German names consist of one or several Vornamen (given names) and a Nachname (Familienname, family name). The Vorname is gender specific.

The Vorname (given name, literally "pre-name") is given to a child by the parents shortly after birth. It is common to give a child several Vornamen. Usually, one of them is meant to be normally used and called the Rufname ("calling name"). This is often underlined on official documents, as it is often the second or third name in a list, even though it is the person's main name: the idea of "first" names being more important than "middle" names, as in some other cultures, is unknown.

The Rufname is usually chosen because it sounds pleasing to the parents. Additional names (zweiter Vorname etc., second given name) may be given by traditional Catholic parents in order to "bond" with saints of these names to "enlist" them as protectors. Also, it is common to use the Rufnamen of relatives, whom the parents want to honor, as additional names (often with the hope or expectation in mind that these (maybe well-off) relatives might support the child later). A third reason might be to give the child later the chance to choose one of the other given names as his or her Rufname.

Most people, when giving their name, specify only the Rufname and the Nachname. Some specify a second name in full or (influenced by US practice) as a middle initial.

At least one of these has to be gender specific; the others may be neutral (but nearly all German names are gender specific). One must not give a name usually used for the opposite sex, with the sole exception of Maria (German for Mary) as second name for boys, e.g., Klaus Maria Brandauer. (This is in respect of tradition among Roman Catholics.)

It is uncommon to use shortened names officially (like Bill Gates instead of "William H. Gates, III"). So even if all of Benjamin's friends call him "Ben", he will always write his name as "Benjamin".

Germany is a bit more restrictive than some other countries in what names are allowed. The basic rule is that a name has to be known as a name for persons and must not be newly invented. Also, it must be decent in the sense that it cannot be considered offensive and derogative and so later pose a problem for the bearer.

It is up to the Standesbeamter (the officer/clerk of the public authority for registering births, marriages, deaths etc.) to judge whether a name is allowed. For unusual names he might ask for precedent cases. (For example, until Chelsea Clinton became known in Germany, "Chelsea" would probably have been rejected, because it would have been considered a city's name and not a person's. Immigrants often ask their embassy to testify that the desired name is accepted within their country.) Of course, parents disagreeing with a Standesbeamter's rejection can appeal to a court (which usually gives rise to satiric articles in the newspapers about the strange names some people insist on).

Most Nachnamen consist of only one word. Titles of former aristocrats (like "Graf" for "Count") have become parts of the Nachname in Germany, giving longer names of several words, usually including a "von" (meaning "of"). In Austria these titles have been totally abolished, even particles like "von". The use of titles of nobility is punishable. In Switzerland, titles of nobility can be used in private conversation, but are not officially recognised.

Traditionally, the wife adopts her husband's Nachname on marriage and drops her own. However, due to the legal equality of sexes, the opposite is possible as well, though rare. More commonly, the spouses combine their Nachnamen by a hyphen, and so one of them (or both) then bears a double name (Doppelname). (There is a limit of only one hyphen in a name.) In the 1990s, the law was changed to allow both partners to keep their Nachname. All children of a family have to receive the same non-hyphenated Nachname at birth, which may be either the mother's or the father's Nachname (traditionally it was the father's).

If a son bears the same Vorname as his father (which is quite uncommon in most areas of Germany), he might add a "Jun." after his Nachname, and father might put a "Sen.". The usage of "III" in case of three consecutive equal first names as in the US is unknown. (Roman numbers are considered reserved for monarchs.)

Pseudonyms can be used by artists and monks. If a pseudonym is widely known in public it can be added to the passport of that person and be used instead of the original name. (The same field in the passport also serves to show religious names, i.e. the new name somebody takes on when becoming a monk or nun)

In rural areas it is common that farmers are known by the traditional name of their farm (which often has been kept the same over centuries) rather than their Nachname. Although the Hofname is not an official name, people know it rather than the Nachname.

There are only three circumstances in which one is allowed to change one's name:

1. On marriage: the couple can choose the name of one of the partners, or combine the two names, or they can keep their original names.
2. Correction of a name: if the state has made an error with the name and this can be proved, the original name can be restored. Example: Maſs became Mahs and is corrected to Mass.
3. Unfortunate name: If a name is considered to be offensive (like Hitler or Adolf, or if it is a swear word) it can be replaced by a better name.

The Nachname is put after the Vorname. Only in the rural use of Bavarian and Saxon, i.e. the dialects of Bavaria and Saxony, is the order reversed, e.g. 'der Mühlbach Klaus' instead of 'Klaus Mühlbach'. The definite article ('der' for men, 'die' for women) is also typically added in this style of naming.

German is a language with T-V distinction. It is common that people who are informally addressed with du (friends, relatives, children) are also called by their first name, while people who are formally addressed with Sie are called by their last name, with Herr or Frau (Mr. and Mrs.) put in front.

At the transition from childhood to adulthood, on might be called in a a third form, namely using Sie with the first name. This is how highschool teachers usually adress their pupils from the 10th form (age 16) onwards, and parents might use the same way to adress their teenage children's friends if they do not know them since childhood. (Rarer occasions of this are the teacher, who meets a former pupil again as adult, or some talk-show hosts.)

The form Fräulein (meaning Miss, literally "little-Missis") to designate an unmarried woman is not considered politically correct anymore and thus has fallen out of official use. A minority of women, especially elderly unmarried women, may still insist on being addressed in this manner (seeing it as a honorific rather than a discrimination), but most consider it to be offensive.