Mennonite Name Generator
Traditional family and given names of Mennonite communities
Generate traditional Mennonite names from two historic streams: Dutch-Prussian-Russian names such as Aganetha Schellenberg, Jasch Thielmann and Isbrand Pauls, and Swiss-South German names such as Elam Brubaker and Lucinda Zimmerman.
About Mennonite names
These are the traditional family names of the historic Mennonite communities, in two streams that barely overlap. The first began among Dutch and North German Anabaptists who settled in the Vistula delta in the 1500s, moved to southern Russia from 1789, and from the 1870s went on to Manitoba and Kansas, later to Saskatchewan, Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia and Belize. Its short register of surnames answers most searches for Mennonite last names: Friesen, Penner, Reimer, Klassen, Dyck, Wiebe, Thiessen, Toews and Loewen. Given names stayed stable: Abram, Jakob, Heinrich and Kornelius for men, Aganetha, Katharina, Helena and Justina for women, with Low German short forms such as Jasch for Jakob, Neta for Aganetha and Tina for Katharina.
The second stream comes from Swiss and South German Anabaptists who reached Pennsylvania in the late 1600s and 1700s and spread to Ontario, Virginia and the Midwest. Its surnames include Brubaker, Landis, Shenk, Hershey, Eby, Martin, Horst and Weber, usually beside biblical given names.
About seven in ten entries belong to the first stream. The list mixes full names, middle-initial forms such as Peter W. Groening, and single surnames. Most Mennonites in the world today live in Africa, Asia and Latin America and bear the names of their own cultures, and none of these surnames is exclusive to the faith.
How to choose Mennonite names
- Choose the stream by setting. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Kansas, the Paraguayan Chaco and the colonies of Mexico and Bolivia call for names like Friesen, Wiebe and Dyck. Lancaster County, the Waterloo area of Ontario and the Shenandoah Valley call for Brubaker, Martin and Weber.
- Match the given name to the period. Heinrich, Kornelius and Aganetha fit Russia in the 1800s and the first prairie villages, Jake Klassen and Tina Balzer fit twentieth-century Canada, and German names of that century such as Helmut Goossen and Irmgard Neufeld fit families who left the Soviet Union for Paraguay or Canada.
- Use a middle initial when two characters share a name. In many Russian Mennonite families it stands for the father's given name or the mother's maiden name, as in Jacob P. Driedger.
- Keep the two streams apart inside one family unless a marriage explains it. A Thiessen and a Brubaker would rarely have shared a village before the twentieth century.
- Given names and surnames are paired at random here, and the stock of names is small, so search a full name before you publish it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common Mennonite last names?
It depends on the stream. Among families of Dutch, Prussian and Russian background the best-known surnames are Friesen, Penner, Reimer, Klassen, Dyck, Wiebe, Thiessen, Toews and Loewen. Among families of Swiss and South German background they are Martin, Weber, Brubaker, Landis, Shenk, Hershey, Horst, Nolt and Zimmerman. The list gives many of these as single surnames as well as in full names.
Are Mennonite names the same as Amish names?
Only in part. The Amish separated from the Swiss Mennonites in 1693, so the Swiss stream shares some surnames and many biblical given names with them, although names such as Brubaker, Landis and Nolt are mainly Mennonite. The surnames of the Russian Mennonite stream, such as Friesen, Penner and Toews, are not found among the Amish.
Does a surname like Friesen or Martin mean a person is Mennonite?
No. These surnames are also carried by many families of German, Dutch and Swiss origin with no Mennonite connection, and many people with Mennonite ancestors belong to other churches or to none. Most Mennonites worldwide have names from their own languages. Treat the list as the naming tradition of particular historic communities, not as a test of anyone's faith.
What are the short forms in the list?
Low German, the everyday language of the Russian Mennonite stream, shortens the formal names, and a century in Russia added a few pet forms. Jasch Thielmann is a Jakob, Neta Unrau an Aganetha, Mariechen Thiessen a Maria, and Njuta Heinrichs carries a pet form of Anna picked up in Russia. In Canada and the United States the same people are often Jake, Abe, Corny, Tina or Nettie.
