Jewish Surnames 3

41. Finkelstein

It is an ornamental name derived from the Yiddish elements ‘finkl’ meaning ‘sparkle’ and ‘stein’ meaning ‘stone.’

42. Fischler

This is a variant spelling for ‘Fischer’ which is an occupational name for fisherman. The name is more commonly found among Ashkenazi Jews.

43. Fishman

It means ‘fisherman’ in German and Yiddish languages. The name is an occupational one.

44. Flint

It is an ornamental name that comes from the German word ‘flinte’ meaning ‘shotgun.’

45. Franco

This surname is adopted from the Spanish personal name ‘Franco’ meaning ‘free.’ It was used as a nickname for freed slaves.

46. Frisch

This was used as a nickname and was derived from the Yiddish word ‘frish’ meaning ‘fresh’.

47. Garfinkel

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.

48. Gelb

This is a variant of the word ‘gel,’ which means ‘yellow’ in Yiddish. The name likely began as a nickname for people with light hair.

49. Gelber

This surname is the extended version of the surname ‘Gelb’ and also comes from the Yiddish word ‘gel’ meaning ‘yellow.’

50. Geller

It is derived from the word ‘gel,’ which is the Yiddish word for the color yellow. The name was originally a nickname for someone with light hair.

51. Ginsberg

It is an ornamental form of the name ‘Ginsburg,’ which is a toponymic name referring to those who lived along the river Gunz in Germany.

52. Glaser

It is the German word for ‘glazier.’ It is an occupational name for someone who worked as a glassblower or glazier – a person who fits glass panes and windows.

53. Glick

It is an ornamental name derived from the German name ‘Gluck’ meaning ‘luck,’ ‘good luck,’ ‘bliss’ or ‘good fortune.’

54. Gold

This is an ornamental name of Yiddish origin and means ‘gold,’ the precious compound.

55. Goldbaum

This surname is an ornamental name composed of the word ‘gold’ and the German word ‘baum’ meaning ‘tree.’

56. Goldberg

It is a toponymic name referring to someone who belonged to the town of Goldberg in Germany. The name is composed of the word ‘gold’ and the German word ‘berg’ meaning ‘mountain.’

57. Goldblum

This last name is an ornamental name made from the words ‘gold’ and the German word ‘blum’ meaning ‘flower.’

58. Goldman

It is a metronymic form of the Yiddish feminine personal name ‘Golde’ meaning ‘gold.’

59. Goldschmidt

It is the German word for ‘goldsmith’ and is an occupational surname for someone who came from a family line of goldsmiths.

60. Gordon

This is a toponymic name referring to someone who belonged to the city of Grodno in Belarus.

Jewish Surnames 2

21. Dreyfus

This toponymic name is a variation of ‘Trevis,’ which was among the old names of the city of Trier in present-day Germany. The name originally referred to people who came from the city.

22. Drucker

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.

23. Ecker

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.’

24. Edelman

An Ashkenazi Jewish ornamental name combined with two Yiddish elements of ‘edel’ meaning ‘noble’ or ‘splendid’ and ‘man’ meaning a ‘man.’

25. Efron

This biblical surname comes from the Book of Joshua where it is the name of a mountain.

26. Ehrlich

It is a name that comes from the German word ‘ehrlich’ meaning ‘honest’ or the Yiddish word ‘erlekh’ that also means ‘honest or virtuous.’

27. Einstein

This surname is an ornamental name combined of two German elements ‘ein’ meaning ‘one’ and ‘stein’ meaning ‘stone.’

28. Elkayam

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.’

29. Elkin

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.’

30. Engel

It is an ornamental name from the German word ‘engel’ meaning an ‘angel.’

31. Ewen

It comes from the Hebrew word ‘aven’ or ‘avna’ meaning ‘stone.’

32. Ezra

Ezra is a Biblical name and taken from the Hebrew word ‘ezra’ meaning ‘help.’

33. Fabrikant

It is an occupational name for a ‘manufacturer’ of any form of goods or a factory owner. The name comes from the word ‘fabrikant’ It has its origin in Polish, Russia, German languages.

