The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABOUL HASSAN
HASSAN
HASSINE
HASSOUN (Hasson)

among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

Hassan is represented here mostly by North African and Spanish rabbis and intellectuals.

The nameconsists of a complex prefix made of two elements aboul = father which implies lineage and the root ‘hassan’ = good in Arabic. The name also appears in the form of ‘Hassine’ and ‘Hassoun’ which implies ‘protected’ in Hebrew. The transformation of the name into ‘Hasson’ means ‘strong’ in Hebrew.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, aboul, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, even, ha, i, la, lel, me, m, o, wi, vi, ) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation, a characteristic of a person, i.e., beautiful… The prefixes al, el are equivalent to ‘the’ in English or the article ‘le’ in French. In the Moroccan Berbers tradition, prefixes such as ‘wi’ ‘vi’ ‘i’ means usually a family relationship to X, the equivalent of Abu in Arabic, i.e., ‘the father of’, ‘son of’ a man, a tribal affiliation and so forth.In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘M ‘ is an abbreviation of the word ‘from.’

Complex prefixes such as ‘Ab e’ in the name Ab E Rgel consist of two elements Ab=father and E=the.
Complex prefixes such as ‘BarHa’ in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.
Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
Suffixes such as ‘i’ or ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: arditi= from ardou or ard.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.
Suffixes such as ‘yah’, ‘yahu’ ‘hu’ are used in Hebrew to denote God’s benediction, for example: aviyah, aviyahu, avihu…
Suffixws such as ‘oun’ ‘on’ ‘yout’ ‘out’ characterize adjectives in Hebrew, for example: Hayoun, hayout…

ABOUL HASSAN Y?houdah Ibn Ezra (XIe-XIIes.). Spain. High executive in King Alphonse VII court.
HASSAN Moch? de Zaragua (XIIIes.). Spain (Catalogna). Poet.
HASSAN Ch?lomo (?-1790). Morocco (T?touan). Diplomat. Spanish consul. Advisor to the sultan Sidi Moulay Abdallah for foreign commerce. ext?rieur. Moulay Yazid, Abdallah’s son executed him in his drive against Jews.
HASSAN Joshua (sir) (1915-). Gibraltar (Moroccan origin). Led the movement for the autonomy of Gibraltar and became prime minister.
HASSAN Salvador D. (XIXe-XXes.). Morocco. Philanthropist. Consul of Portugal and Italie in T?touan. Founder of a bank in Tangier. Advisor to the Portuguese delegation. Vice-pr?sident of the Jewish community of Tangier.
HASSAN Jacob M. (XXes.). Morocco. Secretary of the Institute of Sepharade studies Arias Montana in Madrid. Historian. Published studies on Jud?o-Spanish and Hebrew poetry in Morocco.
HASSAN David (?-1785). Morocco (Sal?). Rabbi. Travelled with rabbi Ha?m Benattar to J?rusalem and succeeded him at the head of the Y?chivah K?n?sset Isra?l. Returned to Morocco for a while. Chief rabbi of Alexandria. Returned to head a rabbinical seminary in J?rusalem. Served as rabbi in Livorno, Italy.Author of Mikhtam l?david (David’s poems), Ma?monide et Kod?ch David (Maimonides and David’s sanctity) relating to the Choulhan H?aroukh (Moses Code).

HASSINE Acher (1918-1995). Morocco (Casablanca). Educator. Founder of the Union of North African Jews in Israel. Member of the Israeli parliament as a Labor representative.
HASSINE Juliette (XXes.). Morocco (Mekn?s). French literature Professor at Bar Ilan University in Israel. Published studies on Moroccan poets.
HASSINE Aharon (1890-1963). Morocco (Mekn?s). Chief rabbi of Mogador. Author of Mat? Aharon (Aharon’s spectre).
HASSINE David (1722-1792). Morocco (Mekn?s). Rabbi. Considered as one of the greatest Moroccan poets. Author of T?hila l?david (David’s Glory), a key reference book of lithurgical poetry and M?koman ch?l z?bahim (Ritual sacrifice), among other unpublished commentaries on the bible.

