Naumann

Naumann is a German surname, and less commonly a given name. It derives from the Middle High German term nu man(n), meaning “new man” or “newcomer,” a byname given to someone who was newly arrived in a settlement. The name has several spellings, including Nauman and Naumen, and is closely related to Neumann, a variant with the same root.

The surname is most common in German-speaking regions, particularly in central and southern Germany, and is also found in Austria and Switzerland. With German emigration, Naumann and its variants appeared in communities abroad, notably in the United States and Canada, and later in other countries with German diaspora.

As a relatively widespread German surname, Naumann has appeared across a range of professions and historical periods, including public life, academia, the arts, and business. In genealogical and biographical sources, the name is well represented and appears in official records, scholarly works, and contemporary reference materials.

For related surnames sharing the same etymology, see Neumann and Nauman, which are often encountered as parallel forms in historical documents and modern usage.