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150+ Hebrew Surnames or Last Names with Meanings

By Lisa Bennett • August 17, 2026
⚡ AEO Quick Answer (AI Overview)

Hebrew surnames are family names connected with the Hebrew language, biblical traditions, Jewish history, and modern Hebrew naming practices. Some are directly derived from Hebrew words or biblical personal names, while others were adopted or translated into Hebrew from older family names. Hebrew surnames can describe ancestry, occupations, places, nature, personal qualities, religious traditions, or […]

Hebrew surnames are family names connected with the Hebrew language, biblical traditions, Jewish history, and modern Hebrew naming practices. Some are directly derived from Hebrew words or biblical personal names, while others were adopted or translated into Hebrew from older family names.

Hebrew surnames can describe ancestry, occupations, places, nature, personal qualities, religious traditions, or relationships to biblical figures. Names such as Cohen, Levi, David, Ben-Ami, Ben-David, and Shalom illustrate the connection between family names and Hebrew language and heritage.

It is also important to distinguish Hebrew surnames from Jewish surnames. Not every Jewish surname is Hebrew in origin, and Hebrew surnames can be used by people from different backgrounds. Many modern Israeli surnames were created, translated, or adapted into Hebrew during the development of modern Hebrew society.

Hebrew Surnames and Their Meanings

Here are 30 Hebrew surnames and their commonly associated meanings or origins.

Hebrew Surname Meaning / Origin
Cohen Priest
Levi Associated with the Levites
David Beloved
Ben-Ami Son of my people
Ben-David Son of David
Ben-Zion Son of Zion
Ben-Yosef Son of Joseph
Ben-Ari Son of a lion
Barak Lightning
Shalom Peace
Shalev Calm or tranquil
Oz Strength
Tzur Rock
Tal Dew
Bar Grain; also son in Aramaic usage
Erez Cedar
Dekel Palm tree
Gefen Vine
Alon Oak tree
Ilan Tree
Ofek Horizon
Yam Sea
Gal Wave
Raz Secret
Nissim Miracles
Malka Queen
Meir One who illuminates
Shahar Dawn
Tavor Associated with Mount Tabor
Carmel Vineyard or garden; also a place name

Hebrew surname meanings can vary according to spelling, pronunciation, historical usage, and whether the surname was inherited, translated, or newly adopted.

Most Popular Hebrew Surnames

Some widely recognized Hebrew or Hebrew-associated surnames include:

  1. Cohen
  2. Levi
  3. David
  4. Ben-David
  5. Ben-Ami
  6. Ben-Zion
  7. Ben-Yosef
  8. Barak
  9. Shalom
  10. Oz
  11. Tal
  12. Bar
  13. Tzur
  14. Shalev
  15. Meir
  16. Erez
  17. Alon
  18. Ilan
  19. Dekel
  20. Gefen
  21. Gal
  22. Ofek
  23. Carmel
  24. Shahar
  25. Raz
  26. Malka
  27. Nissim
  28. Zion
  29. Ari
  30. Oren

Common Last Names in Israel

Israel has a highly diverse surname tradition. Family names found in the country include Hebrew names as well as names originating from Arabic, Yiddish, German, Russian, Polish, Spanish, Persian, North African, and many other languages.

Some well-known Hebrew and Hebrew-associated family names include:

  1. Cohen
  2. Levi
  3. David
  4. Ben-David
  5. Ben-Ami
  6. Ben-Zion
  7. Ben-Yosef
  8. Barak
  9. Shalom
  10. Oz
  11. Tal
  12. Bar
  13. Tzur
  14. Shalev
  15. Meir
  16. Erez
  17. Alon
  18. Ilan
  19. Dekel
  20. Gefen
  21. Gal
  22. Ofek
  23. Carmel
  24. Shahar
  25. Raz
  26. Malka
  27. Nissim
  28. Zion
  29. Ari
  30. Oren

Unique Hebrew Surnames

These surnames have distinctive meanings, sounds, or associations with Hebrew words and Israeli naming traditions.

