Like many other Jewish communities in the Levant, the Jewish community of Damascus dwindled from a thriving community with 12,000 members in 1943 until only a handful remained by 2010. Its members largely left for Mandatory Palestine and later to the State of Israel, the USA or Latin America, where they established thriving new communities founded on a rich heritage.
In this article, I aim to foster genealogical research into the Jewish families of Damascus by offering a preliminary compilation of surnames of those who lived there. In this endeavor, I have built upon the work of others:
Eliezer and Yosef Yoel Rivlin
Eliezer and Yosef Yoel Rivlin lived in Damascus during World War I and in 1926 published a book about the history of the Jews in Damascus during the 16th century[1]. In their last chapter, the Rivlins included a list of the surnames of Jewish families that lived in the city in previous centuries, as was provided to them by the city’s Rabbis. They noted that some of those families continued to reside there in the 20th century. Unfortunately, the list is only partial.
Jews Appearing Before Muslim Courts 1583-1909
During 2015, I wrote an article for AVOTAYNU entitled “When Did Damascus Jews Start To Use Surnames?”. The source of my data was a collection of documents in the Muslim religious courts of Damascus between the years 1583-1909. My article did not try to index surnames, but rather to figure out when surnames came into use In Damascus. Because the court documents mentioned only names of Jews who appeared before them, they reflect only a fraction of Damascus surnames and only ran through 1909.[2][3]
Amon Atzmon
The first serious attempt to construct a comprehensive list of Syrian Jewish surnames was undertaken by Amnon Atzmon, who in 2014 compiled a list of surnames of Israelis born in Syria (Damascus, Aleppo, and Qamishi). The list was posted in Hebrew on the website of the “Organization of Damascene Jews (from Syria) Living in Israel”. Atzmon assembled 1,864 surnames from a variety of lists existing in Israel with Hebrew spellings apparently provided by family members. Many surnames appear multiple times with different Hebrew spellings, suggesting that the original Arabic spellings had been ignored or forgotten. Many of the families on the list carried Hebraized surnames adopted after their arrival in Israel.[4]
I was asked at a certain stage by Yossi Yavin (Yabu) whose late father hailed from Damascus to explore the Atzmon list and to offer a legal Hebrew spelling based on known rules governing transliteration from Arabic to Hebrew. Using these rules, I managed to identify and reconstruct many contemporary Jewish Syrian surnames. I found the Damascus Jewish surnames were not only of Arabic origin but Sephardic, Hebrew, and Ashkenazic origin as well.
Because many of the names had been transcribed into Hebrew based on how they sounded, some of the names on the Atzmon list required reconstruction from the Hebrew. For example, the Arabic letter Q is not pronounced in many cases, thus Qattash/ch is pronounced Attash/ch and Qubrusi is pronounced Ubrusi or Ibrisi.
Rafi Asher
At this stage, Rafi Asher from Tel Aviv (whose parents hail from Damascus and who is familiar with many surnames of Jews from Damascus), offered to examine my transcription of the Atzmon surname list and to identify those specifically from Damascus.
Asher and I verified our list and added several new surnames by corresponding with members of two Hebrew Facebook groups “Habait Hadamaskai” (The Damsacene House) [5] and “Lemoreshet Yehudei Damesek Suria u Levanon “(The Heritage of The Jews of Damascus, Syria and Lebanon) [6].
Based on this inquiry, Asher compiled a Hebrew-language table of Damascene surnames as well as a Latin transliteration. The PDF can be viewed on the “Habait Hadamaskai” website in the files section.[7] The table displays a legend explaining how some letters and vowels were actually pronounced in Damascus. This is a remarkable contribution to the genealogy of Damascene Jewish families and will certainly serve future researchers from different disciplines.
A Consolidated Index of Jewish Surnames in 20th Century Damascus
As the table compiled by Rafi Asher is not easily accessible to readers who are not familiar with Hebrew and Arabic, I am providing below a re-compiled version of his list using the Latin alphabet. In the process, I added further surnames.
