Adi

a diminutive of the male given name Adolf


Gretel

a diminutive of the female given name Margarete


Angie

a diminutive of the female given names Angela, Angelique, Angelika, or Angelina


Heinz

a diminutive of the male given name Heinrich


Anke

de-proper noun

Anke f (proper noun, genitive Ankes or Anke, plural Anken or (colloquial) Ankes)

Ankes (genitive)
Anke (genitive)
Anken (plural)
Ankes (colloquial plural)
Anke (nominative singular)
Anken (definite nominative plural)
Ankes (colloquial definite nominative plural)
Ankes (genitive singular)
Anke (genitive singular)
Anken (definite genitive plural)
Ankes (colloquial definite genitive plural)
Anke (dative singular)
Anken (dative definite plural)
Ankes (colloquial dative definite plural)
Anke (accusative singular)
Anken (accusative definite plural)
Ankes (accusative colloquial definite plural)

a diminutive of the female given name Anna, from Low German


Ben

Ben m (proper noun, strong, genitive Bens)

a diminutive of the male given name Benjamin


Kai

Kai m or f (proper noun, strong, genitive Kais, plural Kais)

Kais (genitive)
Kais (plural)
Kai (nominative singular)
Kais (definite nominative plural)
Kais (genitive singular)
Kais (definite genitive plural)
Kai (dative singular)
Kais (dative definite plural)
Kai (accusative singular)
Kais (accusative definite plural)
Kai (nominative singular)
Kais (definite nominative plural)
Kais (genitive singular)
Kais (definite genitive plural)
Kai (dative singular)
Kais (dative definite plural)
Kai (accusative singular)
Kais (accusative definite plural)
Kaj (alternative)
Kay (alternative)

Taken into regular use in the 20th century; either borrowed from Danish Kaj, or from a West Frisian baby talk form of Kaimbe, Kempe (“fighter, warrior”), Gerrit (“Gerard”), Cornelis (“Cornelius”) and Kleis (“Nicholas”).

(rare) a diminutive of the female given name Katharina


Kim

a diminutive of the male given name Joachim, from Hebrew


Lore

head

Lore f (genitive Lores or (with an article) Lore)

* Contraction of Eleonore.; see English Eleanor for more.
* Clipping of Hannelore.

a diminutive of the female given names Eleonore or Hannelore


Lutz

de-proper noun

Lutz m (proper noun, strong, genitive Lutz' or Lutzens)

a diminutive of the male given names Ludwig or Ludger


Max

a diminutive of the male given name Maximilian


Nazi

Nazi m (proper noun, strong, genitive Nazis, plural Nazis)

(rare after the mid-1900s) a diminutive of the male given names Ignaz or Ignatius


Nick

a diminutive of the male given name Nikolaus


Susi

a diminutive of the female given name Susanne


Willy

a diminutive of the male given names Wilhelm or Wilfried, also diminutive of other Germanic compound names beginning with Wil-


Wolf

From Middle High German wolf, from Old High German wolf, from Proto-West Germanic *wulf, from Proto-Germanic *wulfaz, from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos. Compare Dutch and English wolf, Danish ulv, Gothic 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍆𐍃 (wulfs).

a diminutive of the male given name Wolfgang, also diminutive of other Germanic compound names beginning with Wolf-


Heide

a diminutive of the female given name Adelheid


Ralle

a diminutive of the male given name Ralf


Tina

a diminutive of the female given names Christina, Kristina, Bettina, or Martina


Wilma

a diminutive of the female given name Wilhelmina


Fritz

Fritz m (proper noun, strong, genitive Fritz' or (older ending) Fritzens, plural Fritze)

Fritz' (genitive)
Fritzens (archaic genitive)
Fritze (plural)
Fritz (nominative singular)
Fritze (definite nominative plural)
Fritz' (genitive singular)
Fritzens (archaic genitive singular)
Fritze (definite genitive plural)
Fritz (dative singular)
Fritzen (dative definite plural)
Fritz (accusative singular)
Fritze (accusative definite plural)

Shortened form of Friedrich. Cognate to Fred.

