130+ Popular Austrian Last Names or Surnames & Their Meanings

Austria, with its rich history and cultural diversity, has a fascinating collection of surnames that reflect its heritage. Whether derived from occupations, geographical features, or personal characteristics, Austrian last names tell stories of ancestry and tradition.

In this blog post, we’ll explore over 130 common Austrian surnames, categorized by their origins, along with their meanings. Let’s dive in!

1. Occupational Surnames

Many Austrian last names stem from the professions of ancestors. These surnames give us a glimpse into the daily lives of past generations.

• Bauer – Means “farmer,” a common surname in rural Austria.
• Müller – Derived from “miller,” someone who operated a grain mill.
• Schmidt – The German equivalent of “smith,” referring to a blacksmith.
• Fischer – Means “fisherman.”
• Weber – Refers to a “weaver” of textiles.
• Schneider – Means “tailor.”
• Metzger – A “butcher” by trade.
• Bäcker – Means “baker.”
• Wagner – Originally a “wagon maker” or cartwright.
• Schuster – A “shoemaker” or cobbler.
• Zimmermann – Means “carpenter.”
• Maurer – Refers to a “mason” or bricklayer.
• Schreiner – A “cabinetmaker” or joiner.
• Koch – Means “cook.”
• Schäfer – A “shepherd.”
• Fleischer – Another term for “butcher.”
• Tischler – Means “joiner” or furniture maker.
• Gerber – A “tanner” who treated leather.
• Sattler – A “saddler” who made horse saddles.
• Hirsch – Means “deer,” possibly a hunter or gamekeeper.

2. Geographical & Topographical Surnames

Many Austrian surnames are inspired by landscapes, towns, or natural features.

• Berg – Means “mountain.”
• Stein – Refers to “stone” or rocky terrain.
• Bach – Means “brook” or small stream.
• Wald – Means “forest.”
• Fuchs – Means “fox,” possibly referring to someone living near fox-populated areas.
• Lang – Means “long,” possibly describing a tall person or long stretch of land.
• Huber – Derived from “Hube,” a unit of farmland.
• Gruber – Means “pit” or “miner,” common in mining regions.
• Winkler – Refers to someone living near a “corner” (Winkel) of land.
• Auer – From “Au,” meaning “meadow” or riverside land.
• Eder – Refers to someone from near a “stream.”
• Hofer – Means “farmstead owner.”
• Koller – Derived from “hill” or “mountain.”
• Pichler – Refers to someone living near a “peak.”
• Schuster – Could also relate to “Schusterberg,” a place name.

3. Patronymic & Matronymic Surnames

Some Austrian surnames come from first names, indicating lineage.

• Albrecht – Son of “Albert.”
• Friedrich – Son of “Friedrich.”
• Heinrich – Son of “Heinrich.”
• Walter – Derived from the given name “Walter.”
• Wolfgang – Son of “Wolfgang.”
• Arnold – Son of “Arnold.”
• Konrad – Son of “Konrad.”
• Leopold – Son of “Leopold.”
• Ott – Short for “Otto.”
• Hartmann – Son of “Hartmann.”
• Jäger – Means “hunter,” but could also derive from “Jörg” (George).
• Fritz – Short for “Friedrich.”
• Ernst – Son of “Ernst.”

4. Descriptive & Nickname-Based Surnames

Some surnames describe physical traits, personalities, or other characteristics.

• Klein – Means “small,” referring to a person’s stature.
• Gross – Means “big” or “tall.”
• Schwarz – Means “black,” possibly referring to dark hair or clothing.
• Weiss – Means “white,” perhaps for light hair or complexion.
• Braun – Means “brown,” likely for hair or eye color.
• Roth – Means “red,” for red hair or a ruddy complexion.
• Stark – Means “strong.”
• Jung – Means “young,” possibly the youngest in a family.
• Alt – Means “old,” perhaps an elder in the community.
• Kurz – Means “short.”
• Lange – Means “long” or “tall.”
• Frisch – Means “fresh” or “lively.”
• Freund – Means “friend,” possibly a friendly or sociable person.
• Scharf – Means “sharp,” perhaps describing a keen mind.

5. Noble & Aristocratic Surnames

Austria has a history of nobility, and some surnames reflect aristocratic roots.

• von Habsburg – The famous royal dynasty.
• von Trapp – Known from The Sound of Music.
• von Hohenberg – A noble family linked to Austrian royalty.
• von Liechtenstein – A princely family.
• von Metternich – A historic aristocratic name.
• von Schwarzenberg – A prominent noble family.
• von Auersperg – Another aristocratic lineage.
• von Eggenberg – A noble house from Styria.

6. Unique & Less Common Austrian Surnames

Some names are rarer but still hold cultural significance.