  1. Ben-Ari
  2. Ben-Tzur
  3. Ben-Or
  4. Ben-Shahar
  5. Ben-Tal
  6. Tzur
  7. Shalev
  8. Ofek
  9. Shahar
  10. Erez
  11. Dekel
  12. Gefen
  13. Alon
  14. Ilan
  15. Oren
  16. Raz
  17. Oz
  18. Gal
  19. Carmel
  20. Tavor
  21. Hermon
  22. Gilboa
  23. Arbel
  24. Kinneret
  25. Yarden
  26. Negev
  27. Sharon
  28. Golan
  29. Shaked
  30. Rimon

Cool Hebrew Surnames

Hebrew surnames often have short, meaningful forms connected with nature, strength, places, and positive qualities.

  1. Barak
  2. Oz
  3. Tzur
  4. Shalev
  5. Erez
  6. Alon
  7. Oren
  8. Ilan
  9. Gal
  10. Tal
  11. Ofek
  12. Shahar
  13. Raz
  14. Shaked
  15. Rimon
  16. Gefen
  17. Dekel
  18. Carmel
  19. Tavor
  20. Hermon
  21. Gilboa
  22. Arbel
  23. Yarden
  24. Negev
  25. Golan
  26. Zion
  27. Meir
  28. Shalom
  29. Ari
  30. Nissim

Traditional Hebrew Surnames

Traditional Hebrew family names are often associated with biblical ancestry, religious roles, Hebrew personal names, and ancient places.

  1. Cohen
  2. Levi
  3. David
  4. Ben-David
  5. Ben-Yosef
  6. Ben-Zion
  7. Ben-Ami
  8. Ben-Ari
  9. Bar
  10. Barak
  11. Meir
  12. Shalom
  13. Malka
  14. Nissim
  15. Zion
  16. Tzur
  17. Ari
  18. Erez
  19. Carmel
  20. Tavor
  21. Shahar
  22. Tal
  23. Oz
  24. Ilan
  25. Alon
  26. Oren
  27. Gal
  28. Dekel
  29. Gefen
  30. Yarden

How Did Hebrew Surnames Originate?

Hebrew surnames have developed through several naming traditions. Some are ancient, while others became family names relatively recently.

Biblical Names

Many Hebrew surnames come from biblical personal names. Names such as David, Joseph, Benjamin, Aaron, Isaac, and Jacob became widespread personal names and later influenced family-name formation.

Examples include:

  • David — associated with the Hebrew name David.
  • Ben-David — son of David.
  • Ben-Yosef — son of Joseph.
  • Ben-Aharon — son of Aaron.
  • Ben-Yaakov — son of Jacob.

Patronymic Surnames

Hebrew surnames may indicate a person’s relationship to an ancestor.

The Hebrew word ben means “son of.” Consequently, surnames beginning with Ben- often have a patronymic meaning.

Examples include:

  • Ben-Ami — son of my people.
  • Ben-David — son of David.
  • Ben-Zion — son of Zion.
  • Ben-Yosef — son of Joseph.
  • Ben-Ari — son of a lion.

Religious Surnames

Some surnames preserve connections with ancient religious roles.

Cohen is associated with kohen, the Hebrew word for priest. Levi is connected with the Levites, a biblical Israelite group historically associated with religious service.

These names can preserve traditions of ancestry, although surname usage alone cannot establish an individual’s ancestry.

Nature-Based Surnames

Modern Hebrew surname formation often includes words connected with nature.

Examples include:

  • Erez — cedar.
  • Alon — oak.
  • Ilan — tree.
  • Oren — pine.
  • Gefen — vine.
  • Dekel — palm tree.
  • Tal — dew.
  • Gal — wave.
  • Shaked — almond.
  • Rimon — pomegranate.

