Like many other Jewish communities in the Levant, that of Damascus declined from a thriving community with 12,000 members in 1943 to only a handful by 2010. Its members largely left for Mandatory Palestine, and later to the State of Israel, the United States, and 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 efforts 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 which 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]
Amnon 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 because, 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 more 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 these inquiries, Asher compiled a table in Hebrew of Damascene surnames as well as a Latin transliteration. The PDF can be viewed on the ” Lemoreshet Yehudei Damesek Suria u Levanon ” website in the files section in the file dated June 18th,2020.[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 few weeks after publishing the first version of the index in June 2020 I was approached by Dr. Shay Matsa who submitted a Ph.D. thesis to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He drew my attention to a copy of the annual report of the Jewish Community in Damascus for the years 1941-1943 at the National Library in Jerusalem (https://www.nli.org.il/he/journals/NNL-Journals002324230/NLI). The report is in Arabic and includes the surnames of many members of the community with whom we were not aware or offered a new spelling.
The Table Below
As the initial table compiled by Rafi Asher is not easily accessible to readers who are not familiar with Hebrew andArabic, he was kind enough to prepare a version using the Latin alphabet. In the process, I added further surname. The updated surnames index includes at the moment 445 surnames, compared with 300 in the first version. Hopefully, as previously, more surnames will be added after 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.
| Abbadi / Abadi / Abadie | ||
| Abbas / Abas | ||
| Abu Rish / Rish | ||
| Abud / Aboud | ||
| Abulafia | ||
| Ades | ||
| Agha / Ara / Aghai / Aghay / Aray | ||
| Ajam | ||
| Ajami | ||
| Akil | ||
| Akiva | ||
| Akkawi | ||
| Aknin/Aknine/Aqnine/Vaknin/Ouaknin | ||
| Alfandari / Alphandari / Alfanderi | ||
| Alfia / Alfieh / Alfiah | ||
| Altaras | ||
| Amar | חדש אצלך | |
| Ambar / Anbar | ||
| Ammash / Ammach / Amash | ||
| Amram | ||
| Amran | ||
| Amura / Amoura | ||
| Andibo / Indibo / Ndibo / Ndibu | ||
| Angel | ||
| Antebi | ||
| Anzarut / Anzarouth / Anzaroot | ||
| Aqes / Akes / Akis | ||
| Arazi | ||
| Argalji / Arkalji | ||
| Ariel | ||
| Arkanji / Arakanji / Arakanchi | ||
| Arman | ||
| Arokh | ||
| Asher / Acher | ||
| Ashkenazi / Siknaji | ||
| Ashqar / Ashaar / Achaar | ||
| Asis / Assis / Esses | ||
| Aslanki / Aslangui | ||
| Assa | ||
| Assi | ||
| Astrak / Astrok / Astruk | ||
| Atrush / Atrushi / Atrosh | ||
| Attar | ||
| Attia / Attie / Attieh / Atieh | ||
| Avtar / Abtar | ||
| Awazun | ||
| Ayun / Ayoun | ||
| Azan | ||
| Azar | ||
| Baabur / Baabour / Baabor / Baavur | ||
| Baghdadi | ||
| Baida / Beida | ||
| Bakiri | ||
| Bakri | ||
| Balila / Balaila / Balayla | ||
| Ballah / Balleh | ||
| Ballas | ||
| Balqis / Balkis | ||
| Bambaji | ||
