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Here's The Fascinating Origin Of Almost Every Jewish Last Name
BI - Slate ^ | 6-18-2014 | Bennett Muraskin

Posted on 06/18/2014 11:04:47 AM PDT by blam

Bennett Muraskin
Jan. 8, 2014

Richard Andree's 1881 map of the Jews of Central Europe.

Ashkenazic Jews were among the last Europeans to take family names. Some German-speaking Jews took last names as early as the 17th century, but the overwhelming majority of Jews lived in Eastern Europe and did not take last names until compelled to do so. The process began in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1787 and ended in Czarist Russia in 1844.

In attempting to build modern nation-states, the authorities insisted that Jews take last names so that they could be taxed, drafted, and educated (in that order of importance). For centuries, Jewish communal leaders were responsible for collecting taxes from the Jewish population on behalf of the government, and in some cases were responsible for filling draft quotas. Education was traditionally an internal Jewish affair.

Until this period, Jewish names generally changed with every generation. For example, if Moses son of Mendel (Moyshe ben Mendel) married Sarah daughter of Rebecca (Sara bat rivka), and they had a boy and named it Samuel (Shmuel), the child would be called Shmuel ben Moyshe. If they had a girl and named her Feygele, she would be called Feygele bas Sora.

Jews distrusted the authorities and resisted the new requirement. Although they were forced to take last names, at first they were used only for official purposes. Among themselves, they kept their traditional names. Over time, Jews accepted the new last names, which were essential as Jews sought to advance within the broader society and as the shtetles were transformed or Jews left them for big cities.

The easiest way for Jews to assume an official last name was to adapt the name they already had, making it permanent. explains the use of "patronymics" and "matronymics."

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ggg; jews; names; origins
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To: expat2

The name change is NOT restricted to just the Jews. Watch Godfather II and see how Vito ANDOLINI leaves Ellis Island named Vito Corleone. Renamed by an immigration clerk as were millions of European immigrants.
I had a Polish uncle, one of six boys. They emigrated one at a time. Six Polish young men left Poland with their family name. Six Polish young men left Ellis Island with SIX different names. They were never able to correct the changes.


21 posted on 06/18/2014 12:18:16 PM PDT by CaptainAmiigaf (NY TIMES: We print the news as it fits our views.)
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To: Yehuda
Non, non, non mon ami'

Obama's Jewish name is Arsloch.

22 posted on 06/18/2014 12:25:10 PM PDT by DJ Taylor (Once again our country is at war,and once again the Democrats have sided with our enemy.)
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To: blam

I thought “Shapiro” was from the Hebrew/Aramaic word for “sapphire?”


23 posted on 06/18/2014 12:46:20 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (The Left: speaking power to truth since Shevirat HaKelim.)
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To: Nifster
Interesting Einstein quote. Here's another:

"Being a lover of freedom, when the [Nazi] revolution came, I looked to the universities to defend it, knowing that they had always boasted of their devotion to the cause of truth; but no, the universities were immediately silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers, whose flaming editorials...had proclaimed their love of freedom; but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks.... Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler's campaign for suppressing the truth.... the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual and moral freedom. I am forced to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly." -- Time Magazine, December 23, 1940.

24 posted on 06/18/2014 1:07:28 PM PDT by Albion Wilde ("The commenters are plenty but the thinkers are few." -- Walid Shoebat)
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To: blam

The seem to relish american football with all that hollering “GET THAT QUARTER BACK”


25 posted on 06/18/2014 1:11:43 PM PDT by al baby (Hi MomÂ…)
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To: CaptainAmiigaf
Renamed by an immigration clerk as were millions of European immigrants.

I heard of a Jewish family named Kennedy who had tried to tell the immigration clerk in New York their eventual destination. Pronounced with an Eastern European accent, it sounded like "Kennedah", which they repeated several times, not knowing any other words with which to communicate. Hence...

26 posted on 06/18/2014 1:13:44 PM PDT by Albion Wilde ("The commenters are plenty but the thinkers are few." -- Walid Shoebat)
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To: blam
Ashkenazic Jews have the highest IQ's than any other group of people.

