Jewish surnames carry rich histories, reflecting ancestry, occupations, geographic origins, and even personal traits.
Whether Ashkenazi, Sephardic, or Mizrahi, these names tell stories of migration, faith, and cultural identity.
Below, we’ve categorized 150 common Jewish last names and explored their fascinating meanings.
Occupational Surnames
Many Jewish surnames stem from professions held by ancestors.
- Abramson – “Son of Abram,” a biblical name meaning “exalted father.”
- Adler – “Eagle” (German), possibly a symbol of strength or a sign for a house.
- Bauer – “Farmer” (German).
- Becker – “Baker” (German/Yiddish).
- Berg – “Mountain” (German), possibly indicating someone who lived near hills.
- Berger – “Shepherd” or “mountain dweller.”
- Bialik – Derived from “Bialy,” meaning “white” in Polish.
- Binder – “Bookbinder.”
- Cohen (Kohan, Kohn, Katz) – Priestly lineage, from the Hebrew kohen (priest).
- Drucker – “Printer.”
- Faber – “Craftsman” or “blacksmith” (Latin/German).
- Fleisher/Fleischman – “Butcher.”
- Gold/Goldman – “Gold” or “goldsmith.”
- Goldsmith – Occupational name for a gold worker.
- Grabowski – Possibly from “grab,” meaning “hornbeam tree” (Polish).
- Gutman – “Good man” (German/Yiddish).
- Kantor – “Cantor” (synagogue singer).
- Kaufman – “Merchant.”
- Klein – “Small” (German/Yiddish).
- Kramer – “Shopkeeper.”
- Lehrer – “Teacher.”
- Metzger – “Butcher.”
- Müller – “Miller.”
- Perlman – “Pearl merchant.”
- Rabinowitz – “Son of the rabbi.”
- Schneider – “Tailor.”
- Schreiber – “Scribe.”
- Schuster – “Shoemaker.”
- Silverstein – “Silver stone,” possibly a jeweler.
- Stein – “Stone,” possibly a mason.
- Tischler – “Carpenter.”
- Weber – “Weaver.”
- Zimmerman – “Carpenter.”
Patronymic & Matronymic Surnames
Many Jewish surnames derive from a father’s (or mother’s) first name.
- Abramowitz – “Son of Abram.”
- Aronowitz – “Son of Aaron.”
- Davidson – “Son of David.”
- Efron – From the Hebrew name Ephron.
- Eliason – “Son of Elijah.”
- Isaacson – “Son of Isaac.”
- Jacobson – “Son of Jacob.”
- Levinson – “Son of Levi.”
- Mendelsohn – “Son of Mendel” (a Yiddish form of Menachem).
- Moses/Moskowitz – “Son of Moses.”
- Rubenstein – “Son of Reuben.”
- Samuels – “Son of Samuel.”
- Simonson – “Son of Simon.”
- Yankelowitz – “Son of Yankel” (Jacob).
Geographic & Topographic Surnames
These names often indicate where a family lived or originated.
- Aaronson – “Son of Aaron,” but also linked to places like Aarau.
- Berlin – From the German capital.
- Brodsky – From Brody (Ukraine).
- Danube – From the Danube River region.
- Dreyfus – Possibly from Trèves (Trier, Germany).
- Frankel – “From Franconia” (Germany).
- Galili – “From Galilee” (Israel).
- Geller – “From Galicia” (Eastern Europe).
- Hamburg – From the German city.
- Horowitz – From Hořovice (Czech Republic).
- Krakowski – “From Kraków” (Poland).
- Lansky – From Łańsk (Poland).
- Litvak – “From Lithuania.”
- Minsky – From Minsk (Belarus).
- Orenstein – “From Orenburg” (Russia).
- Pinsky – From Pinsk (Belarus).
- Pollack – “From Poland.”
- Posner – From Posen (Poznań, Poland).
- Prager – “From Prague.”
- Rabinovich – “Son of the rabbi,” but also tied to regions.
- Roth – “Red,” possibly from Roth (Germany).
- Sachs – “From Saxony.”
- Salzberg – “Salt mountain” (German).
- Shapiro – From Speyer (Germany).
- Sokolov – “From Sokołów” (Poland).
