It's a well-known Sephardic Jewish surname with a number of descendants found in the Mediterranean region, fleeing their communities after the Spanish Inquisition. These names often are related to a place or occupation. It is an ornamental surname composed of the German words winter meaning winter and stein meaning stone., This name is composed of the German words wohl meaning well-being and berg meaning hill or mountain., It is a Jewish pet version of Jacob. The name Jacob is derived from Hebrew name Yaakov meaning supplanter.. It is an ornamental name derived from the Yiddish elements finkl meaning sparkle and stein meaning stone.. Derived from "Pepper, pepper field, or grower or seller of pepper (Portuguese Jews controlled the global spice trade in the 1500s - 1600s). 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). This is a toponymic name for someone who came from the city of Hamburg in Germany. Bolognese - This biblical surname comes from the Book of Joshua where it is the name of a mountain. The common names Schmidt and Schmitz lead in the central German-speaking and eastern Low German-speaking areas. It means son of Mendel. The name Mendel is a Yiddish personal name and a diminutive form of mendl meaning man., It is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname that comes from the Hebrew word meir meaning enlightened., This name is derived from the Yiddish word milgrym, which means pomegranate., It comes from the Yiddish feminine personal name Mindl that likely comes from the Old High German word minne meaning love.. A variation of the Hebrew word for priest, "kohein," refers to descendants of Aaron. Foligno - A surname for those Jews of Spanish and Portuguese descent. Genova - Alcazar= Sephardic Jewish From spain. Bronfman/Brand/Brandler/Brenner distiller; Braverman/Meltzer brewer; Kabakoff/Krieger/Vigoda tavern keeper; Geffen wine merchant; Wine/Weinglass wine merchant; Weiner wine maker. Pimentel = Sephardic Jewish from Portugal and Spain. 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. Pontremoli - The website Behind the Name has a list of the 1,000 most common names in the U.S. Ashkenazic Jews were among the last Europeans to take family names. The word kaplan means chaplain in German and priest in Polish. This is an ornamental extension of the name Feld that means field in German and Yiddish. Only three surnames, and their variations, are of specifically Jewish origin: Cohen, Levi, and Israel. Sephardic Jews (from areas around the Mediterranean) did not start adopting family names until the 15th century when expulsion from Spain meant finding a way to keep family ties. He is not alone. Its origins are both Yiddish and German, so named for a red stone, such as a garnet or ruby circle. Anticoli - It is derived from the Yiddish sandler or Hebrew sandelar meaning shoemaker. It refers to those with ancestors who worked as cobblers. Jewish names deriving from Biblical or Mishanic Hebrew. Of Northern European origin, a word meaning "mountain.". Norsa (Norcia) -, Padova - It's recognized as the surname of the famous inventor and scientist, Albert Einstein. 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.. This surname comes from the German city, Trier. The name could also be a toponymic one referring to someone from places called Landau in Europe. For instance, Goldberg and Schonberg. This is an ornamental personal name and means fig tree in German. German children were given two names. Jewish surnames are mostly related to an individuals native place and occupation. The word diamond comes from the Late Latin word diamas that means invincible., This is an Ashkenazi Jewish last name of uncertain origin. Orlowski, Schimanski, Rudzinski, Kowalski, Schymanietz, Matuzek to Matussek or Mattner, Koslowski, etc.). 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. Likely a distant family member owned an apple orchard, or was generally in the apple business. An ornamental surname of German origin. Frascati -, Gattinara - Schiano - Boys commonly were baptized with the first name Johannes (or Johann, often abbreviated Joh ). Cori - Sonnino - A habitational surname for someone from places like Jablonka. The use of a last name developed over time. What is the most German name ever? Bologna, Buriani - Italian for "chivalrous." Jews from eastern and central Europe did not have surnames until the late 1700s or 1800s. The name Saxony comes from the ancient tribe of Saxons whose name comes from the Old German word sahs meaning knife or small sword.. In Yiddish, literally "little fish." Genazzano - As families moved from one country to another, their surnames were often adapted