HASSOUN Jacques (?-1999). Egypt (Alexandria). Psycho-analyst. Author of Meurtre du p?re, sacrifice de la sexualit? : approches anthropologiques et psychanalytiques (with Maurice Godelier); as well as Le passage des ?trangers; La cruaut? m?lancolique; Les contrebandiers de la m?moire; L?histoire ? la lettre (with C?cile Wajsbrot); Histoire des Juifs du Nil; Les Indes occidentales among other publications.

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid, 1978)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABOUISSA AL-ISFAHANI (Issa)

among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

AbouIssa is represented here mostly by an Iranian rabbinical leader who proclaimed himself the perscussor to the messaiah.

The name consists of a complex prefix made of two elements abou = father which implies lineage and the root ‘Issa’ = life in Arabic. Issa also refers to Jesus in Arabic. It may refer to the name Yehoshua or Isaiah in Hebrew.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, even, ha, i, la, lel, me, m, o, wi, vi, ) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation, a characteristic of a person, i.e., beautiful… The prefixes al, el are equivalent to ‘the’ in English or the article ‘le’ in French. In the Moroccan Berbers tradition, prefixes such as ‘wi’ ‘vi’ ‘i’ means usually a family relationship to X, the equivalent of Abu in Arabic, i.e., ‘the father of’, ‘son of’ a man, a tribal affiliation and so forth.In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘M ‘ is an abbreviation of the word ‘from.’

Complex prefixes such as ‘Ab e’ in the name Ab E Rgel consist of two elements Ab=father and E=the.
Complex prefixes such as ‘BarHa’ in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.
Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
Suffixes such as ‘i’ or ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: arditi= from ardou or ard.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.
Suffixes such as ‘yah’, ‘yahu’ ‘hu’ are used in Hebrew to denote God’s benediction, for example: aviyah, aviyahu, avihu…
Suffixws such as ‘oun’ ‘on’ ‘yout’ ‘out’ characterize adjectives in Hebrew, for example: Hayoun, hayout…

ABOUISSA AL-ISFAHANI Ovadiah (VIIIes.). Iran (Isfahan). Founder of a Jewish sect. Announced that he was a percussor to the Messiah. One of the first sects to emerge under Moslem rule and in all likelihood as a reaction to it.

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid, 1978)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABOUDARHAM, AbouDraham

among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

AbouDraham is represented here mostly by Moroccan and Spanish involved in commerce and finance as well as rabbinic leadership. The name was widespread in Morocco.

The name consists of a complex prefix made of two elements abou = father which implies lineage and the root ‘draham’ = an ancient Roman currency known as ‘drahma’ in Hebrew writings or ‘dirham’ in some Arab countries, including Morocco. It may refer to a person who dealt with finance and money exchange. The occupation may have been passed on from father to son. The Aboudrahams were well known in the domain of finance in Spain and in Morocco, after the expulsion. The family was known also for its rabbinical leadership.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, even, ha, i, la, lel, me, m, o, wi, vi, ) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation, a characteristic of a person, i.e., beautiful… The prefixes al, el are equivalent to ‘the’ in English or the article ‘le’ in French. In the Moroccan Berbers tradition, prefixes such as ‘wi’ ‘vi’ ‘i’ means usually a family relationship to X, the equivalent of Abu in Arabic, i.e., ‘the father of’, ‘son of’ a man, a tribal affiliation and so forth.In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘M ‘ is an abbreviation of the word ‘from.’

Complex prefixes such as ‘Ab e’ in the name Ab E Rgel consist of two elements Ab=father and E=the.
Complex prefixes such as ‘BarHa’ in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.
Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
Suffixes such as ‘i’ or ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: arditi= from ardou or ard.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.
Suffixes such as ‘yah’, ‘yahu’ ‘hu’ are used in Hebrew to denote God’s benediction, for example: aviyah, aviyahu, avihu…
Suffixws such as ‘oun’ ‘on’ ‘yout’ ‘out’ characterize adjectives in Hebrew, for example: Hayoun, hayout…