Place-Based Surnames

Some Hebrew surnames refer to places in the land associated with Israel or biblical geography.

Examples include Carmel, Tavor, Hermon, Gilboa, Golan, Negev, Sharon, Yarden, and Kinneret.

Such names may have been adopted as family names because of geographic associations or personal connections to particular places.

Descriptive Surnames

Some surnames come from words describing positive qualities or concepts.

Examples include:

  • Oz — strength.
  • Shalom — peace.
  • Shalev — calm or tranquil.
  • Meir — illuminating.
  • Raz — secret.
  • Nissim — miracles.

Modern Hebrew Surname Creation

During the revival and modernization of Hebrew, some families adopted Hebrew surnames by translating, shortening, or replacing older foreign-language family names. This process helped create a modern Hebrew surname tradition alongside older family names.

What Do Hebrew Surnames Mean?

Hebrew surnames can have meanings related to people, family relationships, religion, nature, geography, and personal qualities.

For example:

  • Cohen — priest.
  • Levi — associated with the Levites.
  • David — beloved.
  • Ben-Ami — son of my people.
  • Ben-David — son of David.
  • Ben-Zion — son of Zion.
  • Barak — lightning.
  • Oz — strength.
  • Shalom — peace.
  • Shalev — calm or tranquil.
  • Tal — dew.
  • Erez — cedar.
  • Alon — oak.
  • Ilan — tree.
  • Oren — pine.
  • Gefen — vine.
  • Dekel — palm tree.
  • Gal — wave.
  • Ofek — horizon.
  • Shahar — dawn.
  • Raz — secret.
  • Meir — illuminating.
  • Malka — queen.
  • Nissim — miracles.

The same surname may have different historical interpretations, particularly when it has been transliterated from Hebrew into other writing systems.

Famous People With Hebrew Surnames Starting With A

Here are notable people whose surnames begin with A and who have Hebrew or Israeli naming connections:

  1. Shai Avital — Israeli military officer.
  2. Ezer Weizman — Israeli surname example connected with modern Hebrew and Jewish naming traditions.
  3. Shulamit Aloni — Israeli politician and activist.
  4. Amos Oz — Israeli author and novelist.
  5. Yitzhak Aharonov — Israeli physicist.
  6. Yehuda Amichai — Israeli poet.
  7. Shlomo Artzi — Israeli singer and songwriter.
  8. David Avidan — Israeli poet and writer.
  9. Yael Abecassis — Israeli actress and model.
  10. Eli Ayalon — Israeli public figure.
  11. Miriam Akavia — Israeli-Polish writer.
  12. Avi Avital — Israeli mandolinist.
  13. Shmuel Agnon — Israeli Hebrew-language writer and Nobel Prize laureate.
  14. Yoram Aharoni — Israeli surname example.

Hebrew surname origin and a person’s identity should not be inferred solely from a surname.

Hebrew Surnames by Letter

Hebrew Surnames Starting With A

  1. Aharon
  2. Aharoni
  3. Alon
  4. Ami
  5. Amram
  6. Ari
  7. Ariel
  8. Avraham
  9. Avital
  10. Azaria

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With B

  1. Bar
  2. Barak
  3. Bar-On
  4. Ben-Ami
  5. Ben-Ari
  6. Ben-David
  7. Ben-Gurion
  8. Ben-Zion
  9. Ben-Yosef
  10. Binyamin

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With C

  1. Carmel
  2. Cohen
  3. Chaim
  4. Chanan
  5. Chasson
  6. Chazan
  7. Chen
  8. Cherni
  9. Cnaan
  10. Carmeli

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With D

  1. David
  2. Davidov
  3. Dagan
  4. Dekel
  5. Dor
  6. Dror
  7. Dan
  8. Dani
  9. Dvir
  10. Dayan

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With E

  1. Efrati
  2. Eitan
  3. Erez
  4. Even
  5. Ezra
  6. Eldar
  7. Elbaz
  8. Elkin
  9. Elrom
  10. Engel

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With F

F is uncommon among traditional Hebrew surnames because the letter F is not native to the traditional Hebrew alphabet in the same way as many other consonants. Some modern surnames use F through transliteration or foreign-language origins.

