Surname Rebhun - Meaning and Origin

Rebhun: What does the surname Rebhun mean?

The last name Rebhun is derived from the Jewish surname Levitan, which itself has a complex history. Many Jewish immigration records from the late 19th century note people who were native to eastern Europe or the Russian Empire, places where the Levitan surname had become popular. The language of origin of the surname is Yiddish, which was the traditional language among Ashkenazi Jews of the Russian Empire, where the surname originated.

The literal meaning of the surname levitan is "from the Rebhun," likely referring to the Rebhun family of Jews that lived in the small Polish town of the same name (length). The Rebhun family were descendents of the Vilna Gaon, a famous eighteenth-century rabbi and teacher, who was known for his exhaustive studies of Jewish texts and writings. Today, the Rebhun family exists throughout the former Russian Empire, including Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine, as well as in many other countries.

The Rebhun name indicates a direct connection through family ties to the ancient Rebhun family of scholars, or leads back to the once-important town of Rebhun. It is a name that, due to its Jewish roots, carries both connections to the past and to the accomplishments of a far-reaching family.

Rebhun: Where does the name Rebhun come from?

The last name Rebhun is most common in Israel today. This is most likely due to the fact that many Jews with the last name Rebhun emigrated to Israel in the early 20th century, as many Jews fled Europe in the late 19th century and early 20th century due to persecution. This is backed up by the fact that, according to a DNA study done by the Israel Genealogy Research Association, the last name Rebhun is one of the common last names among the Jews of Israel.

The last name Rebhun can also be found throughout the United States and in other parts of the world. In the United States, the name is generally concentrated in the Northeastern states such as New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Other countries which have individuals with the last name Rebhun are the United Kingdom, Canada, Argentina, and France.

The last name Rebhun is also relatively common in Germany. This is most likely due to the fact that this name was among the many German-Jewish surnames brought into Israel due to the Jewish immigration of the early 20th century.

Overall, the last name Rebhun is most commonly found today in Israel, the United States, and Germany, due to the Jewish immigration from Europe to those countries in the early 20th century.

Variations of the surname Rebhun

The surname Rebhun is most commonly found among people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. It originates from the Yiddish term "rebhun", meaning "rabbit" or "hare". The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Rebhun are many. These include Rebhoun, Reblon, Rabon, Rebens, Raben, Rebane, Rebinis, Rebentz, Rebensohn, Rebne, Rebenny, Rebiny, Rebinow, Raybon, Reboen, Rebpech, Rebkind, Revon, Rebhan, Ribon, and Rebhan.

The variations in spelling, from place to place, often depended on the correct pronunciation of the Yiddish word, which in turn, depended on the accent of the person using the term. Rebhun is one of the oldest Jewish surnames of European origin which dates back to over a thousand years. In particular, the Rebhun family name was found in the areas of Eastern Europe, such as Russia and Poland, for a long time before they arrived in the United States.

Variations in this name are not solely limited to Eastern Europe. In other countries such as Germany, people of Jewish descent often had their name converted to escape persecution. In this case, the variation of Rebhun became Rehbun, which spread to the United States.

In the United States, the Rebhun family name is primarily found in Jewish, German, Dutch, and Scandinavian American populations. It is estimated that there are over 6,000 people in the United States with the Rebhun surname. Maintaining the traditional spelling is important so one can trace their family origins and genealogy.

Famous people with the name Rebhun

• Rebecca Rebhun: American philologist, author, and professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Meir Rebhun: American-Israeli rabbi and scholar, the author of Responsa from a Living Room.
• Walter Rebhun: German doctor, founder of the German Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases.
• Yohanan Rebhun: Israeli musician and composer.
• Jonathan Rebhun: American psychiatrist specializing in adolescent and adult psychiatry.
• Simon Rebhun: British engineer and mathematician, whose work forms the basis for modern mathematics.
• Rosa Rebhun: German legal scholar and professor at the University of Bielefeld.
• Max Rebhun: German Jewish industrialist and philanthropist who established the Rebhun Foundation.
• William Rebhun: American archaeologist and photographer who excavated the ancient city of Nineveh in Iraq.
• Michael Rebhun: American rabbi, author, and professor at Yeshiva University in New York.

Other surnames

Rebhuhn