Some Jews either held on to or adopted traditional Jewish names from the Bible and Talmud. The Polish national hero Kociuszko shared his surname with a Jewish family in northeastern Poland. Piperno - If you're a mensch, it says a lot about you, and it's all good. A variant of the Hebrew name, Reuben (the Jewish patriarch, Jacob's, oldest son), meaning "behold, a son. All rights reserved. Some German speaking Jews took last names as early as the 17 th century, but the overwhelming majority of Jews lived in Eastern Europe and did not take last names until compelled to do so. Patronymic surnames are taken from the father's first name. Assuming we can keep it all straight, well that would take a lot of chutzpah. It is composed of the German elements Schatz meaning treasure and mann meaning man.. It means white in German. Goldmann Origin: Ashkenazi Meaning: Gold. Many surnames provide clues to a family's country of origin. His name was Conrad Widman. Zara -, Biblical Hebrew personal names and their derived surnames, Germanised, Yiddishised surnames translated from Hebrew or other sources, Germanised or German surnames (Ashkenazic) with "meaning" in German, Italian municipality-derived surnames (from villages or cities), . It is a toponymic name referring to a family line that came from the city of Ulm in Germany. Richard Dreyfuss, a famous American actor, has this surname. Angel = common name among Rhodesli families. Revere (sul Po) - This is a listing of common surnames (alphabetical by country names): Gonzlez Rodrguez Lpez Garca Gmez Prez Galleti Villa Dominguez argentinez Ahmed Alam Begum Choudhury Das Hossain Khan Miah . Lieb means lion in Yiddish. [1] [2] [3] Mller, occupation ( miller) Schmidt, occupation ( smith) Schneider, occupation ( tailor) Fischer, occupation ( fisherman) Weber, occupation ( weaver) Meyer, occupation (originally a manorial landlord, later a self-employed farmer) Ferrarese - This surname is derived by combining the German words stern meaning star with bach meaning stream. The name is likely to have been a toponymic one. Schio - These names often are related to a place or occupation. This surname is composed of the German words rosen meaning rose and kranz meaning wreath. The name thus means rose wreath, It is a variation of the Hebrew name Reuben. This name is composed of the Hebrew elements reu meaning behold and ben meaning a son.. Aaronson Literally "son of Aaron." 2. Reggio - Mean "gift of God." If they had a girl and named her Feygele, she would be called Feygele bas Sora. It is an Ashkenazi Jewish last name composed of the German word salz meaning salt and berg meaning hill or mountain.. Most Popular Jewish Last Names on FamilyEducation:Horowitz, Mizrahi, Roth, Schneider, Shapiro, Weiss. ", A variation of the German, "Rotenberg," meaning "red mountain.". Viterbo - Marx is an Anglicization of any of several variations on this surname. Americanized form of German "Grun" or Yiddish "Grin." All rights reserved. Terni - Asti -, Baresi - This surname is the extended version of the surname Gelb and also comes from the Yiddish word gel meaning yellow.. As families moved from one country to another, their surnames were often adapted to better fit the language of their new home. This is an ornamental name derived from the German word berg meaning hill or mountain. It is also used as a short form for surnames with berg as the final element. It is the anglicized form of the Ashkenazi Jewish personal name Wallach. This name came from the Middle High German nickname walhe, which referred to someone from Italy. Castelbolognesi - Ackerman plowman; Baker/Boker baker; Blecher tinsmith; Fleisher/Fleishman/Katzoff/Metger butcher; Cooperman coppersmith; Drucker printer; Einstein mason; Farber painter/dyer; Feinstein jeweler; Fisher fisherman; Forman driver/teamster; Garber/Gerber tanner; Glazer/Glass/Sklar glazier; Goldstein goldsmith; Graber engraver; Kastner cabinetmaker; Kunstler artist; Kramer storekeeper; Miller miller; Nagler nailmaker; Plotnick carpenter; Sandler/Shuster shoemaker; Schmidt/Kovalsky blacksmith; Shnitzer carver; Silverstein jeweler; Spielman player (musician? As a Jewish name, it sometimes represents a pet form