  1. Feldman
  2. Fein
  3. Farkash
  4. Fuchs
  5. Friedman
  6. Finkel
  7. Fishman
  8. Frankel
  9. Fischer
  10. Feuer

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With G

  1. Gal
  2. Gadi
  3. Gefen
  4. Golan
  5. Gil
  6. Gilboa
  7. Givon
  8. Gideon
  9. Gur
  10. Goren

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With H

  1. Halevi
  2. Harari
  3. Harel
  4. Hermon
  5. Hevron
  6. Hadad
  7. Hadas
  8. Haim
  9. Hillel
  10. Horowitz

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With I

  1. Ilan
  2. Israeli
  3. Itzhak
  4. Itzkovich
  5. Ivri
  6. Inbar
  7. Idan
  8. Igal
  9. Immanuel
  10. Ishai

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With J

The letter J is uncommon in Hebrew transliteration because the Hebrew alphabet does not have a direct J letter in the English sense.

  1. Jacob
  2. Jacobs
  3. Jacobson
  4. Jaffe
  5. Joffe
  6. Joseph
  7. Josephson
  8. Juran
  9. Jonas
  10. Jordan

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With K

  1. Kagan
  2. Katz
  3. Kedar
  4. Kedem
  5. Keren
  6. Kfir
  7. Koren
  8. Kaplan
  9. Karni
  10. Karmi

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With L

  1. Levi
  2. Lev
  3. Levine
  4. Lavi
  5. Lahav
  6. Lior
  7. Livne
  8. Luria
  9. Lotan
  10. Luz

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With M

  1. Meir
  2. Malka
  3. Magen
  4. Maoz
  5. Matalon
  6. Mizrahi
  7. Mor
  8. Moran
  9. Moriah
  10. Moshe

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With N

  1. Nadav
  2. Naveh
  3. Negev
  4. Neeman
  5. Nissim
  6. Nitzan
  7. Noam
  8. Noy
  9. Nir
  10. Neria

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With O

  1. Ofer
  2. Ofek
  3. Oren
  4. Oz
  5. Ohad
  6. Omer
  7. Or
  8. Oran
  9. Ozeri
  10. Oshri

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With P

  1. Paz
  2. Peled
  3. Peretz
  4. Peles
  5. Pomerantz
  6. Porat
  7. Paltiel
  8. Peker
  9. Pines
  10. Pollak

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With Q

Q is extremely uncommon in Hebrew surname spellings. It generally appears because of transliteration from another language.

  1. Qadmon
  2. Qedar
  3. Qeshet
  4. Qoren
  5. Qasem
  6. Qamar
  7. Qattan
  8. Qadir
  9. Qirya
  10. Qimhi

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With R

  1. Raz
  2. Regev
  3. Rimon
  4. Ron
  5. Rosen
  6. Rubin
  7. Raviv
  8. Refael
  9. Rahamim
  10. Rotem

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With S

  1. Shahar
  2. Shalev
  3. Shalom
  4. Shaked
  5. Sharon
  6. Shemesh
  7. Shamir
  8. Shapira
  9. Shavit
  10. Shani

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With T

  1. Tal
  2. Tabor
  3. Tavor
  4. Tzur
  5. Tzuri
  6. Tamir
  7. Tzarfati
  8. Tenenbaum
  9. Tevel
  10. Tirosh

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With U

U is uncommon as the first letter of Hebrew surnames in English transliteration.

  1. Uzi
  2. Uriel
  3. Uziel
  4. Uzan
  5. Uval
  6. Uzan
  7. Uria
  8. Uri
  9. Udi
  10. Uzeri

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With V

V is uncommon in native Hebrew surname formation and is more frequently seen in transliterated or foreign-origin family names.

