BEN-DAVID Origin of surname
BEN-DAVID, BENDAVID, BENDAUID
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 based on a male ancestor's personal name, in this case of biblical origin.
Ben-David and Bendavid are the Hebrew for "son of David". The biblical David was the youngest son of Jesse the Ephratite of Bethlehem, of the house of Judah, a descendant of Boaz and Ruth the Moabitess. The first king of united Israel and Judah, David reigned for more than 40 years, from about 1010 to 970 BCE.
His story is told in 1 Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. In the Bible, the name David is used only for the great King. 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 property of the persons to whom they had been given. Since the early Middle Ages, David has been one of the most popular first names among Jews. When they adopted, or were forced to take, hereditary family names, David and its numerous variants became favourites with many Sephardim as well as Ashkenazim. Ben David appears in records of the 6th century, with Isso Ben David, who was buried at Oufrane in southern Morocco. Ben David families are known to have lived between the 6th and 19th centuries in North Africa (particularly Morocco), Spain (Barcelona, Toledo, Saragossa, Madrid), France (Provence, Papillon, Arles, Caen, Marseille), Italy (Rome), Germany (Muezenburg, Berlin), Poland (Ostrog, Gnessen, near Poznan), Turkey (Smyrna, Constantinople) and Russia. Bendavid (spelled as one word) families lived in 18th century Alsace. One of the prominent bearers of this name in Germany was the Jewish mathematician, philosopher and educator Lazarus (Eleazar) Bendavid (1762-1852).
Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish family name Ben-David include the Polish-born Israeli linguist, Abba Ben-David; the Czech-born Israeli community leader, Avraham Ben-David; and the Hungarian-born Israeli sociologist, Joseph Ben-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 based on a male ancestor's personal name, in this case of biblical origin.
Ben-David and Bendavid are the Hebrew for "son of David". The biblical David was the youngest son of Jesse the Ephratite of Bethlehem, of the house of Judah, a descendant of Boaz and Ruth the Moabitess. The first king of united Israel and Judah, David reigned for more than 40 years, from about 1010 to 970 BCE.
His story is told in 1 Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. In the Bible, the name David is used only for the great King. 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 property of the persons to whom they had been given. Since the early Middle Ages, David has been one of the most popular first names among Jews. When they adopted, or were forced to take, hereditary family names, David and its numerous variants became favourites with many Sephardim as well as Ashkenazim. Ben David appears in records of the 6th century, with Isso Ben David, who was buried at Oufrane in southern Morocco. Ben David families are known to have lived between the 6th and 19th centuries in North Africa (particularly Morocco), Spain (Barcelona, Toledo, Saragossa, Madrid), France (Provence, Papillon, Arles, Caen, Marseille), Italy (Rome), Germany (Muezenburg, Berlin), Poland (Ostrog, Gnessen, near Poznan), Turkey (Smyrna, Constantinople) and Russia. Bendavid (spelled as one word) families lived in 18th century Alsace. One of the prominent bearers of this name in Germany was the Jewish mathematician, philosopher and educator Lazarus (Eleazar) Bendavid (1762-1852).
Distinguished 20th century bearers of the Jewish family name Ben-David include the Polish-born Israeli linguist, Abba Ben-David; the Czech-born Israeli community leader, Avraham Ben-David; and the Hungarian-born Israeli sociologist, Joseph Ben-David.