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All 500 Mennonite names
A: 47 names
- Aaron Nolt
- Abe Bergen
- Abe Hoeppner
- Abraham Giesbrecht
- Abraham Ginter
- Abraham Oberholtzer
- Abram A. Regehr
- Abram Klippenstein
- Abram Willms
- Ada Reesor
- Aden Rittenhouse
- Adina Reddekopp
- Aganetha Buller
- Aganetha Derksen
- Aganetha Schellenberg
- Agatha Ginter
- Agatha Heinrichs
- Agatha Hildebrand
- Agatha Zacharias
- Aggie Bartel
- Agnes Friesen
- Agnes Thiessen
- Agnes Unruh
- Albert Andres
- Alfred Olfert
- Almeda Wenger
- Alta Sensenig
- Amanda Heatwole
- Ammon Longenecker
- Amos Goering
- Andreas Martens
- Andreas Reddekopp
- Anna Ediger
- Anna Horst
- Anna Nickel
- Anna Peters
- Anna Wall
- Anne Bergen
- Anne Neustaedter
- Anni Regehr
- Annie Matthies
- Annie Ratzlaff
- Arnold Janzen
- Aron Block
- Aron Penner
- Aron Siemens
- Artur Rempel
B: 23 names
- Barbara Nolt
- Bauman
- Ben Loewen
- Ben Plett
- Benjamin Abrams
- Benjamin Derksen
- Benjamin Kreider
- Benjamin Loeppky
- Benjamin W. Enns
- Bergen
- Bernhard C. Loeppky
- Bernhard Eidse
- Bernhard Woelk
- Bernie Gerbrandt
- Bertha Sauder
- Betty Buller
- Betty Kasdorf
- Bill Pankratz
- Braun
- Brubacher
- Brubaker
- Bruno Block
- Burkholder
C: 18 names
- Catharina Heide
- Catharina Letkeman
- Catharina Schroeder
- Catherine Leaman
- Chester Detweiler
- Christian Horst
- Christina Bartel
- Christina Froese
- Christina Hamm
- Christina Neustaedter
- Clara Kratz
- Clayton Erb
- Cleason Leaman
- Cornelius Doerksen
- Cornelius Franz
- Cornelius Zacharias
- Corny Groening
- Cressman
D: 20 names
- Daniel Andres
- Daniel Heidebrecht
- Daniel Thiessen
- Daniel Zimmerman
- Dave Tiessen
- David B. Siemens
- David Ebersole
- David Lepp
- David Warkentin
- Derksen
- Diedrich Falk
- Diedrich Fast
- Dietrich Kroeker
- Dietrich Thielmann
- Dietrich W. Plett
- Doerksen
- Dorcas Burkholder
- Driedger
- Dueck
- Dyck
E: 52 names
- Earl Bearinger
- Eby
- Ed Klippenstein
- Edgar Heppner
- Edith Bueckert
- Edna Nissley
- Eduard Gerbrandt
- Edwin Kliewer
- Elam Brubaker
- Elfrieda Block
- Elfriede Warkentin
- Eli Bowman
- Elias Hunsberger
- Elisabeth Fehr
- Elisabeth Janz
- Elisabeth Redekop
- Elizabeth Wideman
- Ella Cressman
- Elmer Gingrich
- Elsie Sawatzky
- Elsie Vogt
- Elva Musser
- Elvin Garber
- Elvira Heidebrecht
- Emanuel Longacre
- Emilie Esau
- Emilie Pauls
- Emilie Wiens
- Emilie Willms
- Emma Schrag
- Enns
- Enos Kratz
- Ephraim Shank
- Epp
- Erdmann Baerg
- Erdmann Bueckert
- Erich Braun
- Erika Gerbrandt
- Erika Klassen
- Erma Reist
- Erna Loewen
- Ernst Suderman
- Ervin Stucky
- Erwin Kroeker
- Esther Toews
- Eunice Rittenhouse
- Eva Boldt
- Eva Matthies
- Eva Thielmann
- Ewald Hildebrand
- Ewald Ratzlaff
- Ezra Risser
F: 14 names
