AltschulerJewish It is derived from the Altschul, Old Synagogue in Prague.
AmbarעמברHebrew Combination of the word am, means "people, nation" and the name Bar. This surname means "son of the nation" in Hebrew and its variant is Baram which is the same elements but in reverse order.
ApfelGerman, Jewish Means "apple" in German, from Middle High German apfel, an occupational name for someone who grew or sold apples. As a Jewish name, it is ornamental.
AppelGerman, Dutch, Jewish, Yiddish From Low German Appel, Middle Dutch appel, or Yiddish epl "apple", an occupational name for a grower or seller of the fruit. As a Jewish surname, it is generally ornamental rather than occupational.
AtlanאטלןJudeo-Spanish From an Arabic word originally meaning "noble" but later taking on the pejorative meaning of "spoiled, worthless" or "crippled, infirm".
AttalאטאלJudeo-Spanish Derived from Arabic عتال ('attal) meaning "porter, carrier".
AusterlitzGerman (Austrian), Jewish Derived from Slavkov u Brna (historically known as Austerlitz in German), a town located in Vyškov District, in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. This was real surname of the American actor and dancer Fred Astaire (1899-1987), as well as his sister Adele Astaire (1896-1981), an actress, singer and dancer.
AviviאֲבִיבִיHebrew Means "springlike" or "of the spring" in Hebrew. (see Aviv)
BacalRomanian, Jewish Derived from Romanian bacal, an alternative form of băcan meaning "grocer".
BacriבכריJudeo-Spanish Possibly derived from Arabic بكر (bikr) meaning "firstborn, eldest". Alternately it may be an occupational name for a cowherd or cattle merchant from بقر (baqar) meaning "cattle".
BaramברעםHebrew Combination of the word am, means "people, nation" and the name Bar. This surname means "son of the nation" in Hebrew and its variant is Ambar which is the same elements but in reverse order.
BaronJewish From German or Polish baron or Russian барон (baron) meaning "baron". In Israel the name is often interpreted to mean "son of strength" from Hebrew בר און (bar on).
Beginבעגין, בֵּגִיןBelarusian, Jewish Nickname for a runner, derived from Belarusian бегун (begun) meaning "one who walks quickly". A noteworthy bearer was Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin (1913-1992), who is best remembered for signing a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, for which he and Anwar Sadat were both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
BiedermannGerman, Jewish nickname for an honest man from a compound of Middle High German biderbe "honorable" and man "man". Jewish surname adopted because of its honorific meaning from German bieder "honest, upright" and mann "man".
BirneEnglish, German, Jewish Means "pear" in German, making it the German equivalent of Perry 1, perhaps originally referring to a person who harvested or sold pears... [more]
BlankGerman, Dutch, Jewish Means "white, pale, bright", a nickname for a person with white or fair hair or a pale complexion. As a Jewish name, it’s ornamental.
BlattGerman, Jewish Ornamental name derived from German blatt and Yiddish blat meaning "leaf", or a topographic name for someone who lived at a farm on a ledge on a mountainside, derived from Middle High German blate meaning "flat surface, ledge, plateau".
BlitzsteinGerman, Jewish Blitz is the German word for lightening and stein is the German word for stone.
BlochJewish, German, French Regional name for someone in Central Europe originating from Italy or France, from Polish "Włoch" meaning "Italian" (originally "stranger / of foreign stock"), ultimately derived – like many names and words in various European languages – from the Germanic Walhaz.
BrizendineFrench, English, Jewish Derived from a personal name, probably of Celtic origin (Latinized as Britus), which was borne by a 5th century saint, who succeeded St. Martin as bishop of Tours.
BruckJewish From Polish, Belorussian, or Yiddish bruk "pavement", possibly an occupational name for a paver.
BrühlGerman, Jewish Topographic name for someone who lived by a swampy area, derived from Middle High German brüel and Middle Low German brul meaning "swampy land with brushwood". It may also be a habitational name from various places named Brühl in Germany.
CressGerman, Jewish, Belarusian A variant of the German surname Kress. From the Middle High German "kresse" meaning "gudgeon" (a type of fish) or the Old High German "krassig", meaning "greedy". Can also be from an altered form of the names Erasmus or Christian, or the Latin spelling of the Cyrillic "КРЕСС".
