Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:01 am
Yo Mama wrote:"Harris" is a VERY common Jewish surname.
It is also a very common non-Jewish surname.
"Miller" is a VERY common Jewish surname. In fact, it's such a common Jewish surname, that it is the third most common surname for American Jews, according to the Avotaynu Consolidated Jewish Surname Index.
It is still a common non-Jewish surname.
Yes, of course these two names are originally English names. I never said that they were Hebrew names.
I didn't say you did. But there is insufficient evidence to suggest that someone is Jewish because they carry these particular surnames.
Did you know that the only Jewish names that are originally Jewish are the names "Cohen", "Levy", and Hebrew names? I bet you didn't know that.
I am well aware of the full gamut of Jewish surnames of Hebrew origin, thanks.
All Jewish names are originally European in origin, except for Hebrew names and the two aforementioned surnames.
Far more common European Jewish surnames are those derived from placenames. If I encounter someone with the surname London or Dublin or English or Ireland, then I can be sure 100% they are Jewish.
"Goldstein" is a German name. It's not Jewish.
"Silverberg" is a German name. It's not Jewish.
"Rubenstein" is a German name. It's not Jewish.
So what's your point?
You'll be hard pressed to find any non-Jewish Germans with these surnames, which are all derived from one of the favourite Jewish businesses, the jewellery business. They are clearly Jewish-German surnames.