Surname Lipkin - Meaning and Origin
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Lipkin: What does the surname Lipkin mean?
The last name Lipkin is a Jewish surname that originated in the Russian Empire. It is derived from the Yiddish word "Lipk" meaning "linden tree." It is often found among Ashkenazi Jews in Central and Eastern Europe.
Lipkin also has German and Dutch roots and is believed to have originally been a Jewish occupational surname, denoting a barber, a clothing cutter, or one who worked with linden bark. The original spelling of the name was "Lippkin", often used to refer to a “district of linden-trees”.
The Lipkin family spread across Europe during the 19th century but the majority of them are still found in the countries of their origin. Most of them are also found in Israel after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The Lipkins are often associated with art, science, education, and other intellectual pursuits.
Throughout history, the Lipkin family has been a source of pride and accomplishment with many of them contributing heavily in shaping the culture and history of the countries they lived in. Some famous Lipkins include Russian mining magnate Abraham Abramovitch Lipkin, Canadian lawyer and theatre director George Croll Lipkin, American singer-songwriter Mark Lipkin, Israeli statesman David Lipkin, and Hungarian diplomat Arthur Lipkin.
The Lipkin family continues to be an important part of the Jewish diaspora, preserving their unique culture and heritage while seeking a better future for themselves and the generations to come.
Order DNA origin analysisLipkin: Where does the name Lipkin come from?
The last name Lipkin is a Jewish surname that is predominantly found in Israel today. It is of Ashkenazi origin and dates back to the 12th century, when many Jews were living in what is now modern day Ukraine.
This last name is thought to originate from the Yiddish word “Lipp”, which means “lion”. Thus, the name may have derived from an individual who was thought to have many of the characteristics of a lion.
Over time, the name has spread around the world, however its most frequent occurrence is in Israel. Currently, there are approximately 3,936 people in Israel who have this last name. This makes it the 132nd most common last name in the country.
In Northern America, the name is less common. There are just over 600 people with this last name living in the United States and Canada combined. The vast majority of these people are of Jewish heritage and are likely descended from individuals who moved from Eastern Europe between the late 1940s and mid-1970s.
As a whole, the last name Lipkin is still relatively common in some countries, but remains far more prevalent in Israel than anywhere else.
Variations of the surname Lipkin
The surname Lipkin is of Jewish (Ashkenazi) origin and is chiefly found in Russia and other Eastern European countries. Variants of this surname include Lifshits, Lifshitz, Lifchits, Lifchitz, Lifsits, and Lipchitz.
The Hebrew word “Lipschitz” (Levi) is the source of this surname, and it means "belonging to Levi" or "descendant of Levi", with Levi being one of the 12 sons of Jacob – as such, the surname is likely to have been first adopted by a Leviite family. Variations of this surname are derived from the Yiddish pronunciation of “Lifschitz”.
The spelling of this surname is thought to have been influenced by Ashkenazi linguistic and customs. Early spellings of this surname were usually recorded as "Lifschitz" or "Lipschitz". It is thought that the "Lif" spelling became more popular in the later years when Jews were required to adopt surnames for tax purposes.
The variants of this surname most commonly found are "Lipkin", "Lifshitz", "Lifschitz", "Lifshits", "Lifchits", "Lifchitz", "Lifsits", and "Lipchitz". The spelling Lipkin is the most popular variant of this surname and it is especially associated with the Russian Jews.
In addition to the variants of the surname, Lipkin is also commonly found as a patronymic surname, which is a surname created from the father's given name – examples of patronymic surnames include Lipkinovich, Lipkinov, Lipkinovitch, and Lipkovich.
Famous people with the name Lipkin
- Mark Lipkin: American television writer and producer
- Roee Lipkin: Israeli Commercial Model
- Irina Lipkin: Bulgarian Artist, Painter
- Yakov Lipkin: Belarusian High Jumper
- Craig Lipkin: American Entrepreneur
- Daniel Lipkin: American/Canadian Composer, Painist, and Producer
- Josh Lipkin: American Actor and Theatre Artist
- Yevgeny Lipkin: Scientist and Professor
- Guy Lipkin: Israeli Jazz drummer, composer, and conductor
- Simon Lipkin: English Actor, Comedian, and Musician