Search results
Jan 17, 2024 · Popular Jewish Surnames (with English Name Meanings) Here are some of the most popular Jewish family names and their meanings. Levin - A derivative of the German name Liebwin. As a Jewish name, it sometimes represents a pet form of the western Yiddish term for "lion." Goldberg - Goldberg is a surname of German/Yiddish origin meaning "mountain ...
- Aaronson. Literally "son of Aaron."
- Abelman. From an old German word meaning "noble one."
- Abrams. A reference to the biblical patriarch, Abraham.
- Alterman. Literally "old man."
Jan 25, 2020 · You generally can't identify Jewish ancestry by a surname alone. Actually, there are really only three surnames (and their variations) that are generally specifically Jewish: Cohen, Levy, and Israel. Yet, even variations of these common Jewish-specific surnames may not be Jewish in origin.
- Kimberly Powell
Dec 12, 2023 · Understanding Jewish surnames and given names can help you find and identify your ancestors. This section discusses the origin and development of Jewish names and naming patterns. Contents. 1 Online Resources. 2 Surnames. 2.1 Sephardic Surnames. 2.2 Ashkenazic Surnames. 2.2.1 Compulsory Adoption of Surnames. 2.2.2 Sources of Ashkenazic Surnames.
- Cohen and Its Variants. Among the most ubiquitous of Jewish last names, Cohen is common in families that descend from Aaron the High Priest. The priests, kohanim, served in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and they still enjoy distinction today (giving the priestly blessing and being called up first to the Torah, among other privileges).
- Levy and Its Variants. Levy is a common surname among families descending from the tribe of Levi (one of the 12 tribes of Israel). Historically, this tribe was responsible for guarding the Temple and singing when sacrifices were brought.
- Patronymics and Matronymics. Many Jewish surnames are patronymic (based on the name of a father or other male ancestor), denoted by the suffix -s, -son, -ovitch/-owitz, or -ovics.
- Location-Based Surnames. Very often a surname provides a clue as to the family’s place of origin. Location-based surnames include Brody (a city in present-day Ukraine), Halpern (the German city of Heilbronn), Frankel (the German region of Franconia), Schlesinger (from Schlesien (Silesia)), Gordon (Grodno in Belarus) Pollack (from Poland), Auerbach and Epstein (both towns in Germany), Ginzburg (the Bavarian town of Gunzburg), Wiener (from Vienna), Danziger (from Danzig, now Gdansk, Poland), Deutsch (German), Horowitz (the Bohemian town of Horovice), Gurevitch/Gorowitz (the Russian version of Horowitz), Schapiro (the German city of Speyer), Landau (a town in Germany), Posner (from Posen, now Poznan, Poland), Mintz (Mainz, Germany), Oppenheimer (from Oppenheim, Germany), Ostreicher (from Austria), Prager (from Prague, Czech Republic), Unger (from Hungary).
Apr 22, 2014 · Practically every Jewish given name has been used as a surname in this way — sometime as is and sometimes by adding the Hebrew word for son — "ben" — before it. It is also common to add a suffix indicating “son of” or “of,” as in the Germanic: "-son," "-sohn"; the Slavic "-ich," "-off," "-ov," "-sky," and "-owitz," and the Persian ...
Jun 26, 2017 · In many communities, Jews didn’t have surnames until the 1700s when governments mandated the information for taxation purposes. Historically, the Jews used a patronymic naming system, which is a way of conveying lineage based on the name of the father and grandfather.
