130 Jewish Last Names or Surnames

Jews as an ethnic group have settled in different parts of the world and adopted a large variety of surnames. Due to this cultural assimilation, Jewish surnames have a wide range of origin.  The Jewish last names have been highly influenced by Hebrew last names that are patronymic by nature. This Hebrew name is mostly used for Jewish rituals and is followed by the name of parents. They are meaningful and have numerological significance. Scroll down and check out this extensive list of Jewish family names that have been developed in the last three hundred years and find one that you like.

130 Jewish Last Names and Family Names

This list of common Jewish surnames or last names with their meanings bear testimony of the rich history behind them.

1. Åarons

The patronymic name in Hebrew means ‘Shining Light’.

2. Abate

Derived from Hebrew Cohen, Abate is an occupational name that refers to ‘descent from a high priest’.

3. Abeles

Derived from Hebrew ab ‘father’ or Abraham, Abel is an Old German name meaning ‘noble one’.

4. Åbend

Abend is derived from the German word ‘Abend’, which means ‘evening’.

5. Abendroth

Derived from German ‘sunset’, Abendroth means ‘evening red’.

6. Abermann

Abermann is a Jewish Ashkenazic occupational surname meaning ‘seller of oats’.

7. Abrams

The name means ‘exalted father’. It is of Biblical Hebrew origin.

8. Abrahamsons

This Ashkenazic patronymic surname is derived from the name Abraham meaning ‘the father of multitudes’.

9. Asturias

This name means a land with many mountain springs.

10. Babel

This ornamental surname is derived from Polish or German word ‘Babylon’ which is a combination of Assyrian elements bab’gate’ and ilu ‘god’.

11. Babin

Babin is a habitational name from Babino which is a village in Belarus.

12. Bach

This Ashkenazic name originates from German Bach ‘stream’ or ‘creek’.

13. Bacharach

Bacharach is a habitational surname of Celtic origin referring to a place on the Rhine near Koblenz.

14. Baer

This Ashkenazic surname is derived from the Yiddish name Ber, meaning ‘bear’.

15. Becker

This is a professional surname, and it is meant for a baker.

16. Benitez

The surname means ‘son of Benito’. 

17. Blau

The surname means ‘blue’. 

18. Camhi

This Sephardic occupational nickname is derived from the Hebrew Kamkhi of ‘wheat’.

19. Canaan

This modern Hebrew name means ‘the promised land’ in the Bible.

20. Cantor

This describes a person who can sing. 

21. Carmel

This name of Hebrew origin means ‘field of fruit’ or ‘garden’.

22.  Chacko

A nickname from Czech, called  ‘toy’, Chacko is a Hebrew personal name derived from Ya’aqobh.

23.  Chait

Originating from eastern Ashkenazic, this occupational surname means ‘tailor’.

24. Chodosh

Common among eastern Ashkenazic, its Hebrew meaning is ‘new’.

25. Citron

Derived from German Zitrone or ‘lemon tree’ Citron can be a surname for a lemon-seller or a nickname for a disagreeable person.

26. Cohen

It is one of the four Samaritan last names that exist in the modern day. It means ‘priest’. 

27. Cotler

This Ashkenazic occupational surname means ‘kettle maker’ or ‘boilermaker’.

28. Crespo

The surname means ‘curly’.

29. Dagon

This Jewish surname has a Hebrew origin meaning ‘corn’ or ‘grain’.

30. Dales

This Ashkenazic surname is a nickname for a needy person. Its Hebrew meaning is ‘poverty’.

31. Danieli

Danieli is derived from the word Daniel meaning ‘God is my Judge’.

32. Dembo

This Jewish surname refers to a person from Lithuania or Poland.

33. Diamond

The name is a Jewish surname for a diamond worker. 

34. Diner

Diner came from Yiddish diner meaning ‘servant’.

35. Dinkin

Dinkin is a metronymic name from the Yiddish word ‘Dinke’, a pet of Dianah from the Bible.

36. Director

This occupational surname originates from Polish dyrektor meaning ‘private teacher’.

37. Dolgin

This patronymic name is derived from Russian nickname Dolgij that means ‘long’.

38. Dornbusch

This eastern Ashkenazic surname is derived from German Dornbusch meaning ‘thornbush’.

39. Duarte 

The meaning of this unique surname is ‘prosperous guardian’. 

40. Efron

This Hebrew surname means ‘a Biblical place, commonly a ‘mountain’ or ‘a city’.

41. Ehrlich

This Ashkenazic surname is derived from the German word ‘Ehrlich’, meaning ‘honest’.

42. Eichelberg

This Ashkenazic surname is derived from Eichel – ‘acron’ and Berg – ‘mountain’.

43. Eisen

The surname means ‘iron’. 

44. Eisenstein

Eisenstein is formed by combining Eisen, ‘iron’, and Stein, ‘stone’.