- Fannie Eshleman
- Fehr
- Florence Landes
- Frank Harms
- Frank Matthies
- Franz Boldt
- Franz G. Kliewer
- Franz Siebert
- Franz Vogt
- Frieda Abrams
- Frieda Unrau
- Friesen
- Froese
- Funk
G: 19 names
- George B. Bueckert
- George Harder
- George Wiens
- Gerhard Janz
- Gerhard K. Berg
- Gerhard Knelsen
- Gerhard Reimer
- Gertrud Hiebert
- Gertrud Hoeppner
- Gertruda Elias
- Gertruda Krahn
- Gertruda Martens
- Gertruda Teichroeb
- Giesbrecht
- Goertzen
- Grace Rohrer
- Greta Guenther
- Greta Stoesz
- Groff
H: 47 names
- Hans Eitzen
- Hans K. Teichroeb
- Hans Letkeman
- Harder
- Harry Buhler
- Harry Willms
- Harvey Bechtel
- Hedwig Kornelsen
- Hein Fast
- Hein Wedel
- Heinrich Driedger
- Heinrich Quiring
- Heinrich Redekop
- Heinrich W. Goertzen
- Heinz Willms
- Helen Siemens
- Helen Wiebe
- Helena Banman
- Helena Guenther
- Helena Lohrenz
- Helene Doerksen
- Helene Giesbrecht
- Helene Hoeppner
- Helene Unger
- Helga Funk
- Helmut Goossen
- Helmut Pankratz
- Henry Eitzen
- Henry G. Janz
- Henry Sensenig
- Henry Wieler
- Herbert Teichroeb
- Herman Doerksen
- Herman Ratzlaff
- Hermann Kehler
- Hermann Wiebe
- Hermann Wieler
- Hershey
- Herta Sawatzky
- Hess
- Hettie Brunk
- Hiebert
- Hilda Claassen
- Hildebrand
- Hildegard Harms
- Homer Godshall
- Horst
I: 20 names
- Ida Erb
- Ike Abrams
- Ike Klaassen
- Ingrid Siemens
- Ira Denlinger
- Irma Banman
- Irmgard Neufeld
- Irvin Groff
- Isaac D. Penner
- Isaac Derksen
- Isaac Hoover
- Isaac Rempel
- Isaak Cornies
- Isaak H. Unger
- Isaak Hamm
- Isbrand F. Neustaedter
- Isbrand Pankratz
- Isbrand Pauls
- Isbrand Suderman
- Ivan Brunk
J: 37 names
- Jack Elias
- Jack Martens
- Jacob Neufeld
- Jacob P. Driedger
- Jacob Schrag
- Jake Balzer
- Jake Klassen
- Jakob Ewert
- Jakob Goertzen
- Jakob Harms
- Jakob W. Rempel
- Janzen
- Jasch Thielmann
- Jesse Frey
- Johan F. Kaethler
- Johan Janzen
- Johan Ratzlaff
- Johan Sawatzky
- Johann Balzer
- Johann Buller
- Johann J. Hamm
- John Janz
- John Nissley
- John P. Olfert
- John Reddekopp
- Jonas Wenger
- Joseph Witmer
- Judith Goossen
- Judith Regehr
- Judith Unrau
- Julius Claassen
- Julius D. Regier
- Julius Stoesz
- Julius Unruh
- Justina Abrams
- Justina Groening
- Justina Harms
K: 20 names
- Kaethe Willms
- Katharina Funk
- Katharina Goertzen
- Katharina Huebert
- Katharina Riediger
- Kathryn Swartley
- Katie Pankratz
- Klaas Berg
- Klaas J. Andres
- Klaas Klaassen
- Klassen
- Klippenstein
- Kornelius Dirks
- Kornelius F. Knelsen
- Kornelius Kornelsen
- Kornelius Neustaedter
- Kornelsen
- Kreider
- Kroeker
- Kurt Heide
L: 23 names
- Landis
- Leah Garber
- Lena Knelsen
- Leon Snider
- Lester Mellinger
- Levi Martin
- Lieschen Ginter
- Liese Andres
- Liese Harms
- Lizzie Denlinger
- Lloyd Stauffer
- Loewen