ABOUDARHAM Moch? (Elt?touani) (XVIIIes.). Morocco. One of the King Merchant (tajer asultan) appointed along with Shemouel Sunbal by sultan Sidi Moulay Abdallah to conduct foreign trade from Mogador (Essaouira) (1766).
AbouDraham Shelomo. Morocco (Tetouan) (XVI-XVII). Chief rabbi of Tetouan. Poet. Author of Piske din (rabbinical rulings) and Hazouzim (Poems).
AbouDraham David (Don, El Viejo). Treasurer of Castillia (13th century). Community leader of Toledo. Founded a synagogue in Toledo.
ABOUDARHAM David ben Yossef (1341-?). Spain (S?villia). Rabbi. Author of S?f?r Aboudarham (The book of Aboudarham), P?rouch hab?rakhot v?hat?filot (The meaning of benedictions and prayers).
ABOUDARHAM Yah?acov (XIXes.). Morocco (Sal?). Morocco. S?f?r Koh?l?t Yah?acov (Jacob’s Eccl?siasties).

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid, 1978)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

Afia, Aboulafia, El Afia, among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

The root of the name is: ‘af’ ‘afia’

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, ben, bin, abou) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation.

In the Arab tradition, the prefix ‘Abu’ means usually ‘the father of’, a man is given the prefix ‘abu’ to identify him as the father of X. ‘Abu’ may also indicate a tribal affiliation. The root ‘afia’ in Arabic refers usually to ‘fire’ but it means also ‘energy’ ‘force’ ‘power’ ‘authority.’ Thus when the root ‘afia’ is part of a name, it may indicate a family relationship to a person who may have worked with ‘fire’ or possessed ‘energy,’ ‘force,’ ‘power,’ or ‘authority.’ Some people of priesthood descent (Cohen) adopted the name ‘Aboulafia,’ lending credence to the possibility that ‘Aboulafia’ denotes; a person with authority. It may have been a specific group of priests who handled the eternal fire in the Jerusalem Temple.

In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘Avi ‘ denotes patrilineal ancestry, i.e., father of ‘afia’ or the son of ‘afia’. The root ‘afia’ in Hebrew means has no meaning.

AFIA Aaron (XVIes.). Turkey. Doctor. Philosopher. Linguist. Author of: Opiniones sacadas de los mas autenticos y antiguos fil?sofos que sobre la alma escribieron y sus definiciones (Opinions on the soul and its definitions)

ABOULAFIA Todros ben Y?houdah Hal?vi (1247-1306?). Spain. Poet. Author of Gan Ham?chalim v?hahidot (The garden of proverbs and enigmas)
ABOULAFIA Abraham ben Ch?mou?l (1240-1291?). Spain. Rabbi. Poet. Prolific author. Author of Or has?khel (The light of the intelligence).
ABOULAFIA Ha?m ben David (1700?-1775?). Turkey. Rabbi. Author of Nichmat hay?m ( The soul of life).
ABOULAFIA Ha?m ben Moch? (Hazaken) (1660-1744). Palestine. Rabbi. Author of Mikra? kod?ch (Holy lectures).
ABOULAFIA Ha?m ben Yah?acov (1580-1668). Palestine. Rabbi. Member of the review committee of Nathan of Gaza prophecies.
ABOULAFIA Ha?m Nissim ben Itshak (1775-1861). Palestine. Rabbi. Author.
ABOULAFIA Issakhar Ha?m (1726-1781). Turkey. Rabbi. Author.
ABOULAFIA Itshak ben Moch? (1824-1910). Palestine. Rabbi. Author of P?n? Itshak (Isaak’s face).
ABOULAFIA M?ir ben Todros Hal?vi (RAMAH) (1165?-1244). Spain. Rabbi. Poet. Author of S?f?r Igu?rot (the Book of lettres).
ABOULAFIA Todros ben Yossef Hal?vi (1220-1298). Spain. Rabbi. Advisor to King Alphonse X. Author of Otsar hakavod (His honor’s treasure).
ABOULAFIA Yah?acov (XVIe-XVIIes.). Palestine. Chief rabbi of Damascus. Director of a yechiva.
ABOULAFIA Yah?acov ben Ch?lomo (1550-1622). Syria. Rabbi of the Spanish congregation in Damascus.

References:

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid 1978),

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABERGEL

among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

AbErgel is represented here mostly by Moroccan and Argentinian Jews indication as to the widespread dispersion of Mediterranean Jews and their settlement in Argentina and Latin America (encouraged by Moses Montifiori). The name was widespread in Morocco and North Africa.

