Katz (surname)

Katz is a common German surname. It is also one of the oldest and most common Ashkenazi Jewish surnames. Germans with the last name Katz may originate in the Rhine River region of Germany , where the Katz Castle is located. (The name of the castle does not derive from Katze, cat, but from Katzenelnbogen , going back to Latin Cattimelibocus, consisting of the ancient Germanic tribal name of the Chatti and Melibokus.) Katzman, deriving from the German Katz, is a Slavic name meaning high priest or king. It is believed the Katzman surname originates from Germany and has roots from there as well. As a Jewish surname, Katz is an abbreviation formed from the Hebrew initials of the term Kohen Tzedeq ( כּ״ץ ), meaning "holy priest." It has been used since the seventeenth century, or perhaps somewhat earlier, as an epithet of the descendants of Aaron . The collocation is most likely derived from Melchizedek ("king of righteousness"), who is called the priest (" kohen ") of the most high God ( Genesis xiv. 18), or perhaps from Psalm cxxxii. 9: Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness ("tzedeq") . The name Katz has a website devoted to All Things Katz . People surnamed Katz include: Alex Katz , American artist Allan Katz , American comedy writer Amir Katz , Israeli born musician Andy Katz , American college basketball journalist Sir Bernard Katz , British biophysicist (born in Germany) Boris Katz , American but Russian born Computer Scientist Daniel Katz , American psychologist (1903-1998) Daniel Katz (politician) , Mayor of Mar del Plata, Argentina Danny Katz (columnist) , Australian columnist and author Daryl Katz , Canadian drug store owner David Katz , British music historian and journalist Dovid Katz , Lithuanian-American Yiddishist and academic Elihu Katz , American sociologist Harold Katz , American entrepreneur Jacob Katz , Israeli historian Jay Katz (disambiguation) , name/pseudonym for several people Jerrold Katz , American philosopher and linguist Jon Katz , American journalist and writer Jonathan Katz , American comedian, actor, and voice actor Jonathan D. Katz , American professor Jonathan Ned Katz , historian of LGBT American history Joseph Katz , Comintern member, CPUSA and Soviet spy Emmanuel Mané-Katz , Ukraine-born Israeli artist Mickey Katz , American comedian and musician Mike Katz , American bodybuilder Nathan Katz , American professor Nicholas Katz , an American mathematician Omri Katz , an American-Israeli actor Paul Katz , American cellist Phil Katz , American computer programmer Phoebe Cates (born Phoebe Belle Katz), American actress Randy H. Katz , UC Berkeley professor Ronald A. Katz , inventor Robert Katz , American novelist, screenwriter, and non-fiction author Sam Katz , mayor of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba Sidney A. Katz , mayor of the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland Shemuel Katz (1926-2010), Israeli artist Shmuel Katz , Israeli historian Stu Katz , jazz pianist and vibraphonist Welwyn Wilton Katz , Canadian children's author William Loren Katz , American historian, specializing in African American history Yuri Katz , Ukraine-born American music producer

Katz is a common German and Ashkenazi surname. Germans with the last name Katz may originate in the Rhine River region of Germany , where the Katz Castle is located. (The name of the castle does not derive from Katze , "cat", but from Katzenelnbogen , going back to Latin Cattimelibocus , consisting of the ancient Germanic tribal names of the Chatti and Melibokus.) Where it is a Jewish surname , Katz is an abbreviation ( ) formed from the initials of the term Kohen Tzedeq ("priest of justice"/"authentic priest") or Kohen Tzadok (meaning the name-bearer is of patrilineal descent of the Kohanim sons of Zadok ). It has been used since the seventeenth century, or perhaps somewhat earlier, as an epithet of the descendants of Aaron . The collocation is most likely derived from Melchizedek ("king of righteousness"), who is called "the priest ( kohen ) of the most high God" ( Genesis xiv. 18), or perhaps from Psalm cxxxii. 9: "Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness ( tzedeq )". The use of the abbreviated and Germanicized Katz likely coincided with the imposition of German names on Jews in Germany in the 18th or 19th centuries. If the reading is correct, this abbreviation occurs on a tombstone , dated 1536, in the cemetery of Prague . It is found also on a tombstone of the year 1618 in Frankfurt , in the books of the Soncino family of Prague of the seventeenth century, and in one of the prefaces to Shabbethai ben Meïr ha-Kohen 's notes on the Choshen Mishpat ( Amsterdam , 1663).

Katz is a common German and Ashkenazi Jewish surname. Germans with the last name Katz may originate in the Rhine River region of Germany , where the Katz Castle is located. (The name of the castle does not derive from Katze , "cat", but from Katzenelnbogen , going back to Latin Cattimelibocus , consisting of the ancient Germanic tribal names of the Chatti and Melibokus.) Where it is a Jewish surname , Katz is almost always an abbreviation ( ) formed from the initials of the term Kohen Tzedeq ("priest of justice"/"authentic priest"), indicating descent from Jewish priests (although not all Jewish Katzes are in fact descended from priests). The full form Kohen Tzedeq appears as a surname or title in a number of medieval sources, while the acronym Katz has been used since the seventeenth century, or perhaps somewhat earlier. The expression may be derived from Melchizedek ("king of righteousness"), who is called "the priest of the most high God" ( Genesis 14:18 ), or perhaps from Psalms 132:9 : "Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness ( tzedeq )". The use of the abbreviated and Germanicized Katz likely coincided with the imposition of German names on Jews in Germany in the 18th or 19th century. If the reading is correct, this abbreviation occurs on a tombstone , dated 1536, in the cemetery of Prague . It is found also on a tombstone of the year 1618 in Frankfurt , in the books of the Soncino family of Prague of the seventeenth century, and in one of the prefaces to Shabbethai ben Meïr ha-Kohen 's notes on the Choshen Mishpat ( Amsterdam , 1663). An alternative theory suggests that it is an abbreviation of Kohen Tzadok (meaning the name-bearer is of patrilineal descent of the Sons of Zadok ).

Katz is a common German and Ashkenazi Jewish surname. Germans with the last name Katz may originate in the Rhine River region of Germany , where the Katz Castle is located. (The name of the castle does not derive from Katze , "cat", but from Katzenelnbogen , going back to Latin Cattimelibocus , consisting of the ancient Germanic tribal names of the Chatti and Melibokus.) Where it is a Jewish surname , Katz is almost always a Hebrew abbreviation ( Hebrew : כּ״ץ , Kaf (a) Tzaddi, or Ka-Tz) formed from the initials of the term Kohen Tzedek ("priest of justice", "authentic priest"), indicating descent from Jewish priests (although not all Jewish Katzes are in fact descended from priests). The full form Kohen Tzedek appears as a surname or title in a number of medieval sources, while the acronym Katz has been used since the seventeenth century, or perhaps somewhat earlier. The expression may be derived from Melchizedek ("king of righteousness"), who is called "the priest of the most high God" ( Genesis 14:18 ), or perhaps from Psalms 132:9 : "Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness ( tzedeq )". If the reading is correct, this abbreviation occurs on a tombstone , dated 1536, in the cemetery of Prague . It is found also on a tombstone of the year 1618 in Frankfurt , in the books of the Soncino family of Prague of the seventeenth century, and in one of the prefaces to Shabbethai ben Meïr ha-Kohen 's notes on the Choshen Mishpat ( Amsterdam , 1663). The use of the abbreviated and Germanicized Katz likely coincided with the imposition of German names on Jews in Germany in the 18th and 19th centuries. Jews with the surname Katzenelenbogen may also have shortened their surname to Katz upon arrival in America.