Daily AncestorBrother-german
A brother-german is a full brother, born to the same mother and father, as opposed to a half brother or stepbrother.
Brother-german is an archaic term for a full brother, with both parents in common. Sister-german is the female form. Writers used it to make clear the person was not a half brother or stepbrother.
The phrase appears in old wills, court records and genealogies, especially where several marriages produced children with different sets of parents.
As seen in a recordStatement of heirs in a court record
Jno. Hart, brother-german of the deceased
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Brother-german." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/brother-german. Last checked 2026-10-01.