Is GILMAN Jewish?
Mark
>Mark & Suzanne wrote:
>>
>> Does anyone have any thougts on whether the surname GILMAN is sometimes or
>> always Jewish in the UK?
>>
>
>Captain Samuel Gilman was born 17th March 1752 and died 29th August 1838
>in Exeter NH (New Hampshire?). He had a number of rather Jewish sounding
>relations.
>
>Donald R Gilman stars in "The King and Me", an interesting independent
>feature film about a man who sells stained glass windows.
>
>Robert Gilman seems slightly mad.
>
>Ben Gilman is a New York congressman. Got the "Tree of Life" award from
>Temple Sinai in Middletown and is a member of the Jewish War Veterans.
>Bit of a giveaway, that one.
>
>OK, I'm bored. Haven't found a British one yet. Let alone a British one
>who isn't Jewish. So your theory still stands.
Dear Friends - Thanks for the responses - Below some info on the origins
of Gilman from e-mail correspondence:
GELLMAN :- variants are Gellfman, Gillman, Gilman. Probably originally
Helfman or Hilfman. Benzion Kaganoff in "A History of Jewish Names"
states...." The name Gelfman, which is the Russian form for Helfman
(assistant, in German) also meant a barber surgeon in Yiddish; Spitalny,
too, the Polish for a hospital director, was used in Yiddish as the title
of the person in charge of the `hekdesh', the community infirmary and poor
house, and came to mean barber-surgeon as well". On page 161 under HELLMAN
(P) a form of the name Samuel, Hanavi or prophet in the Bible, translated
into German Helman (Clairvoyant, prophet). It appears in the forms Hillman,
Elman, Ellman. Since Russian Jews substitute a "g" for an "h", the eastern
European version of the name is Gellman, Gilman.
In "Jewish Family Names and their derivatives" by Heinreich W Guggenheimer
and Eva H. Guggenheimer Gellman is linked to Gelin, Gelinanski, Gelker,
Gellert, Gelman, Gellner, Gelmer, as matronym of GEL; compared Gelkop,
Gelkopf "yellow head", also Gelmond, Gelmont. Gelpman is compared with
Helfman, from Helf, Helfan, Halff, Chalfon - child born after death of a
sibling. Derivation: Helfand (also as Elefant from helfant for Elephant.
My great grandfather was an Ezer (Ouyzer) GELFMAN, later Gellman or
Gillman (depending on the issue going to England or Scotland). Their
origins were in Marijampole Lithuania. (In one list it is spelt Gillam).
SAUL ISSROFF
Sa...@Swico.demon.co.uk
--
Uk.religion.jewish is a moderated newsgroup, allow 24 hours for your
messages to appear. Please report any problems to uk...@netix.org.uk
EMail submissions: uk-religi...@usenet.org.uk
Charter, FAQ, and other information: http://www.netix.org.uk/judaica.html