BackWords On Some Jewish Names

I recently came across an article about Jewish names, specifically Ashkenazic Jews living in central

and eastern Europe. The article gave the meaning of a name and why that word was used as a name for people. But the article did not actually dive into the etymology of the word.

For example, one favorite Jewish name from my 1970s teen years is "Garfunkel" which means diamond or jewel dealer. It derives from the Yiddish word gorfinkl which means ‘carbuncle’, German Karfunkel. This term denoted both a red precious or semi-precious stone, especially a garnet or ruby cut into a rounded shape (in which case it is an ornamental name), and a large inflamed growth on the skin like a large boil (in which case it is a descriptive nickname).

In essence, Garfunkel was a name given to a person based on what he sold.

Here then is the list of names. The original article provided the meanings after which ... I have added the etymology.

Ashkenazic Jewish Names with Etymologies

Names that are obvious… the root word of the name is easily observed in English.

Baker/Boker — baker

Cooperman — coppersmith

Fisher — fisherman

Glazer/Glass/Sklar — glazier

Miller — miller

Sandler/Shuster — shoemaker

Wasserman — water carrier

Schmidt — blacksmith

Goldstein — goldsmith

Silverstein — jeweler

Stein/Steiner/Stone — jeweler

Salzman — salt merchant

Tabachnik — snuff seller

Wachsman — wax dealer

Wollman — wool merchant

Zucker/Zuckerman — sugar merchant

Nadelman/Nudelman — also tailor from “needle’

Sher/Sherman — also tailor from “scissors” or “shears”

Presser/Pressman — clothing presser

Weber — weaver

Wine/Weinglass — wine merchant

Weiner — wine maker

Cantor/Kazan/Singer — cantor or song leader in shul

Rabin — rabbi (Rabinowitz—son of rabbi)

Spector — inspector or supervisor of schools

Springer — lively person, from the Yiddish springen for jump

Baer/Berman/Beerman/Berkowitz/Beronson — bear

Karp — carp

Falk — falcon

Names, their meanings, and the etymology of the meaning

Craftsmen/Workers

Ackerman — plowman … from the Middle English word acker "field". It was an occupational name for a farmer who did not own the fields (acres) he worked.

Blecher — tinsmith … from German blech "tin"

Fleisher/Fleishman — butcher … literally "flesh-man" or flesh cutter

Katzoff — butcher … no details

Metger — butcher … literally "meat-er", one who handles meat

Drucker — printer … occupational name for a printer, from German Drucker or Yiddish druker ‘printer’, derives from German drucken, Yiddish drukn ‘to print’, derived from a southern dialect variant of drücken ‘to press’.

Einstein — mason … literally one (ein) + stone (Stein), supposedly one who sets one stone at a time.
Farber — painter/dyer …   one who dyed cloth, "a dyer" from German farbe "colour".

Forman — driver/teamster … derived from Middle High German vuorman "cartwright". … one who conveyed passengers by boat across a stream; a ferryman.

Garber/Gerber—tanner … no details

Graber — engraver … derivative of Middle High German graben ‘to dig or excavate’, hence an occupational name for a digger of graves or ditches, or an engraver of seals

Kastner — cabinet maker … occupational name for a joiner or furniture maker, from South German kasten ‘box’, ‘chest’ (related to cask?), derivative of Middle High German kiste ‘(clothes) chest’

Kunstler — artist … no details

Kramer — store keeper … occupational name for a shopkeeper, peddler, or hawker, derivative of Middle High German, Middle Low German kram ‘trading post’, ‘tent’, ‘booth’. 

Nagler — nail maker … occupational name for a nail maker, from Middle High German, Middle Dutch nagel ‘nail’

Plotnick — carpenter … occupational name from Russian plotnik ‘carpenter’ (originally a maker of wattles and wooden fences, from plot ‘plaited or woven object’).

Kovalsky — blacksmith … habitational name for someone from any of various places called Kovali, named with eastern Slavic koval ‘smith’.

Shnitzer — carver … no details

Feinstein — jeweler … ornamental name composed of German fein ‘fine’ + stein ‘stone’

Spielman — player (musician?) … Dutch: occupational name for a musician, tumbler or jester, from spelen ‘to play’ + man ‘man’.

Merchants

Garfinkel/Garfunkel — diamond dealer … ornamental name or nickname from Yiddish gorfinkl ‘carbuncle’, German Karfunkel. This term denoted both a red precious or semi-precious stone, especially a garnet or ruby cut into a rounded shape (in which case it is an ornamental name), and a large inflamed growth on the skin like a large boil (in which case it is a descriptive nickname).

Holzman/Holtz/Waldman — timber dealer … occupational name for a woodcutter or someone who sold wood, from German holz ‘wood’ + Mann ‘man’.