DahanדהןJewish (Sephardic) Occupational name for a painter or a seller of oils from Arabic دُهْن (duhn) meaning "grease, fat, oil".
EfronאפרוןJewish From a Biblical place name that was used for a mountain mentioned in Joshua 15:9 and a city mentioned in 2 Chronicles 13:19. It can also be considered to be derived from the given name Ephron.
EichenlaubGerman, Jewish Derived from Eichenlau, a topographic name from Middle High German eichen "oaks" and loh "forest clearing", reinterpreted through folk etymology as Eichenlaub, meaning "oak leaf".
EisenGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for an ironworker or smith, or an ironmonger, from Middle High German isen ‘iron’, German Eisen. It may also have been used as a nickname, with reference to the strength and hardness of iron or to its color, while as a Jewish name it was also adopted as an ornamental name from modern German Eisen ‘iron’ or the Yiddish cognate ayzn.
EisensteinGerman, Jewish topographic name for someone who lived by a place where iron ore was extracted or perhaps a habitational name from a place called for its iron works. Jewish artificial compound of German isarn "iron" and stein "stone".
ElzeaHebrew (Gallicized, Rare), American (South, Gallicized, Rare) The name means G-d’s help It is a French transition of the Hebrew name Eleazar applied to Jews that came to France by way of Egypt. Later it was carried over to the French Caribbean mainly St. Martinique which was the first major Jewish settlement in the Caribbean, but the name also spread to other Latin American Islands including Mexico... [more]
ErberJewish, German Meaning uncertain. Either a habitational name for someone living in a place named Erb or Erp, a name for a owner of a farm named Erbhof (derived from MIddle High German erbære "honorable, noble"), or derived from the given name Erpo.
EulerGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a potter, most common in the Rhineland and Hesse, from Middle High German ul(n)ære (an agent derivative of the dialect word ul, aul "pot", from Latin olla).
FaginJewish Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): variant spelling of Feigin.
FaranפארןHebrew The name of a desert mentioned in the Bible where Ishmael settled after his wanderings with his mother Hagar. The Israelites also came to this desert on their journey from the Sinai desert.
FederGerman, Jewish metonymic occupational name for a trader in feathers or in quill pens from Middle High German vedere German feder "feather quill pen"... [more]
FeuerJewish Ornamental name from modern German Feuer "fire".
GlückGerman, Jewish Originally denoted a fortunate person, derived from Middle High German gelücke "luck, success". As a Jewish name, it is ornamental, from Yiddish גליק (glik).
GolanJewish Israeli ornamental name from the Golan Heights in Israel.
GoldenbergJewish Ornamental name from a compound of German golden literally meaning "golden" and berg meaning "mountain, hill".
GoldfingerJewish Ornamental name composed of Old High German gold literally "gold" and finger "finger". It may perhaps also be a nickname for someone who wore a prominent gold ring on their finger.
GorenגורןJewish Jewish (Ashkenazic) altered form of Horn (5), under Russian influence; since Russian has no h and alters h in borrowed words to g. In Israel the name has been reinterpreted by folk etymology as being from Hebrew goren 'threshing floor', which is in fact etymologically and semantically unrelated.
GreenblattJewish Ashkenazi Jewish Surname incorporating Yiddish/German elements meaning “Greenleaf.” Writer and storyboard artist C. H. Greenblatt (born 1972) most known for SpongeBob SquarePants is a famous bearer of this name.
GreenburghGerman, Jewish The surname Greenburgh is anglicized for the German Jewish surname Greenberg which translates into English as green mountain.
HaferGerman, Jewish Metonymic occupational name for a grower of or dealer in oats, from German Hafer "oats". Compare Haber. As a Jewish surname, it is in many cases ornamental.
HaganJewish Hebrew, shortened from haganah which means soldier
HamelGerman, Jewish Habitational name from the town of Hamelin, which sits on the Hamel river.
HassenfeldPolish, Jewish Notable beaters of this surname are the Hassenfeld brothers who founded the Hasbro, INC. an abbreviation of their surname and the word brother. Hasbro, INC. is an American multinational conglomerate with you, board game, and media assets, headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.... [more]
HattendorfGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from places called Hattendorf, near Alsfeld and near Hannover. The element hatt, had means ‘bog’
HeimburgerGerman, Jewish Status name for a village head, derived from Middle High German heim meaning "homestead, settlement" and bürge meaning "guardian". It could also be a habitational name for someone from numerous places called Heimburg or Heimberg in Germany.
