List of ancient Germanic peoples

Early Roman Empire with some ethnic names in and around Germania

One proposed theory for approximate distribution of the primary Germanic dialect groups, and matching peoples, in Europe around the year 1 AD: North Germanic peoples:

  North Germanic - Norsemen: Suiones/Swedes, Geats/Scandinavian Goths, Gutes, Danes, Raumarici, Arothi, Adogit, others

West Germanic peoples:

  North Sea Germanic - Ingvaeonic peoples - Jutes, Angles, Saxons, Chauci, Frisii/Frisians, others

  Weser-Rhine Germanic - Istvaeonic peoples: Franks, others

  Elbe Germanic - Herminonic/Irminonic peoples: Suebes/Suebi/Alemanni, Swabians, Hermunduri/Thuringians, Marcomanni, Quadi, Bavarians, others

East Germanic peoples:

  East Germanic - Vandilic peoples: Goths, Burgundians, Vandals, Gepids, Rugii, Buri, Herules, others

This list of Germanic tribes is a list of tribes, tribal groups, and other connections and alliances of ethnic groups and tribes that were considered Germanic in ancient times. These reports begin in the 2nd century BC and extend into late antiquity. Beginning with the states of the Early Middle Ages, the period in which tribes or tribal kingship had a historical impact ends, with the exception of northern Europe, where the Vendel Period from 550 AD to 800 AD and the subsequent Viking Age until 1050 AD are still seen in the Germanic context.

The associations and localisations of the numerous peoples and groups in ancient sources are subject to uncertainty and speculation, and classifications of ethnicity with a common culture or a temporary alliance of heterogeneous groups are disputed. For some, it is not even certain that these groups are Germanic in the broader linguistic sense, or in other words, that they consisted of speakers of a Germanic language.

In this respect, the names listed here are not terms for ethnic groups in any modern sense, but the names of groups that were perceived in ancient and late antiquity as Germanic, that is, as peoples, groups, alliances and associations of the Barbaricum east of the Rhine and to the north of the Danube, also known as Germania, especially those that arrived during the Migration Period.

List of the ancient Germanic tribes

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

The present list is largely based on the list of Germanic tribal names and its spelling variants contained in the first register of the Reallexikons der Germanischen Altertumskunde.

The first column contains the English name and its variants, if one is common, otherwise the traditional ancient name. The second column contains ancient names of Latin and Greek authors, the latter both in transcription and in Greek. The third column gives a brief description followed by a localisation.

The fifth column gives important sources of tradition for the group in question. The few ancient main sources for names and localisation of Germanic tribes are not linked. These are:

• Julius Caesar: Commentarii de Bello Gallico
• Jordanes: De origine actibusque Getarum, short Getica
• Ptolemy: Geography
• Tacitus: Germania

