AbitbolאביטבולJudeo-Spanish Means "father of drums" (figuratively referring to a drum maker) from Arabic أَبُو (abū) meaning "father" and طَبْل (ṭabl) meaning "drum".
AmsalemאמסלםJudeo-Spanish From an uncertain first element, perhaps the Tamazight prefix 'am denoting an agent, combined with Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace".
AzoulayאזולאיJudeo-Spanish Meaning uncertain. It may derived from Spanish azul or French azur meaning "blue" (both ultimately derived from Persian via Arabic), possibly used as a nickname for someone with blue eyes or an occupational name for a maker of blue ceramic ware... [more]
BaranesבראנסJudeo-Spanish From the name of the Baranis tribe of the Amazigh (Berber) people, derived from an Arabic plural form of the name of the tribe's founder, Burnus. His name has been connected to the Arabic word برنس (burnus) meaning "burnoose, cloak".
BaraschHebrew Acronym of the first two letters for the Hebrew phrase "son of the Rabbi Samuel." Bar Rabbi Schmul
BrandisGerman, Jewish, Swiss German & Swiss: Habitational name from a former Brandis castle in Emmental near Bern, Switzerland, or from any of the places so named in Saxony, Germany. A famous bearer of the name is Jonathan Brandis (1976-2003).... [more]
BrennerGerman, German (Austrian), Jewish Derived from Middle High German brennen "to burn". Both as a German and a Jewish name, this was an occupational name for a distiller of spirits. As a German surname, however, it also occasionally referred to a charcoal or lime burner or to someone who cleared forests by burning.
BruckerJewish From Polish brukarz or Yiddish bruk "pavement", possibly an occupational name for a paver.
CaslariJewish (Archaic), Judeo-Provençal, Judeo-Catalan, Judeo-French Abraham ben David Caslari was a Catalan-Jewish physician. Abraham Caslari (presumably a different man) is also listed in the index of known Jews in France in the late middle ages in the book Judaia Gallica by Heinrich Gross.
ChamounשאמוןArabic, Arabic (Maghrebi), Assyrian, Jewish French-influenced variant of Arabic شمعون (see Shamoun), mainly used in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and parts of North Africa. This name was borne by Lebanese president Camille Chamoun (1900-1987).
CitrineJewish An invented Jewish name based on Yiddish tsitrin "lemon tree".
ClaymanEnglish, Jewish (Ashkenazi) Anglicized form of Ashkenazic Jewish Kleimann or Kleiman, from German 'Klei' meaning "clay" and "mann" meaning "man".
DesslerGerman, Yiddish Meaning Unknown. Known primarily in pop culture as the surname of a certain Michelle in the Fox tv hit 24 and of a certain villain called Albert in Space Battleship Yamato.
DiamantדיאמנטJewish Derived from Yiddish דימענט (diment) meaning "diamond".
DiamondJewish Americanized form of a Jewish surname, spelled in various ways, derived from modern German Diamant, Demant "diamond", or Yiddish dimet or diment, from the Middle High German diemant (via Latin from Greek adamas ‘unconquerable’, genitive adamantos, a reference to the hardness of the stone)... [more]
DrabkinBelarusian, Jewish Jewish (from Belarus): metronymic from Yiddish drabke “loose woman”. Can also be from drabki (Belarusian) 'light cart' (+ the same suffix -in), an occupational name for a coachman (Alexander Beider).... [more]
EhrlichYiddish From the German meaning "honest" or "honorable"
EinhornאײנהאָרןGerman, Jewish Derived from German Einhorn (Middle High German einhorn) "unicorn", denoting someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a unicorn.
EplboymעפּלבויםYiddish It means "apple tree", denoting either someone who planted them or lived near them.
EpsteinGerman, Jewish A habitational name for someone from a place named Eppstein, which is from Old High German ebur meaning ‘wild boar’ and stein meaning ‘stone’.
FarkashפרקשHebrew Hebrew transcription of Farkas, famous bearer is Israeli singer and actress Amit Farkash (or Farkas)
Feinmanפיינמן, פיינמאןGerman, Jewish Nickname for a fine person, derived from either Middle High German fīn meaning "fine, elegant, cultivated" or German fein and Yiddish fayn meaning "fine, excellent", combined with man.
Feynmanפיינמן, פיינמאןRussian, Yiddish Russian and Yiddish form of Feinman. This name was borne by the American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman (1918-1988).