Herzlהֶרְצְל, הערצלGerman, Jewish Variant of Hertz. It was notably borne by the Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist, writer and political activist Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), who is considered the founder of the modern Zionist movement.
HirschbergGerman, Jewish Derived from many places named Hirschberg in the states of Thuringia and North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, or the historic city of Jelenia Góra in southwestern Poland. It is composed of Middle High German hirz meaning "deer, stag" and berg meaning "hill, mountain"... [more]
HirschfeldGerman, Jewish, Yiddish Ornamental name composed of German hirsch or Yiddish hirsh meaning "deer" and feld meaning "field". It is also a topographic name for someone who lived in an area of land frequented by deer or where millets grew.
JaouiזיאוויJudeo-Spanish Derived from Arabic لبان جاوي (luban jawiyy) referring to a type of balsamic resin used in perfumes and incense (literally meaning "Javanese frankincense").
JehleHebrew Jehle-Romanov surname was given name of monarchical leaders over the areas of eastern Eurasia known as Russia and all Russia's yet upon revolution family erroneously reported all dead. Most family of Alexander died while remaining in Russia, while those whom escaped circa 1880 survived... [more]
KamhiJewish Name found throughout the Mediterranean, predominantly in Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish communities. Meaning unknown.
KämpfGerman, Jewish From middle high German kampf, German kamf "fight, struggle" an occupational name for a champion a professional fighter (see Kemp ) or a nickname for someone with a pugnacious temperament.
KarchJewish 1 Jewish (Ashkenazic): Americanized spelling of Karcz .... [more]
KarivקריבHebrew Means "battle, fight, war" in Hebrew.
KlierGerman, Czech, Jewish artificial name (for Jews) and nickname (for Germans and Czechs) derived from German dialect klier "castrated cock".
KnafoכנפוJudeo-Spanish Likely derived from Tamazight akhnif referring to a type of woolen hooded cloak (a type of burnous). It has also been connected to the Hebrew word כָּנָף (kanaf) meaning "wing".
KnollEnglish, German, Jewish English and German topographic name for someone living near a hilltop or mountain peak, from Middle English knolle ‘hilltop’, ‘hillock’ (Old English cnoll), Middle High German knol ‘peak’... [more]
KoberGerman, Jewish (Ashkenazi) From Middle High German kober "basket". This was used as either an occupational name for a basket maker or a nickname for someone who carried a basket on his back.
KönigsbergJewish Associated with the Polish/Prussian/German/Russian town Königsberg, now called Kaliningrad. This surname was borne by the parents of American actor, writer, teacher, and director Walter Koenig (1936-) before they emigrated to the United States.
KorenSlovene, Hebrew Koren is a surname which has multiple origins. Koren may be a variant of the German occupational surname Korn, meaning a dealer in grain. Alternatively, it may be a variant of the Greek female name Kora... [more]
KowalewskiPolish, Jewish Habitational name for someone from places called Kowalew or Kowalewo, named with kowal "smith" or an occupational name for a blacksmith.
KozakJewish Nickname from Yiddish kozak from a Ukrainian loanword meaning "warrior", "brave man".
KräftGerman, Jewish Nickname for a strong man, from Old High German kraft, German Kraft ‘strength’, ‘power’.
KunisJewish Metronymic form of Kune. This surname is most famous for its association with the American actress named Mila Kunis.
KupkaCzech, Polish, Ukrainian, Slovak, Sorbian, Jewish Nickname or topographic name from the Polish, Ukrainian, Czech and Sorbian word kupka, a diminutive of kupa meaning "heap, pile", in Upper Sorbian also "lump".... [more]
KwiecińskiPolish, Jewish Habitational surname for someone from a place named Kwiecin, named after the Polish word kwiat, which means "flower".
LandeFrench, Norwegian, Jewish French: topographic name for someone living on a heath, lande (from Gaulish landa ‘space’, ‘land’), or a habitational name from any of numerous minor places named La Lande from this word.... [more]
LaskiPolish, Hungarian, Jewish Polish (Laski) and Jewish (from Poland): habitational name from Lasko (now Lask) in Sieradz voivodeship, named with laz, lazy ‘clearing in a forest’. ... [more]
LevaiלֵוִיJewish Comes from the Levitic surnames of 'Levi' and 'Levy', signifying the descendants from the Tribe of Levi. All bearers today are of Hungarian–Jewish descent.
