Be a Mensch and Take Time To Learn More About These 100 Jewish Last Names
We've identified 100 common Jewish last names and their Hebrew meanings.
One doesn't have to be fluent in Yiddish to be familiar with the term, "mensch." If you're a mensch, it says a lot about you, and it's all good. Mensch means one who's held in high regard. Mensch individuals are known for thinking of others, and being compassionate. Now, being labeled a schmuck, on the other hand, "oy vey"—that's another story.
Knowledge, as they say, is power. 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.
Jews did not use surnames in ancient times. People were given a name derived from their ancestors (ie. David ben (son of) Jesse, or Miriam bat (daughter of) Aaron). The use of a last name developed over time. As with most last names, they point to a family's place of origin. In the case of a Jewish name, it might also point to a religious heritage. Examples include Sofer (scribe), Kantor (cantor), and Cohen (priest).
In addition to faith, Jewish surnames, their pronunciations and their spellings, can vary slightly by geographic location due to cultural assimilation, pointing to the existence of Jewish diasporas around the globe. Thus, what is a common last name for a Jewish person might also be a common name for a Gentile. Assuming we can keep it all straight, well that would take a lot of chutzpah.
Let's get started.
100 Jewish Last Names
1. Aaronson
Literally "son of Aaron."
2. Abelman
From an old German word meaning "noble one."
3. Abrams
A reference to the biblical patriarch, Abraham.
4. Alterman
Literally "old man."
5. Benenson
A Russian surname combing the Yiddish "Benye" with the German, "sohn" (son).
6. Benowitz
An Ashkenazic (a Jew of eastern European or German descent) Jew. This surname comes from the pet form of Beniamin.
7. Berg
Of Northern European origin, a word meaning "mountain."
8. Bloom
Derived from the Yiddish word, "blum" and the German word, "blume," and means flower.
9. Bloomberg
An Ashkenazic Jewish surname, comprised of "flower" and "mountain."
10. Brockman
An Americanized form of a Jewish surname from Poland, "Brokman." May stem from the Yiddish name for a paver, thus making it an occupation-based name.
11. Burns
Americanized from the Jewish surname, "Bernstein." One highly recognized person with this surname is the Jewish comedian, George Burns.
Related: 10 Traditional Jewish Recipes that Work for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah
12. Cahana
A relatively common surname in Israel, it's the Aramaic word meaning "priest."
13. Cohen
A variation of the Hebrew word for priest, "kohein," refers to descendants of Aaron.
14. David
In honor of the biblical King David, a name meaning "beloved."
15. Drexel
A Jewish surname with origins from a medieval word, "dreseler," meaning "to turn."
16. Dreyfuss
Literally "three feet" in German. This surname comes from the German city, Trier. Its Latin name, "Treveris," eventually developed into Dreyfuss. Richard Dreyfuss, a famous American actor, has this surname.
17. Edelman
Ashkenazic surname meaning "noble," "splendid" or "fine" man.
18. Ehrenberg
A compound surname describing one's location of origin, and community status, namely "honor" and "hill."
19. Einstein
Of German origin, meaning "to enclose or surround with stone." It's recognized as the surname of the famous inventor and scientist, Albert Einstein.
20. Epstein
A German location-based surname, meaning "wild boar" and "stone."
21. Ezra
Of Hebrew origin, and means "help."
22. Feinberg
In German, "fine" and "hill."
23. Feldman
A surname for someone who likely lived on land cleared of trees.
24. Fisher
In Yiddish, literally "little fish." A reference to the biblical Ephraim, who, over time, became associated with fish because of Jacob's blessing over him.
25. Franco
Means "free." It's a common surname for families from the Iberian Peninsula.
26. Galante
Italian for "chivalrous." This surname is quite common in Italian Jewish communities.
27. Garfinkle
Its origins are both Yiddish and German, so named for a red stone, such as a garnet or ruby circle. Thus, it is an ornamental surname. The famous singer, Art Garfunkel, had a variation of this name.
28. Goldblum
A surname combining the German words for "gold" and "flower."
29. Goldman
Possibly indicating the family came from a line of goldsmiths, or someone in a similar business relating to precious stones.
