Németh
A Hungarian surname meaning “German” or “of German origin.”
The #4,241 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 36,922 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Németh comes from Hungarian német, meaning “German.” As a surname, it originally identified someone as German, of German descent, or sometimes someone who lived among Germans or had dealings with them. The final -h is part of the standard Hungarian surname form.
History
It is one of the common Hungarian surnames and is especially associated with Hungary and Hungarian-speaking communities. Like other ethnic surnames, it likely began as a descriptive label and later became hereditary. It is also found in diaspora communities, including the United States, where it often reflects Hungarian immigrant ancestry.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Hungarian, the root word német is the everyday word for “German,” so the surname is transparent in meaning to native speakers.