The name consists of a complex prefix made of two elements ab = father which implies lineage and e = the as and the root ‘rgel’ = leg in Hebrew and Arabic. It may refer to a person who dealt with pilgrimage (alyia laregel in Hebrew) or someone with one leg or some leg related deformity.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, even, ha, i, la, lel, me, m, o, wi, vi, ) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation, a characteristic of a person, i.e., beautiful… The prefixes al, el are equivalent to ‘the’ in English or the article ‘le’ in French. In the Moroccan Berbers tradition, prefixes such as ‘wi’ ‘vi’ ‘i’ means usually a family relationship to X, the equivalent of Abu in Arabic, i.e., ‘the father of’, ‘son of’ a man, a tribal affiliation and so forth.In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘M ‘ is an abbreviation of the word ‘from.’

Complex prefixes such as ‘Ab e’ in the name Ab E Rgel consist of two elements Ab=father and E=the.
Complex prefixes such as ‘BarHa’ in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.
Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
Suffixes such as ‘i’ or ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: arditi= from ardou or ard.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.
Suffixes such as ‘yah’, ‘yahu’ ‘hu’ are used in Hebrew to denote God’s benediction, for example: aviyah, aviyahu, avihu…
Suffixws such as ‘oun’ ‘on’ ‘yout’ ‘out’ characterize adjectives in Hebrew, for example: Hayoun, hayout…

ABERGEL Jacques (1935-). Morocco (El Jadida). Graduate of HEC (Business School in Paris). High ranking oficer in the ministry of finance in Morocco. Diretor of the Radio station Europe I. Owner of the magazine Tribune Juive.

Abergel Meny Argentina. Doctor. Descendent of a Moroccan family. Director of leprosy research at Rosario University in Argentina.

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid, 1978)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

Abensour (EvenZur, Tsur, Zur)

among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

AbenSour is represented here mostly by rabbis of Moroccan and Spanish origin but the name was widespread in Morocco. At least one of the Abensours (Itshak) contributed to the formulation of Takkanot ham?gorachim (Rulings for the Expulsed from Spain) which distinguished them from the ancient Jewish inhabitants of Morocco led by the AbenDanans.

The name is believed to be of ancient Hebrew origin.It consists of the prefix avi (aben, Ben, Ibn or Even) which implies fatherhood or lineage, the root ‘Zur’ = rock or the town of ‘Zur’ = Tyr in Northern Israel (contemporary Lebanon). The prefix ‘even’ = stone may be part of the name root rather than a prefix and may have expressed an emphasis (stone+rock).

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, even, ha, i, la, lel, me, m, o, wi, vi, ) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation, a characteristic of a person, i.e., beautiful… The prefixes al, el are equivalent to ‘the’ in English or the article ‘le’ in French. In the Moroccan Berbers tradition, prefixes such as ‘wi’ ‘vi’ ‘i’ means usually a family relationship to X, the equivalent of Abu in Arabic, i.e., ‘the father of’, ‘son of’ a man, a tribal affiliation and so forth.In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘M ‘ is an abbreviation of the word ‘from.’

Complex prefixes such as ‘BarHa’ in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.
Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
Suffixes such as ‘i’ or ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: arditi= from ardou or ard.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.
Suffixes such as ‘yah’, ‘yahu’ ‘hu’ are used in Hebrew to denote God’s benediction, for example: aviyah, aviyahu, avihu…
Suffixws such as ‘oun’ ‘on’ ‘yout’ ‘out’ characterize adjectives in Hebrew, for example: Hayoun, hayout…

