Names tell a story

Here’s a little confession: I have an obsession with names—first names, last names, street names, company names—everything. Why? Because names always tell a story, whether true or made up.

In fact, you can learn a lot of history just by looking at street names in Israel!

First Names

Among Ashkenazi Jews (of European descent), it’s customary to name children only after deceased relatives. In contrast, Mizrahi Jews (from North Africa and the Middle East) often name children after living grandparents. This means that if a grandfather is named Shlomo, there could be five grandchildren with the same name!

Last Names

Last names are a relatively modern invention, becoming common only around 1800 during Napoleon’s era. Before that, people were identified by their father’s name—Isaac ben Abraham, for example.When governments needed a more efficient system for taxation and record-keeping, they introduced surnames, which often reflected personal attributes:

Places of origin: Berlin (Germany), Toledano (Toledo, Spain), Barzani (Kurdistan).
Colors: Schwartz (black), Weiss (white).
Professions: Moalem (teacher), Fleischman (butcher).

Here’s an interesting case: Jews with the last name “Ashkenazi” are usually… not Ashkenazi. Most of them are actually from Bulgaria or Greece. Their ancestors were expelled from Spain in 1492 and traveled eastward, arriving in regions where Western European Ashkenazi Jews already lived. As a result, they were given the name Ashkenazi.

Street Names – Living Maps of History

Street names tell the history of Israel. For example:

Jerusalem’s Old City has only been called that since 1860, when construction began on the new city.
World War I was only given that name after World War II began. Before that, it was simply called "The Great War."
The New Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City walls was actually built in the late 19th century, while all the other gates date back to the 16th century.

Many people don’t realize that street names often reflect ancient roads:

Jaffa Road starts at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem and leads all the way to the city of Jaffa.
In Jaffa, on the other hand, there’s Jerusalem Boulevard—the historic road leading to the capital.
Other examples: Gaza Road, Hebron Road, Bethlehem Road.
Damascus Gate in Jerusalem? In Hebrew, it’s called Sha’ar Shechem (Nablus Gate), but in English, it’s still Damascus Gate—because this was once the road to Damascus! More interesting is the Arab name for it "Bab-El-Amud" - the gate of the column, named in memory of a Roman column towering over the square behind the gate and dating to the 2nd century CE !!!

Damascus Gate