Russian Jewish Names

 

Russia

In very early times Jews migrated to Russia, probably from Byzantium and Crimea. There is evidence of this migration (8^th century) to the district of Kiev, well-known to have been a center of trade from the early days. Al­though the Russian Orthodox Church was opposed to the Jews, the king gave them financial support as trade people.

Tsar Ivan the Terrible (1533-1584) hated them and caused those who refused to convert to Christianity to be drowned in the Duna river. In the second half of the 16^th century, there were hardly any Jews living in Mos­cow and Russia. They did not return until the 17^th century.

Most of the Tsars placed restrictions on the Jews. Peter the Great (1682– 1725), although acknowledged for his tolerance, would not give Jews the right to settle in Russia. But some baptized Jews, however, found favor with him. Jews were generally prohibited from entering the establishment, however, despite mixed fortunes, they were more or less tolerated. Their situation improved under Catherine II (1762-1796), yet they were still sub­ject to pogrom = from Russian "devastation", caused by Cossacks and other plunderers.

At the end of the 18^th century, more than a million Jews came to Russia in the wake of the partition of Poland (by Russia, Austria and Prussia). Russia thus had the largest Jewish population in the East. New laws re­stricted retail businesses, but some Jews were allowed to deal as real estate landowners, farmers and distillers. Under Catherine II, a barrier was cre­ated between the Jewish people and Russian citizens. Jews were not al­lowed to travel, and they were restricted to live in "the Jewish Pale of set­tlement" an area between Poland-White Russia–Ukraine. However, the situ­ation gradually improved by the end of her reign.

Tsar Alexander I (1801-1825) introduced a liberal attitude when he came to power. He founded universities and sought reforms in government, proposing a modern constitution and rules of conduct. By 1804, a "Jewish Statute" was enacted. This divided the Jewish people into three categories: farmworkers or peasants, manufacturers or producers, and retailers.  result of this, Jews were given for the first time in Russian history a new

 

status, that of "Jewish peasants". They were promised much land in the South East of Russia.

Living and developing in the Russian Empire remained a difficult, every­day task for Jews. The above-mentioned partition of Poland (1772-93-95) brought a large Jewish minority's settlements and their peoples' move­ments  under the Tsar's strictest control.

Joseph II of Austria endeavored to make favorable reforms but was blocked both by the local church and the politicians. The gradual change in their emancipation status exacted a high price on the whole Jewry  majority of them wanted to retain their orthodox and Chassidic traditions. Their children were compelled to attend local schools and to learn Russian although they had little in common with the Russian people.

With their evolving emancipation in the period, 1804-1845 came the acceptance of family names. According to Prof. L. Glesinger, the first ones were often derived from place-names: Sklower (from Sklov), Kowner (Kowno, today Kaunas in Lithuania), Berdicewsky (Berdicev in Ukraine), Zitomirsky (Zitomir), Nemirowsky (Nemirov), Smolenskin (Smolensk) and Peterburgsky (St. Petersburg).

Tsar Nicolas I (1825-1855) pursued a strong Russification of his poli­tics. After his death, important reforms were granted to Jews. At that time some Jewish poets were well-known, such as Lejb Levanda (in "Schwere Zeit" of 1872), and Gregor Bogrov (in "The memories of a Jew" of 1880).

The most common family names at that time were: Russ, Russo, Rousseau, Ukrainczik (from Ukraine), Pollak, Pollatschek, Pohl (Poland), Litwak (Lithuania), Menuhin (from Hebrew = Menachem), Heifez (place name from Haifa), Tobalsky (Tobolsk), Dubno or Dubnow (oak), Sloninsky (Slonin or elephant in Polish).

The October Revolution of 1917 did not bring about any change in Jewish family names. The Soviet Union tried early to stop the emigration of Jews from former Russia, but they did not succeed.

 

Russian Family Place Names

Balta (1791)	Bellow	Belovsky	Bitensky (Biten)
Batnik	Bobroff	Bolotin (Blotno)	Borowsky (wood)
Bortnik	Dissen	Dubow	Dvorez
Geller (Halle)	Ginsburg	Grodno	Kitay (Gorod)
Kobrin (a town)	Konotopsky	Kossowsky	Kozin
Krichevsky	Lapine	Linetsky	Luban
Malev	Manewitz	Mazur	Minkovsky
Minowitz	Mirsky	Mirvis	Moskovitz
Ochakoff	Ostrov	Pinsk(y)	Plisken
Pruzansky	Rakusin	Rockoff	Satanov
Shereshefsky	Sarotzin	Shlensky (Szlazak) Slutzky
Sokolow	Soloveitsch	Tscherikover	Tschudnow
Verbin	Yampol	Zaslavsky

 

Russian Names of Personal Characteristics

Bogati     as "rich".

Borodaly as "beard man".

Pervin     as "the first born".

Primak     as "son in law".

Pritikin    as "neighbor".

Sirota      as "poor man".

Soroka    as "chatterer".

Russian Trade and Occupational Names

Duchovny          clergyman.

Gittelmacher    tailor of jacket or smock.

Gubermann             oat dealer.

Kabakoff          an innkeeper.

Kolatch            white bread for Jewish feasts.

Kotelchick          boilermaker.

Krensky            bleacher, or from Krems in Austria.

Kushner           furrier.

Lichtermann    man of the Sabbath lights in Austria and Russia.

M(o)lotok           producer of hammers.

Muchnik            producer of flour.

Papernick (Papirnyi)  master of paper.

Pasternack as chive.

Plotkin (or Plotke-a) as silver scaled fish.

Plotnick   wood worker.

Portnoy    tailor.

Potashnik producer of potassium.

Reiter         horseman.

Sapoznik   shoemaker.

Schupack fish dealer.

Senelnick dyer of natural colours.

Shaffran   vegetable.

Sholk       silk or silk dealer.

Solodar    goldsmith.

Spector    n inspector or school supervisor.

Spivak      singer.

Sukenik   dealer of cloths.

Talmach   Tolmach, interpreter.

Winnick   distiller.

Zitnik       corn dealer.

White Russian Geographical Names

Bragin	Karelitz	Laskov	Malech
Melezin	Nevler	Pevsner (Posen)	Shatzky
Sivitz	Slepin	Stolper	Turoff
Ukrainian Geographical Names
Badanes	Bar	Barr	Chabin
Chabner	Chubin	Chubinsky	Dreebin
Kisselevitch	Kleban	Krulewitz	Lubar
Malin	Mankovsky	Pekarsky	Rosow
Somonsky	Stawitsky