BAR DAVID Origin of surname
BAR DAVID
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name is a patronymic surname derived from a male ancestor's personal name, in this case of biblical origin.
Bar David is the Aramaic translation of "son of David". David was the youngest son of Jesse the Ephratite of Bethlehem, of the house of Judah, and descendant of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Boaz. The first king of united Israel and Judah, David reigned for more than 40 years from about 1010 to 970 BCE. The name David is used only once in the entire Bible and does not appear at all in the talmudic era. This is in keeping with ancient tradition, according to which first names were given names in the full sense of the term, being the exclusive possession of the person upon whom they were conferred. The name re-appeared in the early Middle Ages, and has remained one of the most popular first names among Jews. When they adopted, or were forced to take, fixed hereditary family names, David and its variants became favorites with many Sephardim as well as Ashkenzim. Bar David is one of the most frequent Sephardi names in this category which also includes Ben David, Avendavit, Evendavit, Davi, Abendavi, and Abu David. Bar David families are known to have lived in the Mediterranean area and also in continental Europe, in France and Turkey. Two prominent bearers of the name were Judah Bar David (sometimes called Maestre Bonjudes Bondavi), a rabbi and doctor in Caen, northern France, in the 14th century, and Rabbi Isaac Bar David who was active in Constaninople, Turkey, in the 18th century.
Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish family name Bar-David include the Canadian-born Israeli author and journalist, Molly Lyons Bar-David; and the Romanian-born Israeli engineer, Israel Bar-David.
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name is a patronymic surname derived from a male ancestor's personal name, in this case of biblical origin.
Bar David is the Aramaic translation of "son of David". David was the youngest son of Jesse the Ephratite of Bethlehem, of the house of Judah, and descendant of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Boaz. The first king of united Israel and Judah, David reigned for more than 40 years from about 1010 to 970 BCE. The name David is used only once in the entire Bible and does not appear at all in the talmudic era. This is in keeping with ancient tradition, according to which first names were given names in the full sense of the term, being the exclusive possession of the person upon whom they were conferred. The name re-appeared in the early Middle Ages, and has remained one of the most popular first names among Jews. When they adopted, or were forced to take, fixed hereditary family names, David and its variants became favorites with many Sephardim as well as Ashkenzim. Bar David is one of the most frequent Sephardi names in this category which also includes Ben David, Avendavit, Evendavit, Davi, Abendavi, and Abu David. Bar David families are known to have lived in the Mediterranean area and also in continental Europe, in France and Turkey. Two prominent bearers of the name were Judah Bar David (sometimes called Maestre Bonjudes Bondavi), a rabbi and doctor in Caen, northern France, in the 14th century, and Rabbi Isaac Bar David who was active in Constaninople, Turkey, in the 18th century.
Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish family name Bar-David include the Canadian-born Israeli author and journalist, Molly Lyons Bar-David; and the Romanian-born Israeli engineer, Israel Bar-David.