Finsterפֿינסטער, פֿינצטערGerman, Jewish Nickname from German finster "dark, gloomy" or Yiddish fintster (Middle High German vinster). The name may have referred to a person's habitual character or it may have been acquired as a result of some now irrecoverable anecdote... [more]
FridmanYiddish, German (Anglicized) Derived from the Yiddish "Frid" (see fridu) meaning "peace," combined with "man" meaning "man" or "person." Originally derived from a vernacular form of Shalom, it is also an anglicized spelling of the German name Friedmann.
GabisonגביסוןJudeo-Spanish From the name of a town located in either the province of Valladolid or near the city of Santander in Spain. It has also been connected to the Spanish word cabeza, used as a nickname for a stubborn person.
GalanteItalian, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Jewish Means "gallant, courteous, chivalrous; romantic" in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, both derived from French galant "gentlemanly" or "flirtatious, amorous". In the case of Mordecai Galante, a Spanish exile in 16th century Rome, his courteous manners won for him from the Roman nobles the surname Galantuomo, meaning "gentleman" in Italian, from which Galante was eventually derived.... [more]
GildnerJewish Occupational name for a worker in gold, from Yiddish gildner 'golden'.
GingoldJewish An invented Jewish name, from Yiddish, literally "fine gold". Hermione Gingold (1897-1987) was a British actress.
GlauberJewish (Ashkenazi) Derived from German glauben "to believe" and the suffix -er. It was originally given either to an elder of the tribe, one renowned for his counsel, or to a layman who kept 'the faith'.
GrodskyPolish, Jewish Altered spelling of Polish Grodzki, a habitational name from Grodziec or Grodzie, places named with gród ‘castle’, ‘fortification’ (cognate with Russian grad)... [more]
HalpernJewish Habitational name for someone originally from the city of Heilbronn in Germany, derived from Old High German heil meaning "whole" or "holy" combined with brunno meaning "well".
HambergGerman, Danish, Jewish German, Danish, and Jewish (Ashkenazic) habitational name from any of several places named Hamberg. Jewish (Ashkenazic) variant of Hamburg.
HamburgGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) habitational name from the great city and port at the mouth of the river Elbe, named with the Germanic elements ham ‘water meadow’ + burg ‘fortress’, ‘fortified town’.
KaganekPolish, Jewish The surname Kaganek is of Polish or Jewish origin, and it is a diminutive form of the name Kagan, which is derived from the Hebrew word כַּהֵן (Kohen), meaning "priest." The name Kagan historically referred to individuals who were descendants of the Jewish priestly class.
KellnerGerman, Dutch, Jewish, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, French Means "waiter, cellarman" in German, ultimately derived from Latin cellarium "pantry, cellar, storeroom". This was an occupational name for a steward, a castle overseer, or a server of wine.
KesslerGerman, Jewish Means "kettle-maker, tinker", denoting a maker of copper or tin cooking vessels, derived from Middle High German kezzel meaning "kettle, cauldron". In some instances, it could have referred to the shape of a landform.
KhaimovחיימובUzbek, Jewish Means "son of Chayyim". This surname is used by Bukharan Jews of Uzbekistan.
KlopferGerman, Jewish (Ashkenazi) Derived from Middle High German klopfen "to knock, pound, hammer", an occupational name for a clothmaker, metalworker, miner, or hunter. As a Jewish name, it can refer to a shulklopfer, someone who knocks to call people to synagogue.
KochaviכוכביHebrew From Hebrew כוכב (kokhav) meaning "star", commonly used as a replacement for Ashkenazi surnames containing the old German element stern "star". For example, it was adopted as a surname by the Romanian-born Israeli archaeologist and university professor Moshe Kochavi (1928-2008), whose birth surname was Stern.
KreiselקרייסלGerman, Jewish Jewish family name and originally a nickname for an active or disorganized person, derived from German kreisel meaning "spinning top, top", ultimately from kreis "circle". Alternatively, it could've be used as a nickname for a person with curly hair in the context of "spiral" or "curl".
KrengelGerman, Jewish An occupational name for a pastry chef from Middle High German krengel German kringel "(cake) ring doughnut". As a Jewish name this may also have been adopted as artificial name.
KubrickJewish, Polish Derived from Polish kubryk "ship's forecastle". Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and photographer, widely considered as the greatest filmmaker of all time.
KushnerJewish This surname is a German Jewish given name. A notable bearer is Jared Kushner the son in law of President Donald J. Trump who became president in the year 2016.
