Surname Rabinovitch - Meaning and Origin

Rabinovitch: What does the surname Rabinovitch mean?

The last name Rabinovitch is a Slavic or Ashkenazi Jewish surname originating from the Russian language, derived from the given name Rabin. It signifies a person who is descended from a family of rabbis, or who is a descendant of a rabbinic family.

Rabinovitch is a common surname in countries including Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, and Israel, and is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word “rav” (teacher or rabbi) combined with “novich” (new). It could also derive from “rabi” (prophet) and “nach” (to rest or to remain). Both spellings (Rabinovitch and Rabinovich) may be found in countries of the former Soviet Union.

The Rabinovitch ancestry is believed to originate in the Pale of Settlement, a region of imperial Russia in which Jews were permitted to live in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Those who bear the Rabinovitch name are associated primarily with the regions of Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine.

Jewish people bearing the Rabinovitch surname may have migrated to Israel in the early days of the twentieth century, seeking a better life and to escape anti-Semitism in the Pale of Settlement. Some of these families have since made Israel their home.

The Rabinovitch surname has also been found in other countries, including the US, where Eastern European Jews emigrating between the 1880s and 1930s settled in large numbers.

Today, the Rabinovitch last name has been widely adopted throughout the world, by both Jewish and non-Jewish persons, as a testament to those ancestors’ rich cultural history.

Rabinovitch: Where does the name Rabinovitch come from?

The last name Rabinovitch is most commonly found in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland. The name probably originated from the Hebrew word meaning “Rabbi” or “Teacher” and has its roots in Jewish religion and culture.

In recent times, the Rabinovitch name has spread around the world and can be found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Israel, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other countries that received immigration from Eastern Europe.

One of the most famous people with the last name is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was born as “Ruth Bader Rabinovitch”. As the name is traditionally Jewish, its bearers are often found in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods, such as the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Miami. It is also commonly seen in cities with large Orthodox Jewish communities, such as London’s Stamford Hill, Antwerp, and Jerusalem.

The Jewish diaspora has led to increased immigration of Eastern European Jews, and the last name Rabinovitch can now be seen in Israel, as well as other countries such as Argentina, Australia, and South Africa.

Variations of the surname Rabinovitch

The surname Rabinovitch, also written as Rabinovich, Rabinowitch, Rabinowitz, and Rabonovich, is derived from the Jewish patronymic surname Rabbin meaning " Rabbi, teacher of the Torah".

Rabinovitch is of Eastern European and Ashkenazi Jewish origin and is found primarily in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, and also in the United States and Israel. The forename ‘Rav’ (Hebrew for ‘Rabbi’) forms the root of many of these names.

The variants Rabanovich and Rabonovich include the Slavic prefix raba, meaning ‘Rabbi.’ The endings ov, ow and owitz represent the patronymic suffix -ovich, with the alternate forms owitch, owitch, and obitz.

Rabinovitch and its variants may also be spelled with either one ‘n’, as Rabonovich or Rabanovich, or two ‘n’s’, as Rabinovich. This second spelling is the most common, particularly in the United States, where it is pronounced ‘RAB-in-o-vitch’ or ‘RAB-in-o-vich’.

Rabinovitch is also found as Rabinof, Rabinow, Rabinowitch, or Rabinowicz. The ending ov- or ovitch implies that the person is the son of someone named Rabbin. Additionally, the names Rollin, Ravina, Ravion, Ravony, and Rabana are still common throughout the Eastern European Jewish community.

The name is also seen as 'Rabineau', which is the French version of Rabinovitch. This spelling is found primarily in Northern and Central France and is rare in the United States.

In some instances, the surname may have been changed throughout the history. As such, some modern surname spelling variants of possible Rabinovitch descent include Rovin, Robins, and Robinson.

Famous people with the name Rabinovitch

• Marc Rabinovitch: Canadian lawyer and entrepreneur.
• Shlomo Rabinovitch: rabbi and teacher in a yeshiva in Jerusalem.
• Chris Rabinovitch: Canadian film and television producer.
• Yevgeny Rabinovitch: Russian author, scholar and poet.
• Liza Rabinovitch: fashion model.
• Limor Rabinovitch: Israeli TV host, comedian and actress.
• Yitzchok Rabinovitch: former Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv.
• Irina Rabinovitch: Russian table tennis player.
• Boris Rabinovitch: Russian physicist and inventor.
• Oleg Rabinovitch: UCI Track Cycling World Champion.
• Sergey Rabinovitch: manager and vocal coach from Russia.
• Yaakov Rabinovitch: rabbi, author and translator.
• Gad Rabinovitch: former Israeli Minister of Finance.
• Elya Rabinovitch: Israeli Olympic medalist.
• Jeanne Rabinovitch: French journalist and women's rights activist.

Other surnames

RabinovichRabinovitz