Judaism has a long, rich history, so it’s no surprise that the world is full of Jewish last names— even some you might not even realize are Jewish. You may even recognize the surnames of some of your favorite TV characters sprinkled throughout the list, from Seth Cohen to Jean-Ralphio Saperstein. Browse the list below to find the origin of your own Jewish last name and discover the meaning behind it. Or, scan the list of names to see which Jewish surname embodies the character you’re writing. Either way, this list of Jewish surnames is sure to have you uncover something new about the history of Judaism and Jewish people.
History of Jewish Surnames
Jewish surnames sprouted for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons, like many other cultures, was due to population surges and the need to differentiate between two people of the same first name. Another main reason family names came about was due to the mass expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. Thus, Sephardic Jews claimed their surnames as a way of maintaining their culture and community identity after being outcasted. The other main source of surname creation was due to the governments of Eastern Europe and Germany. Approximately, between the years of 1787 to 1830, the governments within this area of Europe required their countries to register their Jewish citizens. Because of this requirement, many Ashkenazi Jews were forced to create surnames that served the purpose of differentiating between Jewish residents of the same name.
Categories of Surname Creations
Jewish surnames were inspired by or derived from a plethora of different sources. Due to the long, complex history of Judaism and its diverse range of names, there may be multiple explanations for the same name. Explore the different origins of Jewish family names with the descriptions below.
Patronymic/Matronymic Surnames
Patronymic surnames are those that are based upon a father or grandfather’s name, thus linking the father’s name with a suffix of “son of” or “belonging to”. For example, if a father’s given name was Abraham, then the child’s surname could stem into Abrahams, Abrams, Abramov, Abramoff, Abramsky, Abramovitch, Abramesku, Abrahms/zon, Abrampur, Abramzada, Barhumi, Barami, Ben Avraham, Avrahami— all of which mean “son of” or “belonging to” Abraham. It’s important to note that in Eastern Europe, many given names in Hebrew also had Yiddish vernacular forms which also sparked many patronymic surnames. For example, in Genesis 49:9, Jacob compared Yehudah to a lion, producing Yehudah’s Yiddish name “Leib” (lion). Leib then formed Leibovitch, Leibeles, Laybl, Leibinson, etc. all meaning “son of Leib” or “belonging to the lion”, otherwise known as Yehudah.
Matronymic surnames are similar in the sense that a “son of” or “belonging to” suffix is attached to their base root. However, the root word, in this case, is the child’s mother’s name vice their father’s name. For example, if a mother’s name is Soros, their child would be “Sorotskin” or “belonging to Soros”. Another example would be, if a mother’s 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 man’s name is Esterman, their name means “husband of Ester”.
Surnames Based on Lineage
Lineage surnames stem from those associated with the traditional Israelite priesthood (kohanim) and are descendants of Aaron the first High Priest and the older brother of Moses. Many ritual functions dwindled after the Second Temple was destroyed in 70CE. However, to keep priestly families tied to their roots and community, many of them were given ceremonial functions within the Synagogue. Their functions thereafter are what led them to hold family names connected with the traditional Israelite priesthood. In addition to these names, Levites who assisted priests in Jerusalem’s ancient Temples also received lineage surnames that reflected upon their duties. For example, last names like Levine, Levitt, or Levitas were given to Levites that work in the Temple.
Geographical Last Names
Otherwise known as a toponymic or habitational name, geographical surnames are based on places that a family lived, traveled through, were expelled from, etc. Essentially, they reflect Jewish migration patterns throughout history. These names could have been self-inflicted with the family choosing to remain connected with an area through their surname or imposed upon them for various reasons e.g. governmental practices, name differentiation, etc. An example of a geographical name is Toledano, which most likely means this person or family lived in, traveled through, or were expelled from Toledo, Spain.