LevensteinJewish, Yiddish Jewish (Ashkenazic): ornamental name, or perhaps an ornamental elaboration associated with the name Leyb; from Middle High German lewe ‘lion’, translating the Yiddish male personal name Leyb (see Low) + German stein ‘stone’, ‘rock’... [more]
LichtJewish From the German word meaning "light", possibly derived from a given name meaning "light" such as Uri or Meir.
LichtGerman, Dutch, Yiddish Means "light" or "candle". Could be an occupational name for a chandler, a topographic name for someone who lived in a clearing (see Lichte), or a nickname for someone who had light hair, or who was agile and slender.
LiebermannGerman, Jewish Derived from German lieb or Yiddish lib meaning "dear, beloved". Many Liebermann families originally spelled the name in Hebrew or Cyrillic characters, so variations in the spelling occurred during transliteration to the Latin alphabet.
LilienthalJewish Means "valley of lilies" in German, being this word derived from Lilie "lily" and Thal "valley".
LindeGerman, Dutch, Jewish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish Derived from Middle Hugh German, Dutch linde or Scandinavian lind "lime tree". Almost exclusively ornamental in Swedish, otherwise probably habitational. There are also a number of feminine names containing the element lind, for example Linda, Dietlinde and Gerlinde, and it's possible that the surname is derived from any of those names.
LindenbaumGerman, Jewish topographic name for someone who lived by a lime tree Lindenbaum or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a lime tree. Derived from the elements linta "linden" and boum "tree".
LindenbergGerman, Jewish, Dutch As a German and Jewish name, it is derived from any of numerous places called Lindenberg in Germany, composed of Middle High German linde meaning "lime tree" and berg meaning "mountain, hill"... [more]
LowensteinJewish Combination of German Löwe "lion" and stein "stone". In some cases an ornamental name associated with the name Levi (see also Levy and Lew 2).
LurieJewish It is one of the oldest family trees in the world, tracing back at least to King David born c. 1037 BCE, as documented by Neil Rosenstein in his book The Lurie Legacy... [more]
LustgartenJewish An invented Jewish name based on German Lustgarten "pleasure garden" (perhaps alluding to the Garden of Eden). It was borne by British barrister, writer and broadcaster Edgar Lustgarten (1907-1978), presenter of television crime reconstructions.
LysakJewish Nickname for a bald man, Ukrainian lysak.
MondscheinGerman, Jewish topographic or habitational name referring to a house name meaning "moonshine" or a nickname for someone who was bald from the same word Middle High German māno "moon" and schinen "shine"... [more]
MontefioreItalian, Jewish Derived from Montefiore, which is the name of several places in Italy. For example, there is Castle Montefiore in the town of Recanati (province of Macerata), the municipality of Montefiore Conca (province of Rimini) and the municipality of Montefiore dell'Aso (province of Ascoli Piceno)... [more]
MoragמוֹרַגHebrew Means "threshing sledge", "flail" in Hebrew. Morag is a hand-held threshing tool.
NatesEnglish, Jewish It's probably from the given name Nate, the origin is said to be Jewish*, but the ancestors immigrated to English speaking countries.
NavonנָבוֹןHebrew Means "wise, intelligent" in Hebrew. A notable bearer of this surname was Israeli president Yitzhak Navon (1921-2015).
NegroItalian, Spanish, Portuguese, Jewish Nickname or ethnic name from negro "black" (Latin niger), denoting someone with dark hair or a dark complexion.
NegroItalian, Spanish, Galician, Portuguese, Jewish Nickname or ethnic name from negro "black" (continuation of Latin niger), denoting someone with dark hair, dark eyes, a dark complexion, someone who wore dark clothes, someone who worked a job in the night, or was otherwise associated with the night.
NürnbergerGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone from the city of Nürnberg in Bavaria.
OhanaאוחנהJudeo-Spanish From a name meaning "son of Hanna" in Tamazight, either from the given name Hanna 1 or perhaps Tamazight ḥenna meaning "grandmother".
OphirאוֹפִירHebrew From the given name Ophir. Ophir (or Ofir) is originally a biblical place name. In the days of King Solomon, Ophir was mentioned as the name of a land, full of abundant natural treasures such as gold, silver, etc.