- Lois Longenecker
- Louise Enns
- Louise Klassen
- Louise Reimer
- Louise Suderman
- Lovina Shank
- Lucinda Zimmerman
- Luise Wiens
- Lydia Boldt
- Lydia Braun
- Lydia Shirk
M: 41 names
- Mabel Gehman
- Magdalena Groff
- Malinda Hershey
- Manfred Kaethler
- Margaret Kornelsen
- Margarete Duerksen
- Margarete Hildebrand
- Margaretha Bueckert
- Margaretha Siemens
- Margaretha Vogt
- Margaretha Voth
- Maria Eidse
- Maria Koop
- Maria Woelk
- Marie Hiebert
- Marie Kaethler
- Marie Kehler
- Mariechen Thiessen
- Marlene Lohrenz
- Martens
- Martha Elias
- Martha Hess
- Martin
- Martin Barkman
- Martin Derstine
- Martin Heppner
- Martin J. Ratzlaff
- Martin Kliewer
- Mary Abrams
- Mary Lohrenz
- Mary Souder
- Melita Eitzen
- Melvin Clemens
- Menno Heide
- Menno Krahn
- Menno Metzler
- Metzler
- Michael Eshleman
- Mildred Clemens
- Minerva Eby
- Miriam Gingrich
N: 17 names
- Nancy Waltner
- Naomi Mellinger
- Nathan Clemmer
- Nelson Reesor
- Neta Unrau
- Nettie Koop
- Nettie Voth
- Neufeld
- Nevin Newswanger
- Nikolai Ediger
- Nikolai Harder
- Nikolai Koop
- Njuta Heinrichs
- Noah Kolb
- Nolt
- Nora Hoover
- Norman Wideman
O: 5 names
- Olga Franz
- Onias Showalter
- Orie Burkholder
- Otto Hamm
- Otto Tiessen
P: 19 names
- Paul Banman
- Paul Huebert
- Paul Nickel
- Pearl Derstine
- Penner
- Pete Wiebe
- Peter Duerksen
- Peter Landes
- Peter Schroeder
- Peter W. Groening
- Peters
- Phares Musser
- Philipp Neudorf
- Philipp Schellenberg
- Philipp W. Funk
- Philipp Wiens
- Phoebe Ebersole
- Plett
- Priscilla Frey
R: 11 names
- Rachel Bowman
- Raymond Shenk
- Rebecca Bauman
- Reimer
- Reinhard Quiring
- Rempel
- Renate Giesbrecht
- Reuben Nyce
- Rudolf Siebert
- Rudy Eidse
- Ruth Moyer
S: 26 names
- Salome Bechtel
- Samuel Landis
- Sanford Alderfer
- Sara Bergen
- Sara Regier
- Sara Rempel
- Sara Warkentin
- Sarah Kolb
- Sarah Olfert
- Sawatzky
- Schellenberg
- Selina Showalter
- Selma Penner
- Sensenig
- Shantz
- Shenk
- Siegfried Stoesz
- Solomon Hershey
- Stauffer
- Susan Harnish
- Susanna Claassen
- Susanna Eitzen
- Susanna Gerbrandt
- Susanna Longacre
- Susie Kaethler
- Susie Riediger
T: 11 names
- Tena Enns
- Tena Heide
- Thiessen
- Tina Balzer
- Titus Shirk
- Tobias Braun
- Tobias Dueck
- Tobias Kaethler
- Toews
- Trudy Klassen
- Trudy Quiring
U: 2 names
- Ulrich Krehbiel
- Unger
V: 5 names
- Vera Metzler
- Verna Risser
- Veronica Snider
- Viktor Matthies
- Viola Bearinger
W: 21 names
- Waldemar Riediger
- Walter Guenther
- Warkentin
- Warren Shantz
- Weber
- Wenger
- Werner Neufeld
- Wiebe
- Wiens
- Wilhelm Heide
- Wilhelm J. Dirksen
- Wilhelm Wall
- Wilhelmina Block
- Wilhelmina Dirksen
- Wilhelmina Klaassen
- Willie Franz
- Willie Schroeder
- Willis Lehman
- Willy Funk
- Wilma Lehman
- Wilmer Weber