1856, Archiv des historischen Vereines von Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg, 14. Band, 1. Heft, page 138

It is quite possible that two Fritzes had to be distinguished, father and son, perhaps Fritz 1 (1400-1428) and Fritz 2 (c. 1444).

Wohl möglich wäre, daß zwei Fritze unterschieden werden müssen, Vater und Sohn, etwa Fritz I. 1400-1428 und Fritz II c. 1444.

Louise ist auf dem dünnen Eis eingebrochen, heroisch eilt der junge Offizier zu ihrer Rettung. Der Erzähler gesteht den deutschen Soldaten, die schnell Louisens und Fritzens Rettung organisieren, Entschlossenheit und Tatkraft zu.

2008, Julia Schroda, Nationaler Anspruch und regionale Identität im Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen im Spiegel des französisch-sprachigen Elsaßromans (1871-1914), Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Philogischen Fakultät der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i. Br., →ISBN, page 287:

Otto Behagel, Von deutscher Sprache, page 385

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

Eine besonders fruchtbare Tätigkeit haben zwei Fritze entfaltet: Fritz Diehm und Fritz Römhild, der sich als Schriftsteller Fritz Romeo nennt.

a diminutive of the male given name Friedrich


Gretchen

a diminutive of the female given name Margarete


Bert

a diminutive of the male given names Berthold or Albert, equivalent to English Bert


Meike

a diminutive of the female given name Maria, from Low German or West Frisian, variant of Maike


Johann

→ French: Yoann

a diminutive of the male given name Johannes, equivalent to English John


Hanna

a diminutive of the female given name Johanna, equivalent to English Hannah; variant form Hannah


Gina

a diminutive of the female given name Regina


Abi

Abi m (proper noun, strong, genitive Abis)

a diminutive of the male given name Abraham, from Hebrew


Elisa

a diminutive of the female given name Elisabeth


Timo

a diminutive of the male given names Timotheus or Dietmar, popular since the 1980's


Inge

a diminutive of the female given names Ingeborg, Ingeburg, or Ingrid, masculine equivalent Ingo or Ingolf, also diminutive of other Germanic compound names beginning with Ing(e) "the god Ing/Yngvi"; variant form Inga


Lena

a diminutive of the female given names Helena, Elena, or Magdalena


Heini

a diminutive of the male given name Heinrich, equivalent to English Hank


Annika

Annikas (genitive)
Annika (genitive)
Anika (alternative)

Annika: a diminutive of the female given name Anna, from Low German or Swedish


Hannes

a diminutive of the male given name Johannes


Antje

a diminutive of the female given name Anna, from West Frisian or Dutch


Katrin

Japanese: カトリン (Katorin)

Cathrin (alternative)
Catrin (alternative)
Kathrin (alternative)

a diminutive of the female given name Katharina


Maja

a diminutive of the female given name Maria


Maike

a diminutive of the female given name Maria, from Low German or West Frisian


Mareike

a diminutive of the female given name Maria, from Low German


Grete

a diminutive of the female given name Margarete


Grethe

a diminutive of the female given name Margarethe


Marga

a diminutive of the female given name Margarete, equivalent to English Marge


Elly

a diminutive of the female given names Elisabeth or Eleanor


Lili

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Vom Berge
Wenn ich, liebe Lili, dich nicht liebte,
Welche Wonne gäb’ mir dieser Blick!
Und doch wenn ich, Lili, dich nicht liebte,
Fänd’ ich hier und fänd’ ich dort mein Glück?

a diminutive of the female given names Elisabeth or Emily


Lilli

a diminutive of the female given name Elisabeth


Ilse

a diminutive of the female given name Elisabeth, popular in the 1920s and 1930s


Hanne

a diminutive of the female given name Johanne, masculine equivalent Hannes


Christel

Christel f (proper noun, genitive Christels or Christel, plural Christel or Christels)

Christels (genitive)
Christel (genitive)
Christel (plural)
Christels (plural)
Christel (nominative singular)
Christel (definite nominative plural)
Christels (definite nominative plural)
Christels (genitive singular)
Christel (definite genitive plural)
Christels (definite genitive plural)
Christel (dative singular)
Christeln (dative definite plural)
Christels (dative definite plural)
Christel (accusative singular)
Christel (accusative definite plural)
Christels (accusative definite plural)

Lise (zu Christeln.)
 Wer hat dir denn etwas zu Leide gethan?
 Christel (geht von ihr weg.)

