German-American Names

This is an A-Z dictionary of German-American names, giving spellings, meanings, and variants of about 18,000 names. This third edition of his acclaimed "German-American Names" is longer than the earlier editions and has several thousand more entries. Like the earlier editions, 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 and 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.

Most of us are curious about the meaning of our names. For those with names of German origin, this dictionary will satisfy that curiosity. There is a 60-page introduction that explains where German names came from and tells how to use the dictionary. The author's discussion of the Americanization of German immigrants' names fills a gap in the current literature. Few authors have succeeded in making this topic as simple and entertaining as Jones has. It is the best treatment of the subject in English. Medium and large public and academic libraries will want this in their reference sections. Special libraries serving genealogists will find it a necessity.
- Raymond S. Wright III, Family History Lib., Salt Lake City
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.