German Genealogy Terms Reference Charts (+ Free Downloads)

These translations of common German genealogy terms can be a big help when researching your ancestors, from reviewing documents to looking through an old family journal.

Download your free PDF of our German Genealogy Terms Reference Chart by clicking the button below each list. They’re perfect for keeping on your computer desktop or in your research binders!

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Numbers
Months and Days
Family Relationships
Essential Genealogy Terms
German Nobility Terms

Numbers

German	English
eins	one
zwei	two
drei	three
vier	four
fünf	five
sechs	six
sieben	seven
acht	eight
neun	nine
zehn	ten
elf	eleven
zwölf	twelve
dreizehn	thirteen
vierzehn	fourteen
fünfzehn	fifteen
sechszehn	sixteen
siebzehn	seventeen
achtzehn	eighteen
neunzehn	nineteen
zwanzig	twenty
dreißig	thirty
vierzig	forty
fünfzig	fifty
sechzig	sixty
siebzig	seventy
achtzig	eighty
neunzig	ninety
hundert	one hundred
tausend	one thousand

Months and Days

German	English
Jahr	year
Monat	month
Tag	day
Januar	January
Februar	February
Marz	March
April	April
Mai	May
Juni	June
Juli	July
August	August
September	September
Oktober	October
November	November
Dezember	December
Montag	Monday
Dienstag	Tuesday
Mittwoch	Wednesday
Donnerstag	Thursday
Freitag	Friday
Samstag, Sonnabend	Saturday
Sonntag	Sunday

Family Relationships

German	English
Bruder	brother
Cousin, Vetter	cousin (male)
Eltern	parents
Enkelin, Enkel	granddaughter, grandson
Familie	family
Frau, Gattin	wife
Grossmutter, -vater	grandmother, grandfather
Kind	child
Kusine, Base	cousin (female)
Mann, Gatte	husband
Mutter	mother
Neffe	nephew
Nichte	niece
Onkel	uncle
Schwägerin, Schwäger	sister-in-law, brother-in-law
Schwester	sister
Schwiegermutter, -vater	mother-in-law, father-in-law
Stiefmutter, -vater	stepmother, stepfather
Tante	aunt
Urgrossmutter, -vater	great-grandmother, great-grandfather
Vater	father
Waise	orphan
Witwe, Witwer	widow, widower

Essential German Genealogy Terms

German	English
Akt	document
Standesamt	civil registry
Taufe	baptism
Geburt	birth
Ehe, Hochzeit, Heirat	marriage
Scheidung	divorce
Tod	death
Grab	grave
Bestattung	burial
Vorname	first name
Name, Zuname, Familienname	surname
Geburtsname, Mädchenname	maiden name
Stadt	city
Dorf	small town
Land	state
Bezirk, Kreis	district
Pfarrei, Kirchspiel, Gemeinde	parish

German Nobility Terms

Fürstentum: Principality—that is, a territory ruled by a Fürst, German for prince.

Grafschaft: Often translated as “county,” which gives an incorrect sense of the word in English. A Grafschaft was ruled by a Graf, German for count, so “countship” might be a better translation.

Gross Herzogtum: Grand duchy

Herrschaft: Land ruled by a local lord, or Herr.

Herzogtum: German for duchy, ruled by a Herzog (duke).

Königreich: Territory ruled by a König (king). In deference to the Holy Roman Emperor, only the king of Bohemia was allowed this title within the empire until the Elector of Brandenburg conquered Prussia. Initially, the elector could use only the title “King in Prussia” because the Prussian lands were considered outside the empire’s jurisdiction.

Kurfürstum: A principality whose prince was also one of the electors of the Holy Roman Emperor. The prefix Kur– was also sometimes added to the name of an elector’s territory, such as Kurpfalz for the “electoral Palatinate.”

Reichstadt: A free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire.

Rittergut: A knight’s estate, which at times was an independent territory.