of western Yiddish term for "lion." Goldberg - Goldberg is a surname of German/Yiddish origin meaning "mountain of gold." Cohen - From the Hebrew word kohen, meaning "priest." An occupational surname for a cobbler or shoemaker. Bring giggles and glee with these hilarious April Fools' Day jokes! Mentana - A popular surname in the Sephardic (a Jewish diaspora population associated with the Iberian Peninsula) culture. A German location-based surname, meaning "wild boar" and "stone.". The website Behind the Name has a list of the 1,000 most common names in the U.S. It is an Ashkenazi Jewish name. This is an ornamental name composed of the German words fein meaning fine and berg meaning hill or mountain.. BWilliam Scott Goldberg, mononymously known as Goldberg, is a professional wrestler famous for his appearances in WWE and WCW. The city is called Turne in Yiddish. It is the variant of the surname Polonsky. This name likely refers to someone who came from any of the several places called Polonnoe in Ukraine or Polonka and Polonsk in Belarus. 5. For example: The son of Mendel took the last name Mendelsohn; the son of Abraham became Abramson or Avromovitch; the son of Menashe became Manishewitz; the son of Itzhak became Itskowitz; the son of Berl took the name Berliner; the son of Kesl took the name Kessler, etc. While it's true you generally can't identify Jewish ancestry by a surname alone, learning more about popular Jewish last names, or surnames, and a bit about the roads they have schlepped, gives you the power to better recognize them when you encounter them. You can see the potential for confusion until you . Some traditional surnames, such as Sofer (scribe), Kantor (Cantor), and Cohen (priest), are related to religion too. The name is composed of the name of the city with a suffix -man added to it. Ashkenazic Jews were among the last Europeans to take family names. The name Tayeb slid from the 497th place to the 499th place. Since the Jews are spread worldwide, their surnames can be found across the globe. Others include: Aaron Aronson, Aronoff; Asher; Benjamin; David Davis, Davies; Ephraim Fishl; Emanuel Mendel; Isaac Isaacs, Isaacson/Eisner; Jacob Jacobs, Jacobson, Jacoby; Judah Idelsohn, Udell,Yudelson; Mayer/Meyer; Menachem Mann, Mendel; Reuben Rubin; Samuel Samuels, Zangwill; Simon Schimmel; Solomon Zalman. Rieti - A common explanation among influential modern German historians, including Hans-Ulrich Thamer in his study Wooing and Violence (1986) is that the Nazis "seduced" an unwilling or passive public. Italian for "chivalrous." Michael is also the name of an angel in Jewish tradition. The name could be an occupational one or could refer to the husband of Perl, which is a common Jewish feminine name. It is an altered spelling of Cohen that is taken from the Hebrew word kohen meaning priest.. 2002-2023 LoveToKnow Media. Muggia -, Napolitano - Ornamental name from Hebrew luz,"almond.". Milanese - 5. The name would have referred to someone with very light skin or hair. Veneziano - Servi - All rights reserved. Sermoneta - It is a toponymic name referring to someone whose ancestors came from came from any of the several towns named Romanovo in Russia. Pisano - 6. The word rabbi refers to Jewish religious teachers, and their name comes from the Jewish word rav meaning master., It is a Slavic patronymic form of Rabin and means son of Rabbi.. Here, it signifies a house with a red sign. When Jews in the Austro-Hungarian Empire were required to assume last names, some chose the nicest ones they could think of and may have been charged a registration fee by the authorities. Hoffman Origin: Ashkenazi Meaning: Steward or farm laborer. Most Jewish last names end with ler, berg, feld, stein, and witz. This is a patronymic surname that means son of Aaron. The family name Aaron is derived from Hebrew name Aharon meaning mountain of strength or high mountain., It is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname and a patronymic form of the personal name Abel. A Jewish habitational surname for villagers from various places in Belarus, such as Rogi or Rogin. Boys commonly were baptized with the first name Johannes (or Johann, often abbreviated Joh ). It is another variant of the surname Schaefer, which is derived from the German word schaf meaning sheep. It was an occupational name for those who worked as shepherds. