BEN OUHANA Origin of surname
OHANNA, OUHENNA, OUHANNA, OHNA, OHNONA, OHANUNA, OUANUNA, OUANUNU, BEN UHENNA, BEN OUHANA, BEN OHANA
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name.
Ohana is a Berber-Jewish family name. Many experts take the view that it is a Berber form of the biblical female personal name Hannah. The Berber prefix "O-" means "of/from". Thus the name Ohana is a matronymic surname (a surname deriving from a female ancestor's personal name) which means "Hannah's family" or "Hannah's sons". In some cases the name is precede with the Hebrew Ben, which means "son of". Ohanna may also be Arabic occupational name (also connected with raw material, finished product or implements associated with that trade)derived from the herb called "henna". Thus the original bearer of the name could have been a grower or seller of henna and other herbs or spices.
The Berber origin of this name is confirmed by the fact that there is a village in the Moulouya Valley (Morocco) called Kasba Des Bou Hanna. This surname is associated with that village. Thus Ohana can also be a toponymic (derived from a geographic name of a town, city, region or country). Surnames that are based on place names do not always testify to direct origin from that place, but may indicate an indirect relation between the name-bearer or his ancestors and the place, such as birth place, temporary residence, trade, or family-relatives.
One Jewish Ohanna family appears to come from the village of Oufran which is the oldest known site of Jewish settlement in Morocco. The Ohana family from Mogador claims to be descended from the famous martyr Rabbi Judah Afriat (d. 1792). The family name Ohana has become widespread in the 20th century, figuring among the twenty most common names in Morocco. It is found throughout southern and northern regions of Morocco, and particularly in Meknes. In the 18th century, Ohana is recorded as a Jewish family name in a ‘ketubbah’ from Tunis dated March 21, 1797, of Juda, son of Eliezer Ohana, and his wife Deborah, daughter of Abraham Corcos.
Distinguished bearers of the Jewish family name Ohana include the famous rabbi and kabbalist, Suleyman Ohana, who was born in Meknes, Morocco, and emigrated to Safed in Eretz Israel in the 17th century; and Rabbi Raphael Ohana (1850-1902), who led a large group of Jews from Meknes to Tiberias in Eretz Israel in 1865.
Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish surname O'hana include Jacques O'hana of Morocco, a member of the central board of the World Ort Union.
Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish family name Ouhanna include the Malta-born Israeli banker Alberto Elie Ouhanna.
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name.
Ohana is a Berber-Jewish family name. Many experts take the view that it is a Berber form of the biblical female personal name Hannah. The Berber prefix "O-" means "of/from". Thus the name Ohana is a matronymic surname (a surname deriving from a female ancestor's personal name) which means "Hannah's family" or "Hannah's sons". In some cases the name is precede with the Hebrew Ben, which means "son of". Ohanna may also be Arabic occupational name (also connected with raw material, finished product or implements associated with that trade)derived from the herb called "henna". Thus the original bearer of the name could have been a grower or seller of henna and other herbs or spices.
The Berber origin of this name is confirmed by the fact that there is a village in the Moulouya Valley (Morocco) called Kasba Des Bou Hanna. This surname is associated with that village. Thus Ohana can also be a toponymic (derived from a geographic name of a town, city, region or country). Surnames that are based on place names do not always testify to direct origin from that place, but may indicate an indirect relation between the name-bearer or his ancestors and the place, such as birth place, temporary residence, trade, or family-relatives.
One Jewish Ohanna family appears to come from the village of Oufran which is the oldest known site of Jewish settlement in Morocco. The Ohana family from Mogador claims to be descended from the famous martyr Rabbi Judah Afriat (d. 1792). The family name Ohana has become widespread in the 20th century, figuring among the twenty most common names in Morocco. It is found throughout southern and northern regions of Morocco, and particularly in Meknes. In the 18th century, Ohana is recorded as a Jewish family name in a ‘ketubbah’ from Tunis dated March 21, 1797, of Juda, son of Eliezer Ohana, and his wife Deborah, daughter of Abraham Corcos.
Distinguished bearers of the Jewish family name Ohana include the famous rabbi and kabbalist, Suleyman Ohana, who was born in Meknes, Morocco, and emigrated to Safed in Eretz Israel in the 17th century; and Rabbi Raphael Ohana (1850-1902), who led a large group of Jews from Meknes to Tiberias in Eretz Israel in 1865.
Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish surname O'hana include Jacques O'hana of Morocco, a member of the central board of the World Ort Union.
Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish family name Ouhanna include the Malta-born Israeli banker Alberto Elie Ouhanna.