Related: 100 Sukkot Greetings and Wishes
30. Goldstein
In German, literally "gold" and "stone."
31. Green
Americanized form of German "Grun" or Yiddish "Grin." Refers to the color, green.
32. Hahn
In German, the word for rooster (Hahn). An Ashkenazic surname indicating some affiliation with birds or animals.
33. Hearst
Americanized form of surnames with variations of the German word for deer, "hirsch."
34. Herzog
An ornamental name from the German, "herzoge," meaning duke. This surname doesn't likely indicate descendancy from an actual duke. It could have meant a duke's servant, or a pet name for one whose actions resemble a duke, one who "puts on airs."
35. Hoffman
May be German or Jewish or both. Means "a steward or farm laborer."
36. Isaak
Hebrew word meaning "laughter," and the name of Abraham's son in scripture.
37. Israel
From the Hebrew, meaning "God contends." In the Hebrew scriptures, God gives Jacob this name, because he wrestled with an angel of God.
38. Jablonski
Both Polish and Jewish. A habitational surname for someone from places like Jablonka. "Jablon" is "apple tree" in Czech.
39. Jacobs
Meaning "supplanter." This surname can be found in English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish communities. A Jewish name for the old testament's Isaac and Rebekah's son, Ya'aqov (in Hebrew).
40. Javorsky
A habitational surname from the village of Yavor in Belarus, a country in Eastern Europe. Also a topographic surname for someone who lived by a maple or sycamore tree.
41. Kaplan
This common surname, and its variants, comes from the Turkish word for "tiger." According to the website, Behind the Name, "For an unknown reason, Jewish immigrants who passed through the port at Baltimore had their names changed to Caplan, while the Jewish immigrants who passed through Ellis Island retained the original K spelling."
42. Kahn
A common variation of the Hebrew word, kohein, meaning priest.
43. Kantor
This occupational name is for descendants of a cantor, one who sung liturgical music and led prayer in synagogue.
44. Klein
Jewish surname that is a Slovenian derivative of klin. A topographic name for someone who lived on a wedge-shaped piece of land.
45. Koppel
From the Yiddish name, "kopl," a pet name for Jakob. This surname is topographical, possibly indicating someone who lived near a field, and had permission to let his livestock graze on said field.
46. Lapin
A Jewish person with descendants from Łapy in northeastern Poland or Lapino in Belarus. A common Jewish surname in Russia.
47. Laubenstein
A surname taken from the German words, "laub" (leaves or foliage), or "laube" (summerhouse or arbor), and 'stein' (stone).
48. Leichtman
Taken from Yiddish "laykht" (light, not heavy), and "man."
49. Levin
A Lithuanian Jewish and Belarusian Jewish name, it is a Slavicized form of Levy.
50. Levit
Ashkenazic surname from the German word for Levite, Levit.
51. Levy
A descendant from the biblical tribe of Levi.
52. Liberman
From the Yiddish personal name, Liberman, literally beloved man.
53. Luz
Ornamental name from Hebrew luz, "almond."
54. Marelli
Mean "gift of God." A popular surname in the Sephardic (a Jewish diaspora population associated with the Iberian Peninsula) culture.
55. Marx
A patronymic surname (taken from an ancestor with the given first name, Marcus). Marx is an Anglicization of any of several variations on this surname. Karl Marx, author of The Communist Manifesto, was born Jewish.
56. Miller
Refers to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill.
57. Montefiore
Belonging to Sephardic Jews who originated from Italy.
58. Moses
A surname connected with the biblical Moses, possibly from Jewish, Welsh or English origin.
59. Nirnberg
The Yiddish form of "Nuremberg." Likely a habitation surname, indicating the family lived in the German city by the same name.
60. Oberman
From the German "Ober," meaning senior or chief. Occasionally, it indicates a rabbi, but not always.
61. Pallache
Spanish for "palaces." 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.
62. Portman
A surname of Anglo-Saxon English. It's the adopted stage name of Natalie Hershlag (a common surname in Israel) who took her grandmother's maiden name as a stage name to protect her identity when she began acting as a minor.
63. Portnoy
Occupational surname for a tailor. Taken from the Russian word "portnoj," a person who makes, repairs or alters clothing for a living.