Occupational Family Names
Occupational names are based upon the occupation of the person who heads a household. Surnames based on occupations may be in Hebrew, Yiddish, or other languages spoken and understood by surrounding Jewish communities at the time. A few examples of these last names include baker (Becker, Habaaz), glazer (Glazer, Glassman, Sklarsky), tailor (Hayyat, Schneider, Schneidman, Kravitz), etc. 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 settings. For example, names such as Rabin, Rabinowitz, Rabiner, Rabi, Hacham, Lamdan, all stem from the occupation of a Rabbi. Another example would be the name Tillimzoger, representing a person that frequents community prayer and says the Psalms.
Surnames Based on Personal/Physical Characteristics
Although they were less common, some last names were given to people that had striking personal or physical characteristics. An example of this would be granting someone the name Yaqar, Toeier, Karido, or Caro to represent how honorable they are. A physical trait example would be naming a person Lang, Gross, Tawil, Klein, Kurtz, Katan, or Malik because of their great height.
Surnames Based on Aspects of Time
A small number of surnames were derived from different aspects of time such as days, seasons, or holidays. For example, Yomtov and Bondi stem from particular Jewish holidays, or names like Kislev, Nisan, Sivan, or Tammuz are derived from month names in Hebrew.
Acrostic Last Names
Certain surnames were created by forming an acronym out of the initial letters of a Hebrew word or Hebrew phrase. 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). Another common form was deriving acrostic names from famous lineage ties, such as “Katz” from “cohen zedeq” (of authentic priestly lineage).
Ornamental Surnames
Many Ashkenazic names are known as “artificial” or “ornamental” because they aren’t derived from any true source in the family’s life at the time. This means that the names were most likely made up by local authorities in an attempt to give last names to Jewish families. Oftentimes, these names are created from the following categories: colors, nature, metals and gems, plants, material, or physical traits. Using words that fell within these categories, Jewish family names were formed by either leaving the word to stand alone or combining two words together. For example, Grin (green) could be used as a last name, and Grinberg (green mountain) could also be formed into a surname.
Popular Jewish Last Names
There are so many different ways a Jewish surname could be formed or tied back to history. Scan the list below to uncover the meanings behind some of the most popular Jewish names we hear and see today.
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. It’s derived from the German word “acker” meaning “field”.
Adelmann
Unknown origins.
Appelbaum
Unknown origins.
Bach
A geographical name for someone living near a stream. It’s derived from the German word “bach” meaning “stream”.
Benowitz
A “son of the south” or “son of the right hand”.
Berenson
Might be a patronymic name meaning “son of Beren” but could also be pulled from the German word “ber” meaning “bear”.
Berg
A habitational name for someone living near a mountain. It’s 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”.
Brockman
May potentially stem from the Yiddish word “bruk” meaning “paver” and thus would be an occupational name.
Broder
A geographical family name for people from Brody, a town in the Ukraine.
Cohen
A Hebrew name meaning “priest”.
Cohn
Unknown origins.
Cooper
An occupational name for a coppersmith.
David
A Hebrew name meaning “beloved”.
Dickman
Derived from the German word “dic(ke)” meaning “strong”.
Dillon
Unknown origins.
Dreyfus
A habitational name for the German city of Trier with the Latin name being “Treveris”.
Drucker
Unknown origins.
Ecker
Unknown origins.
Edelman
An ornamental name stemming from the German name “Edelstein” meaning “precious stone or gem”.
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”.
Erlich
Unknown origins.
Ezra
Ezra is a prophet in the Old Testament and the name itself stems from the Hebrew word meaning “help”.
Falkowitz
Unknown origins.
Feigenbaum
Unknown origins.
Feinberg
Unknown origins.
Feldman
A toponymic name derived from the German word “feld” meaning “field”.
Fineberg
Potentially a surname based on the physical trait of someone be “fine” meaning “fair-skinned”.
Finkelstein
Stemming from the German word “finch” or “funko” meaning “spark”, this surname is an ornamental name for a fun or lively-spirited person.
Fishler
An occupational name for a fisherman or someone who worked with fish.
Flint
Unknown origins.
Fogelman
An occupational name derived from the German word “fogal” meaning “bird” and was given to someone who was a birdcatcher or enjoyed singing.