A
Name	Ancient name	Description	Location	Sources
Adogit			Hålogaland, the northernmost Norwegian Petty Kingdom. Between the Namdalen valley in Nord-Trøndelag and the Lyngen fjord in Troms.	Jordanes
Adrabaecampi	Adrabaikampoi (´Αδραβαικαμποι)	See Kampoi	North of the Danube, south of Bohemia	Ptolemy
Aduatuci, Atuatuci	Aduatici, Atouatikoi (Ἀτουατικοί)	Left bank of the Rhine in the squad of the Belgian tribes against Caesar	In the first century BC in the area of today's Tongeren (Belgium), between the Scheldt and the Meuse	Julius Caesar
Aelvaeones, Elouaiones, Elvaiones, Aelvaeones, Ailouaiones, Alouiones, Ailouones	Alouiones (Αλουίωνες), Helouaiones ('Ελουαίωνες)	See Helveconae	Presumably at the middle Oder, today's Silesia	Tacitus, Ptolemy
Aglies
Agradingun		Saxon tribe	Middle course of the Weser
Ahelmil			Scandza	Jordanes
Alemanni, Alamanni	Alamanni	From various Elbe Germanic tribes, among them probably Suebian tribes, armies and followers from the 3rd century on provincial Roman soil (Agri decumates) developed population group	Core areas in Baden-Württemberg and Alsace, in Bavarian Swabia, German-speaking Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Vorarlberg
Ambivaretes	Ambivareti/Ambibaretos	Gallic tribe, clients of the Aedui, is also counted among the Celts		Julius Caesar
Ambrones, Obrones, Ymbre	Ambrones	Participation of tribal groups in the train of the Cimbri and the Teutons at the end of the 2nd century BC
Amoþingas
Ampsivarii, Ampsivari, Amsivarii, Amsivari	Ansibarii, Ansivaroi (Ἀνσιβαριοί)	Southern neighbours of the Frisii	1st century in the lower Emsland	Tacitus
Anartes, Anarti, Anartii, Anartoi	Anarti	Possibly Germanic tribe in the border area between the Teutons and the Dacians	Hungary or Romania	Julius Caesar
Angarii		See Angrivarii
Angeron
Angisciri		Tribe in the wake of Dengizich		Jordanes
Angles, Anglians	Anglii, Angeiloi (Άγγειλοι), Angiloi (Άγγιλοι)	At Tacitus to the Ingaevones counted North Germanic people	Originally in Jutland (northern Schleswig-Holstein), later Mittelelb-Saale area, from 200 emigration to Great Britain	Tacitus
Anglevarii, Angleverii, Anglevaries, Angleveries
Anglies
Anglo-Saxons		From the Angles and Saxons, as well as the Jutes, Frisii and Franks on British soil originated collecting people	Southeastern England
Angrivarii, Angrevarii, Angrivari, Angrevari, Angarii, Angerii, Angrii, Angari, Angeri, Angri, Aggeri, Angriouarroi, Aggerimenses, Angerienses	Angrivarii, Angriouarioi (Αγγριουάριοι)	In the 1st century, south of the Chauci, north of the Cherusci, northwest of the Dulgubnii and east of the Ampsivarii	On the Weser, mainly on the right bank, from the tributary of the Aller to the Steinhuder Meer
Aringon
Armalausi, Armilausi		Probably a part of the Hermunduri, in the 3rd and 4th centuries between the Alemanni and the Marcomanni	Possibly in the Upper Palatinate	Tabula Peutingeriana
Arochi
Arosaetan
Ascomanni		Designation of the Vikings at Adam of Bremen
Astfalon
Atmoni
Auarinoi
Augandxii
Augandzi
Avarpi, Auarpoi, Avarni
Aviones, Auiones, Chaibones	Aviones
B
Baemi, Baimoi
Bainaib
Baiuvarii, Bavarii, Baioarii, Baiovarii	Bavarii	Towards the end of the migration of peoples in the 5th century, people formed with the core area in Raetia and Noricum	Altbayern, Austria and South Tyrol
Banochaemae, Bainochaimai
Bardes, Bards, Bardi		Possibly a non-southward group of the Lombards	South of the Elbe, in the area of Bardowick and Lüneburg
Bardongavenses
Bastarnae, Bastarni, Basternae	Bastarnae	Fights with the Romans in the 3rd century BC, probably outweigh Germanic tribe	East side of the Carpathian Mountains to the mouth of the Danube estuary	Polybius
