German placename etymology

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Placenames in the German language area can be classified by the language from which they originate, and by their age.

1. Celtic names, used in prehistoric times in the southern and western parts of the German language area. Examples: Mainz (from Latin Moguntiacum, derived from a Celtic name), Remagen (from Latin Rigomagus, from a Celtic name meaning "king's field").
2. Latin names:
   • from classical times, when the southern and western parts of the German language area belonged to the Roman Empire. Examples: Koblenz (from Confluentes "joining rivers"), Köln (Cologne) (from Colonia "colony"), Aachen (from Aquae "springs"), Augsburg and Augst (from Augusta "city of Augustus" and the Germanic suffix -burg).
   • from medieval times, when Latin was the language of church and administration. Examples: München (Munich) (from monachus "monk"), Münster (from monasterium "monastery").
3. Slavic names. From the Iron Age until recently, Slavic languages such as Polabian, Sorbian and Slovenian were spoken in many eastern parts of the German language area. Examples: Berlin, Chemnitz (from Caminici), Leipzig (Sorbian: Lipsk, from lipa "linden"), Leuna (from Lunaw), Rostock (from Old Polabian rostok "river fork"), Schwerin.
4. Germanic names:
   • from prehistoric times. Typical forms are:
     • with the suffix -um (Northern Germany), -heim (South and Central Germany, Switzerland), -ham / -am (Bavaria and Austria), -hem / -em (West) (all cognate to English home and the English place name suffix -ham). Examples: Bochum, Borkum, Büsum, Pforzheim, Kirchham.
     • with the suffix -ingen or -ing (Bavaria and Austria) (meaning "descendants of", used with a personal name as the first part). Examples: Göttingen, Sindelfingen, Sigmaringen, Tübingen, Straubing, Ottakring.
   • German names from medieval times. Some typical forms are:
     • with the suffix -stadt or -stedt ("town"). Examples: Darmstadt, Neustadt.
     • with the suffix -burg ("keep"). Examples: Hamburg, Duisburg, Freiburg, Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Regensburg, Salzburg, Straßburg (Strasbourg).
     • with the suffix -berg ("mountain"). Example: Heidelberg, Nürnberg (Nuremberg).
     • with the suffix -dorf or -torf ("village"). Example: Düsseldorf.
     • with the suffix -furt ("ford"). Examples: Erfurt, Frankfurt.
     • with the suffix -brücken or -brück ("bridge"). Example: Saarbrücken, Osnabrück.
     • with the suffix -hausen ("house"). Examples: Mülhausen, Schaffhausen.
     • with the suffix -feld ("field"). Example: Bielefeld.
     • with the suffix -werth, -wörth or -ort ("holm"). Example: Kaiserswerth, Donauwörth, Ruhrort
   • German names from modern times. They usually follow the established patterns. Examples: Wuppertal ("Wupper valley"), Karl-Marx-Stadt ("Karl Marx city"(renamed)), Wilhelmshaven ("William's harbour", referring to King Wilhelm I of Prussia).
5. A fifth category: placenames whose meanings and origins are not known or not assured, e.g. Zürich, Latin Turicum, assumed to be of Tracian origin.

See also: Placename etymology