spanier

Spanier is a German noun and surname. As a demonym, it means a person from Spain and is used in German to refer to Spaniards. The common singular form is ein Spanier, and the plural die Spanier can denote a group of Spaniards. The word is formed from Spanien (Spain) with the agentive suffix -er and has cognates in related languages. In historical or contemporary German texts, Spanier appears in the same way a demonym would in other languages.

As a surname, Spanier occurs in German-speaking regions and among people of German ancestry. Ethnonymic or toponymic surnames like Spanier typically originated from an association with Spain, whether through ancestry, residence, or other ties, and were later transmitted as family names. The surname is found in records across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and among diaspora communities, reflecting patterns of migration and name transmission common to Germanic naming practices.

In modern usage, Spanier is primarily encountered either as a straightforward demonym in German-language writing or as a family name. It does not imply a specific occupation or social status beyond indicating origin or lineage. The term is distinct from similar-sounding words in other languages and should not be confused with unrelated terms in non-Germanic languages. See also Spaniard for the English-language counterpart.