Abensour Isaac (1861-1927). Morocco (Tanger). Banker. Merchant. Community leader (1903-1932). Founder of the Hygene Commission. Honorary consul of Austria. British representative to the legislative assemblee in Tanger.
ABENSOUR Chalom (?-1727?). Morocco. Rabbi. Poet. Linguist. Author of S?f?r Chir hadach (New Poems) contains poems/lithurgy for the Jewish calendar and life cycle.
ABENSOUR Ch?lomo ?liahou (1822-1873). Morocco (F?s). Rabbi. Author of P?n? Ch?lomo (Solomon’s scale), a compilation of ancient rabbinical rulings.
ABENSOUR Ch?mou?l (XVes.). Spain. Rabbi. Community leader of Valladolid.
ABENSOUR Moch? (XVes.). Spain. Rabbi. Converted to Christianity to escape the Spanish Inquisition. Escaped to Fes where he returned to Judaism.
ABENSOUR Itshak (?-1605?). Morocco. Rabbi (F?s). One of the rabbi who formulated Takkanot ham?gorachim (Rulings for the Expulsed from Spain). Assassinated due to one of his rulings.
ABENSOUR Moch? (XVIIes.). Morocco. Rabbi. Poet. Lived in Sal?. Author of commentaries on the Kabala.
ABENSOUR Moch? (XVIIIes.). Morocco. Rabbi in Mekn?s and F?s. Author of an abstract of the work of Rabbi Ha?m Vital. His work remains in manuscript form.
ABENSOUR Rapha?l (1830-1917). Morocco. Rabbi. Notary. Chief of the rabbinical court (F?s). Author of rabbinical court rulings and commentaries. ABENSOUR R?ouven (16??-17??). Morocco. Rabbi. Kabalist. Author of rulings relating to ritual baths (cleansing).
ABENSOUR Yah?acov (YABETS) (1673-1753). Morocco. Son of R?ouven Abensour above. Rabbi in F?s, Mekn?s and T?touan . Kabalist. Linguist. Astronomer. Poet. Re-established the rabbinical court in Fes. Author of E’t l?kol h?f?ts (A time for everything); Michpat outsdakah b?yah?acov (Justice and charity for Israel). His eulogy for the destruction of the Second Temple is part of the 9th of Av ritual.

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid, 1978)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABENDANA (danan, IbnDanan, BenDanan)
ABENDANA DE BRITO
ABENDANAN

among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

AbenDanan is represented here by a famous family of rabbis of Moroccan origin (Fes) who moved back and forth from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. Some scattered to European countries such as the Netherlands and Britain. They demonstrate the close links and interdependence between the Spanish/Portuguese and North African Jewry. Danan is believed to be of Babylonian origin. The Danans led the ancient Jewish Moroccan diaspora, called Toshavim (Inhabitants) who distinguished themselves by maintaining Palestinian/Babylonian rituals and rabbinical rulings. The name consist of the prefix avi (aben, Ben, Ibn) which implies fatherhood or lineage, the root ‘dan’ = the tribe of Dan, one of Jacob’s children. It may be associated with judicial practice as ‘dan’ = judging in Hebrew and Danan may be an Aramaec transformation of Dan during passage in Babylonia.

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, ha, i, la, lel, me, m, o, wi, vi, ) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation, a characteristic of a person, i.e., beautiful… The prefixes al, el are equivalent to ‘the’ in English or the article ‘le’ in French. In the Moroccan Berbers tradition, prefixes such as ‘wi’ ‘vi’ ‘i’ means usually a family relationship to X, the equivalent of Abu in Arabic, i.e., ‘the father of’, ‘son of’ a man, a tribal affiliation and so forth.In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘M ‘ is an abbreviation of the word ‘from.’

Complex prefixes such as BarHa in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘an’ or ‘in’ denote affiliation or a characteristic in Aramaec.

Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
Suffixes such as ‘i’ or ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: arditi= from ardou or ard.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.
Suffixes such as ‘yah’, ‘yahu’ ‘hu’ are used in Hebrew to denote God’s benediction, for example: aviyah, aviyahu, avihu…
Suffixws such as ‘oun’ ‘on’ ‘yout’ ‘out’ characterize adjectives in Hebrew, for example: Hayoun, hayout…

