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German regal/nobility names


Käpt'n Korky

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This thread is a response to a request by @Wellington99 in the discord chat. 

The request paraphrased:

"I need two german names for figures in a fanfic. One has to be specific a "Junkers" or a Prussian kind of name.

The best example I know is if a brit had the last name Windsor or Tudor, or Platangenet, or was like Pendragon or Ivanhoe.

Regal/name belonging to famous teutonic knight or something.

And it must begin with an "S"."

So I thought I provide a list of all regal names since Karl der Große/Charlemagne/Charles the great. I will also mention a few heroes and list all "sub-german" names, meaning the kings of kingdoms inside the german empire which was ruled by the (holy-roman) kaiser. Also all Highmasters of the Ordo Teutonicus.
Better known names are fat, non german names are striked out.

But first of all some nagging (not relevant, really. I'm just a dirty nagger.):

Spoiler

Funny you mention "Windsor". According to german noble law (which is called "Salic law") the name Windsor on it's own does NOT exist. The name is "Elisabeth von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha zu Windsor". In the salic law you can't change the family name, but you can open up a sideline in this case the sideline "zu Windsor" of the house "Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha".
For germany I'm clear, but for England I'm not so sure because the royals still can do whatever the frak they like with their name and put it in effect. So it's possible for England to have erased the german family name. But german law does not accept this. But also nobody really gives a frak. Except me, right now saying half-serious: There is no family name "Windsor" possible. But you're of english heritage and probably state the opposite. And we're both right.

"Junkers" is a family name. Famous to some here as the constructor of german aiscrafts. Nowadays heating systems for houses.
The nobility rank "Junker" (without "s" ) is, together with "Vogt", the lowest rank in german nobility who controls actually land. A few farms for their lord usually. Also it's more commonly used in eastern german provinces like prussia. The difference between "Vogt" and "Junker" are.... sometimes real, sometimes superficial probably depending a lot on regional traditions, but I'm guessing here. It also depends in what century you look. Early on the differences are significant but over time they blur.
The lowest nobility without own lands (when elevated) are called "Freiherr/Freifrau".

Imperial regal names in mostly historical order:

Karolin

Konrad

Liudolfing (sometimes called Ottonen, because of the lot of Ottos in their ranks)

Salium (hence the "salic law" from the spoiler)

Supplinburg

Staufen

Welfen

Habsburg

Nassau

Luxemburg

Wittelsbach

Habsburg-Lothringen

Hohenzollern

German "hero" names are mostly without family name. But it's possible to use a forename as a familyname. In no specific order:

Siegfried, Widukind, Teut(-oburg), Odon, Billung

Minor regals:
Kingdom of Bohemia: Przemysl, Luxemburg, Jagellion, Habsburg

Kingdom of Saxony: Wettin

Kingdom of Bavaria: Wittelsbach

Kingdom of Prussia: Hohenzollern

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg (but most people don't realise it's the regal name, because the name of the country actually came from the name of the lords, later kings and that's unusual with countries. With cities it's a lot more common.)

Familynames of the Highmasters of the OT as far as I could find one:

Walpot, (von) Kerpen, (von) Thüna/ (von) Tunna, (von) Salza (!preferrably for a nazi-by-heart figure), Ludowing, Malberg, Hohenlohe, (von) Wüllersleben, (von) Wertheim, (von) Sangershausen, (von) Heldrungen, (von) Oeren, (von) Braunschweig, (von) Altenburg, Dusemer, (von) Kniprode, Zollner, (von) Wallenrode, Jungingen, (von) Plauen, Küchmeister, (von) Rusdorf, (von) Richtenberg, Truchseß von Wetzhausen, Kronberg, Schutzbar, Hund(t), (von) Bobenhausen, (von) Westernhausen, (von) Stadion, (von) Ampringen), von der Pfalz, Vaudémont\Lothringen; also Habsburg, Wittelsbach and Hohenzollern.

If you want additional names from lesser, but well known nobles or from a specific time or want a name which goes well or contradicts with a charater trait, feel free to ask.

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Thanks Korky. These'll be useful to others wanting to make German captains as well. Non-English names are difficult to me at least to come up with. 

In regards to the Windsor issue, see World War I. 

"High anti-German sentiment amongst the people of the British Empire during World War I reached a peak in March 1917, when the Gotha G.IV, a heavy aircraft capable of crossing the English Channel, began bombing London directly and became a household name...The King and his family were finally convinced to abandon all titles held under the German Crown and to change German titles and house names to anglicised versions."

(from Wikipedia)

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