The Surname London

“The surname London, on the other hand, considered by many authors to be a corrupted form of the Hebrew lamdan (Talmudic scholar), seems actually to be derived from the name of the English capital in many cases.”

Alexander Beider, A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire (Teaneck, NJ:  Avotaynu, Inc., 1993) 23.

“And the family name London is really the Hebrew word “lamden” (scholar) by which the bearer was known in the Jewish community.”

Isaac Goldberg, “Ashkenazic Family Names, Origin and Development,” Family Legacies:  Linking the past with the present and the future, a journal of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Southern Nevada, Inc., Vol. 6, No. 3, 2003.

2 thoughts on “The Surname London

  1. I am a descendant of Rachel Leah London of Lithuania. Born about 1846 in Lithuania and died in the USA in October 1917.

    My late mother was convinced that the family had Luntz, Luria and London family names in their ancestory.

    Is this lady’s name familiar to your research?

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