| Barda | ||
| Basna / Bisna / Bisne | ||
| Basso/Bassu/Besso/Bisso/Bissou/Bissu/Bousso/Busso/Bussu | ||
| Bawabeh / Bawaba / Bawabe | ||
| Bazini / Bazzini | ||
| Beleli / Balleli / Belleli | ||
| Benyamin / Binyamin | ||
| Bistra / Bastra | ||
| Blanca/Blanga/Belanga/Balanga/Blanka | ||
| Bliliuos/Blilios/Balilius/Balilios/Belilius/Belilios | ||
| Bodeq / Bodek / Bodeh | ||
| Bondi | ||
| Boshi / De Boshi / Di Boshi | ||
| Breska | ||
| Buqai / Bukai | ||
| Burla | ||
| Buzali | ||
| Catran / Katran | ||
| Chamantoub / Chamntoub / Shamantub | ||
| Cohen / Kohen | ||
| Costa / Kosta | ||
| Costica / Kostika / Kostica / Kastika | ||
| Costo / Kosto | ||
| Daabas | ||
| Daabul / Daaboul | ||
| Dabah / Dabbah | ||
| Dabas / Dabbas | ||
| Dahab / Daab / Daheb | ||
| Dahan | ||
| Dana | ||
| Danduf / Dandof | ||
| Danguri / Danquri | ||
| Daniel | ||
| Darwish / Darwich / Derwish / Darouish | ||
| Daud / Daoud | ||
| Davidoff | ||
| Dayan | ||
| Dib / Deeb / Dibo | ||
| Diba / Dibe | ||
| Dishi / Dichi | ||
| Diwan / Divan | ||
| Douek / Dwek / Duek / Doueck | ||
| Douer / Duer / Dwer | ||
| Dumani / Doumani | ||
| Durra / Dirra / Derra / Dorra | ||
| Durzi/Dirzi /Derzi/Turzi /Tirzi/Terzi | ||
| Durziah/ Durzieh / Dirzieh | ||
| Elia / Eliya / Ilia | ||
| Ellinhorn / Ellenhorn | ||
| Elyakim / Eliakim | ||
| Fadda / Fedda | ||
| Fahham / Faham | ||
| Fallah | ||
| Faour / Faur | ||
| Faqes / Faks / Faes | ||
| Farah | ||
| Farakh | ||
| Farhi | ||
| Farjun / Farajun | ||
| Farkha | ||
| Fas / Fes | ||
| Fattal | ||
| Fayena / Faiena / Faina / Faena | ||
| Fenichel / Fanijel | ||
| Franco / Franko | ||
| Frestai / Frastai / Frastay | ||
| Frewe / Freue | ||
| Fseteh / Pesteh / Pesti / Fsitiq / Fsetih | ||
| Fteiha / Ftiha / Fatiha | ||
| Fwerte / Fuerte / Fuerti | ||
| Gabai / Gabbai / Gabay / Gabbay | ||
| Gabison / Gabizon / Gavison | ||
| Gadaa | ||
| Gagin | ||
| Galante / Galanti | ||
| Gershon/Gerson/Guerson/Guerchon | ||
| Ghnejeh | ||
| Gino | ||
| Gnazia /Gnasia | ||
| Goldschmidt | ||
| Greco / Grego / Greko | ||
| Habib | ||
| Habuba / Habouba / Habobeh | ||
| Haddad | ||
| Hadid | ||
| Haimov / Haimof | ||
| Hakham | ||
| Hakim | ||
| Halabi | ||
| Halabieh | ||
| Hallaq / Halak | ||
| Hamadani | ||
| Hamawi / Hamaoui | ||
| Hamisha | ||
| Hamra | ||
| Hana | ||
| Hanan | ||
| Hanania / Hananya | ||
| Hananu / Hananou / Hanano | ||
| Hanin / Hnein | ||
| Hanun / Hanoun / Hanon | ||
| Hanunu / Hanounou / Hanono | ||
| Hara | ||
| Harari | ||
| Hares / Haris | ||
| Hasan | ||
| Hasbani / Hazbani | ||
| Haskur / Haskor | ||
| Hasson / Hassoun | ||
| Hasweh / Hassweh / Hasswa / Hassoeh | ||
| Haver / Haber | ||
| Hayat / Khayat | ||
| Hazan | ||
| Hazanoff | ||
| Hefets / Hefes | ||
| Hib / Heb / Hibe / Hebe / Al Heb | ||
| Hifa / Hefa | ||
| Hilu / Helu | ||
| Hilwani / Halawani | ||
| Himsani / Hamsani / Homsani | ||
| Himsi / Homsi | ||
| Huwaidaya/Hewedaya/Hewedayea/Hauadaie/Huedaie | ||
| Idi | ||
| Inbeh | ||
| Jaamor / Jaamur | ||
| Jabra / Gavra | ||
| Jacobson | ||
| Jadaa | ||
| Jamal / Jemal | ||
| Jamil | ||
| Jamus | ||
| Janani / Jananiah / Jnanieh | ||
| Jaradeh / Jradeh / Jradah | ||
| Jejati / Djedjati | ||
| Kababia / Kababieh / Kbabieh / Kbabiye | ||