1816, Deinhardstein, Dramatische Dichtungen, page 119:

… seine Schwester Chistel … es ist der Liebhaber der Christel, sein Vater aber will's nicht zugeben, daß sie sich nehmen, weil Christel ihm zu arm ist.

Gustav Mosen, Der Wale. Zweite Abtheilung, in: 1844, Die Grenzboten. Eine deutsche Revue für Politik, Literatur und öffentliches Leben, redigirt von J. Kuranda. Dritter Jahrgang. II. Semester. I. Band., p. 591

… Christels Untreue sei ja ein wahres Glück für ihn. Ohne sie würde er Christeln nimmermehr verlassen haben. … wenn er bedachte, daß die geliebte Christel nun auf ewig für ihn verloren sei, …

1846, Ludwig Storch, Was euch beliebt. Erzählungen. Erster Band, page 300&322

Diese Christel ist … vor einer Stunde in Christel's Wohnung …

a diminutive of the female given names Christine or Christiane


Christel

a diminutive of the male given name Christian


Henny

a diminutive of the female given names Henriette or Johanna

a diminutive of the male given names Heinrich or Johannes


Bastian

a diminutive of the male given name Sebastian, equivalent to English Bastian


Lotte

a diminutive of the female given name Charlotte


Niko

a diminutive of the female given names Nikola or Nicole, of rare usage.


Arno

Arno m (proper noun, strong, genitive Arnos, plural Arnos)

Arnos (genitive)
Arnos (plural)
Arno (nominative singular)
Arnos (definite nominative plural)
Arnos (genitive singular)
Arnos (definite genitive plural)
Arno (dative singular)
Arnos (dative definite plural)
Arno (accusative singular)
Arnos (accusative definite plural)

a diminutive of the male given name Arnold, also diminutive of other Germanic compound names beginning with Arn- "eagle"


Rudi

a diminutive of the male given name Rudolf, equivalent to English Rudy


Elke

a diminutive of the female given name Adelheid, from Low German or West Frisian, popular in the mid-twentieth century


Emmy

Emmys (genitive)
Emmy (genitive)
Emmi (alternative)

a diminutive of the female given names Emilie or Emma


Gerd

a diminutive of the male given name Gerhard

a diminutive of the female given name Gertrud


Trude

a diminutive of the female given name Gertrude


Dieter

From Old High German thiot (“people”) + heri (“army”).

a diminutive of the male given name Dietrich


Uschi

Uschi f (proper noun, genitive Uschis or (with an article) Uschi)

Diminutive in -i of Uschel, Urschel, dialectal pronunciations of Ursel, Germanised form of Ursula.

Der Wolf wird GW950m genannt, das Pony der Uschi von der Leyen „Dolly“.

2022 December 17, “wortwechsel: Problemwolf trifft Lieblingspony”, in Die Tageszeitung: taz, →ISSN, page 22:

a diminutive of the female given name Ursula


Bernd

a diminutive of the male given name Bernhard


Berndt

a diminutive of the male given name Bernhard.