45. Elgart

Elgart is derived from the German word meaning ‘olive garden’.

46. Elijah

Elijah comes from Hebrew Yiddish name Elye meaning ‘My God is Yahweh’.

47. Ethan

This surname of Hebrew origin means ‘gift of the island’ or ‘strong’.

48. Fingerhut

It is a metonymic occupational name for a tailor.

49. Gabriel

This surname of Hebrew origin is derived from ‘Gavriel’,  which means ‘God is my strength’.

50. Galinski

Galinski refers to someone from Galince in northeastern Poland or Galiniai in Lithuania.

51. Garbus

Derived from a nickname from the Belorussian word ‘garbuz’, meaning ‘pumpkin’.

52. Ganz

This ornamental name comes from Middle High German word ‘Ganser’, referring to ones who raised geese.

53. Gartenberg

This Ashkenazic surname is composed of the German word garten – ‘garden’ and Berg- ‘hill’.

54. Gelb

The surname means ‘yellow’. It was distributed to Jew at random by Austrian clerks.

55. Handelman

This surname of Ashkenazic origin is an occupational name for a tradesman, dealer or merchant.

56. Harari

Originating from Southern France, Harari refers to someone from Montpellier. Its Hebrew word means ‘mountaineer’.

57. Hakimi

The name means ‘dominion’ or ‘power’.

58. Hecht

This surname of Ashkenazic origin is derived from the Yiddish word ‘Hecht’, meaning ‘pike’.It denotes ‘wildlife’.

59. Heller

Heller is a habitational name for someone from the Schwabisch town of Hall.

60. Horowitz

This habitational surname of Ashkenazi origin refers to a person from Horovice in Bohemia.

61. Imber

This Ashkenazic surname comes from the Yiddish word for ‘ginger’.

62. Ingerman

Originating from Poland and Ukraine, Ingerman means ‘younger man’ in Yiddish.

63. Isaac

Originating from the Hebrew male name ‘Yitsch’, Isaac means ‘laughter’.

64. Israel

This surname of Hebrew ‘Yísráél-El, it means ‘wrestled with God’.

65. Itkin

Itkin comes from Yiddish Itke which is a derivation from the Biblical name ‘Judith.’

66. Janeski

This Ashkenazic habitational name refers to the village of Janishki in Lithuania.

67. Joshua

Joshua is a Hebrew surname meaning ‘God of salvation’.

68. Judah

Judah in Hebrew means ‘praised’.Judah is mentioned in the Old Testament name referring to the son of Jacob, an ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel.

69. Justman

This Ashkenazic surname is derived from a Yiddish word ‘Yust’, meaning ‘well to do man’.

70. Kairis

Derived from eastern Ashkenazic, ‘Kairis’ is a nickname for a left-handed person.

71. Kalman

This Ashkenazic surname is derived from the Hebrew name ‘Kalonimos’, which in turn comes from a Greek name, meaning ‘lovely’.

72. Kaminer

This Jewish habitational surname refers to Kamin or someone from places in Poland and Ukraine. Kamin means ‘stone’.

73. Kaplan

The surname is sometimes used as a translation of Polish kapłan, ‘chaplain curate’.

74. Kravitz

This occupational surname is taken from the Polish word ‘Krawlec’, meaning a ‘tailor’.

75. Krone

Krone is a German word meaning ‘crown’.  Derived from the Middle High German words ‘kran’ or ‘kron’, this name means”crane;”

76. Kugal

This Ashkenazi name is derived from the Yiddish word ‘Kugi’ meaning ‘pudding’.

77. Lachman

A variant of the Hebrew Nachman, Lachman means ‘consoler’ or ‘comforter.’

78. Leib

Derived from the Yiddish word ‘leyb’, Leib means ‘Lion’.

79. Levi

Derived from Hebrew, Levi means ‘joined’ or ‘united’.

80. Levy 

The name is another form of the surname Levi. It means ‘joined’ or ‘united’.

81. Levin

This too is another form of the surname Levi. It means ‘joined’ or ‘dear friend’.

82. Lipman

This Yiddish name is composed of a German element ‘Lieb’, meaning ‘beloved man’.

83. Loewe

Loewe is derived from the German word ‘lowe’ meaning ‘lion’.

84. Maggid

This surname was given to many of the many itinerant Jewish preachers who flourished during the 17th and 18th centuries. It means ‘preacher’.

85. Malkin

Malkin is derived from the Yiddish name ‘Malke’, which in turn originated from the Hebrew word, meaning ‘queen’.

86. Margolis

Margolis is a Hebrew name meaning ‘pearls’.

87. Meyer

This Ashkenazi surname is derived from the Hebrew word ‘Meir’ which means ‘enlightened’.

88. Milgram

Derived from the Yiddish word ‘milgrym’, Milgram means ‘pomegranate’.