| Kabariti / Kbariti / Kabriti | ||
| Kabud / Kabudi / Kaboud | ||
| Kahale | ||
| Kalaa / Cala | ||
| Kalash | ||
| Kaltum | ||
| Kamkhaji | ||
| Karadi | ||
| Karaka / Karake / Karaki | ||
| Karim | ||
| Kashani | ||
| Katifa / Kataifi / Kataife | ||
| Khabbaz / Khabaz | ||
| Khabiah / Khabie / Khabieh / Havia | ||
| Khafif | ||
| Khalfon / Halfon | ||
| Khalif | ||
| Khalifa / Khalife / Khalifeh | ||
| Khalili | ||
| Khallouf / Khaluf / Khluf / Khloof | ||
| Khalus | ||
| Khamri | ||
| Khaski / Chaski | ||
| Khbizo / Khabezo / Kabezo / Khabezi | ||
| Khuli / Khouli / Kholi | ||
| Kindi / Gindi / Guindi | ||
| Kishik / Kishk / Kichk | ||
| Knizi / Gnizi | ||
| Kobe / Cobe / Kuba / Kobi | ||
| Kosh / Kush | ||
| Krayem | ||
| Kulaib / Kleb / Kalev | ||
| Kurshu / Gurshu / Gorsho | ||
| Labaton | ||
| Ladhaqani/Ladqani/Ladkani/Ladaani/Ldkni | ||
| Lahab / Al-Lahab | חדש אצלך | שונה מ-אל היב. ברשימתך היה ואריאנט ב-אל היב |
| Lahham / Laham | ||
| Lalo | ||
| Laniado / Liniado / Niadu | ||
| Lati | ||
| Leon | ||
| levi / Lewi | ||
| Lisbona / Lizbona | ||
| Luz / Louz / Loz | ||
| Luza / Louza / Louzeh / Lozea / Loze | ||
| Luzia / Louzia / Lucia / Lucie / Lozie | ||
| Maaravi | ||
| Maimon / Maymon / Mymon / Mymoun | ||
| Makhuleh / Majule | ||
| Makno / Magnus | ||
| Malakh | ||
| Mamrud / Mamrut / Mamrout | ||
| Mana / Mane | ||
| Mandil | ||
| Mann / Elmann | ||
| Manobla | ||
| Maraali | חדש אצלך | |
| Maraashli | ||
| Maslaton | ||
| Maslaton-Tarrab | ||
| Masri | ||
| Matalon | ||
| Matitia / Matatia | ||
| Mawardi | ||
| Mawas / Maouas | ||
| Menashe | ||
| Mendes | ||
| Mercado / Merkado | ||
| Meyuhas | ||
| Minfakh | ||
| Minyan / Minian | ||
| Mishaan | ||
| Mishania/Mishanie/Michanie/Michanieh | ||
| Mitta / Metta / Matta / Mitte | ||
| Mizrahi | ||
| Mizreb | ||
| Mnaqi / Mnai / Menaki / Menai | ||
| Morali | ||
| Mouhadab/Mouhadeb/Muhadab/Mohaddab/Muhaddab/Muhaddeb | ||
| Muallem/Mouallem/Meallem/Mallem | ||
| Mubazbaz / Mebazbaz | ||
| Mughrabi | ||
| Muhana / Mehana | ||
| Mukhallalati / Mkhalalati | ||
| Mulabasati / Mlabasati | ||
| Munajed / Mnajed / Menaged | ||
| Munsa / Munse | ||
| Munsie | חדש אצלך | שונה ממונסה. ברשימתך היה ואריאנט ב-מונסה |
| Museri / Mousseiri / Mosseri | ||
| Mussali / Moussali | ||
| Mwaddab/Mwaddeb/Mouadab/Mouadeb//Mouaddab/Mouaddeb/Madeb | ||
| Naanus / Nanus | ||
| Naccab/Nackab/Naab | חדש אצלי | |
| Naem / Al Naem | ||
| Nahmias | ||
| Nahon / Naon | ||
| Najara | ||
| Naqqash / Nakash / Nakache | ||
| Nasi / Nassi / Nassie | ||
| Nataf | ||
| Natanel | ||
| Nattah/Netach/Nitah/Itah/Yitah/Benitah | ||
| Naulu / Naulo / Nawlo | ||
| Nawamah / Nawameh | ||
| Nawi | ||
| Negrin / Negri / Nigri | ||
| Nehmad / Nahmod / Nehmod | ||
| Nimus / Nimous / Nimos / Nimes | ||
| Nizri | ||
| Noah | ||
| Nseiri/Nseri/Nesseri/Nuseiri/Nusseri/Nasiri | ||
| Ohana / Ochana | ||
| Pantsiri | ||
| Paredes / Baredes | ||
| Perets / Peres / Perez | ||
| Perlman / Perelman | ||
| Pesah | ||
| Piccioto / Pichoto | ||
| Pinhas / Binhos | ||
| Pinto | ||
| Politi / Politis | ||
| Preciado | ||
| Qameo / Cameo / Kameo / Ameo | ||
| Qasir / Kasir / Asir | ||
| Qatri / Katri / Atri | ||
| Qattash/Atash/Attash/Katach/Katash/Kattach/Kattash | ||