Batavi, Batavii, Batavians	Batavi	Originally allies of the Romans in the province of Gallia Belgica, 69 Revolt of the Batavi under Gaius Julius Civilis	In the 1st century at the mouth of the Rhine
Bateinoi, Batini	Batini
Bergio
Betasii, Baetasi	Baetasii
Boutones
Brisgavi, Brisigavi	Brisgavi, Brisigavi	Alemannic tribe in the 5th century	Breisgau
Brondings
Bructeri, Boructuarii, Boruactii, Borchtii	Bructeri, Boructuarii, Broukteroi (Βρούκτεροι)	In the 1st century, opponents of the Romans in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest	Between the middle Ems and the upper Lippe
Bructuarii
Bucinobantes	Bucinobantes	Alemannic tribe in the 4th century	Main estuary at Mainz	Ammianus Marcellinus
Burgodiones
Burgundians	Burgundiones	East Germanic people with late antique foundations on the Rhine and later the Rhone
Buri	Buri
C
Caemani	Caemani, Paemani
Caeroesi, Caerosi	Caerosi, Caeroesi, Ceroesi, Cerosi	Left Rhine Celto-Germanic tribe	In the 1st century BC in the Eifel-Ardennes area	Julius Caesar
Calucones
Campsiani
Cananefates, Canninefates, Caninefates, Canenefatae	Cannenefates, Canninefates, Cannenafates, Cannefates	In the 1st century, western neighbours of the Batavi	Around Voorburg in South Holland
Cantware
Carpi, Carpiani	Carpi, Carpiani	Southeastern European people, classification as Germanic is controversial	End of the 3rd century in Moesia and Dacia
Caritni			Ludwigshafen am Rhein	Ptolemy
Casuari
Caulci
Chaedini	Chaideinoi
Chaemae
Chaetuori	Chaituoroi (Χαιτούωροι)
Chaibones, Aviones, Auiones
Chaideinoi
Chali	Chali
Chamavi	Chamavi, Chamauoi (Χαμαυοί)	Neighbours of the Angrivarii and Dulgubnii, eventually went into the Franks	In the 1st century on the Lower Rhine	Tacitus
Charini, Charinni, Harii	Charini, Harii
Charudes		See Harudes
Chasuarii		See Chattuarii
Chatti, Catti, Cattai, Cathi, Cathai, Chattai, Chatthi, Chatthai	Chatti, Catti, Cathi, Chattai (Χάτται), Chattoi (Χάττοι)	In the 1st century, neighbours of the Suebi, precursors of the Hesse	Valleys of the Eder, Fulda and the upper reaches of the Lahn
Chattuarii, Chasuarii, Hasuarii, Attuarii	Atthuarii, Attuarii, Chattouarioi (Χαττουάριοι)
Chatvores		Name is Greek or Latin in origin and means "bristle eater"	Upper Palatinate	Ptolemy
Chaubi	Chauboi (Χαῦβοι)
Chauci	Chauki, Chauchi, Cauci, Kauchoi (Καῦχοι), Kaukoi (Καῦκοι)	From Tacitus to the Ingaevones counted tribe	On both sides of the lower Weser
Cherusci	Cherusci, Cherouskoi (Χεροῦσκοι), Chairouskoi (Χαιρουσκοί)	Tribe of Arminius, in the 1st century, opponents of the Romans	On both sides of the upper Weser run in East Westphalia and in Lower Saxony to the Elbe
Cilternsaetan
Cimbri	Combri, Cymbri, Cimbri, Kimbroi (Κίμβροι)	Along with the Teutons and Ambrones from 120 BC incidence in Gaul and Italy	Originally probably northern Jutland
Clondicus	Kloilios (Κλοίλιος), Claodikus
Cobandi			Jutland
Coldui
Condrusi	Condrusi	Celtic-Germanic mixed culture	In the 1st century BC in the left bank of the Middle Rhine region	Julius Caesar
Corconti	Korkontoi
Crimean Goths		Descendants of the Ostrogoths	From the middle of the 3rd century on the Crimean peninsula
Cugerni, Cuberni, Guberni	Cugerni, Cuberni	Tribe of the Rhine-Weser Germanic peoples	In the 1st century in the left bank of the Lower Rhine (Kreis Kleve)
Curiones
D
Daliterni
Danduti	Dandutoi (Δανδοῦτοι)
Danes	Dani, Danoi (Δανοι)	From the 6th century in Scania and Jutland	Scania and Jutland	Procopius, Jordanes
Danube Suebi
Dauciones	Daukiones (Δαυκίωνες)
Deanas
Deningei
Derlingun
Diduni	Diduni
Doelir
Dorsaetan	Dornware
Dounoi	Δοῦνοι
Dulgubnii	Dulgubnii, Dulgitubini, Dulcubuni	In the 1st century, southeast of the Angrivarii and the Chamavi	South of Hamburg in the area of the Lüneburg Heath and all around Celle	Tacitus
E
East Herules, Ostherules
East Saxons
