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SINGER Origin of surname
SINGER
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name derives from Jewish communal functionaries or titles.
Singer, the German and Yiddish equivalent of the Hebrew Meshorer, spotlights the musical role of the Cantor in the Jewish synagogue. Originally, Singer was a personal title or nickname, for a Cantor or his family. The surname Bass describes the vocal quality of the Cantor.
The name is recorded with Isaak Ben Avigdor Bass in 1600. One of the earliest documented related family names is Sanckmeister (from the German Singmeister, that is "song master"), recorded with Lezer Sankmeister in 1439 and Heinrich Sanckmeister in 1449. Singer and Chasan ("cantor" in Hebrew) are recorded in Prague in the early 16th century. The Italian equivalent Cantarini was the name of a well-known 16th century Italian family. Cantori is mentioned in the 16th century. Cantor is documented as a Jewish family name in 1679, Senger in 1683, Bassista in the 17th century, Schulsinger in 1709, Sulsinger in 1724, Kanter in 1736, and Vorsinger in 1784. Slavic equivalents include Solovej (literally "nightingale") and Spivak. A Romanian form is Dascal(u), literally "sexton".
Three Singer brothers, Herschel, Jakob and Moses, from Teschen/Tesin/Cieszin in Silesia are listed among the visitors of the Leipzig (Germany) fair in 1676.
Distinguished bearers of the German Jewish family name Singer include the 17th century Yiddish writer, Salomo Ben Naphtali Singer; the Galician-born Austro-Hungarian Field Marshal lieutenant Joseph Singer (1797-1871), who was chief of staff of the Austrian army in Italy; the Moravian-born writer and managing editor of the 12-volume Jewish Encyclopedia Isidore Singer (1859-1939) and founder the American League for the Rights of Man; and the British historian of science and medicine Charles Joseph Singer (1876-1960), who was president of the International Union of the History of Science. In the 20th century Singer is recorded as a Jewish family name with the Singer family, who lived in the town of Zhadova (Jadova) near Czernowitz, northern Bukovina (now in Ukraine), prior to World War II (1939-1945). The entire Jewish community of Zhadova was deported to death camps in July 1941.
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name derives from Jewish communal functionaries or titles.
Singer, the German and Yiddish equivalent of the Hebrew Meshorer, spotlights the musical role of the Cantor in the Jewish synagogue. Originally, Singer was a personal title or nickname, for a Cantor or his family. The surname Bass describes the vocal quality of the Cantor.
The name is recorded with Isaak Ben Avigdor Bass in 1600. One of the earliest documented related family names is Sanckmeister (from the German Singmeister, that is "song master"), recorded with Lezer Sankmeister in 1439 and Heinrich Sanckmeister in 1449. Singer and Chasan ("cantor" in Hebrew) are recorded in Prague in the early 16th century. The Italian equivalent Cantarini was the name of a well-known 16th century Italian family. Cantori is mentioned in the 16th century. Cantor is documented as a Jewish family name in 1679, Senger in 1683, Bassista in the 17th century, Schulsinger in 1709, Sulsinger in 1724, Kanter in 1736, and Vorsinger in 1784. Slavic equivalents include Solovej (literally "nightingale") and Spivak. A Romanian form is Dascal(u), literally "sexton".
Three Singer brothers, Herschel, Jakob and Moses, from Teschen/Tesin/Cieszin in Silesia are listed among the visitors of the Leipzig (Germany) fair in 1676.
Distinguished bearers of the German Jewish family name Singer include the 17th century Yiddish writer, Salomo Ben Naphtali Singer; the Galician-born Austro-Hungarian Field Marshal lieutenant Joseph Singer (1797-1871), who was chief of staff of the Austrian army in Italy; the Moravian-born writer and managing editor of the 12-volume Jewish Encyclopedia Isidore Singer (1859-1939) and founder the American League for the Rights of Man; and the British historian of science and medicine Charles Joseph Singer (1876-1960), who was president of the International Union of the History of Science. In the 20th century Singer is recorded as a Jewish family name with the Singer family, who lived in the town of Zhadova (Jadova) near Czernowitz, northern Bukovina (now in Ukraine), prior to World War II (1939-1945). The entire Jewish community of Zhadova was deported to death camps in July 1941.