Society & Culture Terrible baby names

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Lore said:
My relative ended up with a Jewish first name and a German middle name (the original surname of the man he was named after), the combination was both German and Jewish. Sorry if my description was badly worded or offended anyone.
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Ok no no offence at all i mixed it up my point was most jewish surnames in northern europe were imposed of were like everyone else derived from occupation, Miller i think is the most common jewish surname in the usa.
 
I'm outraged.
 

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Sainteric said:
Technically there is no such thing as a german jewish name. Jewish people 2/300 odd years ago were forced to take german surnames in and around modern germany. There are only a few jewish surnames that go way back.
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I am interested in what you are saying and would like to explore it a little further. A name like Goldstein (for example) is one that I associate with Jewish people from Germany (historically). Am I wrong in this assumption? (No offence intended from me either, just keen to be better educated).
 
Bumpswithagrin said:
I am interested in what you are saying and would like to explore it a little further. A name like Goldstein (for example) is one that I associate with Jewish people from Germany (historically). Am I wrong in this assumption? (No offence intended from me either, just keen to be better educated).
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Just a few links to help

http://www.jewfaq.org/jnames.htm
Historically, Jews did not have permanent family surnames at all. Within the Jewish community, we used patronymics, such as David ben (son of) Joseph or Miriam bat (daughter of) Aaron. Names in that form are still used in synagogue and in Jewish legal documents such as the ketubah (marriage contract), but are rare outside of the religious context. See the discussion of Hebrew Names below.

Family names began to gain popularity among Sephardic Jews in Spain, Portugal and Italy as early as the 10th or 11th century, but did not catch on among the Ashkenazic Jews of Germany or Eastern Europe until much later.

http://oldgermantranslations.com/translations/page4/page4.html

On July 1787 a new ruling was published: each Jew in German lands was required to either adopt (or if they already had one, to maintain) a firm, German surname. Names derived from the Hebrew were no longer permitted, and had to be legally changed. Families with already established surnames were permitted to keep them, provided they were not Hebrew names. Given names were to be “Germanized” as well, and names that were “unknown in the German language” were no longer permitted. The selection was quite limited: the Hebrew translator in Bohemia, for example, submitted a list of about 2000 names, but only 156 of those were considered acceptable by the authorities. All other names were forbidden, and their use was punishable by fines.

Just as we here changed Germanic towns in WW1 to Anglo names , and even the Royal Family did so.
 
GreyCrow said:
Just a few links to help

http://www.jewfaq.org/jnames.htm
Historically, Jews did not have permanent family surnames at all. Within the Jewish community, we used patronymics, such as David ben (son of) Joseph or Miriam bat (daughter of) Aaron. Names in that form are still used in synagogue and in Jewish legal documents such as the ketubah (marriage contract), but are rare outside of the religious context. See the discussion of Hebrew Names below.

Family names began to gain popularity among Sephardic Jews in Spain, Portugal and Italy as early as the 10th or 11th century, but did not catch on among the Ashkenazic Jews of Germany or Eastern Europe until much later.

http://oldgermantranslations.com/translations/page4/page4.html

On July 1787 a new ruling was published: each Jew in German lands was required to either adopt (or if they already had one, to maintain) a firm, German surname. Names derived from the Hebrew were no longer permitted, and had to be legally changed. Families with already established surnames were permitted to keep them, provided they were not Hebrew names. Given names were to be “Germanized” as well, and names that were “unknown in the German language” were no longer permitted. The selection was quite limited: the Hebrew translator in Bohemia, for example, submitted a list of about 2000 names, but only 156 of those were considered acceptable by the authorities. All other names were forbidden, and their use was punishable by fines.

Just as we here changed Germanic towns in WW1 to Anglo names , and even the Royal Family did so.
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Germany is actually pretty strict with names generally, so it's not surprising. You have to choose from a prescribed list, and given the examples in this thread... well, not surprising.
 
sorted said:
Could have been worse. Fonzie Kex :D
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Foxy Kecks

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Bumpswithagrin said:
I am interested in what you are saying and would like to explore it a little further. A name like Goldstein (for example) is one that I associate with Jewish people from Germany (historically). Am I wrong in this assumption? (No offence intended from me either, just keen to be better educated).
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Thats an interesting one and by the way i am not Jewish. Jewish names are traditonally son/daughter of ben/bat eg david ben-gurion, a lot of these changed for in northern europe like son/ben of mendel for instance became mendelson or variations. Schneider refers to the original person 200 odd years ago being a tailor and since jews in a lot of places limited vocations the names became 'jewish' . Which brings is to names like rubinstein, goldstein etc stein means stone/rock so ruby stone etc. If you did not choose a name the state decided and these names refer to jews having all the money hidden in their homes. So yes most goldsteins would be jewish but is originally a racist name given to indentify jews.
 
Sainteric said:
Thats an interesting one and by the way i am not Jewish. Jewish names are traditonally son/daughter of ben/bat eg david ben-gurion, a lot of these changed for in northern europe like son/ben of mendel for instance became mendelson or variations. Schneider refers to the original person 200 odd years ago being a tailor and since jews in a lot of places limited vocations the names became 'jewish' . Which brings is to names like rubinstein, goldstein etc stein means stone/rock so ruby stone etc. If you did not choose a name the state decided and these names refer to jews having all the money hidden in their homes. So yes most goldsteins would be jewish but is originally a racist name given to indentify jews.
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Thanks, and to GreyCrow as well. I got to wondering how some German sounding names are ones that I think of as Jewish. Now I know. You learn something new everyday (although a bit sad to learn why they are so).

Apologies for the threadnap folks! (Anything to do with history/genealogy I am fascinated with).
 
Bumpswithagrin said:
Thanks, and to GreyCrow as well. I got to wondering how some German sounding names are ones that I think of as Jewish. Now I know. You learn something new everyday (although a bit sad to learn why they are so).

Apologies for the threadnap folks! (Anything to do with history/genealogy I am fascinated with).
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I'll start a thread on that tonight and hopefully knock over some walls.
 
RedmanWasHere said:
I'll start a thread on that tonight and hopefully knock over some walls.
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Just understand the idea behind genealogy online. One site I go to (plug Rootschat) has some very good policies

Don't identify living people, search for those born over 100 years ago or passed away. Be as accurate with your information given out but also those receiving the information should not take the information as truth without checking themselves or buying the appropriate certificates to confirm.
 
GreyCrow said:
Just understand the idea behind genealogy online. One site I go to (plug Rootschat) has some very good policies

Don't identify living people, search for those born over 100 years ago or passed away. Be as accurate with your information given out but also those receiving the information should not take the information as truth without checking themselves or buying the appropriate certificates to confirm.
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BTW GC and Bumpswithagrin, that thread is now live.

I agree with those rules but I should also add that you take each detail for what they are, treat them as fact until otherwise proven.

Anyway, back to the cruddy names.

Another of this year's draftees has the name Gryan.
 

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Society & Culture Terrible baby names

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