LichtenGerman, Jewish From German licht meaning "light". Nickname for someone with a light complexion.
LichterGerman, Jewish Occupational name for someone who made candles or possibly for someone who tended a light, from an agent derivative of from Middle High German lieht, Yiddish likht "candle, light".
LiebmanJewish Variant of German Liebmann, itself a variant of Libman and derived from the Yiddish personal name Lipman, from Middle High German liep "dear, beloved" and man "man"... [more]
LittmanGerman (East Prussian), German (West Prussian), German, Jewish Derived from Germanized Czech personal names like Litomir (Czech: Ljutomir) and Litobor (Czech: Ljutobor) which ultimately go back to Old Slavic ljutu "grim; fierce; ferocious; wild". One theory suggests, however, that these given names might have been influenced by ljub- "love; dear".... [more]
MaitlisJewish Means "son of Meytl", a Yiddish female personal name, literally "little Meyte", a Yiddish female personal name derived from Middle High German maget "maid".
ManheimGerman, Jewish Habitational name from the city of Mannheim in southwestern Germany (formerly the residence of the electors Palatine) so named from the ancient Germanic personal name Manno (see Mann ) annd Old High German heim "homestead"... [more]
MilchikYiddish From the Yiddish milch, meaning “milk”derived from Old High German. Refers to food containing and/or prepared with dairy products in Ashkenazi Judaism.... [more]
MilgramJewish Ornamental name derived from Yiddish מילגרוים (milgroym) meaning "pomegranate".
NadolnyPolish, Jewish, Sorbian Topographic name from Polish nadól, Sorbian nadol "downwards", denoting someone who lived lower down in a village on a slope, or on relatively low-lying ground.
NakacheנקשJudeo-Spanish From Arabic نقاش (naqqash) meaning "engraver, inscriber, sculptor".
NeuhausGerman, Jewish Topographical name for someone who lived in a new house, Middle High German niuwe hus, modern German neu Haus, or a habitational name for someone from any of several places named Neuhaus ('new house') in various parts of Germany and Austria, also in Bohemia.
NichterנײַטערGerman, Yiddish Possibly means "negator, negate" from Middle High German nicht meaning "not", or "sober", from Middle High German nüchter. Perhaps it originally denoted a person who was a philosopher, judge, or bartender.
NinbergJewish 1 Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Feinberg .... [more]
OrgeriiJewish, Judeo-Provençal Aaron Orgerii is listed in the index of names of Jews in France in the late middle ages in Heinrich Gross' book Judaia Gallica. There is also an extent copy of a deed between "the Jew Nathan Orgerii and Johannes Raynaud", written in Arles in Provence in 1366... [more]
PfefferGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a spicer, or a nickname for a person with a fiery temper, for a small man, or for a dark-haired person. Derived from German Pfeffer "pepper".
PortnoyJewish, Belarusian, Ukrainian Occupational name for a tailor from Russian portnoj (an adjective derivative of port "uncut cloth").
PortreyJewish Origin uncertain. Perhaps an altered form of Jewish Portnoy of North German Portner.
PresserJewish (Ashkenazi) An occupational surname used to describe someone who ironed clothes. Derived from the Yiddish pres meaning "flat iron".
RachlynJewish (Rare), Polish (Rare), Brazilian (Rare) Rachlyn is a Jewish surname derived directly from polish "Rachman". This surname is very rare and apparently only few members in Brazil, descendants of Polish survivors of Holocaust.... [more]
ReisnerJewish Jewish (Ashkenazic) nickname for a traveler, from an agent derivative of German reisen ‘to travel’ (see Reise). Also a variant of Reis.
ReubensראובןJewish, English Derived from the given name Reuben. This surname was borne by American comedian and actor Paul Reubens (1952-2023; birth name Paul Rubenfeld), who created and played the comic fictional character Pee-wee Herman.
RifkindJewish Variant of Rifkin. The final element was changed due to the influence of the Yiddish noun kind "child" (German: "Kinder").
RochmanJewish Metronymic from the Yiddish given name Ruchel + suffix man "man".
RothmanGerman, Jewish German (Rothmann) and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for a person with red hair, from an elaborated form of Roth 1. ... [more]
RubinovRussian, Jewish Means "son of Rubin" in Russian, though it could also be derived from Russian рубин (rubin) "ruby".
SaengerGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a chorister or a nickname for someone who liked singing, from Middle High German senger, German Sänger meaning "singer".