common German Male Names That Start with N
- Nael
- Naim
- Nathan
- Nathanael
- Nelio
- Neo
- Nevio
- Nick
- Nico
- Nicolas
- Nidal
- Nikita
- Niklas
- Nikodem
- Nikolai
- Nilo
- Nils
- Nino
- Noah
- Noar
- Noel
- Nolan
- Noyan
Retro German Girl Names That Begin with N
- Nadine
- Nicole
- Nina
Female names starting with N were also uncommon in earlier centuries for similar reasons as male names: traditional German naming drew heavily from Christian saints and older Germanic compounds, and few of those began with N. Classic examples such as Nina or Nicole didn’t enter wide use until the mid-20th century, when French, Slavic, and later international influences began reshaping naming fashions.
The modern wave of N-names (like Naomi, Nora and Nele) illustrates this shift toward lighter, globally appealing names that fit contemporary tastes better than older, heavier-sounding ones.
Modern German Girl Names from the 2000s – Letter N
- Nadia
- Naemi
- Nala
- Nami
- Naomi
- Natalie
- Naya
- Nayla
- Nefes
- Nela
- Nele
- Nelia
- Nelly
- Neva
- Neyla
- Nia
- Nicole
- Nika
- Nila
- Nina
- Nisa
- Noah
- Noelia
- Noemi
- Nola
- Nora
- Nour
- Noura
- Nova
Traditional German Family Names Starting with N
- Nagel
- Naumann
- Neubauer
- Neubert
- Neugebauer
- Neuhaus
- Neumann
- Nguyen
- Nickel
- Niemann
- Niemeyer
- Nitsche
- Nitschke
- Noack
- Noll
- Nolte
- Nowak
About This List
I have made similar lists of German names for all the letters of the alphabet from A to Z:
- Names that Start with A
- Names that Start with B
- Names that Start with C
- Names that Start with D
- Names that Start with E
- Names that Start with F
- Names that Start with G
- Names that Start with H
- Names that Start with I
- Names that Start with J
- Names that Start with K
- Names that Start with L
- Names that Start with M
- Names that Start with N
- Names that Start with O
- Names that Start with P
- Names that Start with Q
- Names that Start with R
- Names that Start with S
- Names that Start with T
- Names that Start with U
- Names that Start with V
- Names that Start with W
- Names that Start with X
- Names that Start with Y
- Names that Start with Z
About Arimo Travels
My website, Arimo Travels, mostly focuses on sustainable travel, although I do write about other topics related to cultures and randomness as well. Besides a random German name generator, I have also created a randomizer for German cities and blog posts about my encounters in Germany.