• Eder – Means “from the river Eder.”
• Kainz – A variant of “Konrad.”
• Pfeiffer – Means “piper” or “whistler.”
• Reiter – Means “rider” or “horseman.”
• Schindler – Means “shingle maker.”
• Taucher – Means “diver.”
• Vogel – Means “bird,” possibly a nickname.
• Wimmer – Derived from “Winde” (vine).
• Ziegler – Means “brickmaker.”
• Nowak – A Slavic-origin name meaning “new.”

7. Regional & Dialect-Influenced Surnames

Austria’s diverse regions; from Tyrol to Vienna; have shaped unique surnames. Some reflect local dialects or slight variations of common names.

• Tiroler – Indicates ancestry from Tyrol, a mountainous western region.
• Salzburger – Refers to someone from Salzburg.
• Steirer – Means a person from Styria (Steiermark).
• Kärntner – Indicates origins in Carinthia (Kärnten).
• Wiener – Literally means “from Vienna.”
• Vorarlberger – Someone from Vorarlberg, Austria’s westernmost state.
• Oberleitner – Means “from the upper slope” (common in Alpine regions).
• Unterberger – Refers to someone from “below the mountain.”
• Innerhofer – Means “from the inner court” (common in rural Austria).
• Pongratz – A regional variation of Boniface, found in Carinthia.

8. Slavic & Hungarian-Influenced Surnames

Due to Austria’s historical ties with neighboring regions, some surnames have Slavic or Hungarian roots.

Slavic-Influenced Names:

• Novak – Means “newcomer” (from Czech/Slovak nový).
• Kovač – Means “blacksmith” (similar to German Schmidt).
• Horvat – Croatian for “Croat,” common in Burgenland.
• Tomic – Derived from Toma (Thomas).
• Babič – Means “grandmother” or “old woman” in Slovene.
• Kolar – Means “wheelwright” or cart maker.
• Pavlic – Derived from Pavel (Paul).

Hungarian-Influenced Names:

• Nagy – Means “big” or “great” in Hungarian.
• Kovács – Hungarian for “smith.”
• Tóth – Originally meant “Slovak” but used in Austria.
• Szabo – Means “tailor” (similar to German Schneider).
• Farkas – Means “wolf” in Hungarian.

9. Nature-Inspired Surnames

Many Austrian surnames are drawn from the natural world; animals, plants, and landscapes.

• Fuchs – “Fox” (clever or red-haired individuals).
• Wolf – Could indicate a fierce personality or proximity to wolves.
• Hirsch – “Deer” (possibly a hunter).
• Vogel – “Bird” (light-footed or a birdcatcher).
• Baum – “Tree” (someone living near a notable tree).
• Blum – “Flower” (from Blume).
• Grasl – Derived from Gras (“grass”).
• Holzer – Means “woodcutter” or someone from the woods (Holz).
• Lindner – Refers to a “linden tree.”
• Steiner – Means “stone” or “rock.”

10. Religious & Mythological Surnames

Some Austrian surnames have biblical or legendary origins.

• Engel – Means “angel.”
• Teufel – Means “devil” (likely a nickname for a mischievous person).
• Christ – Derived from Christus (Christian influence).
• Adam – From the biblical name.
• Eva – Derived from the name Eve.
• Gabriel – From the archangel.
• Michael – A common first name turned surname.
• Pfeil – Means “arrow,” possibly linked to St. Sebastian.

11. Rare & Unusual Austrian Surnames

Some surnames are less common but still hold cultural significance.

• Draxler – Possibly derived from Draht (“wire”), referring to a wire-maker.
• Kitzler – Means “tickler” (could be a playful nickname).
• Lueger – A variant of Ludwig, found in Upper Austria.
• Mair – A Bavarian-Austrian form of Meier (steward or farmer).
• Prandtner – Derived from Brand (“fire”), possibly a blacksmith.
• Quendler – Means “coriander” (an herbalist or spice trader).
• Riegler – Means “rye farmer.”
• Sonnleitner – “Sunny slope” (from Sonne + Leite).
• Tschugguel – A rare Tyrolean name of uncertain origin.
• Zotter – Means “tangled hair” or could refer to a Zotte (tuft of wool).

12. Occupational Surnames (Additional)

A few more job-based names that didn’t make the first list:

• Binder – “Cooper” (barrel maker).
• Dreher – “Turner” (lathe worker).
• Färber – “Dyer” (textile worker).
• Gärtner – “Gardener.”
• Hafner – “Potter” (ceramics maker).
• Kürschner – “Furrier.”
• Lackner – “Varnisher” or lacquer worker.
• Sailer – Variant of Seiler (“rope maker”).
• Spengler – “Tinsmith.”
• Wimmer – Related to Wein (“wine”), possibly a vintner.

Final Thoughts

Austrian surnames are a window into the country’s history, from humble farmers to noble families. Whether your last name is Bauer, Schmidt, or even von Habsburg, each carries a legacy worth exploring.

Did your surname make the list? Let us know in the comments if you’d like us to dig deeper into any of these names!

Would you like us to add pronunciation guides or regional variations? Let us know: we’d love to make this resource even more helpful!

Thanks for reading; vielen Dank!