ABENDANA Itshak Sardo (1622?-1709). Netherlands. Diamond Jewler. Operated in India and London.
ABENDANA DE BRITO Itshak Ha?m (1660-1760). Netherlands. Rabbi of de Brito. Approved the publication of May?m rabbim (Sacred Sources) of Rapha?l Meldola, the rabbi of Bayonne.
ABENDANA Itshak (1640-1710). Marrano origin. Brother of Ya?acov Abendana. Doctor. Rabbi. Hebrew teacher at Cambridge and Oxford. Translator of the Mishnah to latin. Author of Jewish Almanachs juifs targetting Christian readers.
ABENDANA Yah?acov Yossef (1630-1685). Marrano origin. Amsterdam community leader. Rabbi of the Spanish Portuguese Jewish Community in London. Author and translator. Translated the Kouzari of Rabbi Y?houdah Hal?vi, and Ma?monides’ Mishne Torah.
ABENDANAN Ch?lomo (1848-1929). Morocco (Fes). Rabbi. Kabalist. Rabbinical Judge in Fes and Rabat. Contributed to improving the conditions of life of Moroccan Jewry due to his influence of the French Protectorat. Author of Acher lichlomo (The Wisdom of Solomon) and Bik?ch Ch?lomo (Solomon’s Plea).
ABENDANAN Ch?mou?l (?-1622). Morocco (Fes). Rabbi. Notary. Author.
ABENDANAN Ch?mou?l (XVIes.). Spain. Grandson of Saadia ben Moch? Abendanan. Settled in Fes after the expulsion from Spain. Community leader. Rabbi. Acredited Yossef Caro as rabbi.
ABENDANAN Ch?mou?l (1542-1621). Spain. Grandson of Rabbi Ch?mou?l Abendanan. Rabbi. Chief rabbinical judge in F?s.
ABENDANAN Moch? (RAMBAM Elfassi) (XIVe-XVes.). Morocco (F?s). Rabbi. Author of a commentary on the Talmud.
ABENDANAN Saadia ben Moch? (?-1493). Morocco (F?s). Rabbi. Talmudist. Doctor and poet. Chief rabbi of Granada. Returned to Fes after the Expulsion from Spain (1492).Author of a Hebrew/Arab dictionary, a history of the Jews in Morocco and Spain and judgements re forced conversion.

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid, 1978)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABENAES (Naeh, BarHaNess, Baal HaNess, Baranes, Ness, aNass, Nouss)

among other possible variations depending on the country and language of the person.

Abenaes is represented here by a Portugues Marrano knight. The name is rare in our inventory. The name may be read in a variety of ways. It typifies possible transformations due foreign influences on Jewish names. The name consist of the prefix avi (abe) which implies fatherhood or lineage and the root ‘naes’ = miracle in Hebrew. It may be associated with the Hebrew name ‘BarHaNess’ =miracle maker, i.e., Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess). It may mean naeh = ‘nice’ or ‘good looking.’ One may read the name as ‘aben’ = son of and ‘aes’ or ‘ish’ in Hebrew. The name has several meanings in Arabic: Nass = person, Nouss = Half, Barani or Baranes = foreigner(s).

Prefixes attached to the root name such as (aben, iben, abe, abi, abou, avi, am, ben, bin, abou, a, aj, al, bel, ha, i, la, lel, me, m, o, wi, vi, ) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of X, a place, i.e., a person from X, an occupation, i.e., a person who practices a specific occupation, a characteristic of a person, i.e., beautiful… The prefixes al, el are equivalent to ‘the’ in English or the article ‘le’ in French. In the Moroccan Berbers tradition, prefixes such as ‘wi’ ‘vi’ ‘i’ means usually a family relationship to X, the equivalent of Abu in Arabic, i.e., ‘the father of’, ‘son of’ a man, a tribal affiliation and so forth.In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ‘M ‘ is an abbreviation of the word ‘from.’

Complex prefixes such as BarHa in the name BarHaNess consist of two elements Bar=son and Ha=the.

Suffixes such as ‘a’ characterize ancient Hebrew names, i.e., AviHatsir’a’
Suffixes such as oulah, oulay, ilah, ily, el, eli are used in Hebrew and Arabic to associate a name with God’ blessing.
Suffixes such as ‘i’ or ‘ri’ ‘ti’ refer to an association with a person or a location, for example: arditi= from ardou or ard.
Suffixes such as ‘illo’ ‘ano’ ‘ino’ ‘nino’ are used in Spain and Italy to indicate descendence or association with an attribute.
Suffixes such as ‘yah’, ‘yahu’ ‘hu’ are used in Hebrew to denote God’s benediction, for example: aviyah, aviyahu, avihu…
Suffixws such as ‘oun’ ‘on’ ‘yout’ ‘out’ characterize adjectives in Hebrew, for example: Hayoun, hayout…

ABENA?S Ch?lomo (Alvaro Mend?s) (1520?-1603). Portugal (Tavira). The Duke of Mytilene. Marrano who returned to Judaism in Istanbul. Diplomat. International businessman. Took over the position of Yossef Nasi as advisor to the Trukish Emperor. Supported the establishment of a Jewish autonomy in Palestine. Tiberias benefited from his support.. Knighted by the Queen of England as well as by the Turkish Emperor.