Eburones	Eburones	Probably Celtic tribe, counted from Caesar to the Germanic people	Between the Rhine, Meuse, Rhineland, Northern Ardennes and Eifel
Elbe Germans		Archaeologically defined group of Germanic tribes (including the Semnones, Hermunduri, Quadi, Marcomanni and Lombards)	From the Elbe estuary on both sides of the river to Bohemia and Moravia
Elbe Suebi
Elmetsaetan
Elouaiones	Ailouaiones (Αἰλουαίωνες), Alouiones (Αλουίωνες), Helouaiones ('Ελουαίωνες), Ailouones (Αἰλούονες), Helouones ('Ελουωνες)
Endoses
Eudoses	Eudusii, Eudoses, Eduses, Edures, Eudures
Eunixi
Eutes		see Jutes
Evagre
F
Falchovarii
Fariarix
Farodini
Favonae	Favonae, Phauonai (Φαυόναι)
Færpingas	Feppingas
Fervir
Finnaithae	Finnaithae
Firaesi	Phrisioi (Φρίσιοι), Phiraisoi (Φιραῖσοι)
Firðir
Firihsetan	Virsedi
Fosi, Fosii	Fosi	Small neighbouring tribe of the Cherusci, who went under with these	In the 1st century in the headwaters of the Aller
Franks		Large tribal union, which integrated numerous Germanic tribes in late antiquity	Right of the Rhine to the mouth of the Rhine estuary, from the 4th century onwards to Roman territory left of the Rhine
Frisiavones	Frisiavones, Frisaebones		Rhine delta	Pliny the Elder, Natural History 4,101; CIL 6, 3260 et al.
Frisii, Frisians	Frisii	North Sea Germanic tribe, counted from Tacitus to the Ingaevones	In the 1st century from the mouth of the Rhine to about the Ems	Tacitus
Frugundiones			East of the Oder	Ptolemy
Frumtingas
Fundusi			Jutland
G
Gambrivii	Gambrivi		Probably near the Weser	Strabo, Tacitus
Gautigoths	Gautigoth		Probably in Västergötland	Jordanes
Geats	Goutai (Γου̑ται), Geatas	North Germanic people, often identified with the Goths	Southern Sweden	Ptolemy
Geddingas
Gegingas
Gepids	Gepidi, Gebidi, Gipedae	From the middle of the 5th century, empire-building on the middle Danube, possibly related to the Goths	Romania	Jordanes, Procopius
Gewisse, Gewissæ		Saxon ethnic group in Britain	At the end of the 5th century on the Upper Thames in England
Gifle
Gillingas
Glomman
Goths, Gotones, Gutones	Gutones	Split up during the Migration Period into the Visigoths and Ostrogoths, each with their own imperial formations on Roman soil	At the turn of the day, north of the Vistula knee	Jordanes
Gotini, Cotini, Kognoi
Gotthograikoi
Graioceli
Grannii	Granii
Greuthungi, Greuthungs, Greutungi, Greutungs	Greothingi, Grutungi, Grauthungi, Greutungi	Another name of the Ostrogoths		Ammianus Marcellinus, Jordanes
Guddinges
Guiones
Gumeningas
Gutes, Gotlanders
H
Haddingjar
Hadubardes, Heaðobeardan
Háleygir
Hallin	Hallin
Halogit
Harii	Harii	Tribe of the Lugii	Between the Vistula and the Oder	Tacitus
Harudes, Charudes, Harothes	Harudes, Charudes (Χαροῦδες), Arudes,	In the 1st century BC, allies of the Ariovistus against Caesar	To Ptolemy in the middle of the 2nd century in Jutland	Julius Caesar, Ptolemy
Hasdingi, Asdingi, Haddingjar		Tribe of the Vandals	In the 2nd century in Romania and Hungary
Hedeninge
Heinir, Heiðnir
Helisii
Helusii	Hellusii
Helveconae, Helvaeonae, Helvecones, Helvaeones, Helouaiones	Helvecones	Tribe of the Lugii	Between the Vistula and the Oder	Tacitus
Herefinnas
Herminones, Erminones, Hermiones, Irminones	Herminones	Large group of Germanic people, occupying the middle between the Ingaevones and the Istvaeones		Tacitus, Pliny the Elder, Pomponius Mela
Hermunduri, Ermunduri, Hermanduri, Hermunduli, Hermonduri, Hermonduli	Ermunduri, Hermunduri	Elbe Germanic tribe	Upper reaches of the Elbe
Herules, Erules, Heruli, Eruli	Eruli, Erouloi (Ερουλοι)	Participants in the parades of the Goths	From the middle of the 3rd century on the north coast of the Black Sea
Hilleviones	Hilleviones
Holstens, Holcetae
Holtsaeten	Holtsati
Hordar
Hreiðgoths
Hringar
Hugones
Hundingas		See Hundings		Widsith
I