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
Unknown origins.
Garfield
A toponymic name that means “triangle field” in Old English.
Garfinkle
An Ashkenazic Jew name that can either denote an occupational name for a person that works with stones or a person with a boil, in which case it would be a name based on physical traits.
Gelber
Unknown origins.
Geller
Can stem from the German word “gellen” (to yell) for a person who speaks loudly or yells often.
Gerwitz
Unknown origins.
Ginsberg
A habitational name stemming from either Gunzberg in Bavaria, Günsburg in Swabia, or Gintsshprik (Königsburg) in East Prussia.
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
Unknown origins.
Gold
Could be an occupational name for a person that worked with gold.
Goldbaum
Could be an occupational name for a person that worked with gold.
Goldblum
Could be an occupational name for a person that worked with gold.
Goldman
Could be an occupational name for a person that worked with gold.
Gordon
A habitational name for a place located in Berwickshire, Scotland.
Green
An ornamental name stemming from the German word “grün” meaning “green”.
Gurwitz
Could stem from the Hebrew word “gur” meaning “lion cub”.
Guttenberg
An Askenazic Jewish surname stemming from the German word “guot” (good) and “berg” (mountain).
Hagen
Shortened from the Hebrew word “haganah” meaning “soldier”.
Haim
Derived from the Hebrew word “chaim” meaning “life”.
Halpert
A habitational name for a person who lived or traveled through the city of Heilbronn in Germany.
Hamberg
An Ashkenazic habitational name for the various places named Hamberg.
Hearst
Unknown origins.
Helberg
It could be an occupational name stemming from the German word “helwe” indicating a thresher or it could be a habitational name related to Helba near Meiningen.
Heller
Unknown origins.
Hersch
In Yiddish, “hirsh” means “deer” and it’s connected to the Biblical tribe Naphtali.
Himel
Unknown origins.
Horowitz
A habitational name connected to the town Hořovice in the Czech Republic.
Huberman
Could be a patronymic name meaning “son of Heber”.
Hurwitz
A habitational name connected to the town Hořovice in the Czech Republic.
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.
Jablonsky
A habitational name connected to places such as Jablonka, Jablonna, or Jablonica that stem from the word “jablon” meaning “apple tree”.
Jacobi
A Biblical name that stems from the Latin term “son of Jacob”.
Janowitz
Unknown origins.
Kalinsky
Unknown origins.
Kane
Could stem from the Irish name Cathán which stems from the word “cath” meaning “battle”.
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”.
Knopp
Linked to the German word “knopf” meaning “button”, thus is an occupational name for a button maker or seller.
Kofman
Unknown origins.
Kohn
A varient of “Cohen” meaning “priest” in Hebrew.
Koppel
A toponymic name from the German word “koppel” meaning “paddock, pasture”.
Koslosky
Unknown origins.
Kovitz
Unknown origins.
Krakow
A habitational name linked to the city Krakow, Poland.
Kravitz
An occupational name stemming from the Polish word “krawiec” meaning “tailor”.
Kroll
A name based on a physical trait linked to the German word “krol” meaning “curly” for someone with curly hair.
Krone
An occupational name for someone who worked in a royal household; linked to the German word “krone” for “crown”.
Kugel
Unknown origins.
Kugler
Unknown origins.
Lachman
Unknown origins.
Landman
Derived from the Yiddish word “landau”, representing the town Landau in the Palatinate region of Germany.
Laubenstein
Unknown origins.
Lebowitz
Unknown origins.
Lehrer
An occupational name that stems from German meaning “teacher”.
Leibovitz
Unknown origins.
Leichtman
Unknown origins.
Leven
Could be a lineage name related to the Levites.
Levi
Could be a lineage name related to the Levites, also stems from the Hebrew word “levi” meaning “joining”.
Levine
Could be a lineage name related to the Levites.
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
Could be a habitational name stemming from the Polish word “lipa” meaning “lime tree”.
Loewe
A variant of the name “Löwe” meaning “lion” in German.