References:

ABEHSSERA Chalom S?f?r youhassin (Genealogy Registers).

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc (Madrid, 1978)

The meaning of names among Mediterranean Jews

Marc Eliany ?

ABECASSIS, Abucassis, Abiksis
Cassis in France
Cazes and AbenGacez in Spain.

AB?CASSIS in French spelling, may appear in different forms, i.e., Abucassis, abiksis, Cassis in France or Cazes and AbenGacez in Spain.

Prefixes such as (aben, iben, abi, avi, ben, bin, abou) denotes usually a relation to a person, i.e., the father of or the son of? X, a place, i.e., a person from Cassis, a profession, i.e., Kassas or story teller in Arabic or chopper in Hebrew.

In the Arab tradition, the prefix Abu means usually the father of Cassis, or a tribal affiliation, i.e., a relation to the Moroccan tribe of bnei Ksis. Jews in Morocco often were assigned the name of the tribe that offered them protection.  The word ?kassas? in Arabic means storyteller. In Algeria, community leaders and rabbis were given the title ?Cassis? which may denote in Arabic ?elder.?

In the Hebrew tradition, the prefix ?Avi ? denotes patrilineal ancestry, i.e., son of Cassis or a relation to a place of origin, i.e., Cassis, a region allocated to the tribe of Benjamin. Jews settled in Morocco before the arrival of the Arabs to North Western Africa and the tribe Bnei Cassis was a Jewish tribe before it adopted Islam. The tribe may have been related to the tribe of Benjamin and the region of Cassis in ancient Israel. The root ?kss? means chopper in Hebrew and may denote a trade of the people named Cassis. May also be of the tribe of Banu Alqassis in Yatrel, in Saudi Arabia.

Cassis is a town in Southern France. The title ?Cassis? may denotes also ?priest? among early Christians in North Africa.
Caces is a town in the province of Oviedo in Spain. The name Cazes is common among Jews of Spanish ancestry around the Mediteranean (see examples below).

The name is common among both Jews, Berbers and Arabs in North Africa but not as frequent among Christians in France. See for example

AB?CASSIS Rapha?l (1953-). Morocco. Painter of the stained glass at Tif?ret Isra?l in Los Angeles.
AB?CASSIS ?liette (XX^es.). France. Author of Qumran et L?or et la cendre
AB?CASSIS-OBADIAH Marie (XX^es.). Morocco. (lives in Quebec) Author of  Tanger, les miens et les autres.
AB?CASSIS Messod (XIXes.). Morocco.  Community leader in Tangier.
AB?CASSIS Salomon (XIXes.). Morocco. Community leader in London, England.
AB?CASSIS Armand (1933-). Morocco. Author, philosopher, psychologist, Bordeaux. France.
AB?CASSIS Simon (XIXe-XXes.). Morocco. Rabbi of Mogador
AB?CASSIS Y?houdah (XXes.). Morocco. Rabbi of T?touan.

CAZ?S David (1851-1913). Morocco. T?touan. Author. Historian. Established Jewish schools in Tunisia, Turkey and Argentina.
CAZ?S-BENATTAR H?l?ne (1900-?). Morocco. Tangier. Lawyer. Led the Joint assistance to WWII refugees in Morocco.

References:

Azoulay, Hayim Yossef Shem Hagdolim (the names of the great)

AZOULAY Ha?m Yossef David (Hida) (1724-1807) Ch?m hagu?dolim va?ad lahakhamim (The names of the Great Council of Sages).

Toledano, J. 1983        La saga des familles, Les juifs du Maroc et leurs noms, Editions Stavit, Tel Aviv

Levi, J et. al. 2000        Dictionnaire biographique du monde Juif Sepharade et Mediteranean, Editions Elysee, Montreal.

Laredo A. 1978           Les noms des juifs au Maroc