Incriones, Inkriones	Inkriones (ιγκριονες)	Tribe of the Rhine-Weser Germanic peoples, middle of the 2nd century, neighbours of the Tencteri	Between the Rhine and the Taunus	Ptolemy
Ingaevones, Ingvaeones, Ingwaeones, Inguaeones, Inguiones, Ingwines, Guiones	Ingvaeones, Ingaevones, Ingvaenoes, Inguaeones	Large group of Germanic tribes located on the North Sea coast by Tacitus		Tacitus, Pliny the Elder
Inguiones
Inguaii, Ingwaii
Intuergi	Intouergoi, Intouergoi (Ιντουεργοι)		Between the Rhine and the Taunus	Ptolemy
Irminones, Herminones, Hermiones
Istvaeones, Istaevones, Istriaones, Istriones, Sthraones, Thracones	Istvaenoes, Istaevones	Large group of Germanic tribes located on the Rhine by Tacitus		Tacitus
J
Jutes, Eudoses, Eutes, Euthiones	Eurii, Eutii, Eucii, Euthiones	Originally in Jutland, later in the south of Great Britain	Until the 5th century on Jutland
Juthungi	Iouthungi, Iuthungi	Probably an Alemannic tribe	From the 3rd to the 5th century, north of the Danube and Altmühl
K
Kampoi, Campi, Campes	Kampoi (Κάμποι)	Group of unclear destination north of the Danube and south of Bohemia in the 2nd century		Ptolemy
Kvenir, Kvanes
L
Lacringi
Landoudioi, Landi	Landi, Landoudioi		From the 1st century on the Lahn in Middle Hesse	Strabo, Ptolemy
Lemovii, Lemonii	Lemovii	At Tacitus neighbours of the Rugii and Goths	From the 1st century, southern Baltic Sea coast between the Oder and the Vistula
Lentienses, Linzgau	Lentienses	Alemannic tribe	Mid-3rd century between the Danube in the north, Iller in the east and Lake Constance in the south	Ammianus Marcellinus
Levoni
Liothida
Little Goths	Gothi minores	Group of the Goths, Ulfilas tribe, at the time of the Jordanes in the area of Nicopolis in Moesia	South bank of the lower Danube	Jordanes
Lombards, Longobards, Langobards, Winili, Winnili, Winnilers	Langobardi, Langobardoi (Λαγγοβάρδοι)	Part of the Suebi, from the middle of the 6th century founding of the empire in Italy (Kingdom of the Lombards)	In the 1st century BC on the lower Elbe
Lugii, Lygii	Lugii, Lúgioi
M
Maiates, Maiati
Manimi	Manimi	Tribe of the Lugii	Between the Vistula and the Oder	Tacitus
Marcomanni	Marcomanni	Possibly a tribe of the Suebi, from the middle of the 2nd century, opponents of the Romans in the Marcomannic Wars	In the 1st century in Bohemia
Marezaten
Marobudui
Marsaci
Marsi, Marsigni	Marsi, Marsoí (Μαρσοί), Marsigni	Destroyed after participation in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in the year 14 by Germanicus	Between the Rhine, Ruhr and Lippe
Marvingi	Marouingoi		Lower Saxony/North Rhine-Westphalia	Ptolemy
Mattiaci	Mattiaci, Mattiakoi (Ματτιακοί)	Probably a part of the Chatti, Romanised from the 1st century	Around Wiesbaden, in the Taunus and in the Wetterau
Menapii	Menapii	Celtic-Germanic mixed people, subjugated by Caesar in the 1st century BC in Gallia Belgica	Lower Rhine, Flanders	Julius Caesar
Merscware
Mimmas
Mixi		Called by Jordanes as residents of Scandza	Scandinavia	Jordanes
Moselle Franks, Mosellians		Subset of the Franks, separated from the Ripuarian Franks in the 5th century	Upper Rhine and Moselle
Mugilones	Mougilones
Myrgingas		East Frisian part of the Frisii, who settled around 700 in Nordfriesland	Nordfriesland, Tönnern, Rungholdt	Widsith
N
Nahanarvali, Naharvali	Nahanarvali, Naharvali	Tribe of the Lugii	Between the Vistula and the Oder	Tacitus
Narisci, Naristi, Varisti, Varasci, Varisci	Naristi, Varisti, Varistae	Neighbours of the Marcomanni, Quadi and Armalausi	Upper Palatinate, Upper Franconia and North Bohemia	Tacitus
Neckar Suebi	Suebi Nicrenses	Romanised tribe of the Suebi	In the 1st and 2nd century in the area of Ladenburg
Nemetes	Nemetai (Νεμῆται)	(Probably Germanic) allies of the Ariovistus	In the 1st century BC on the Rhine between Lake Constance and Palatinate	Julius Caesar
