List of ancient Germanic peoples

Early Roman Empire with some ethnic names in and around Germania

This List of Germanic Tribes includes names of populations speaking Germanic languages or otherwise considered Germanic in sources from the late 1st millennium BC to the early 2nd millennium AD. They do not necessarily represent contemporaneous, distinct or Germanic-speaking populations or have common ancestral populations. Some closely fit the concept of a tribe. Others are confederations or even unions of tribes. Some may not have spoken Germanic at all, but were bundled by the sources with the Germanic speakers. Some were undoubtedly of mixed culture. They may have assimilated to Germanic or to other cultures from Germanic.

A

Name	Sources	Variants	Location	Modern Name
Adogit	Jordanes, Getica, III.19-21	Two possibilities: *Hálogi *ādogii<*andogii	Northern Norway, both possibilities: Hålogaland, peopled by the Kven, a Finnic people, in the mid 1st millennium Germanic people of Vesteråland	Two possible modern reflexes: Háleygir, people of Hålogaland Andō, an island and part of Vesteråland
Aelvaeones	Ptolemy, Geography, 2.11.9	Helveconae, Helvaeonae, Helvecones, Ailouaiones	Language unknown, possibly Old Prussian, possibly Germanic. Two possible locations: Silesia, formerly German, now Polish, as one of Tacitus' Lugii Prussia, formerly German, now Polish, around Elbing	Possibly Elblag, Poland

Aeragnaricii, Ahelmil, Alamanni or Alemanni, Ambrones (possibly Celtic), Ampsivarii (or Ampsivari), Angles, Angrivarii (or Angrivari), Arochi, Atuatuci, Augandzi, Avarpi, Aviones

B

Baemi, Baetasi, Banochaemae, Batavii or Batavi today known by Batavians, Batini, Bavarii, Bergio, Brisgavi, Brondings, Bructeri, Burgundiones, Buri

C

Caeroesi, Calucones, Canninefates, Casuari, Caritni, Chaedini, Chaemae, Chaetuori, Chali, Chamavi, Charudes, Chasuarii, Chattuarii, Chauci, Cherusci, Chatti, Cimbri (possibly Celtic), Cobandi, Condrusi, Corconti, Curiones

D

Danduti, Dani, Dauciones, Diduni, Dulgubnii

E

Eburones, Eudoses, Eunixi, Evagres

F

Favonae, Fervir, Firaesi, Fosi, Franks, Frisii, Fundusi

G

Gambrivii, Gauthigoth, Geats, Gepidae, Grannii, Greuthungi, Gutes

H

Hallin, Harii, Charudes (or Harudes or Horder), Hasdingi, Helisii, Helveconae, Heruli, Hermunduri, Hilleviones

I

Ingriones, Ingvaeones (North Sea Germans), Intuergi, Irminones (Elbe Germans), Istvaeones (Rhine-Weser Germans)

J

Jutes, Juthungi

L

Lacringi, Landi, Lemovii, Lentienses, Levoni, Lombards (or Langobardes), Liothida, Lugii

M

Manimi, Marcomanni, Marsi, Marsaci, Marsigni, Marvingi, Mattiaci, Mixi, Mugilones

N

Naharvali, Narisci or Naristi, Nemetes, Nertereanes, Nervii (possibly not Germanic), Njars, Nuitones

O

Ostrogoths, Otingis

P

Paemani (or Caemani), Pharodini

Q

Quadi

R

Racatae, Racatriae, Ranrike (or Ragnaricii or Ranii), Raumarici, Reudigni, Ripuarii, Rugii, Rus', Ruticli

S

Sabalingi, Salii (or Salian Franks), Saxons, Scirii, Segni, Semnoni or Semnones, Sibini, Sidini, Sigulones, Silingi, Sitones, Suarini or Suardones, Suebi or Suevi, Suetidi, Suiones, Sugambri (or Sicambri), Sunici

T

Taetel, Tencteri, Teuriochaemae, Teutonoari, Teutons, Thervingi, Theustes, Thuringii, Toxandri, Treveri (possibly Celtic), Triboci, Tubanti, Tungri, Turcilingi, Turoni

U

Ubii, Ulmerugi, Usipetes, Usipi (or Usippi)

V

Vagoth, Vandals, Vangiones, Vargiones, Varini, Varisci, Vinoviloth, Viruni, Visburgi, Visigoths, Vispi

Z

Zumi

Mythical founders

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 recognized 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)
• Burgundus — Burgundians (Historia Brittonum)
• Dan — Danes (Chronicon Lethrense)
• Francio — Franks (Liber Historiae Francorum)
• Nór — Norwegians (Chronicon Lethrense)
• Gothus — Goths/Geats/Gutes
• Ingve — Ynglings
• Irmin — Irminones
• Mannus — Manni, or "men", a name fragment as in the later Alemanni (Germania)
• Seaxnēat — Saxons
• Aurvandil — Vandals

See also

• Confederations of Germanic tribes
• Ethnic group
• Germania
• Germanic peoples
• German clan
• Norse clans
• Sippe

External links

Some tribal maps of Germania can be found at:

• Germania of Tacitus
• A speculative Findlay map of 1849