Katz (name)
Encyclopedia
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 "priest of justice." 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
(Hock, Die Familien Prag's, p. 175); it is found also on a tombstone of the year 1618 in Frankfurt
(M. Horowitz (Moses Horowitz
?), Die Inschriften des Alten Friedhofes der Israelitischen Gemeinde zu Frankfurt-am-Main 1901, p. 63), in the books of the Soncino
family of Prague
of the seventeenth century (Zunz
, Z.G. p. 262), and in one of the prefaces to Shabbethai ben Meïr ha-Kohen's notes on the Choshen Mishpat (Amsterdam
, 1663).
The name Katz has a website devoted to All Things Katz.
People surnamed Katz include:
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
Jewish surnames.
Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
with the last name Katz may originate in the Rhine River region of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where the Katz Castle
Burg Katz
Katz Castle is a castle above the German town of St. Goarshausen in Rhineland-Palatinate. This magnificent castle stands on a ledge looking downstream from the riverside at St. Goarthe. It was first built around 1371 by Count Wilhelm II of Katzenelnbogen. The castle was bombarded in 1806 by...
is located. (The name of the castle does not derive from Katze, cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
, 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
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
initials of the term Kohen Tzedeq (כּ״ץ), meaning "priest of justice." It has been used since the seventeenth century, or perhaps somewhat earlier, as an epithet of the descendants of Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
. The collocation is most likely derived from Melchizedek ("king of righteousness"), who is called the priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
("kohen
Kohen
A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
") 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
Jewish surname
Jews have historically used Hebrew patronymic names. In the Jewish patronymic system the first name is followed by either ben- or bat- , and then the father's name....
in the 18th or 19th centuries.
If the reading is correct, this abbreviation occurs on a tombstone, dated 1536, in the cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(Hock, Die Familien Prag's, p. 175); it is found also on a tombstone of the year 1618 in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
(M. Horowitz (Moses Horowitz
Moses Horowitz
Moses Ha-Levi Horowitz , also known as Moishe Hurvitz, Moishe Isaac Halevy-Hurvitz, etc., was a playwright and actor in the early years of Yiddish theater...
?), Die Inschriften des Alten Friedhofes der Israelitischen Gemeinde zu Frankfurt-am-Main 1901, p. 63), in the books of the Soncino
Soncino
- Places :Italy* Soncino, Lombardy , a comune of the Province of Cremona- People :* Soncino family , an Italian family of Jewish printers...
family of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
of the seventeenth century (Zunz
Zunz
Zunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, Z.G. p. 262), and in one of the prefaces to Shabbethai ben Meïr ha-Kohen's notes on the Choshen Mishpat (Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, 1663).
The name Katz has a website devoted to All Things Katz.
People surnamed Katz include:
- Ada KatzAda KatzAda Del Moro Katz is the wife and model of Alex Katz.-Life:She graduated from Brooklyn College with a BS in 1950. She studied at the University of Maryland, and graduated from New York University with an MS in biology in 1955. She worked at Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center...
, American artist's model - Alex KatzAlex KatzAlex Katz is an American figurative artist associated with the Pop art movement. In particular, he is known for his paintings, sculptures, and prints and is represented by numerous galleries internationally.-Life and work:...
, American artist - Allan KatzAllan KatzAllan Katz, born in Chicago, is a writer, producer, actor, and director.He began his writing career as an advertising copywriter. In 1970 he created the original award-winning campaign for the popcorn snack Screaming Yellow Zonkers which was the first major product to be packaged in a predominantly...
, American comedy writer - Amir KatzAmir KatzAmir Katz, born 1973 in Ramat Gan, Israel, is a pianist who lives in Germany. He began piano lessons at the age of 11 and won his first national competitions in Israel four years later. He received scholarships to study in Europe, including at the International Piano Foundation at Lake Como, where...
, Israeli born musician - Andy KatzAndy KatzAndy Katz is a senior college basketball journalist for ESPN.com. He is a regular sports analyst on College GameNight on ESPN. Katz earned a B.A. at the University of Wisconsin–Madison , and has worked for ESPN since January 5, 2000....
, American college basketball journalist - Sir Bernard KatzBernard KatzSir Bernard Katz, FRS was a German-born biophysicist, noted for his work on nerve biochemistry. He shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1970 with Julius Axelrod and Ulf von Euler...
, British biophysicist (born in Germany) - Boris KatzBoris KatzBoris Katz is a Principal Research Scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and head of the Laboratory's InfoLab Group. His research interests include natural language processing and understanding, machine learning and intelligent information access...