Nertereanes
Nervii	Nervii	Strongly Celtic Germanic tribe	In the Gallia Belgica between the Meuse and the Scheldt in the north and the west of today's Belgium	Julius Caesar, Tacitus
Nictrenses
Nistresi
Njars
Nordliudi
Normans		Collective name for the Northern European Germanic tribes, which undertook raids in the 8th and 11th century to the south (England, Ireland, Francia, the Mediterranean and present-day Russia), also synonymous with the Vikings
North Suebi
Nuithones, Nuitones
O
Omanii
Ostrogoths	Ostrogothi, Ostrogoti, Ostrogotae, Ostrogothae, Austrogothi	Part of the Goths, first in Pannonia, then empire-building in Italy		Jordanes
Otingis
P
Paemani, Permani	Paemani, Caemani	Left Rhine Celto-Germanic people	Eifel, Ardennes	Julius Caesar
Parmaecampi	Parmaikampoi (Παρμαικαμπο)	See Kampoi	North of the Danube in Bavaria	Ptolemy
Peucini		Part of the Bastarnae		Tacitus
Peucmi
Phalians		As Germanic "natives" of Westphalia and Eastphalia constructed tribe
Pharodini	Pharadinoi		Mecklenburg
Q
Quadi	Quadi	Tribe of the Suebi, participants of the Marcomannic Wars		Tacitus
Quirounoi
R
Raetovari	Raetobarii	Alemannic tribe	Probably in Nördlinger Ries
Ragnaricii, Ranii
Raumarici
Reudignes, Reudinges, Reudinges, Reudingi, Holstens
Ripuarian Franks, Ripuarians, Ripuarii, Rhinefranks, Rhine Franks		Subset of the Franks in the Middle Rhine
Rosomoni	Rosomoni
Routiklioi
Rugii, Rygir, Rugians	Rugii	Moved in the Migration Period with the Goths to the south	Originally between the Vistula and the Oder, later empire-building in Lower Austria
Rus'		See Varangians
S
Sabalingioi	Sabalingioi		Jutland
Sahslingun
Salian Franks, Salians	Salii	Part of the Franks	Originally from the Lower Rhine to the Salland on the IJssel, then in North Brabant and later in the Tournai area
Saxons	Saxones	West Germanic people's Association of the Chauci, Angrivarii and Cherusci	From the 1st century in northwest Germany and the east of the Netherlands
Scopingun
Scotelingun
Sedusii	Sedusii	Ally of the Ariovistus, classified by Caesar as Germanic		Julius Caesar
Segni	Segni
Semnones	Semnones (Σεμνόνες)	Part of the Suebi, at Tacitus their tribe	Around 100 between the Elbe and the Oder from the Bohemian border to the Havel	Tacitus
Sibini	Sibinoer
Sicambri
Sidini			Western Pomerania
Sidones
Sigambres		See Sugambri
Silingi, Silings	Silingae	Part of the Vandals	Silesia, later Andalusia
Singulones	Sigulones		Jutland
Sitones, Sithones		Neighbours of the Suiones	Probably Scandinavia	Tacitus
Scirii		Moved with the Bastarnae to the south, in the 5th century short imperial formation in Pannonia
Steoringun
Sturii	Sturii
Sturmarii	Sturmera
Suarines, Suardones	Suarines, Suarmes, Smarines	Tribe of the Suebi	Around Lake Schwerin in Mecklenburg
Suebi, Suevi, Suavi, Suevians, Swabians	Suebi, Suewi, Sueboi (Σύηβοι)	Important Germanic tribal group, to which according to Tacitus the Semnones, Marcomanni, Hermunduri, Quadi and Lombards belonged	In the northeast of Germania on the Baltic Sea up to the German Central Uplands	Tacitus
Suetides
Sugambri, Sigambri, Sugambi, Sigambri	Sugambri, Sygambri, Sugambroi (Σύγαμβροι), Sugumbri, Sucambri, Sycambres, Sugameri	7 BC defeated by Tiberius and settled on the left of the Rhine	In the 1st century left-bank areas on the Meuse
Suiones, Suones, Sueones, Suehans, Sweones, Swiones, Sviones	Suiones	Northern European sea people described by Tacitus	Possibly Scandinavia
Sulones
Sunuci, Sinuci, Sunici	Sunuci	Possibly precursors of the Ubii	In the 1st and 2nd century in the Rhineland between Aachen and Jülich
Swedes, Svear	Svea	North Germanic tribe	Svealand in the region of the Mälaren river valley as well as Uppland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Södermanland
T
Taetel
