- Neanderthal
- 1861, from Ger. Neanderthal "Neander Valley," gorge near Düsseldorf where humanoid fossils were identified in 1856. The place name is from the Graecized form of Joachim Neumann (lit. "new man," Gk. *neo-ander), 1650-1680, Ger. pastor, poet and hymn-writer, who made this a favorite spot in the 1670s. Adopting a classical form of one's surname was a common practice among educated Germans in this era.