64. Rabinowitz
A Germanized variant of the shorter surname, "Rabin," indicating descendants of a rabbi, ultimately from the Hebrew "rav."
65. Rogen
A Jewish habitational surname for villagers from various places in Belarus, such as Rogi or Rogin.
66. Rosenbaum
Of German origin. Literally, "rose bush."
67. Rosenberg
A habitational name, meaning "rose mountain." Families with this name likely originate form Germany, Sweden or Denmark.
68. Rothschild
A surname identified as a "house name," in the days before house numbers and street signs. Here, it signifies a house with a red sign.
69. Rubin
A variant of the Hebrew name, Reuben (the Jewish patriarch, Jacob's, oldest son), meaning "behold, a son."
70. Ruttenberg
A variation of the German, "Rotenberg," meaning "red mountain."
71. Sachs
Of German origin. For Jewish families, a surname adopted in memory of persecuted forebears.
72. Sandler
An occupational surname for a cobbler or shoemaker.
73. Schechter
A Yiddish surname of a descendant of a ritual slaughterer or butcher.
74. Schmidt
An occupational surname from the German "smit"—a "blacksmith."
75. Schneider
A man who made outer garments, or a "tailor." Derived from German, "schneiden," meaning "to cut."
76. Schultz
A status surname derived from the German, "schultheize," combining "scold" (debt due) and "heizzan" (to command) and schultheize. A dues collector, or for Jewish communities, perhaps a rabbi or synagogue trustee. American cartoonist, Charles M. Schulz, had a variation of this surname.
77. Schwartz
Named for someone with black hair or a dark complexion. German and Yiddish in origin.
78. Seinfeld
In German, "sein" (to be) and "field." The surname of famous American comedian, Jerry Seinfeld.
79. Setzer
An occupational surname. In Yiddish, "zetser" means a "typesetter."
80. Shapiro
Means "pretty" or "lovely" in Hebrew.
81. Shteynhoyz
A Yiddish surname meaning "stonehouse."
82. Silverstein
An ornamental surname of German origin. It's from "silver" (silver) and "stein" (stone). Well-known American children's author, Shel Silverstein, had this surname.
83. Simcah
Hebrew for gladness or joy.
84. Sofer
An occupational surname for a scribe.
85. Spinoza
A surname for those Jews of Spanish and Portuguese descent. Means "thorny" in Spanish.
86. Steinbach
A location-based name of German origin, combining stone and stream creek.
87. Stiller
This surname can come from a few different origins. Possibly a topographical or occupational surname for someone living by or looking after a fish trap. Secondly, a medieval nickname surname for a placid person. Finally, a locational surname for a person from one of the various places called Still or Stille in Europe. Famous American actors, Ben and Jerry Stiller, have this surname.
88. Streisand
A notable family in the early days of the German state of Prussia. The surname borne by American singer and actress, Barbra Streisand.
89. Tapuchi
Information on this surname is from a personal Jewish friend. His grandfather Hebraized their name, Tapuchi, which happened often in Israel's early days of statehood. Originally, the surname was Yablochnik, Russian for "apple." Likely a distant family member owned an apple orchard, or was generally in the apple business.
90. Tibbon
An occuapational Sephardic surname meaning "straw merchant."
91. Top
An occupational surname for a potter, from Yiddish "top" (pot).
92. Uhr
From the German word, "uhr," (watch or clock), likely someone who was a clock maker.
93. Vogel
A surname given to a happy person or someone who liked to sing, or an occupational surname for a bird catcher.
94. Wachsmann
An occupational surname for a gatherer or seller of beeswax.
95. Weinmann
An occupational name for a viticulturalist or wine merchant.
96. Weiss
A surname for someone with white hair or a remarkably pale complexion.
97. Winkel
A topographic surname for someone who lived on a corner, either on a piece of land or a street. From the German word "winkle" (corner).
98. Yonah
In Hebrew, "dove." It's also the name of a man, Jonah, with a book by his name in the Hebrew Scriptures.
99. Yuter
Of Russian and Jewish origin. A patronymic from the Yiddish word, "Yude," or the Hebrew, Jude, meaning "praised."
100. Zalman
Yiddish for "Solomon," Israel's third king.
Up Next: 100 French Last Names