Taifals	Taifali, Taifalae, Theifali	Probably a Germanic tribe in the group of the Visigoths	From the 3rd century in Dacia and Moesia
Tencteri, Tenchteri, Tenctheri	Tencteri, Toncteri, Tenkteroi (Τέγκτηροι)	Northern neighbours of the Usipetes, opponents of Caesar	In the 1st century BC on the Lower Rhine
Thervingi, Tervingi, Teruingi	Tervingi	See Visigoths
Teuriochaimai
Teutonoari			Unterelbe (Lower Elbe)
Teutons	Teutoni, Teutones	Together with the Cimbri and the Ambrones from the 120 BC invasion of Gaul and Italy	Originally Jutland, south of the Cimbri
Texuandri
Theustes
Thiadmariska	Thiadmariski
Thuringii, Thuringians, Turingi, Toringi	Thueringi, Tueringi, Thuringin, Turingi	In the 3rd or 4th century from the Angles, Warini and other originated tribal groups	Between the Thuringian Forest, Werra, Harz and the Elbe
Toxandri, Texuandri, Taxandri, Toxandrians			Between the rivers Meuse and Scheldt in the Belgian-Dutch border region
Treveri, Treviri	Treverii, Treviri, Treveri	Strongly Celtic Germanic tribe	From the Rhine to the land of the Remi	Julius Caesar, Tacitus
Triboci, Tribocci	Triboces, Triboci, Tribocci, Tribochi, Tribocchoi (Τριβόκχοι)	In the 1st century BC, allies of the Ariovistus	On the Rhine around Strasbourg and Haguenau	Julius Caesar, Ptolemy
Tubantes, Tubanti	Tubanti, Tubantes, Toubantoi (Τούβαντοι)	In the 1st century, opponents of Germanicus	End of the migration period in the eastern Netherlands in the Twente region	Tacitus
Tungri, Tungrians, Tungrii, Tongri	Tungri, Tongri	Opponents of Caesar in the 1st century BC	Left side of the Rhine around Tongeren	Julius Caesar, Tacitus
Turcilingi, Torcilingi, Thorcilingi	Turcilingae
Turones, Turoni	Turoni	Possibly Celto-Germanic tribe, south and later southeast of the Chatti
Twihanti, Twihantes, Tuihanti, Tuihantes	Tuihanti
Tylangii
U
Ubii	Ubii	Originally right of the Rhine Germanic, subjected to Caesar and from the early imperial period on the left bank of the Rhine and Romanised	Originally from the Sieg over the Lahn to the lower Main, later in the area of Bonn and Cologne
Ulmerugi
Urugundes		Incursions around 256 into the Roman Empire	Lower Danube	Zosimus
Usipetes, Usipii	Usipetes, Usipii, Ousipetai (Ουσιπέται), Ousipioi (Ουσίπιοι)	In the 1st century BC, opponents of Caesar	On the right bank of the Lower Rhine
V
Vagoths			Probably on Gotland
Valagoths
Vandals	Vandali, Vanduli, Vandaloi (Οὐανδαλοί), Wandeloi (Βανδῆλοι), Wandiloi (Βανδίλοι)	Originally in the northeastern Germania, during the Migration Period in Spain and North Africa, plunder of Rome 455
Vangiones	Vangiones	Affiliation to Celts or Germanic peoples not secured	Area around Worms, Germany (Civitas Vangionum)
Varangians		Similar to the Vikings' and Normans' name for the northern European Germanic people, who came on their journeys into contact with Slavic peoples (there also as Rus') and over the Volga and the Black Sea to Byzantium
Varini		See Warini
Varisci
Victophalians
Vidivarii	Vidivarii	According to Jordanes, a mixed people	At the mouth of the Vistula	Jordanes
Vinoviloth
Viruni			Mecklenburg
Visburgii	Wisburgi		Between the Upper Oder and the Vistula
Visigoths, Thervingi	Visigothi, Wisigothae, Tervingi	Part of the Goths, plunder of Rome 410, Visigothic Kingdom in southwestern Gaul and Spain		Jordanes
Vispi			South of Caritner
Vistula Veneti, Baltic Veneti, Veneti	Venedi, Venetae, Venedae	Possibly Germanic people in eastern Germania
W
Waledungun
Warini, Varini	Varini, Varinae, Ouarinoi (Ουαρίνοι)	Smaller, after Tacitus unwarlike tribe	Northern Germany	Tacitus
West Herules, Westherules		Independent group of the Herules on the Black Sea, which appears as Roman auxiliary troops and in the 5th century as pirates in appearance
Winnilers, Winnili, Winili		See Lombards
Z
Zumi