Silke

a diminutive of the female given name Cäcilie [=Cecilia], from Low German or West Frisian


Sissi

a diminutive of the female given name Elisabeth


Siggi

→ German: Ziggy

a diminutive of the male given names Siegfried or Siegmund

a diminutive of the female given names Sieglinde or Sigrun


Elmar

a diminutive of the male given name Adelmar, roughly equivalent to English Elmer


Magda

a diminutive of the female given name Magdalene


Hänsel

a diminutive of the male given names Hans or Johannes


Andi

Andi m (proper noun, strong, genitive Andis, plural Andis)

a diminutive of the male given name Andreas


Leni

Leni f (proper noun, genitive Lenis or Leni, plural Lenis)

Lenis (genitive)
Leni (genitive)
Lenis (plural)
Leni (nominative singular)
Lenis (definite nominative plural)
Lenis (genitive singular)
Leni (genitive singular)
Lenis (definite genitive plural)
Leni (dative singular)
Lenis (dative definite plural)
Leni (accusative singular)
Lenis (accusative definite plural)

Der Advokat trank, K. drückte Lenis Hand und Leni wagte es manchmal K.s Haare sanft zu streicheln.

c. 1914, Franz Kafka, Der Prozess [The Trial], Berlin: Die Schmiede, published 1925:

a diminutive of the female given names Helene or Magdalene


Hanno

Sie waren im Rechte damit, und es ist zuzugeben, daß Hanno – dies war der Rufname, den Frau Senator Buddenbrook für ihren Sohn eingeführt hatte[…]

1909 [1901], Thomas Mann, chapter 5, in Buddenbrooks […] , Berlin: Deutsche Buch-Gemeinschaft, →OCLC, part 7, page 405:

a diminutive of the male given names Johann or Johannes


Irmela

a diminutive of the female given name Irma


Jule

a diminutive of the female given name Julia


Käte

a diminutive of the female given name Katharina


Gundula

a diminutive of the female given name Gunda


Helmina

a diminutive of the female given name Wilhelmina


Helmine

a diminutive of the female given name Wilhelmine


Kunz

(obsolete) a diminutive of the male given name Konrad


Mitzi

a diminutive of the female given name Maria


Mizzi

In der Residenz wirkte am »Singspieltheater« eine Soubrette namens Mizzi Meyer, die in den Zeitungen und im Munde des Publikums nicht anders als »unsere« Meyer hieß, und zwar auf Grund ihrer schrankenlosen Beliebtheit bei groß und klein.

1909, Thomas Mann, Königliche Hoheit [Royal Highness], page 235:


Liese

a diminutive of the female given name Elisabeth


Heiner

a diminutive of the male given name Heinrich, equivalent to English Hank


Karlchen

de-noun

Karlchen n (strong, genitive Karlchens, plural Karlchen)

Karlchens (genitive)
Karlchen (plural)
Karlchen (nominative singular)
Karlchen (definite nominative plural)
Karlchens (genitive singular)
Karlchen (definite genitive plural)
Karlchen (dative singular)
Karlchen (dative definite plural)
Karlchen (accusative singular)
Karlchen (accusative definite plural)

From Karl + -chen. Cognate to English Charlie.

a diminutive of the male given name Karl, equivalent to English Charlie


Hänschen

de-proper noun

Hänschen n (proper noun, strong, genitive Hänschens)

a diminutive of the male given name Hans

was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr


Resi

a diminutive of the female given name Theresa, of especially Bavarian usage


Hein

From an earlier form Henn, from Middle High German hein, since the 14th century.

a diminutive of the male given name Heinrich


Matz

Matz m (proper noun, strong, genitive Matz')

a diminutive of the male given name Matthias


Balz

a diminutive of the male given name Balthasar


Bastienne

Borrowed from French Bastienne or Clipping of Sebastienne.

a diminutive of the female given name Sebastienne, masculine equivalent Bastian


Rolli

de-prop

Rolli m (proper noun, strong, genitive Rollis)

a diminutive of the male given name Roland


Mariechen

de-proper noun

Mariechen n (proper noun, strong, genitive Mariechens)

a diminutive of the female given name Marie


Eddi

Eddi m (proper noun, strong, genitive Eddis)

a diminutive of the male given name Eduard


Wolfi

a diminutive of the male given name Wolfgang


Almut

a diminutive of the female given name Adelmut


Ännchen

Ännchen f or n (proper noun, strong, genitive Ännchens or (with an article) Ännchen)

From Middle High German Ennechin. By surface analysis, Anne + -chen.

a diminutive of the female given names Anne or Anna