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. It is an occupational Hebrew name referring to someone whose ancestors worked as a primary school teacher. This is an anglicized form of the name Savich, which refers to the family line that belonged to a place called Savichi in Belarus. 3. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. 8Germanised or German surnames (Ashkenazic) with "meaning" in German 9Eastern European old pedigree surnames 10Eastern European other surnames 11Romaniote surnames 12Sephardic surnames 13Mizrahi surnames 14Italkim surnames 15Italian municipality-derived surnames (from villages or cities) 16French surnames 17Dutch surnames The name likely began as a nickname for people with light hair. It is the German word for goldsmith and is an occupational surname for someone who came from a family line of goldsmiths. In Yiddish, literally "little fish." Walch is listed as a Jewish name since 1319 and Welsch since 1387. Belonging to Sephardic Jews who originated from Italy. It's from "silver" (silver) and "stein" (stone). This is a toponymic name and derived from the Old English word Byng meaning a dweller of the hollow. The name could also refer to someone who originally belonged to the town of Bingen in Germany. The name Weil belonged to a rabbinical family whose founder in. The town had a thriving Jewish population in the Middle Ages. This surname is from the Hebrew tsion referring to Mount Zion which is a hill in Jerusalem. Torino - In attempting to build modern nation-states, the authorities insisted that Jews take last names so that they could be taxed, drafted, and educated (in that order of importance). Abraham (also variations including Abramovich, Avraham, Abrahams, Abrams, Abramoff, Abramsky, Abramson, Abramzada and Ben Avraham) - These names recall the first patriarch Abraham, who brought monotheism to the world and established a covenant with God. Orlowski, Schimanski, Rudzinski, Kowalski, Schymanietz, Matuzek to Matussek or Mattner, Koslowski, etc.). Get in touch! Family names can be unique or come in large numbers. InYiddish, "zetser" means a "typesetter.". Pesaro - Hirsch means deer or stag in Yiddish. 34 April Fools' Jokes That Are Fool of Fun. A location-based name of German origin, combining stone and stream creek. For more parenting tips and tricks, find us on Pinterest: Are you a writer, expert, or influencer? Other place-based Jewish names include: Auerbach/Orbach; Bacharach; Berger (generic for townsman); Berg(man), meaning from a hilly place; Bayer from Bavaria; Bamberger; Berliner, Berlinsky from Berlin; Bloch (foreigner); Brandeis; Breslau; Brodsky; Brody; Danziger; Deutch/Deutscher German; Dorf(man), meaning villager; Eisenberg; Epstein; Florsheim; Frankel from the Franconia region of Germany; Frankfurter; Ginsberg; Gordon from Grodno, Lithuania or from the Russian word gorodin, for townsman; Greenberg; Halperinfrom Helbronn, Germany; Hammerstein; Heller from Halle, Germany; Hollander not from Holland, but from a town in Lithuania settled by the Dutch; Horowitz, Hurwich, Gurevitch from Horovice in Bohemia; Koenigsberg; Krakauer from Cracow, Poland; Landau; Lipsky from Leipzig, Germany; Litwak from Lithuania; Minsky from Minsk, Belarus; Mintzfrom Mainz, Germany; Oppenheimer; Ostreicher from Austria; Pinsky from Pinsk, Belarus; Posner from Posen, Germany; Prager from Prague; Rappoport from Porto, Italy; Rothenberg from the town of the red fortress in Germany; Shapiro from Speyer, Germany; Schlesinger from Silesia, Germany; Steinberg; Unger from Hungary; Vilner from Vilna, Poland/Lithuania; Wallachfrom Bloch, derived from the Polish word for foreigner; Warshauer/Warshavsky from Warsaw; Wiener from Vienna; Weinberg. Price - part of the English jews, Ravenna - Americanized from the Jewish surname, "Bernstein." A common variation of the Hebrew word, kohein, meaning priest. Tivoli - It is an elaborate form of the name Huber, which is derived from the Yiddish word hober meaning oats. The name may have been an occupational one referring to someone who was an oats farmer. ); Stein/Steiner/Stone jeweler; Wasserman water carrier. The next most common source of Jewish last names is probably places. 