| Qubrusi / Ibrosi / Kovarsy | ||
| Rabi / Rabie | ||
| Rahmani / Rahmana | ||
| Raiq / Rayek | ||
| Reuven / Rubin | ||
| Rika / Rica | ||
| Roffe / Rofeh | ||
| Romano | ||
| Romanov | ||
| Saad / Saed | ||
| Saada / Saade / Saadi | ||
| Saayed / Saaied | ||
| Sabah | חדש אצלי | |
| Saban / Sabban | ||
| Safadi | ||
| Safdieh / Safdie | ||
| Salama/Salamah/Salame/Salameh | ||
| Saleh | ||
| Salem | ||
| Salkhaji | ||
| Salomon/Solomon/Salamoun/Salmoun | ||
| Samra / Samara | ||
| Sankari | ||
| Saqa / Saa | ||
| Saqal / Sakkal / Saal | ||
| Sasson | ||
| Sayegh / Sayer | ||
| Sayyad | ||
| Scapa / Scaba / Skaba | ||
| Seadia / Saadia / Saadya | ||
| Senado / Sanado | ||
| Senior / Sinior / Sinyor / Segnor/ Signor | ||
| Serieh / Sirieh / Seria / Soria | ||
| Shaaya / Shaayo | ||
| Shababo | ||
| Shabi | ||
| Shalah | ||
| Shalouh/Chalouh/Chaluh/Shaluah | ||
| Shamah / Shama / Chamah / Shamay | ||
| Shami | ||
| Shammaa/Chammaa/Shamma/Shammah | ||
| Shamrikha | ||
| Shaqruqa / Shakruka / Shakrouka / Shaarua | ||
| Sharaf | ||
| Sharashob / Sharashov / Sharshub | ||
| Sharbati / Shrabati | ||
| Shasho | ||
| Shattah / Ben Shattah | ||
| Sheikha / Cheikha | ||
| Shemaya | ||
| Shemen | ||
| Shemtov / Shemtob / Chemtob | ||
| Shiber / Shibr | ||
| Shirazi | ||
| Shkefati | ||
| Shkuri / Shakuri | ||
| Shlomo | ||
| Shufan / Shofan | ||
| Shurba / Shourba | ||
| Shushlib / Shushleb / Shushlev / Shushlav | ||
| Shwela / Shwele | ||
| Siles | ||
| Simantov / Simantob | ||
| Siton / Sitton | ||
| Sitt / Sitti | ||
| Skef / Skaf | חדש אצלך | |
| Slilat / Sleilat | חדש אצלך | |
| Smeke / Smeka / Smaka | ||
| Souaieh / Soae / Sawaya | ||
| Srugo / Srougo | ||
| Srur / Srour / Serur / Serour | ||
| Stambuli / Stambouli | ||
| Statia / Statieh / Stitie / Stitieh | ||
| Sukari | ||
| Suli / Soli | חדש אצלך | |
| Sultan / Soultan | חדש אצלך | |
| Swed / Sued / Soued | ||
| Swes / Sues | ||
| Tabbakh | ||
| Tahhan | ||
| Tajer | ||
| Tapero/Tabero/Tapiero/Tobero/Tibero | ||
| Taqia / Takieh / Taieh | ||
| Tarab / Tarrab | ||
| Tarabulsi / Taraboulsi / Trabulsi | ||
| Tasat / Tassat | ||
| Tashe / Tache / Teshe / Teche | ||
| Tashtash | ||
| Tawil / Tauil / Taouil | ||
| Tebele / Tbeleh / Tbul | ||
| Toledano | ||
| Toledo | ||
| Totah | ||
| Tovi / Tubi / Tobi / Taubi / Tauby | ||
| Tsadiq / Sadik | ||
| Tsedaka/Sadka/Sadaqa/Sadaka/Sedaka | ||
| Tsefanya / Sefania | ||
| Tubal | חדש אצלי | |
| Turk / Tirk / Alturk | ||
| Turkia / Turkiye / Tirkieh | ||
| Uliel | חדש אצלך | |
| Urfali | חדש אצלך | |
| Uzun / Uzon / Izon / Ezon / Ozon | ||
| Vital | ||
| Wajim / Wagim | ||
| Wiesel /Waizel / Wizel / Vayzel | ||
| Wiezel-Sankari / Wizel-Sankari | ||
| Yabu / Yabo / Yavo | ||
| Yadid / Yedid | חדש אצלך | |
| Yaish | ||
| Yashar | ||
| Yatcha / Yatche / Yatshe | ||
| Yazdi | ||
| Zagha / Zara | ||
| Zaguri/Zagury/Zagouri/Zagoury/Zagoory | ||
| Zaibak / Zeibak | ||
| Zaid / Zayed | ||
| Zarif / Zrif | ||
| Zayyat / Zayat | ||
| Zeituna/Zeitune/Zeituni/Zeitouni/Zaytuni/Zaytun | ||
| Zerahya / Zerahia | ||
| Zghil / Zghul / Zghoul / Segol | ||
| Zilkha | ||
| Zleqta / Zlekta / Zleta / Zlita / Zalta | ||
| Zrihen /Benzrihen/Benzrihem/Bendrihem/Zrihan |