  1. Vaknin
  2. Vardi
  3. Vazana
  4. Varon
  5. Vered
  6. Viner
  7. Volach
  8. Vazana
  9. Volf
  10. Vaks

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With W

W is uncommon in native Hebrew surname formation and generally occurs in surnames transliterated from European languages.

  1. Weiss
  2. Weissman
  3. Wolf
  4. Wolff
  5. Wexler
  6. Waldman
  7. Weinberg
  8. Weinstein
  9. Wiener
  10. Winter

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With X

X is extremely rare in Hebrew surnames. It generally appears only in transliterated names from other languages.

  1. Ximenez
  2. Xavier
  3. Xenos
  4. Xanthos
  5. Xander
  6. Xenakis
  7. Xavi
  8. Ximenes
  9. Xylon
  10. Xanthopoulos

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With Y

  1. Yaari
  2. Yadin
  3. Yahalom
  4. Yarden
  5. Yaron
  6. Yavin
  7. Yehuda
  8. Yeshurun
  9. Yitzhak
  10. Yoni

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Hebrew Surnames Starting With Z

  1. Zohar
  2. Zion
  3. Ziv
  4. Zohari
  5. Zuckerman
  6. Zaks
  7. Zamir
  8. Ze’evi
  9. Zemer
  10. Zalmanson

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FAQs About Hebrew Surnames

1. What are the most common Hebrew surnames?

Some well-known Hebrew or Hebrew-associated surnames include Cohen, Levi, David, Ben-David, Ben-Ami, Ben-Zion, Barak, Shalom, Tal, and Oz.

2. What are the most popular Hebrew last names?

Cohen and Levi are among the best-known surnames associated with Hebrew and Jewish traditions. Other familiar names include David, Ben-David, Ben-Ami, Barak, Shalom, and Meir.

3. What do Hebrew surnames mean?

Hebrew surnames can refer to family relationships, biblical figures, religious roles, nature, places, and personal qualities. For example, Oz means “strength,” Shalom means “peace,” and Tal means “dew.”

4. What is the most common surname in Israel?

Cohen is widely recognized as one of the most common surnames in Israel. Other highly prevalent surnames include Levi and various names originating from European, Middle Eastern, North African, and other communities.

5. What are some traditional Hebrew surnames?

Traditional Hebrew surnames include Cohen, Levi, David, Ben-David, Ben-Yosef, Ben-Zion, Ben-Ami, Meir, Shalom, and Tzur.

6. What are some unique Hebrew last names?

Some distinctive Hebrew surnames include Shalev, Ofek, Erez, Dekel, Gefen, Gilboa, Hermon, Yarden, Negev, Shaked, and Rimon.

7. How did Hebrew surnames originate?

Hebrew surnames originated from biblical names, religious roles, patronymics, Hebrew words, nature, geographic locations, and modern Hebrew surname creation. Some modern Hebrew family names were also translated or adapted from older foreign-language surnames.

8. What are some Hebrew surnames starting with A?

Examples include Aharoni, Alon, Ami, Amram, Ari, Ariel, Avraham, Avital, and Azaria.

Hebrew surnames reflect the history and richness of the Hebrew language. Some names preserve ancient biblical and religious connections, while others draw inspiration from nature, geography, family relationships, and positive qualities.

Names such as Cohen and Levi have deep historical and religious associations. Meanwhile, surnames such as Ben-David, Ben-Ami, and Ben-Zion demonstrate the importance of family and ancestry. Modern Hebrew names such as Erez, Alon, Oren, Shalev, Ofek, Gal, and Shahar showcase the influence of Hebrew vocabulary and the natural world.

Because Hebrew surnames have developed across different periods and communities, their origins can vary. Exploring these names provides an interesting way to learn about Hebrew language, naming traditions, biblical heritage, and modern Israeli culture.