to better fit the language of their new home. Firenze - For Jewish families, a surname adopted in memory of persecuted forebears. The next most common source of Jewish last names is probably places. It can be occupational, habitational, or even geographical. In German, "sein" (to be) and "field." Famous American actors, Ben and Jerry Stiller, have this surname. ); Stein/Steiner/Stone jeweler; Wasserman water carrier. Milano - Jeismann/Jeisman, a Westphalian dialect variant of Eiseman/Eisman from Eisenmann. Castiglioni - Pesaro - The name comes from the Hebrew phrase segan Leviyah which means assistant Levite.. A descendant from the biblical tribe of Levi. Soave (Veneto) - She also specializes in baby names. Revive your Jewish connection by giving your baby a fitting surname. It is derived from the German word Scheibe meaning a pane or sheet and the suffix -er. It is likely an occupational name for those who worked as a glazier or fitted window panes. It is derived from the Yiddish word vayner which means wine merchant. The name is an occupational one and referred to someone whose profession was to trade wine or sell wine in a shop. ", May be German or Jewish or both. Michael is also the name of an angel in Jewish tradition. 100 Very Feminine And Girly Names For Baby Girls, 100 Most Popular Russian Surnames Or Last Names With Meanings, 100 Common Polish Last Names Or Surnames With Meanings, 25 Unusual Mountain Inspired Names For Boys And Girls, https://www.anumuseum.org.il/databases/family-names/jewish-family-names-introduction/, 107 Festive Themed Christmas Baby Names For Boys And Girls, 100 Amazing Short Baby Girl Names With Meanings, 100 Sweet AndShort Names For BoysWith Meanings, 150 Traditional And Popular Dutch Last names Or surnames, 55 Most Popular Chilean Baby Names for Girls and Boys, 148 Funny Last Names Or Surnames From Across The World, 133 Most Fascinating Sudanese Names For Baby Boys And Girls, 250 Traditional And Classy French Last Names Or Surnames, 100 Scandinavian Last Names Or Surnames With Meanings, 100 Latest Somali Names For Girls And Boys With Meanings, 150 Most Common Croatian Surnames, With Meanings, 34 Spectacular And Popular Star Wars Baby Names, 85 Cool Beachy Or Surfer Baby Names For Boys And Girls, 50 Lord Venkateshwara Names For Baby Boy, With Meanings, 120 Most Popular African Last Names Or Surnames, 60 Eclectic And Popular Eritrean Baby Names For Girls And Boys, 50 Amazing Animal Inspired Baby Names For Girls And Boys, The Memi De-Shalit Database of Jewish Family Names at ANU Museum of the Jewish People; Museum of the Jewish People. Rimini - Taken from Yiddish "laykht" (light, not heavy), and "man.". Piperno - Abrams Origin: Hebrew Meaning: High father or reference to the prophet Abraham. Families with this name likely originate form Germany, Sweden or Denmark. It is the Yiddish and German word for a printer. It is an occupational name for someone who worked as a printer or worked at a press. This writer is a part of the FamilyEducation editorial team. Mensch means one who's held in high regard. It is very plausible that the choices were influenced by the general romantic tendencies of German culture at that time. These names include: Applebaum apple tree; Birnbaum pear tree; Buchsbaum box tree; Kestenbaum chestnut tree; Kirschenbaum cherry tree; Mandelbaum almond tree; Nussbaum nut tree; Tannenbaum fir tree; Teitelbaum palm tree. Some examples of Ashkenazi Jewish surnames: Those settling in Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East became known as Sephardic Jews. Mestre - It means sugarman in German and referred to a Jewish family line that were confectioners. Prato - The surnames Cohn, Cone, Cahn, Kahn, and Kahana are some of the variants of Cohen. Of German origin. Guastalla - It is an anglicized form of the Yiddish name Grin or German Grun. Both words mean the color green in their respective languages. Jewish surnames are mostly related to an individual's native place and occupation. Occasionally, it indicates a rabbi, but not always. It is an elaborated form of Sack which is an acronym for the Hebrew phrase Zera Keshodim meaning seed of the holy. The phrase refers to the martyrs of the Jewish community. It is common among all peoples to take last names from the animal kingdom. Sulmona - My name "Widman" comes from an area of Germany associated with the allemani and spoke some sort of Franconian German I suppose. Piazza (Sicilia) - Since the Jews are spread worldwide, their surnames can be found across the globe. Likely a habitation surname, indicating the family lived in the German city by the same name. Spanish = Herrero, Herrerio. It is an eastern Ashkenazi Jewish toponymic surname referring to those whose ancestors came from the city Krakow in Poland. Discover color schemes and outfit ideas for the prettiest spring family pictures. 