Surname Shechtman - Meaning and Origin
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Shechtman: What does the surname Shechtman mean?
Shechtman is a predominantly Jewish surname which is of Ashkenazi origins. The name is derived from Yiddish, and it originates from the word 'Shecht', which refers to the ritual slaughtering of animals in adherence to Jewish dietary laws. Therefore, the surname Shechtman could be roughly translated to 'slaughterer' or 'butcher'. In many cases, the occupation of a person was used to denote their surname. This suggests that the original bearers of the surname may have been individuals or families involved in the butchering trade.
Order DNA origin analysisShechtman: Where does the name Shechtman come from?
The last name Shechtman is most commonly found in Israel today, with many meaningful connections to the country. The first known ancestor of the Shechtman family was Rabbi Natan Shetaun, who came from Poland in the 18th century and moved to Hebron, becoming a teacher of Jewish law. The Shechtman family spread across the Middle East, and many of their family members joined the Zionist movement during the early 20th century, leading some of them to move to Israel.
Today, the Shechtman family is widespread throughout the country. Some members of the Shechtman family are rabbis, while others are very prominent figures in Israel's economy, culture, and political life. The eldest daughter of the first Shechtman in Hebron, Rebecca Auerbach Shechtman, is a famous philanthropist and is very much involved in Israeli politics. Elsewhere in Israel, other members of the family have made tremendous contributions to the country, from major investments in science and technology to active involvement in the World Zionist Organization.
In addition to living in Israel, many Shechtman family members can also be found in Europe, the United States and Canada. There are also descendants of the Shechtman family in South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Everywhere they go, these descendants are active and vocal members of their respective Jewish communities.
Variations of the surname Shechtman
The surname Shechtman (or its various spellings) has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. It is a patronymic name derived from the Hebrew term “shech” (meaning “careful”).
The various spellings include Shechter, Schechter, Schecter, Schachter, Schacter, Schachterman, Schachtermann, Schachtman, Schaktman, Schachtmann, Schechtman, Shachtman, Shechtman, Shechtmam, Shechterman, Skhetman, Shkhesman, and Shkhtsman.
The name Shechtman is also found in different forms, such as Shechtmanov, Shekhman, Shekhter, Schechterov, Shakhman, Shakhter, Shechman, Shechterov, and Schechtmanov.
The surname Shechtman is thought to have originated in Poland and Russia in the 16th and 17th centuries and spread from there to other parts of eastern Europe, the United States, and Canada.
The Shechtman family can also be found in many languages and countries, and has different spellings and surnames such as Shechtamer, Xhehtman, Shectman, Shikhtman, Sigehtman, Szukhtman, & Schechterman.
In Hebrew, the Shechtman surname is sometimes spelled differently as “Shechtman”, “Schachtman”, or “Shekhtman”, as “Schach” can sound different depending on the speaker.
In conclusion, the surname Shechtman has many different spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin. Despite its variations, the name remains closely tied to its origins of the Hebrew term for “careful”.
Famous people with the name Shechtman
- Dan Shechtman: Dan Shechtman is an Israeli chemist and Professor of Materials Science at Technion: Israel Institute of Technology. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2011 for his discovery of quasicrystals in 1982.
- Phillip Shechtman: Phillip Shechtman is a politician and former member of the Maryland House of Delegates.
- Alan Shechtman: Alan Shechtman is an American lawyer who has served as a commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission since 2019.
- Brad Shechtman: Brad Shechtman is a soccer coach and former President and General Manager of Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.
- David Shechtman: David Shechtman is an Israeli chess Grandmaster who has won multiple national and international chess championships.
- Jonathan Shechtman: Jonathan Shechtman is an American writer and film producer. He is best known for writing and executive producing the NBC television series ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’.
- Ayala Shechtman: Ayala Shechtman is an Israeli para-athlete and the first Israeli female paralympian to win gold medals in both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.
- Andrew Shechtman: Andrew Shechtman is an American video game producer at Blizzard Entertainment, currently serving as the Production Director for the popular game ‘Overwatch’.
- Rachel Shechtman: Rachel Shechtman is an American entrepreneur, media personality and founder and curator of the Brooklyn-based boutique STORY: A Place to Tell You Brand’s Story.
- Kaitlyn Shechtman: Kaitlyn Shechtman is an American actress, best known for her roles in the films ‘The Maze Runner’ (2014) and ‘The 5th Wave’ (2016).