Judaism has a long history, so it’s no surprise that Jewish last names are common.
Browse this list of Jewish surnames to uncover their history and origins.
Or, scan the list of names to see which Jewish surname embodies the character youre writing.
Taylor Brandon
History of Jewish Surnames
Jewish surnamessprouted for a variety of reasons.
Another main reason family names came about was due to the mass expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492.
The other main source of surname creation was due to the governments of Eastern Europe and Germany.
Categories of Surname Creations
Jewish surnames were inspired by or derived from a plethora of different sources.
Explore the different origins of Jewish family names with the descriptions below.
Leib then formed Leibovitch, Leibeles, Laybl, Leibinson, etc.
all meaning son of Leib or belonging to the lion, otherwise known as Yehudah.
However, the root word, in this case, is the childs mothers name vice their fathers name.
For example, if a mothers name is Soros, their child would be Sorotskin or belonging to Soros.
Another example would be, if a mothers name is Zipres, their child would be Zipkin.
If a surname ends in man(n), it means husband of the root word.
For example, if a mans name is Esterman, their name means husband of Ester.
Many ritual functions dwindled after the Second Temple was destroyed in 70CE.
Their functions thereafter are what led them to hold family names connected with the traditional Israelite priesthood.
Essentially, they reflect Jewish migration patterns throughout history.
governmental practices, name differentiation, etc.
Occupational Family Names
Occupational names are based upon the occupation of the person who heads a household.
Instruments or materials used in a particular trade were also used to indicate occupational family names.
For example, someone who embroiders using pearl or gold is given the surname Perlsticker or Goldsticker.
This naming method was also used for those who headed or frequently occupied communal tweaks.
Another example would be the name Tillimzoger, representing a person that frequents community prayer and says the Psalms.
Some of these acrostic names related to relatives such as Berag from Ben Rabbi Gershon.
Others stemmed from occupations such as Shub from shochet ubodeq (ritual slaughterer and inspector).
Aaronson
A lineage surname that technically stands for son of Aaron.
Abelman
Unknown origins.
Abrams
Son of Abraham.
Acker
A toponymic name for someone living near a field.
Its derived from the German word acker meaning field.
Adelmann
Appelbaum
Bach
A geographical name for someone living near a stream.
Its derived from the German word bach meaning stream.
Benowitz
A son of the south or son of the right hand.
Berg
A habitational name for someone living near a mountain.
Its derived from the German word berg meaning mountain.
Bing
A toponymic name meaning dweller of the hollow.
Bloom
Stemming from the word bloem or blum meaning flower.
Bloomberg
A combination of the word bloom meaning flower and berg meaning mountain.
Broder
A geographical family name for people from Brody, a town in the Ukraine.
Cohen
A Hebrew name meaning priest.
Cohn
Cooper
An occupational name for a coppersmith.
David
A Hebrew name meaning beloved.
Dickman
Derived from the German word dic(ke) meaning strong.
Efron
A Biblical mountain mentioned in Joshua 15:9 and a city mentioned in 2 Chronicles 13:19.
This name can also be derived from the Hebrew word ephron meaning small deer.
Einstein
Derived from the German ein (one) and stein (stone).
Engel
Derived from German to mean angel.
Fineberg
Potentially a surname based on the physical trait of someone be fine meaning fair-skinned.
Fishler
An occupational name for a fisherman or someone who worked with fish.
Ford
A geographical name for a person who lived near a ford.
Franco
A German name that related to a Germanic tribe called the Franks.
Frisch
Derived from Yiddish as meaning fresh.
Gabel
Garfield
A toponymic name that means triangle field in Old English.
Glaser
An occupational name for a glassblower as it connects to the German word glas meaning glass.
Glen
Could stem from the Gaelic word gleann meaning valley and thus would be a toponymic name.
Glick
Gold
Could be an occupational name for a person that worked with gold.
Green
An ornamental name stemming from the German word grun meaning green.