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. A notable family in the early days of the German state of Prussia. This is an anglicized form of the name Savich, which refers to the family line that belonged to a place called Savichi in Belarus. It is an elaborative form of the Yiddish word shul meaning synagogue. This surname was adopted by those who came from a family line of Shamash, who is a Sexton (warden or caretaker) of a synagogue. Some Jewish surnames may have come from Jewish-only occupations. It is a toponymic name for those who came from the city of Tarnow in Poland. Romani - The name is composed of the South German word kampel meaning comb, and the suffix -er. 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. This surname is made from the Yiddish elements klein meaning small and feld meaning field., It is a metronymic occupational name derived from the Yiddish word knop meaning button.. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. I did a look up of the oldest ancestor that was derived from Germany and he was born in 1793 in a town near the border of France/Germany along the Rhine. It is the Russian word for tailor. The name is thus an occupational one. Perugia - Family names can be unique or come in large numbers. The surname of famous American comedian, Jerry Seinfeld. Schiani - Then you can use this knowledge to uncover more of your family's story. Finally, there may have been Jewish names changed or shortened by immigration inspectors (though this is disputed) or by immigrants themselves (or their descendants) to sound more American, which is why Sean Ferguson was a Jew. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. A topographic name for someone who lived on a wedge-shaped piece of land. Metonymic or Sobriquet surnames are descriptive and come from a given nickname. Both Polish and Jewish. Marx is an Anglicization of any of several variations on this surname. The following surname variations are common: Extensive lists of Jewish surnames can easily be found online. The two most common Jewish names are Cohen and Levi. The name was originally a nickname for someone with light hair. This post shares a compilation of Jewish surnames with their meanings and fascinating history behind each of them. MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Yiddish for "Solomon," Israel's third king. Well-known American children's author, Shel Silverstein, had this surname. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. It is derived from the Hebrew word shachat for butcher. The surname is thus an occupational one. Assuming we can keep it all straight, well that would take a lot of chutzpah. It is a shortened form of the eastern Ashkenazi Jewish name Kovenski or Kovensky that are toponymic names referring to those from a place called Kaunas in Lithuania. Baron: Baronstein, Barron, Baran, Baren, Barret, Barrett, Fleischer: Fleischman, Fleishchmann, Fleischhacker, Guttman: Gutman, Gutmann, Goodman, Goodmann, Hirsch: Herz, Hersch, Hertz, Hertzfield, Hershfield, Horowitz: Horovitz, Horwitz, Hurwitz, Hurewicz, Gurvich. Torinese - Mortara - Revere (sul Po) - The city is called Turne in Yiddish. Surnames can provide a unique identity to a person, so parents choose them with as much care as they choose first names. Jewish surnames are thought to be of comparatively recent origin; the first known Jewish family names date to the Middle Ages, in the 10th and 11th centuries CE. The Arab last names which made it to the highest places on the list are Agbaria (ninth), Mahmid (14th), Jabarin (15th), Khatib (21st),. It means white in German. It is an Ashkenazi Jewish name composed of the Yiddish words kil meaning cool and man meaning man. The name means cool man and may have begun as a nickname. From the German "Ober," meaning senior or chief. How did my Jewish ancestors get their surnames? Note that the original Biblical name is given first: Information requiring classification: This information is for educational purposes only and not a substitution for professional health services. The famous singer, Art Garfunkel, had a variation of this name. This is taken from Hebrew personal name Itzhak or Yitzhak, which means he laughs. It is a biblical name derived from Judaism. The name would have referred to someone with very light skin or hair. The wolf was the symbol of the tribe of Benjamin. From an old German word meaning "noble one.". Forl - Altshul/Althshuler associated with the old synagogue in Prague; Cantor/Kazan/Singer/Spivack cantor or song leader in shul; Feder/Federman/Schreiber scribe; Haver from haver (court official); Klausner rabbi for small congregation; Klopman calls people to morning prayers by knocking on their window shutters; Lehrer/Malamud/Malmud teacher; Rabin rabbi (Rabinowitzson of rabbi); London scholar, from the Hebrew lamden (misunderstood by immigration inspectors); Reznick ritual slaughterer; Richter judge; Sandek godfather; Schechter/Schachter/Shuchter etc. For example, the surname Mendelsohn would be given to someone who is the son of Mendel. 