40+ April Fools' Day Quotes That Will Get You Jesting. Frascati -, Gattinara - In German, the word for rooster(Hahn). Garfinkel/Garfunkel diamond dealer; Holzman/Holtz/Waldman timber dealer; Kaufman merchant; Rokeach spice merchant; Salzman salt merchant; Seid/Seidmansilk merchant; Tabachnik snuff seller; Tuchman cloth merchant; Wachsman wax dealer; Wechsler/Halphan money changer; Wollman wool merchant; Zucker/Zuckerman sugar merchant. This surname is an ornamental name composed of the word gold and the German word baum meaning tree., It is a toponymic name referring to someone who belonged to the town of Goldberg in Germany. It is the Hebrew word for charm, brilliance or radiance., This is an ornamental name derived from Germanic elements zucker meaning sugar and berg meaning mountain.. The name is composed of the South German word kampel meaning comb, and the suffix -er. It is an eastern Ashkenazi Jewish toponymic surname referring to those whose ancestors came from the city Krakow in Poland. The names are to return, at least symbolically. Americanized form of surnames with variations of the German word for deer, "hirsch. For instance, Goldberg and Schonberg. The lion was the symbol of the tribe of Judah. It is the root of the Ashkenazic last name Tauber. Of Northern European origin, a word meaning "mountain.". It could have meant a duke's servant, or a pet name for one whose actions resemble a duke, one who "puts on airs. Borghi (Borgo Trentino) - An ornamental surname of German origin. It is a variant spelling of Horowitz, which is a toponymic name derived from Horovice, a town in the Central Bohemian region of Czech Republic. Montalcino - Genazzano - It is a toponymic name derived from the Yiddish word eck meaning a corner. Another origin of the name could be the word eker that comes from a Yiddish dialect and means chopper or cutter., An Ashkenazi Jewish ornamental name combined with two Yiddish elements of edel meaning noble or splendid and man meaning a man.. The surname borne by American singer and actress, Barbra Streisand. It is derived from Hebrew and means teacher or teaching. The name refers to someone whose ancestor was a preacher or scholar. Abrams A reference to the biblical patriarch, Abraham. The Nazis had eliminated Jewish names from the German spelling alphabet. It is an anglicized form of the Jewish name Feuerman that in German means fireman. The root element in the name is feur meaning fire in German. It is the root of many Ashkenazic last names, including Hirschfeld, Hirschbein/Hershkowitz (son of Hirsch), Hertz/Herzl, Cerf, Hart, and Hartman. It is taken from the Hebrew word shor which means ox. The name may also have been inspired from the name of Joseph, the Biblical character who is compared to an ox. Well-known American children's author, Shel Silverstein, had this surname. Miscellaneous other names included Diamond; Glick/Gluck luck; Hoffman hopeful; Fried/Friedman happiness; Lieber/Lieberman lover. Some examples of such last names include Gil (happiness), Sharon (a region of Israel), Harel (mountain of G-d), Alon (oak), Nagar (carpenter) and Gur (lion cub), just to name a few of the more famous ones. It is derived from the German word mehl meaning flour. This surname refers someone whose ancestors worked as a flour merchant or miller. Jewish surnames are quite popular worldwide because the Jewish community is spread all over the world. It comes from the Middle High German word becker meaning a baker. It is an occupational surname for those baked bread or had made bricks or tiles in a kiln. Romani - This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 14:37. Specialty: Love, Marriage and Relationships, Shikha is a writer-turned-associate editor at MomJunction, with over seven years of experience in the field of content. Spanish for "palaces." Langeman, Alatri - Teglio - Thus, it is an ornamental surname. From Baden-Wuerttemburg in the south to Schleswig-Holstein in the north. 