Németh is a Hungarian surname. In Hungarian, német means "German" (it is a variation of the word "néma", meaning "does not speak"; often used to describe the condition of being "mute". In this context, the German-speaking person "does not speak" the local language of Hungarian, or alternatively/previously/simultaneously, Slavic, as the word is thought to derive from a Slavic language);^[1] the h is a remnant of obsolete Hungarian spelling, as frequently found in names, especially in families of noble origin. Alternate spellings include "Nemeth", "Neimeth", "Német", "Nemath", "Namath", "Nameth", "Nemet" and "Nimitz". The name is also common in Austria and Germany. It is an uncommon given name. People with the name or its variants include:^[2]

People

Németh

• Angéla Németh (1946–2014), Hungarian track and field athlete
• Dániel Németh (photographer) (born 1975), Hungarian photographer
• Gyula Németh (1890–1976), Hungarian linguist
• Gyula Németh (1959–2023), Hungarian athlete
• Helga Németh (born 1973), Hungarian handball player
• Imre Németh (1917–1989), Hungarian athlete, mainly hammer throw
• János Németh (1906–1988), Hungarian water polo player
• John Németh (born 1975), American blues and soul harmonicist, singer, and songwriter
• Károly Németh (disambiguation), several people
• Krisztián Németh (born 1989), Hungarian football player
• László Németh (1901–1975), Hungarian writer
• Miklós Németh (born 1948), Hungarian politician
• Miklós Németh (sportsman) (born 1946), Hungarian Olympic javelin throw
• Noémi Németh (born 1986), Hungarian hammer thrower
• Pál Németh (1937–2009) Hungarian athlete and coach for hammer throw, father of Zsolt Németh
• Roland Németh (born 1974), Hungarian runner
• Sándor Németh (1925–1993), Hungarian swimmer
• Szilárd Németh (born 1977), ethnic Hungarian professional Slovak footballer
• Virág Németh (born 1985), Hungarian professional tennis player
• Zsolt Németh (born 1971), Hungarian hammer thrower, son of Pál Németh
• Zsuzsanna Németh (born 1953), Hungarian politician

Német

• László Német (born 1956), Societas Verbi Divini monk

Nemeth

• Abraham Nemeth (1918–2013), American mathematician and inventor
• Evi Nemeth (1940–2013), American engineer, author and teacher
• Nick Nemeth (born 1980), American professional wrestler better known as Dolph Ziggler
• Ryan Nemeth (born 1985), American professional wrestler (brother of Nick)
• Patrik Nemeth (born 1992) Swedish professional ice hockey player
• Steve Nemeth (born 1967), Canadian ice hockey player
• Steve Nemeth (gridiron football) (1922–1998), American player of gridiron football
• Christopher Nemeth (1959–2010), British fashion designer

Namath

• Joe Namath (born 1943), American football quarterback

Nemet

• Istvan Nemet (1942–2015), New Zealand association footballer
• Klaus-Peter Nemet (born 1953), German football coach
• Marina Nemet (1960–2010), Croatian actress

Nimitz

• Chester W. Nimitz (1885–1966), US Navy admiral and namesake of the USS Nimitz

References

See also

Surnames meaning "German" of different origins:

• Douch (English)
• Němec (Czech)
• Tedesco (surname) (Italian)