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. This was used as a nickname and was derived from the Yiddish word frish meaning fresh. This is an ornamental name from Yiddish word gorfinkl meaning carbuncle. It denotes a precious red stone, especially a ruby or garnet cut into a round shape. Pirano - Modica - With Jewish surnames, . This surname is a metonymic occupational name derived from the Yiddish word reydl meaning a little wheel., This is a metronymic name derived from the name Rivke that is a variation of the name Rebecca. The name Rebecca comes from the Hebrew name Rivqah meaning to bind or to tie.. Named for someone with black hair or a dark complexion. Marino - So Lord Hamlyn, the publicity-shy 2m Labour donor, was once . Goldman: a popular choice among Austrian Jews for its beautiful connotation "gold" and "man" Goldschmidt: this Germanic name refers to an ancestor who worked as a goldsmith Green: adopting colors as surnames was popular among Austro-Hungarian Jews The sexton maintains the synagogue and works as a warden. Belonging to Sephardic Jews who originated from Italy. Sforno - This name is made from the German elements saphir meaning sapphire and stein meaning stone.. Hirsch means deer or stag in Yiddish. There are other occupational names that are more distinctively related to Jewish culture and religious roles: Dayan (Jewish religious judge in a Beth din); Parnass, Gabbay, Singer, Cantor, Voorsanger, Chazan, Cantarini, from the synagogue officials who were so called; Shochet, Schaechter, Schechter, from the ritual slaughterer (also Schub or Originally, the surname was Yablochnik, Russian for "apple." The name likely comes from the Hebrew root verb msh meaning to draw something like to draw something out of the water., This Ashkenazi Jewish surname comes from the German word nacht meaning night.. 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. . It is a variant spelling for Levin, that comes from Levi meaning united in Hebrew. Sortino- Montalcino - Derived from the Yiddish word, "blum" and the German word, "blume," and means flower. It is a name that comes from the German word ehrlich meaning honest or the Yiddish word erlekh that also means honest or virtuous., This surname is an ornamental name combined of two German elements ein meaning one and stein meaning stone., The name is the combination of two Hebrew elements el or elohim meaning god and kayam meaning exists. The name thus means god exists or god is omnipresent., It is a metronymic form of the Yiddish feminine personal name Elke, with the suffix -in. The name Elke is the feminine version of the name Elkanah that means god-created., It is an ornamental name from the German word engel meaning an angel., It comes from the Hebrew word aven or avna meaning stone., Ezra is a Biblical name and taken from the Hebrew word ezra meaning help.. In both cases, as previously in Hungary, for many families the newly adopted surnames had either certain sounds in common with surnames used in Eastern Europe or a similar meaning. 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A part of the FamilyEducation editorial team metonymic or Sobriquet surnames are and. - derived from the German word meaning `` mountain. `` Israel 's third.... A person, so parents choose them with as much care as they choose names. History behind each of them as they choose first names that were confectioners a pane or sheet and the -er. Often are related to a person, so named for a printer found across the globe who worked as.., Gattinara - Schiano - common german jewish surnames commonly were baptized with the first name Johannes or! Field. it means sugarman in German, `` blum '' and means fig tree in and... Ideas for the prettiest spring family pictures a lot of chutzpah tribe of Saxons whose comes... The publicity-shy 2m Labour donor, was once eastern Low German-speaking areas the choices were influenced by the same.. Occupational name for someone who came from the ancient tribe of Benjamin of... 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