Maltzman
Unknown origins.
Mayer
An occupational surname linked to the German word “meier” meaning “bailiff, administrator”.
Mehler
Unknown origins.
Mendelson
A patronymic name meaning “son of Mendel”.
Milgram
Unknown origins.
Mindal
Unknown origins.
Morganstein
An ornamental name stemming from the German words “morgen” and “stein” meaning “morning stone”.
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.
Nichols
Linked to the German word “nicht” meaning “sober”, this surname could be occupationally given to a bartender.
Oberman
Unknown origins.
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.
Rayman
Unknown origins.
Reidel
Unknown origins.
Reuban
Unknown origins.
Romanoff
Meaning “son of Roman”; this was the surname of the last dynasty of Roman Tsars during the Russian Empire.
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.
Rothchild
A name based on physical characteristics as it stems from the German word “rot” meaning “red” for those with red hair.
Ruderman
Could be linked to the German word “rude” or “rü(e)de” meaning “hound”, thus becoming an occupational name for a hound hunter.
Rutenberg
Unknown origins.
Sachs
Tied to the Germanic tribe known as the Saxons stemming from the German word “sah” meaning “knife”.
Sackman
A German occupational name for a baggage servant.
Sagan
Unknown origins.
Salzberg
Stemming from the German word “salz” meaning “salt”, this is an occupational name for a salt seller.
Sandler
An ornamental name for someone who lived on a sandy patch of soil.
Saperstein
An ornamental name that combines the Hebrew word “sapir” (sapphire) and the German word “stein” (stone).
Savitz
Unknown origins.
Schatzman
Stemming from the German word “schatz” for “treasure”, this is an occupational name for a treasurer.
Scheffer
Unknown origins.
Scheiber
Unknown origins.
Shapiro
With Aramaic influence, this name drives from Hebrew to mean “pretty” or “lovely”.
Sheffer
Unknown origins.
Shick
Unknown origins.
Shifman
Unknown origins.
Shur
Unknown origins.
Schwartz
Linked to the German word “swarz” meaning “black”, this name stems from physical characteristics and given to those with black hair or a dark complexion.
Siegal
Occupational name for a seal maker, stemming from the Latin word “sigillum” meaning “seal”.
Speer
Unknown origins.
Spiegelberg
A geographical name linked to the German words “spiegel” (lookout point) and “berg” (mountain).
Steinbach
A toponymic name inked to the German words “stein” (stone) and “bach” (stream).
Stillman
Unknown origins.
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
Unknown origins.
Truman
In Middle English, this name translates to “trusty man”.
Turner
Derived from the Old English word “turnian” meaning “to turn”, thus it’s an occupational name for one that worked with a lathe.
Uhr
Unknown origins.
Ullman
A habitational name related to Ulm in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Vogel
An occupational name derived from the German word “fogal” meaning “bird” and was given to someone who was a birdcatcher or enjoyed singing.
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
Unknown origins.
Weisz
An ornamental name linked to the German word “wiz” meaning “white”.
Wilderman
A toponymic name linked to the word “wild” for someone who lived in an area where the habitation was uncontrollable.
Winterstein
An ornamental name linked to the Old English word “winter” (cold) and the German word “stein” (stone).
Wohlberg
An ornamental name linked to the German word “wohl” (pleasant) and “berg” (mountain).
Yager
Anglicized spelling of the German word “jäger” meaning “hunter”, thus is mos likely an occupational surname.
Yampolsky
Unknown origins.
Yurkovich
Unknown origins.
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
Unknown origins.
Zion
A Biblical name that refers to Heaven.
Zuckerberg
An ornamental name stemming from the German words “zucker” (sugar) and “berg” (mountain).
Zukerman
Could be an occupational name linked to German word “zucker” (sugar), thus referring to a person that sells sugar.
It is common for a Jewish surname to be derived from various languages or places. The most common derivation for Jewish last names stems from the German language, various Hebrew names or parts of the Hebrew language, or Yiddish.
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