- Vilensky – From Vilnius (Lithuania).
- Warshavsky – “From Warsaw.”
- Weinberg – “Wine mountain.”
Descriptive & Nickname-Based Surnames
These names often describe a person’s appearance or character.
- Altman – “Old man.”
- Baruch – “Blessed” (Hebrew).
- Blum – “Flower” (Yiddish).
- Braun – “Brown” (hair or complexion).
- Feinberg – “Fine mountain.”
- Freeman – Possibly “free man” (English influence).
- Friedman – “Peace man.”
- Gross – “Big” or “large.”
- Gutman – “Good man.”
- Hochberg – “High mountain.”
- Katz – Acronym for kohen tzedek (“righteous priest”).
- Langer – “Tall.”
- Lebowitz – Possibly “lion’s son.”
- Lieberman – “Beloved man.”
- Lustig – “Cheerful.”
- Reich – “Rich.”
- Rothstein – “Red stone.”
- Schwartz – “Black” (hair or complexion).
- Seligman – “Blessed man.”
- Stern – “Star.”
- Weiss – “White.”
- Wise – From “weis,” meaning “wise.”
Hebrew & Religious Surnames
Names rooted in Jewish tradition, Torah, or spirituality.
- Aaronson – “Son of Aaron.”
- Abramson – “Son of Abraham.”
- Adler – Sometimes linked to the “eagle” in Isaiah 40:31.
- Baruch – “Blessed.”
- Ben-David – “Son of David.”
- Chaim – “Life.”
- Eliach – “God lives.”
- Ezra – Biblical name meaning “help.”
- Gabbai – Synagogue official.
- Halevi – “The Levite” (tribe of Levi).
- Levi/Levy – Descendants of the Levites.
- Menachem – “Comforter.”
- Mizrahi – “Eastern,” often Sephardic Jews from the Middle East.
- Nachman – “Comforter.”
- Raphael – “God heals.”
- Segal/Siegel – Acronym for segan leviyah (Levite assistant).
- Shalom – “Peace.”
- Shamir – “Hard stone,” symbolic of strength.
- Shapira – “Beautiful” (from Hebrew shapir).
- Tov – “Good.”
- Zakheim – “Pure.”
Sephardic & Mizrahi Surnames
Names from Spanish, Arabic, or Mediterranean Jewish communities.
- Abulafia – Arabic origin, meaning “father of health.”
- Alhadeff – From Arabic, meaning “the benevolent.”
- Amar – “Said” or “speaker” (Arabic).
- Benveniste – “Welcome” (Ladino).
- Cardozo – Possibly from Cardoso (Portuguese for “thistle”).
- Crespo – “Curly-haired” (Spanish).
- Delgado – “Thin” (Spanish).
- Farfel – Possibly from “farina” (flour).
- Hasson – “Strong” (Arabic).
- Levy – Also common among Sephardim.
- Maimon – From Maimonides’ family.
- Mizrahi – “Easterner.”
- Nahmias – “Comforter” (Hebrew/Arabic).
- Pardo – “Brown” (Spanish).
- Sasson – “Joy” (Hebrew/Aramaic).
- Serrano – “From the mountains” (Spanish).
- Toledano – “From Toledo” (Spain).
- Zarur – “Necessary” (Arabic).
Modern & Anglicized Jewish Surnames
Names adapted in English-speaking countries.
- Bloom – Anglicized from “Blum.”
- Davis – From “Davidson.”
- Ellis – Possibly from “Elijah.”
- Gordon – Scottish origin, adopted by Jews.
- Harris – From “Herschel.”
- Lewis – From “Levi.”
- Miller – English version of “Müller.”
- Myers – From “Meir.”
- Newman – “New man.”
- Phillips – From “Feivel.”
- Rose – From “Rosen.”
- Sherman – From “Shneur.”
- Snyder – From “Schneider.”
- Wexler – From “Wachs” (wax).
Final Thoughts
Jewish surnames are a mosaic of history, faith, and resilience. Whether your last name is Cohen, Goldberg, or Mizrahi, it carries a legacy worth exploring. Do you recognize any of these names in your family tree? Share your stories in the comments!
Would you like us to explore more about a specific surname? Let us know!