Since a considerable number of the surnames on the list are of Arabic (and fraction from Turkish) origin, we referred to their original Arabic spellings to offer a more uniform index that was not dependent upon inconsistencies in pronunciation. In the process, discovered mainly through Latin spellings on contemporary (non-Jewish) Syrian Facebook groups, that notwithstanding a common spelling, there is indeed more than one way to pronounce a given surname.
The updated surnames index set out below presently includes some 300 surnames and hopefully will grow as we receive feedback from the community. The Latin transliteration is not according to academic rules but tries to reflect as much as possible the way it is written. Hopefully, everyone will be able to locate the surname he or she seeks. Surnames from Arabic origin are marked by the letter A.
| Abbadi A |
| Abbas A |
| Abu Raish A |
| Abud A |
| Abulafia A |
| Ades A |
| Aghai |
| Ajami A |
| Akiva |
| Aknin |
| Alfie A |
| Ambar/Anbar A |
| Ammash A |
| Am’o/Qam’o/Kameo |
| Amran |
| Andibo/Indibo/Endibo |
| Angel |
| Antebi |
| Anzarut A |
| Aqes |
| Ara |
| Arazi |
| Argalji/Arkalji A |
| Ariel |
| Arkanji/Arakanchi A |
| Arman |
| Asher |
| Ashkenazi |
| Ashqar A |
| Atri/Qatri A |
| Attar A |
| Attiye A |
| Ayun A |
| Azan |
| Azar |
| Ba’abur A |
| Baghdadi A |
| Balas A |
| Balile |
| Balla/Balle |
| Balqis A |
| Bambaji A |
| Bawabe A |
| Beida A |
| Beleli |
| Binhos/Pinhas |
| Bisso/Busso/Bissu |
| Blanga/Belanga/Balanga/Blanka |
| Bondi |
| Buqai A |
| Bushi |
| Buzali |
| Chemtob |
| Cohen |
| Da’abul |
| Dahab/ Daab A |
| Dahan |
| Dana A |
| Danduf |
| Danguri |
| Daniel |
| Darwish |
| Dayan |
| Dirzi/Derzi/Terzi/Tirzi A |
| Dirzieh A |
| Dishi |
| Douek/Dwek/Duek |
| Douer/Duer/Dwer |
| Durra/Dirra A |
| Eliya |
| Fadda/ Fedda A |
| Fahham A |
| Fallah A |
| Fanijil |
| Faour |
| Faqes/Faks/Faes |
| Farah A |
| Farhi |
| Farkha A |
| Fattal A |
| Fayena/Faina |
| Frestai A |
| Frewe A |
| Fteiha/Ftiha A |
| Fuerte |
| Gagin |
| Galante |
| Ghneje A |
| Gnizi A |
| Goldschmidt |
| Grego/Greco |
| Habib A |
| Habuba A |
| Haddad A |
| Hadid A |
| Hakim A |
| Halabi A |
| Hallaq A |
| Hamadani A |
| Hamawi/Hamaoui A |
| Hamisha A |
| Hamra A |
| Hana |
| Hanania |
| Hara |
| Harari |
| Hasbani A |
| Hasson A |
| Haswe/Hassoeh A |
| Haver |
| Hazanof |
| Hefes |
| Hib/Hibe/Hebe |
| Hifa |
| Hilu/Helu A |
| Hilwani/Halawani A |
| Himsani/Homsani A |
| Idi |
| Inbe A |
| Ja’amur A |
| Jabra A |
| Jadaa/Jad’a A |
| Jamil A |
| Jamus A |
| Jejati/Djedjati A |
| Jrade/Jrada A |
| Kabariti A |
| Kala’a |
| Kalash A |
| Kaltum A |
| Kamkhaji A |
| Katran |
| Kattach/ Attach A |
| Kbabiye/Kababia A |
| Khabbaz A |
| Khabie |
| Khafif A |
| Khalif A |
| Khalife A |
| Khalus A |
| Khamri |
