Germanic tribes

The term Germanic tribes (or Teutonic tribes) applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe.

List of Germanic tribes

• Adrabaecampi, Alamanni, Ambrones, Ampsivarii, Angles, Angrivarii, Avarpi, Aviones
• Baemi, Banochaemae, Batavii or Batavi, Batini, Bavarii, Brisgavi, Brondings, Bructeri, Burgundiones, Buri (Germanic tribe)
• Calucones, Canninefates, Caritni, Chaedini, Chaemae, Chali, Chamavi, Charudes, Chasuarii, Chattuarii, Chauci, Cherusci, Chatti, Cimbri, Cobandi, Coldui, Condrusi, Corconti
• Dani, Dauciones, Diduni, Dulgubnii
• Eudoses
• Favonae, Firaesi, Fosi, Franks, Frisians, Fundusi
• Gambrivii, Geats, Gepidae, Goths
• Harii, Hasdingi, Helisii, Helveconae, Heruli, Hermunduri, Hilleviones
• Ingriones, Ingvaeones (North Sea Germans), Intuergi, Irminones (Elbe Germans), Istvaeones (Rhine-Weser Germans)
• Jutes
• Lacringi, Landi, Lemovii, Levoni, Lombards or Langobardes, Lugii
• Manimi, Marcomanni, Marsi (Germanic), Marsigni, Mattiaci, Mugilones
• Naharvali, Nemetes, Nertereanes, Nervii, Njars, Nuitones
• Ostrogoths
• Parmaecampi, Pharodini
• Quadi
• Racatae, Racatriae, Reudigni, Rugii, Ruticli
• Sabalingi, Saxons, Scirii, Segni, Semnoni, Sibini, Sidini, Sigulones, Silingi, Sitones, Suarini, Suebi, Suiones, Sugambri
• Tencteri, Teuriochaemae, Teutons, Treviri, Triboci, Tubantes, Tungri, Turcilingi
• Ubii, Usipetes, Usipi
• Vandals, Vangiones, Varini, Varisci, Visburgi, Visigoths
• Zumi

Precautionary Note: These ethnic names were culled from a variety of ancient and mediaeval sources dating from the middle of the 1st millennium BC to the early 2nd millennium AD. They do not necessarily represent contemporaneous, distinct or Germanic-speaking populations. The peoples referenced do not necessarily have common ancestral populations. Some identities 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. Some tribes may have assimilated to Germanic; others to other cultures from Germanic. Long-lasting ethnic identities changed population base and language over the centuries. As for genetic characteristics, they must be considered unrelated to these names. Apart from these limitations, it is probably safe to assume that, on the whole, most of these populations spoke some branch of Germanic and contributed to pools of descendants who currently live in the Germanic-speaking countries. Many of the names descend to modern place names.

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Some tribal maps of ancient Germany can be found at:

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• Germany of Tacitus
• A speculative Findlay map of 1849

Note: these maps or any other maps represent an interpretation of the information available to the map-maker. Typically the ancients did not know or did not leave enough information for us to locate them exactly. The maps only give us a rough idea of the features and ethnic locations of ancient Germany. In addition, some of tribes, e.g. the Bastarnae are not identified as Germanic with any certainty and large areas in Central Europe the Germanic tribes probably only constituted a newly arrived minority among Slavs and remaining Celts. Wolfram (1990:91f), for instance, points out that the early Visigoths, called Tervingi also comprised many Taifalans (unknown origin) and Alans (Iranians). The Alans became so Gothicized that non-Germanic people considered them to be Goths.

Related Topics:
Visigoth - Taifalan - Alans

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