Wisconsin Cities with German Names: Heritage on the Map

Wisconsin's deep German immigration roots (1840s–1900s) are etched into its geography. Here are cities and villages with distinctly German names:

• Berlin (Green Lake Co.) – Named by Prussian settlers.
• Kiel (Manitowoc Co.) – Named for Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein (Baltic port).
• Mequon (Ozaukee Co.) – From Ojibwe Emikwaan ("ladle"), but settled heavily by Germans (Freistadt nearby).
• Oconomowoc (Waukesha Co.) – Potawatomi Coo-no-mo-wauk ("waterfall"), but German settlement defined it.
• Random Lake (Sheboygan Co.) – English name, but founded by German immigrants (St. Joseph's Catholic community).
• Schleswig (Manitowoc Co.) – Directly named for the Duchy/region in Germany/Denmark.
• West Bend (Washington Co.) – English descriptor, but heart of Kettle Moraine German settlement (Schiller Park, German Fest).

Other Notable German-Named Places

• Hamburg, Hanover, Frankfurt, Bremen, Cologne, Rhine, Elbe, Munich – unincorporated communities/townships.
• New Berlin, New Holstein, New Munich, New Glarus (Swiss-German) – "New" prefixes common.
• Kohler, Kohler Village – Company town (Kohler Co.), founder John Michael Kohler (Austrian immigrant).

Cultural Legacy

>40% of WI residents claim German ancestry (#1 ancestry). German language persisted in homes/churches/schools until WWI. Today: German Fest (Milwaukee), Oktoberfests statewide, Turner Halls, historic architecture (Fachwerk), breweries (Miller, Pabst, Schlitz, Leinenkugel, New Glarus).