| Khaski/Chaski A |
| Khluf A |
| Khuli/Khouli A |
| Kishk A |
| Kleb A |
| Kobe |
| Kosh |
| Kostica |
| Kosto/Costo |
| Krayem A |
| Ladhaqani A |
| Lahham A |
| Lalo |
| Laniado/Linado |
| Lati A |
| Lewi |
| Lisbona/lizbona |
| Loz/Luz |
| Loze/Luza |
| Lozie/Luzia |
| Maaravi |
| Maimon |
| Mal-akh |
| Mamrud A |
| Mandil A |
| Mann |
| Maslaton |
| Masri A |
| Matalon |
| Matitia |
| Mawas |
| Mbazbaz/Mubazbaz |
| Menafakh |
| Menashe |
| Mendes |
| Merkado |
| Meyuhas |
| Minyan |
| Mishaan |
| Mish’aniye/Michanie |
| Mite/Mita/Metta |
| Mizrahi |
| Mizreb A |
| Mnajjed/Menaged A |
| Mnaqi/Mna-i |
| Morali |
| Mosseri |
| Muallem/Mallem A |
| Mughrabi |
| Muhadeb/Muhadab A |
| Mukhallalati A |
| Mulabasati A |
| Musalli A |
| Na’em |
| Nahmias |
| Najara |
| Naqqash A |
| Natah |
| Naulo A |
| Nawame A |
| Negrin/Negri |
| Noah |
| Nseri/Nasiri A |
| Pantsiri |
| Paredes/Baredes |
| Perets/Beres |
| Pesah |
| Pinto |
| Politi |
| Preciado |
| Qasir/Asir A |
| Qubrusi/Ibrosi A |
| Rabi’a A |
| Rika |
| Romano |
| Saad A |
| Saade A |
| Sabah A |
| Safadi A |
| Sakkal A |
| Salame A |
| Saleh A |
| Salem A |
| Salkhaji |
| Salomon |
| Samra/Samara A |
| Sankari A |
| Sasson |
| Sayegh A |
| Seadia |
| Sefanya |
| Shababo |
| Shabi |
| Shakuri |
| Shalah A |
| Shalouh/Chalouh |
| Shamah |
| Shami A |
| Shamma’a A |
| Shamrikha |
| Shaqruqa/Shaarua/Shakruka A |
| Sharaf A |
| Sharshub A |
| Shattah A |
| Sheikha A |
| Shemaya |
| Shirazi |
| Shkeifati A |
| Shufan A |
| Shurba A |
| Shwele A |
| Siles |
| Simantov |
| Sinyor/Senior |
| Siriye A |
| Sit A |
| Skabe |
| Sleilat |
| Smeka/Smeke A |
| Srugo |
| Srur A |
| Stambuli |
| Stitie A |
| Sues A |
| Sukari A |
| Swed A |
| Tabbakh A |
| Tahhan A |
| Tajer A |
| Tarab |
| Tashe |
| Tashtash A |
| Tassat |
| Tawil A |
| Tbele A |
| Tirkiye/Turkiye A |
| Toledo |
| Totah ِA |
| Trabulsi A |
| Tubi |
| Uzon/Ozon/Ozone/Ezon A |
| Vital |
| Wajim |
| Wizel-Sankari |
| Yabu |
| Yashar |
| Yashte |
| Yazdi A |
| Zagha/Zara |
| Zaguri |
| Zarif A |
| Zayyat A |
| Zeibak/ Zaibak A |
| Zeituni A |
| Zerahia |
| Zghil/Zghul A |
| Zilkha A |
| Zleta/Zlita A |
| Zrihan |
Notes
[1] Rivlin, Eliezer, and Yosef Yoel Rivlin. Le Korot Hayehudim Be Damesek in the Fourth Century of the Creation. Jerusalem,1926 (in Hebrew)
[2] Rosen, Jacob. “When Did Damascus Jews Start To Use Surnames?” Avotaynu 31 no. 3 (2015): 37-38
[3] Al’Ulabi, Akram Hasan. Damascus Jews in the Ottoman Period: As Reflected in Shari’ah Courts Files in the Center of Historical Documents in Damascus 1583–1909. Damascus,2011 (in Arabic).
[4] http://misham.org.il/indexecf4.html?page_id=2191[1]
[5] https://www.facebook.com/groups/1402681869875056/
[6] https://www.facebook.com/groups/misham/
[7] https://www.facebook.com/groups/1402681869875056/files/
