Main contributor: Alina Borisov-Rebel
Russian Jewish surnames
Russian Jewish surnames

Russian Jewish surnames hold a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the unique intersection of Russian and Jewish identities. These surnames, passed down through generations, serve as a connection to ancestry and provide insight into the lives and experiences of Russian Jews.

The process of assigning surnames to Russian Jews was complicated, often arbitrary, and sometimes unjust. It was influenced by the authorities' desire to control the Jewish population and create a centralized system for identifying and registering citizens. Still, it also reflects the cultural and historical roots of the Jewish people and the ways in which they have adapted and evolved throughout the centuries.

History of Russian Jewish surnames

The Pale of Settlement map
The Pale of Settlement map

The history of surnames for Jews in the Russian Empire dates back to the 19th century. By 1772, the vast majority of Jews in Europe and the world also lived in the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, from 1772 to 1795, three so-called partitions of the Commonwealth took place, as a result of which the Russian Empire annexed significant territories where Jews lived. In order to understand the nature and characteristics of these Jews, Senator Derzhavin was sent to the newly annexed regions in the late 1790s under Paul I.[1] As a result of this trip, Derzhavin wrote an official memorandum in which he suggested giving surnames to Jews, among other things. He believed that these names should be "in the style of Little Russia", reflecting the peculiarities of Jewish character and the authorities' assessment of them. For hardworking and decent people, names like "Promyshlenny" ("Industrialist") were suggested, while for those who were argumentative in business, "Shvydkiy" ("Quick") was recommended. For those who were secretive, names like "Zamyslovatyy" ("Intricate") or "Zamyslyuk" ("Plotter") were suggested, and so on.[2]

However, it was only in the early 19th century that Jews were required to adopt surnames en masse, following the enactment of the "Regulations on the Organization of Jews" on December 9, 1804.

"At this census, every Jew must have or accept their known hereditary surname or nickname, which must already be preserved in all acts and records without any change, with the addition of the name given at birth or by faith. This measure is necessary for the better organization of their civil status, for the most convenient protection of their properties, and for the settlement of disputes among them." - Excerpt from the "Regulation on the organization of Jews" of December 9, 1804.

Origins of Russian Jewish surnames

Special police officials, who had clerks and similar ranks, were tasked with giving surnames to Jews. There was no single instruction on what exactly surnames should be given to Jews, so each official decided on their own, as they wanted.

There are several ways of forming Jewish surnames in the Russian Empire.

Patronymics

The first group of surnames for Jews, which is very common not only among Jews but also in general, are surnames formed from male names. These are the so-called patronymic surnames, derived from the Greek words "patros" meaning "father" and "nimos" meaning "name". These surnames were not always based on the father's name; they could also be based on the grandfather's name.[3]

Some examples of such surnames that were popular among Russian Jews include:

Matronymics

Natalia Goncharova. Jewish Women on the Porch
Natalia Goncharova. Jewish Women on the Porch

The second group is matronymics, surnames derived from female names (translated from Greek as "mother's name, maternal name").

Women's names in Hebrew

The following surnames were formed from the name Bat-Sheva, a Biblical name which translates from Hebrew as "seventh daughter" or "daughter of the oath":

From the name Braha ("blessing"):

Among matronymics are also:

Female names in Yiddish

Even female names in Yiddish did not go unnoticed. For example, the name Bluma gave rise to surnames such as Blumin, Blumkin, and Blumovich. Ginda became the basis for the surnames Gindin, Gindis. Gita gave rise to Gitin, Gitovich, Gutin, and Gitelzon. Golda became Goldin, and Zelda became Zeldin. Frayda became Fradkin, Fruma became Frumkin, and Sheyna became Sheinin.

Place of residence

Jews also invented surnames based on their place of residence. This gave rise to surnames such as:

Those who originated from foreign countries composed their surnames from the place of origin, for example:

Profession

Jewish teacher
Jewish teacher

Jewish surnames also indicated a person's profession. A teacher in a cheder became a Melamed, or Melamud. Someone who cleaned meat of fat and veins became a Meniker or Menaker. Those with surnames Rabin, Rabinovich were likely descended from rabbis. Hazan, Hazanov referred to a cantor in a synagogue. An ancestor of someone with the surname Soifer was likely involved in copying religious texts. A vegetable seller became a Botwinik, and a shopkeeper became a Kramer. A fisherman became a Fisher, a blacksmith became a Schmid, etc.

Abbreviated surnames

Jewish surnames sometimes cannot be found in reference books or dictionaries. If you encounter this problem, try breaking down your surname into several components. In the 19th century, Jews often encoded phrases or even entire sentences into surnames. This is how the surname Shatz was created, representing the first letters of "shaliach tzibur" (messenger of the community). Katz was derived from "Kohen Tzedek" (righteous Cohen). Marshak was formed from "our teacher Rabbi Shlomo Kluger." There is also another interpretation of this surname, which refers to "our teacher Rabbi Aaron Shmuel Koidanover."

"Cohen" and "Levi"

Many Jews bear surnames that originated in the 19th century from the words "Cohen" and "Levi." Cohanim were the descendants of the older brother of Moses, the Jewish high priest Aaron, who performed sacred services in the Jerusalem Temple. Levites were assistants to Cohanim, who also taught the people the law of the Torah.[4]

Families with traditions of being descended from Cohanim and Levites sometimes adopted these words as surnames. They also serve as the bases of surnames such as:

Celebrities with Russian Jewish surnames

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