34. Fairman

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.

35. Falk

It is an ornamental name from the Yiddish word ‘falk’ meaning ‘falcon.’

36. Fein

This is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname that is derived from the Yiddish word ‘fayn’ meaning ‘excellent’ or ‘fine.’

37. Feigenbaum

This is an ornamental personal name and means ‘fig tree’ in German.

38. Feinberg

This is an ornamental name composed of the German words ‘fein’ meaning ‘fine’ and ‘berg’ meaning ‘hill’ or ‘mountain.’

39. Feldman

This is an ornamental extension of the name ‘Feld’ that means ‘field’ in German and Yiddish.

40. Fingerhut

It means ‘finger hut’ in Yiddish and refers to a ‘thimble,’ which is a metal cap worn on the finger tip by tailors. This name is likely an occupational surname and originally referred to a family line of tailors.

Jewish surnames 1

Many Jewish surnames are related to occupation and native place of the individual. Some traditional surnames are related to religion, such as Shulman (synagogue-man), Cohen (priest), Kantor (Cantor), and Sofer (scribe). There are Jewish surnames of Russian, Polish, or German origin. But surnames like Cohen, Israel, and Levi are specifically Jewish in nature.

Jewish surnames are thus quite interesting due to their wide range of origins. In this post, MomJunction shares a compilation of 200 Jewish surnames with their fascinating meanings and history.

List Of Common Jewish Surnames With Meanings

1. Aaronson

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.’

2. Abelman

It is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname and a patronymic form of the personal name Abel. This is taken from the Hebrew name ‘hevel’ meaning ‘breath,’ ‘vanity’ or ‘vapor.’

3. Abram

This is a patronymic name derived from the reduced form of the name ‘Abraham’ that means ‘father of a multitude.’

4. Acker

This is an Ashkenazi Jewish last name of German or Old English origins with the meaning ‘plowed field.’

5. Adelman

This is an Ashkenazi Jewish name and is an ornamental name taken from the Yiddish word ‘eydl’ or German word ‘edel’ meaning ‘nobility.’

6. Appelbaum

This is a variant spelling of the German name ‘Apfelbaum’ that means ‘apple tree.’ It is also an occupational name from a grower of the fruit.

7. Bach

This is an Ashkenazi Jewish ornamental last name taken from the German word ‘Bach’ meaning a ‘creek’ or a ‘stream.’

8. Becker

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.

9. Benowitz

It is from the eastern Ashkenazic family line and patronymic name from the nickname of the personal name ‘Benjamin.’ It comes from Hebrew name ‘Binyamin’ meaning ‘son of the south’ or ‘son of the right hand.’

10. Berenson

This is an Ashkenazic patronymic surname. It is a combination of the Yiddish words ‘ber’ meaning ‘bear’ and German ‘sohn’ meaning ‘son.’

11. Berg

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. For instance, Goldberg and Schonberg.

12. Bing

It is an Ashkenazi Jewish name. 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.

13. Blau

It means ‘blue’ in German. It is an Ashkenazi Jewish ornamental surname.

14. Blum

It is the Yiddish word for ‘flower’ and may have been a toponymic or occupational name.

15. Broder

It is a Yiddish variant of ‘Brodsky,’ which is a toponymic name for someone from Brody, a place in Ukraine.

16. Cohen

It comes from the Jewish word ‘kohen’ meaning ‘priest.’ This surname is derived from the priestly family line who served at Jewish temples in ancient times.

17. Cooperman

This is an occupational name for a ‘coppersmith’ derived from Yiddish word ‘kuper’ meaning ‘copper.’

18. David

This is a popular name among Jews and comes from the Hebrew word ‘Dawid’ meaning ‘beloved.’

19. Diamond

This is an anglicized form of the Jewish surname ‘Diament,’ which means diamond in Yiddish. The word ‘diamond’ comes from the Late Latin word ‘diamas’ that means ‘invincible.’

20. Dillon

This is an Ashkenazi Jewish last name of uncertain origin. It is believed to be an ornamental name from the Biblical place ‘Dilon’ that likely meant ‘loyal and true.’