Gurwitz
Could stem from the Hebrew word gur meaning lion cub.
Hagen
Shortened from the Hebrew word haganah meaning soldier.
Haim
Derived from the Hebrew word chaim meaning life.
Hamberg
An Ashkenazic habitational name for the various places named Hamberg.
Himel
Horowitz
A habitational name connected to the town Horovice in the Czech Republic.
Huberman
Could be a patronymic name meaning son of Heber.
Hurwitz
Hyatt
An Anglicized spelling of chiat meaning tailor in Hebrew.
Isaac
A Biblical name that means he will laugh, he will rejoice in Hebrew.
Israel
A Biblical name that means God contends in Hebrew.
Jacobi
A Biblical name that stems from the Latin term son of Jacob.
Kaplan
Stemming from the German word kaplan meaning chaplain.
Katz
A lineage surname linked to the phrase kohen tsedek meaning righteous priest.
Kempler
Could stem from the Middle English word kempe meaning champion, warrior.
Kilman
An Ashkenazic name stemming from the Yiddish word kil meaning cool.
Kleinfield
Stemming from the German words klein and feld meaning small field.
Kofman
Kohn
A varient of Cohen meaning priest in Hebrew.
Koppel
A toponymic name from the German word koppel meaning paddock, pasture.
Koslosky
Kovitz
Krakow
A habitational name linked to the city Krakow, Poland.
Kravitz
An occupational name stemming from the Polish word krawiec meaning tailor.
Laubenstein
Lebowitz
Lehrer
An occupational name that stems from German meaning teacher.
Leibovitz
Leichtman
Leven
Could be a lineage name related to the Levites.
Levine
Liberman
Linked to the Yiddish word lib meaning dear or beloved.
Lindenberg
A habitational name connected to Lindenberg in Germany.
Lipman
Could be a habitational name stemming from the Polish word lipa meaning lime tree.
Lipschitz
Loewe
A variant of the name Lowe meaning lion in German.
Maltzman
Mayer
An occupational surname linked to the German word meier meaningbailiff, administrator.
Mehler
Mendelson
A patronymic name meaning son of Mendel.
Moses
A Biblical name meaning deliver in Hebrew.
Nacht
A time-oriented name or an ornamental name stemming from the German word nacht meaning night.
Nemeroff
A habitational name related to the town Nemirov in the Ukraine.
Nerenberg
An Ashkenazic name connected to Nuremberg, Germany.
Oberman
Perlman
An occupational name for someone who works with pearls.
Polansky
Could be a habitational name connected to someone who is Polish or came from Poland.
Rosenbaum
An ornamental name stemming from the German name Rosenbaum meaning rose bush.
Rosenkranz
An ornamental name stemming from the German name Rosenkranz meaning rose wreath.
Ross
A habitational name for various places named Ross in Northern Scotland.
Sackman
A German occupational name for a baggage servant.
Sandler
An ornamental name for someone who lived on a sandy patch of soil.
Siegal
Occupational name for a seal maker, stemming from the Latin word sigillum meaning seal.
Stillman
Talman
An ornamental name stemming from the Hebrew word tal meaning dew.
Tenenbaum
An ornamental name stemming from the German word tannenbaum meaning fir tree.
Tilman
Truman
In Middle English, this name translates to trusty man.
Uhr
Ullman
A habitational name related to Ulm in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.
Vogel
Wallace
Stems from Germanic origin to mean foreigner or stranger.
Weiner
A variant of the German name Wagner which stems from the word wagener meaning wagon maker.
Weinrich
Weisz
An ornamental name linked to the German word wiz meaning white.
Yampolsky
Yurkovich
Zalman
A Biblical name meaning peace in Hebrew.
Zechman
An occupational name stemming from the Yiddish word tsekh meaning build.
Zelinger
Could be a habitational name connected to Celle, Germany.
Zimmel
Zion
A Biblical name that refers to Heaven.