Mythical founders

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Further information: Eponymous ancestor

Many of the authors relating ethnic names of Germanic peoples speculated concerning their origin, from the earliest writers to approximately the Renaissance. One cross-cultural approach over this more than a millennium of historical speculation was to assign an eponymous ancestor of the same name as, or reconstructed from, the name of the people. For example, Hellen was the founder of the Hellenes.

Although some Enlightenment historians continued to repeat these ancient stories as though fact, today they are recognised as manifestly mythological. There was, for example, no Franko, or Francio, ancestor of the Franks. The convergence of data from history, linguistics and archaeology have made this conclusion inevitable. A list of the mythical founders of Germanic peoples follows.

• Angul — Angles (the Kings of Mercia, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, other Anglo-Saxon dynasties are derived from other descendants of Woden)
• Ask — Istvaeones
• Aurvandil — Vandals
• Burgundus — Burgundians (Historia Brittonum)
• Dan — Danes (Chronicon Lethrense)
• Francio — Franks (Liber Historiae Francorum)
• Gothus — Goths/Geats/Gutes
• Ingve — Ingvaeones, Ynglings
• Irmin — Irminones
• Mannus — Manni, or "men", a name fragment as in the later Alemanni (Germania)
• Nór — Norwegians (Chronicon Lethrense)
• Seaxnēat — Saxons

See also

• Germania
• Germanic peoples
• Norse clans
• Sippe

References

• Thorsten Andersson: Altgermanische Ethnika. In: Namn och bygd. Tidskrift för nordisk ortnamnsforskning. 97 (2009), ISSN 0077-2704, pp. 5–39 (PDF; 9.7 MB; total year).
• Otto Bremer: Ethnographie der germanischen Stämme. In: Hermann Paul (editor): Grundriss der Germanischen Philologie. volume 2, part 1: Literaturgeschichte. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. Karl Trübner Verlag, Strasbourg 1900, pp. 735–930.
• Ernst Künzl: Die Germanen (= Theiss WissenKompakt). Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 3-8062-2036-0.
• Günter Neumann: Namenstudien zum Altgermanischen (= Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde – Ergänzungsbände. volume 59). Edited by Heinrich Hettrich, Astrid van Nahl. de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2008, ISBN 978-3-11-021044-6, urn:nbn:de:101:1-2016061717834.
• Rudolf Much: Die Germania des Tacitus. 3rd considerable adult edition. Edited by Wolfgang Lange in collaboration with Herbert Jankuhn and Hans Fromm. Universitätsverlag Winter, Heidelberg 1967, .
• Rudolf Much: Deutsche Stammeskunde. 3rd verb edition. Scientific association. Publisher, Berlin/Leipzig 1920, ; outlook Verlag, Bremen 2015, ISBN 978-3-86403-235-6.
• Heinrich Beck et al. (editor): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde. 2nd edition. de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 1972–2008.
• Hermann Reichert: Lexikon der altgermanischen Namen. Publisher of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1987, ISBN 3-7001-0931-8.
• Ludwig Rübekeil: Völkernamen Europas. In: Ernst Eichler et al. (editor): Namenforschung. Ein internationales Handbuch zur Onomastik. volume 2, de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 1996, ISBN 3-11-020343-X, pp. 1330–1343.
• Moritz Schönfeld: Wörterbuch der altgermanischen Personen- und Völkernamen nach der Überlieferung des klassischen Altertums (= Germanische Bibliothek. department 1: Elementar- und Handbücher. series 4: Wörterbücher. volume 2). Universitätsverlag Winter, Heidelberg 1911, ; Reprints each as 2nd, unchanged edition: (= Germanische Bibliothek. series 3 [much 2]). Winter, Heidelberg 1965, ; Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1965, .
• Ernst Schwarz: Germanische Stammeskunde (= Germanische Bibliothek. volume 5). Universitätsverlag Winter, Heidelberg 1956, ; reprint: VMA-Verlag, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-938586-10-5.
• Alexander Sitzmann, Friedrich E. Grünzweig: Altgermanische Ethnonyme. Ein Handbuch zu ihrer Etymologie. Using a bibliography by Robert Nedoma editor of Hermann Reichert (= Philologica Germanica. volume 29). Fassbaender, Vienna 2008, ISBN 978-3-902575-07-4.
• Reinhard Wenskus: Stammesbildung und Verfassung. Das Werden der frühmittelalterlichen gentes. 2nd, unchanged edition. Böhlau Verlag, Cologne/Vienna 1977, ISBN 3-412-00177-5.

External links

• Germania of Tacitus
• A speculative Findlay map of 1849
• [1] - Source texts of ancient Greek and Roman authors
• [2] - Strabo's work The Geography (Geographica). Book 7, Chapters 1 and 2, are about Germania.