Waldman — timber dealer … from Yiddish wald ‘forest’ + man ‘man’

Kaufman — merchant … no details

Rokeach — spice merchant … no details

Seid/Seidman—silk merchant … from Middle High German sīde, German Seide ‘silk’ (from Late Latin seta, originally denoting animal hair)

Tuchman — cloth merchant … from Middle Low German tuch ‘stuff’, ‘tack’, ‘clothes’

Wechsler — money changer … no details

Halphan — money changer … no details

Related to tailoring

Kravitz — tailor … no details

Portnoy — tailor … occupational name for a tailor from Russian portnoj (an adjective derivative of port ‘uncut cloth’)

Schneider/Snyder — tailor … occupational name for a tailor, literally ‘cutter’, from German schneiden (“to cut”)

Futterman — furrier … from Yiddish futer ‘fur’, ‘fur coat’ + Yiddish man ‘man’

Kirshner/Kushner — furrier … no details

Peltz — furrier … from Middle High German bellez, German Pelz ‘fur’, ‘(animal) skin’

Medical

Aptheker — druggist … from Greek apotheke "barn, storehouse," literally "a place where things are put away," from apo- "away" + tithenai "to put,"

Feldsher — surgeon … no details

Bader/Teller — barber … occupational name for an attendant in or owner of a public bath house, derivative of Middle High German bat ‘bath’ (Old High German bad), German Bad. In former times, such attendants undertook a variety of functions, including blood-letting, tooth-pulling, and hair-cutting

Related to liquor trade

Bronfman — distiller … from Yiddish bronf ‘alcohol’, ‘vodka’, ‘spirits’ + man ‘man’.

Brand/Brandler/Brenner — distiller … derivative of Middle High German brennen ‘to burn’, in various applications.

Braverman — brewer … form of German Bräuer, an occupational name for a brewer of beer or ale

Meltzer — brewer … occupational name for a maltster, a brewer who used malt

Kabakoff — tavern keeper … no details

Krieger — tavern keeper … one who made and sold drinking vessels; the warrior or champion; descendant of Gregorius (watchman)

Vigoda — tavern keeper … no details

Geffen — wine merchant … ornamental name from Hebrew gefen ‘vine’

Religious/Communal

Altshul/Althshuler — associated with the old synagogue in Prague … literally "old school" – alt = old, shul – school or synagogue

Feder/Federman — scribe … occupational name for a trader in feathers or in quill pens

Haver — from haver (court official) … unclear

Klausner — rabbi for small congregation … from Middle High German klōsenære, and German Klausner ‘hermit’ (from Latin clausum ‘cell’, ‘shut-away place’), hence a topographic name for someone living by a hermit’s cell or a byname for a hermit.

Klopman — calls people to morning prayers by knocking on their window shutters … onomatopoeic (referring to the sound made)

Lehrer — teacher … from Yiddish lerer ‘teacher’

Malamud/Malmud — teacher … unclear

London — scholar, from the Hebrew lamden (misunderstood by immigration inspectors)

Reznick — ritual slaughterer … Czech and Slovak: occupational name for a butcher

Richter — judge … occupational name or status name for an arbiter or judge, Middle High German rihtære (from rihten ‘to make right’)

Sandek — godfather … no details

Schechter/Schachter/Shuchter etc. — ritual slaughterer … derivative of shekhtn, of which the stem is from Hebrew shachat ‘to slaughter’

Shofer/Sofer/Schaeffer — scribe … derivative of German Schaf, Middle High German schāf ‘sheep’ (probably derives to the making of parchment to write on)

Shulman/Skolnick — sexton … from Polish szkolnik, Belorussian shkolnik ‘sexton in a synagogue’

Spivack — cantor or song leader in shul … from Ukrainian spivak ‘singer’

PERSONAL TRAITS

Alter/Alterman — old … alt = old

Dreyfus—three legged, perhaps referring to someone who walked with a cane … Jewish (western Ashkenazic): habitational name from Trevis, an old name of the city of Trier on the Mosel, known in French as Trèves; both the French and German names come from Latin Augusta Treverorum ‘city of Augustus among the Treveri’, a Celtic tribal name of uncertain origin. The form of the surname has been altered from Trevis by association with modern German Dreifuss ‘tripod’.

Erlich — honest … from Yiddish erlekh ‘honest’, ‘virtuous’

Frum — devout … from German fromm ‘devout’, ‘pious’

Gottleib — God lover, perhaps referring to someone very devout

Geller/Gelber — yellow, perhaps referring to someone with blond hair … from Middle High German gel = yellow

Gross/Grossman — big … from Late Latin grossus "thick, coarse (of food or mind)

Gruber — coarse or vulgar … nickname from an inflected form of Yiddish dialect grub ‘rude, impolite’

Feifer/Pfeifer — whistler … derivative of Middle High German pfif(e), German Pfeife ‘whistle’, ‘pipe’, hence an occupational name for a pipe player

Fried/Friedman—happy … from Yiddish frid ‘peace’

Hoch/Hochman — tall … meaning high

Langer/Langerman — tall … meaning long

Klein/Kleinman — small … no details

Koenig — king, perhaps someone who was chosen as a “Purim King,” in reality a poor wretch … no details

Krauss — curly, as in curly hair … no details

Kurtz/Kurtzman — short … from Latin curtus "(cut) short, shortened, incomplete," 

Reich/Reichman — rich … from ancient root reg- "move in a straight line," hence, "direct, rule", also related to Latin rex (king)

Reisser — giant … no details

Roth/Rothman — red head … from Middle High German rot meaning "red"

Roth/Rothbard — red beard … from Middle High German rot meaning "red"

Shein/Schoen/Schoenman — pretty, handsome … carries the connotation of being blessed, literally mean "dweller in a bright spot"

Schwartz/Shwartzman/Charney — black hair or dark complexion … no details

Scharf/Scharfman — sharp, i.e  intelligent … from ancient root (s)ker- "to cut"

Stark — strong … from ancient root *ster- "stiff, rigid" i.e. not easily bent or moved

In