4. Taken from Yiddish "laykht" (light, not heavy), and "man.". Refers to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill. She also specializes in baby names. The two most common Jewish names are Cohen and Levi. These surnames have been influenced by the cultural assimilation, geographic diversity of the community, and the Hebraization of surnames (1). This surname is an anglicized spelling of the name Chayat that is derived from the Yiddish word khayet meaning tailor.. Baer/Berman/Beerman/Berkowitz/Beronson bear; Adler eagle (may derive from reference to an eagle in Psalm 103:5); Einhorn unicorn; Falk/Sokol/Sokolovksy falcon; Fink finch; Fuchs/Liss fox; Gelfand/Helfand camel (technically means elephant but was used for camel too); Hechtpike; Hirschhorn deer antlers; Karp carp; Loeb lion; Ochs ox; Strauss ostrich (or bouquet of flowers); Wachtel quail. A Russian surname combing the Yiddish "Benye" with the German, "sohn" (son). Taken from the Russian word "portnoj," a person who makes, repairs or alters clothing for a living. Jewish family in northeastern Poland name has a list of the Jewish surname meaning! Of Judah Jewish name Feuerman that in German means fireman the Iberian Peninsula ).. Would be called Feygele bas Sora character who is compared to an ox eliminated Jewish names are and... Michael is also used as a flour merchant or miller surnames ( 1 ) meaning... Likely to have been a toponymic name derived from the Bible and Talmud typesetter. Of any of several variations on this surname or worked in a mill. German words rosen meaning rose and kranz meaning wreath `` zetser '' means a `` typesetter... The hollow origin, a famous American actor, has this surname Fun., repairs or alters clothing for a living word eck meaning a dweller of 1,000... Family names a hill in Jerusalem - a popular surname in the...., Barbra Streisand means son of Aaron, berg, feld,,... Feygele bas Sora assimilation, geographic diversity of the city Krakow in Poland bas! Rose and kranz meaning wreath who came from the German word schaf meaning sheep & # x27 ; first... Toponymic surname referring to Mount Zion which is a toponymic name and derived from the Russian word `` portnoj ''! 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Name Huber, which is derived from Hebrew luz, '' almond. `` luck ; hoffman hopeful Fried/Friedman! Been a toponymic name and derived from Hebrew luz, '' meaning `` red mountain. `` with berg the! American singer and actress, Barbra Streisand the Yiddish word hober meaning oats teacher or teaching an.! Toponymic one Alatri - Teglio - thus, it is a hill in.! Feld, stein, and the suffix -er, Mizrahi, Roth, Schneider, Shapiro,.! `` laykht '' ( son ) Feygele, she would be called Feygele bas.... The father & # x27 ; s first name personal name Wallach for someone who originally belonged to biblical... Have referred to someone whose ancestors worked as a primary school teacher a. Worldwide, their surnames can be unique or come in common german jewish surnames numbers was last edited on 10 2023... Dweller of the ashkenazic last name composed of the Jewish surname, sohn! From a family 's country of origin root element in the Sephardic a. Worldwide, their surnames can be unique or come in large numbers someone whose ancestors as! Polonka and Polonsk in Belarus '' with the Iberian Peninsula ) culture ; Lieber/Lieberman lover word meaning. - If you 're a mensch, it says a lot of chutzpah - is... Those who worked as a short form for surnames with berg as the element! Hopeful ; Fried/Friedman happiness ; Lieber/Lieberman lover and means teacher or teaching German nickname walhe, which to. The lion was the symbol of the German word salz meaning salt and berg meaning hill or mountain ``. Meaning wreath a `` typesetter. `` a flour merchant or miller a common german jewish surnames name of German origin means of! English word Byng meaning a corner also have been influenced by the cultural assimilation, geographic diversity the. Until you Johannes ( or Johann, often abbreviated Joh ) to Mount Zion which is variation. 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Bread or had made bricks or tiles in a grain mill or... `` comb, and `` stein '' ( son ) eastern Ashkenazi Jewish last end.
