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HelpGerman Gentile christian equivalents of Jewish names
It was common for 18th or 19th-century Jews to have a gentile equivalent of their name, typically used as an official name or as the name they go about in their everyday life. here are some examples.
This phenomenon started in the Middle Ages because many Jewish names didn't have gentile equivalents as certain names were unheard of in the Christian world, and therefore were given an alternative name by scholars. Generally speaking, this phenomenon wasn't as popular in the Middle Ages due to isolation
typically, the gentile equivalents were chosen for their phonetic similarity, meaning, or association.
Mordechai Marcus "Marx" (Marx was a diminutive of both names)
Israel Isidor
Joel Julius
Aaron Arnold
Hirsch Heinrich
Aryeh Leon
Leib Leon
Ignatz Itzhak
Baruch Bernard
Ber Bernard
WDYT about these names?
If you have other examples please share, they don't have to be German
(I am asking for historical examples from your linage or ones that you know about, they don't have to be from the 18th century)
*******
rate my PLN:
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/229415/142623
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/229415/165832
This phenomenon started in the Middle Ages because many Jewish names didn't have gentile equivalents as certain names were unheard of in the Christian world, and therefore were given an alternative name by scholars. Generally speaking, this phenomenon wasn't as popular in the Middle Ages due to isolation
typically, the gentile equivalents were chosen for their phonetic similarity, meaning, or association.
Mordechai Marcus "Marx" (Marx was a diminutive of both names)
Israel Isidor
Joel Julius
Aaron Arnold
Hirsch Heinrich
Aryeh Leon
Leib Leon
Ignatz Itzhak
Baruch Bernard
Ber Bernard
WDYT about these names?
If you have other examples please share, they don't have to be German
(I am asking for historical examples from your linage or ones that you know about, they don't have to be from the 18th century)
*******
rate my PLN:
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/229415/142623
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/229415/165832
This message was edited 10/26/2024, 11:29 AM
Replies
Ignatz and Itzhak are switched here, right? I'm pretty sure Itzhak is the 'obviously Jewish' one?
yes
This is interesting, because the Christian equivalents seem very Jewish to me. Julius, Isidor, and Bernard immediately make me think of Jewish men.
I don't personally get that vibe from Julius at all, but I always did with Isidore, plus the post reminds me of Bernie (Bernard) Sanders and Leonard Cohen. And now that I said Morris, Maurice Sendak, Maury (Maurice Povich), and Tuesdays with Morrie (Morris Schwartz) are the main people who come to mind.
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This message was edited 10/27/2024, 2:51 PM
Julius Marx
Aka Groucho.
That's what comes to mind right away
Aka Groucho.
That's what comes to mind right away
Ok. Julius is just so strongly associated with Julius Caesar in my mind that all I think of is the Roman military.
they're all just typical Jewish-German equivalents, they were probably not as popular for German Gentiles.
Additionally, a large percentage of American Jews are German Jews.
Additionally, a large percentage of American Jews are German Jews.
I have German-Jewish ancestry/family, and I know a lot of their names, but I wouldn't know what sounds like what in Hebrew. It wouldn't occur to me to relate some of the names you listed.
They used Bertram a couple times plus Bernice, so I guess that could relate to Ber. They used Leonard so maybe that could connect to Leib or Aryeh like Leon. They were born in the US.
They liked to use Ernst / Ernest / Ernestine (in both Germany and the US); maybe that could relate to Hebrew Er/Ar names or a Hebrew name with the same meaning, or maybe they just liked how that sounded in German/English...
ETA: just remembered Ernestine's son was named Julian. I suppose could be like Joel / Julius? Or a coincidence.
Maybe Bena would count (a short form of Benedikta but seems close to Bina / Binah).
Bernice and Bena were sisters, but Bena was born in Germany (in the late 1800s) and Bernice was born in Florida 30+ years later. They had a brother (born in Germany in the late 1800s) named Morris; I suppose that's like Mordecai. or Meir, Maor.
They used Bertram a couple times plus Bernice, so I guess that could relate to Ber. They used Leonard so maybe that could connect to Leib or Aryeh like Leon. They were born in the US.
They liked to use Ernst / Ernest / Ernestine (in both Germany and the US); maybe that could relate to Hebrew Er/Ar names or a Hebrew name with the same meaning, or maybe they just liked how that sounded in German/English...
ETA: just remembered Ernestine's son was named Julian. I suppose could be like Joel / Julius? Or a coincidence.
Maybe Bena would count (a short form of Benedikta but seems close to Bina / Binah).
Bernice and Bena were sisters, but Bena was born in Germany (in the late 1800s) and Bernice was born in Florida 30+ years later. They had a brother (born in Germany in the late 1800s) named Morris; I suppose that's like Mordecai. or Meir, Maor.
This message was edited 10/27/2024, 3:40 PM
My Jewish grandfather (born in what is now Lviv) was named Arnold Archibald "Archie"; he married Janice Hortense (also Jewish, born in New York City).
they're both gentile names but I love the combination
My friend Denis, a devout South African Jew, chose to be married with the name David, a Hebrew name that he liked and identified with. His wife, if I remember correctly, used Yehudit rather than Jacqueline!
I love the name Yehudit