German-American Names

Have you ever wondered about the meaning of German names? Ever been puzzled about their origin or stumped by their sometimes impossible combination of sounds? Have you ever wondered about the difference (or similarity) between Schaeffer & Shafer or Baugh & Bach? Most of us have, & Professor George F. Jones has thoughtfully put together an answer for us-an A-Z dictionary of German-American names, giving spellings, meanings, & variants of about 15,000 names. This second edition of his acclaimed German-American Names is fifty pages longer than the first edition & has several thousand more entries. Like the earlier edition, it attempts to explain the meaning of names borne today by Americans which derive from the German language or its dialects. Moreover, it deals with the Americanization of some of those names, explaining the social & historical phenomena that contributed to the distinctive character of German-American names. And it deals as well with names many of us would never have thought of as German. To place the dictionary in proper perspective, Prof. Jones has provided a lengthy introduction on German names-actually a treatise-with chapters devoted to (1) the origin & significance of given names; (2) the need & origin of surnames; & (3) Christian names. A substantial work in itself, the introduction discusses the development of German names, name sources, name variations, & some of the special characteristics of German-American names. But of course it's the dictionary that is paramount. A lifetime's accumulation of German-American names & their meanings, its very convenience invites browsing. Best of all, the dictionary is for everyone. German names are so widespread there can be few people who will fail to find something of interest in a German-American name list.