The population's mean is 3 point lower than East Asians.

27 posted on 06/18/2014 1:33:07 PM PDT by Uri’el-2012 (Psalm 119:174 I long for Your salvation, YHvH, Your teaching is my delight.)
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To: blam

The article does not live up to the title. As noted, they leave out the entire Sephardic world. Moreover, I can tell you that there are many more name origins for both European and other Jews. My own family name sounds somewhat Spanish or possibly Greek, not like any of the german or similar name origins...and my father is from Warsaw and his family went back generations in Poland.


28 posted on 06/18/2014 2:33:38 PM PDT by JewishRighter
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To: CaptainAmiigaf

I had a friend of Polish ancestry when I was a young boy. My friend couldn’t spell his last name until he was eleven.


29 posted on 06/18/2014 3:00:32 PM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: UriÂ’el-2012

What study are you citing? Most people who have studied intelligence, like Harpending and Cochran, say Ashkenazic Jews have the highest average IQ of any ethnic group.


30 posted on 06/18/2014 3:09:16 PM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: babble-on
Sephardic Jews claim they are numero uno

And they get to eat rice during Passover!

Mark

31 posted on 06/18/2014 3:12:29 PM PDT by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: Borges
There are really only three surnames that are specifically Jewish in nature: variations on Cohen, Levy and Israel. I understand the concept, but no one has explained to me the omission of Judah, Reuban, Benjamin, or Simeon (Simon). Common Jewish surnames. I recognize their French and English familial origins, but their Jewish connections predate that by millennia. And imo, it's hard to imagine their adoption as surnames by Jews to be based on European tradition rather than Jewish.
32 posted on 06/18/2014 5:24:24 PM PDT by SJackson (wish I had known more firsthand about...problems of American businesspeople as a Senator G McGovern)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

33 posted on 06/18/2014 5:25:37 PM PDT by SJackson (wish I had known more firsthand about...problems of American businesspeople as a Senator G McGovern)
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To: blam

The headline is wrong, to start with. But it is correct in stating the almost no European Jews had last names until forced to.

Jews as Jews (b’nei Yisrael) still don’t have official ‘last names’. A Jew is a son/daughter of father/mother.

That’s one reason why Jews are far more likely to alter their surnames. Their families aren’t nearly so attached to their surname.


34 posted on 06/18/2014 5:36:54 PM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: babble-on

I’ve never seen a claim the Sefardim are the most numerous overall. However, until the massive influx of Russian Jews, Israel was probably 50% or more Sefardi.


35 posted on 06/18/2014 5:42:33 PM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: driftless2
What study are you citing? Most people who have studied intelligence, like Harpending and Cochran, say Ashkenazic Jews have the highest average IQ of any ethnic group.

I misspoke; East Asian's mean is three to five points above Europeans.

But Ashkenazi Jews mean is approximately one Standard deviation above European mean.


36 posted on 06/18/2014 7:56:27 PM PDT by Uri’el-2012 (Psalm 119:174 I long for Your salvation, YHvH, Your teaching is my delight.)
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To: blam

Interesting. On both sides somewhere back then, my family picked “pretty “ last names.


37 posted on 06/18/2014 11:38:08 PM PDT by Yaelle
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Self ping


38 posted on 06/20/2014 9:11:57 AM PDT by ru4liberty
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To: driftless2
What would be an interesting study
would be to remove all Ashkenazi Jews
from the White European pool.

It would certainly lower the mean of White
Europeans. It would then be interesting to compare
White Europeans (without the plus one standard
deviation
inflation of the Ashkenazi Jews to said pool )
to Latino and Black means.

Or perhaps to East Asian means.


39 posted on 06/24/2014 10:30:24 AM PDT by Uri’el-2012 (Psalm 119:174 I long for Your salvation, YHvH, Your teaching is my delight.)
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To: UriÂ’el-2012

Probably lower the white IQ by a few points. The U.S. Jewish population is so small, it wouldn’t have a huge effect.


40 posted on 06/24/2014 11:04:25 AM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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