89. Mizrahi

This toponymic name means ‘Easterner’ in Hebrew, who were native to the Middle East.

90. Morganstein

This name comprises German elements; ‘morgen’ meaning ‘morning’ and ‘stein’ meaning ‘stone’.

91. Nacht

This Ashkenazi surname is derived from the German word ‘Nacht’ which means ‘night’.

92. Nemeroff

This Ashkenazi toponymic surname refers to the native people from Ukraine or Poland.

93. Nudel

This is a short form of the surname Nudell and means ‘tailor’. 

94. Nudell

Derived from the Yiddish word ‘nudi’, Nudell is an occupational surname referring to a ‘tailor’ or ‘needle-maker’.

95. Oberman

Derived from the German word ‘Ober’ Oberman means ‘chief’.

96. Ortman

Ortman is composed of the German words ort meaning ‘place’ and Mann meaning ‘man’.

97. Osher

Derived from the Hebrew word ‘Ohshesher’, Oshler means ‘happiness’.

98. Ostrov

Ostrov refers to a native from Ostrov in Russia and the Czech Republic.

99. Papier

This Ashkenazic surname stands for the occupational name of a merchant derived from the German word Papier, meaning ‘paper’.

100. Pelka

This habitational name refers to someone from Pelki in England.

101. Perlman

Composed of the Yiddish elements ‘Perl’ meaning ‘pearl’ and man meaning ‘man’, this occupational surname refers to the husband of Perl.

102. Plotkin

This Jewish surname from Belarus is an ornamental fish name.

103. Plott

This east Ashkenazic occupational surname refers to a ‘fence maker’ or ‘carpenter’. 

104. Polanski

Polanski refers to a person who came from Polonne in Ukraine or Polonka in Belarus.

105. Portnoy

This Jewish occupational surname is a Russian word for ‘tailor’. 

106. Rabin

Rabbi refers to Jewish religious teachers wherein Rav means ‘master’.

107. Rabinowitz

It is a Polish-Lithuanian Ashkenazi Jewish surname which means ‘son of the rabbi’.

108. Rayman

Composed of the Yiddish elements reyn ‘pure’ and man ‘man’, Rayman means ‘pure man’.

109. Rosenbaum

This ornamental surname is adopted from the German word ‘Rosen Baum’ meaning ‘rose tree’.

110. Rubin

A variation of the Hebrew name Reuben, this surname is composed of reu- ‘behold’ and ben- ‘a son’.

111. Roth

Roth is derived from the German word Rot meaning ‘red colour’.

112. Rothschild

Rothschild is derived from the German elements; Rot meaning ‘red’ and Schilt meaning ‘sign’.

113. Ruderman

Derived from Yiddish elements Ruder- ‘oar’ and Man- ‘man, it is an occupational surname.

114. Sackman

Derived from the Hebrew phrase ‘Zera Keshodim’, meaning ‘seed of the holy’, Sackman refers to the martyrs of the Jews.

115. Salzberg

This Ashkenazi last name is composed of the word Salz meaning ‘salt’ and Berg meaning ‘hill’.

116. Sandler

Derived from Hebrew Sandelar ‘shoemaker’ it refers to ancestors who were cobblers.

117. Sas

The surname is a habitational surname with multiple origins.

118. Sasson

A variant of Sason, Sasson means ‘happiness’ in Hebrew.

119.Talman

This toponymic name is derived from Germanic elements meaning ‘valley’ and ‘man’.

120. Tilman

Derived from Yiddish personal name ‘Tile’ or ‘Tehila’ in Hebrew, Tilman means ‘splendour’.

121. Truman

Truman is adopted from natives of the Trumany village in Russia.

122. Uhr

Uhr is a Germanic word for ‘watch’, referring to clockmakers.

123. Ulman

Ulman refers to a family who came from the city of Ulm, Germany.

124. Vogel

Vogel is a Germanic occupational surname for ‘bird’ or referring to a bird-catcher or one who tends birds.

125. Wallace

Wallace is an anglicised form of the Ashkenazi name ‘Wallach’. It refers to someone from Italy.

126. Weinberg

The surname is a German and Jewish-Ashkenazi surname which means ‘vineyard’ in German.

127. Weiss

Weiss means ‘White’ in German and refers to a light-skinned person.

128. Winterstein

Winterstein is composed of the German words ‘winter’ and ‘stone’.

129. Yakel

Yakel is derived from Jacob or a Hebrew name Yaakov, which means ‘supplanter’.

130. Yampolsky

It is a habitational name for someone from the town of Yampol in Ukraine.

Whether you’re looking for a last name to reflect your religious faith or trying to find a moniker for a fictional character, try looking into some of the funny Jewish last names that cause the right amount of humour. Go ahead and inject the right amount of fun to your child’s identity by choosing one of the splendid Jewish last names mentioned here.

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