, computer scientist - Daniel KatzDaniel KatzDaniel Katz was a psychologist, born in Trenton, New Jersey, USA. His academic career culminated at the University of Michigan though he was a professor at Princeton University's Department of Psychology for a time...
, American psychologist (1903–1998) - Daniel Katz (politician)Daniel Katz (politician)Victor Daniel Katz Jora known as Daniel Katz born in 1961, is an Argentine politician. He is a member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies. He previously served as high-profile mayor of the city and beach resort of Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires Province.Katz trained as an architect at the...
, Mayor of Mar del Plata, Argentina - Danny Katz (columnist)Danny Katz (columnist)Danny Katz is a Canadian-born, Jewish Australian columnist and author who writes for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. His columnn is also syndicated in The West Australian. He is the Modern Guru in the Good Weekend magazine.-External links:*** * * ****...
, Australian columnist and author - Daryl KatzDaryl KatzDaryl Allan Katz is a Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and arts patron. With an estimated net worth of $US 2.0 billion , Katz was ranked by Forbes as the 16th wealthiest Canadian and 595th in the world...
, Canadian drug store owner, owner of Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... - David Katz (author), British music historian and journalist
- Dovid KatzDovid KatzDovid Katz is an American-born, Vilnius-based Judaic studies professor, Yiddish specialist, and political activist, currently living in Lithuania.-Biography:...
, Lithuanian-American Yiddishist and academic - Elias KatzElias KatzElias Katz was a Finnish athlete who competed mainly in the 3000 metre steeple chase.He was Jewish, and born in Turku. He competed for Finland in the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France in the 3000 metre steeple chase where he won the silver medal...
, Finnish 3,000-m team steeplechase Olympic champion - Elihu KatzElihu KatzElihu Katz is an American and Israeli sociologist.-Biography:Katz has spent most of a lifetime in research on communication, his main focus being the interplay between media, conversation, opinion, and action in the public sphere...
, American sociologist - Erich KatzErich KatzErich Katz was a German-born musicologist, composer, music critic, musician and professor. He fled the Nazis in 1939, arriving first in England, emigrating to the United States in 1943, where he became a citizen. He was a driving force behind the early music and recorder movements in the United...
(1900–1973), an German-born musicologist and Jewish refugee - Harold KatzHarold KatzHarold Katz is an American entrepreneur from the Greater Philadelphia area.He bought the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association from Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr. in July 1981. During his ownership, he brought the 76ers to their most recent NBA Championship win in the 1982-1983 season...
, American entrepreneur - Jacob KatzJacob KatzJacob Katz was a Jewish historian and educator. He established the history curriculum used in Israel's High Schools....
, Israeli historian - Jay Katz (disambiguation), name/pseudonym for several people
- Jeffrey Katz, American music producer
- Jerrold KatzJerrold KatzJerrold J. Katz was an American philosopher and linguist.After receiving a PhD in philosophy from Princeton University in 1960, Katz became a Research Associate in Linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961. He was appointed Assistant Professor of Philosophy there in 1963,...
, American philosopher and linguist - Jon KatzJon KatzJonathan Katz is a U.S. journalist, author, and snowballer. He is known for his contributions to the online magazine HotWired, the technology website Slashdot, the online news magazine Slate.com, and his series of crime novels, books on the geek subculture, and his books on dogs.-Journalism:Katz...
(born 1947), American journalist and writer - Jonathan KatzJonathan KatzJonathan Paul Katz is an American comedian, actor, and voice actor who is best known for his starring role in the animated sitcom Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist...
(born 1946), American comedian, actor, and voice actor - Jonathan David Katz (born 1958), American professor
- Jonathan Ned KatzJonathan Ned KatzJonathan Ned Katz is an American historian of human sexuality who has focused on same-sex attraction and changes in the social organization of sexuality over time...
(born 1938), historian of LGBT American history - Joseph KatzJoseph KatzJoseph Katz allegedly worked for Soviet intelligence from the 1930s to the late 1940s as one of its most active liaison agents. Katz was assigned management of the “First Line,” that part of the NKGB mission aimed at recruiting selected members of the Communist Party USA...
, Comintern member, CPUSA and Soviet spy - Emmanuel Mané-KatzMane-KatzEmmanuel Mané-Katz, born Mane Leyzerovich Kats , was a Jewish painter born in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, best known for his depictions of the Jewish shtetl in Eastern Europe.- Biography :...
, Ukraine-born Israeli artist - Mickey KatzMickey KatzMickey Katz , was an American comedian and musician who specialized in Jewish humor. He was the father of actor Joel Grey and grandfather of actress Jennifer Grey.-Family:...
, American comedian and musician - Mike KatzMike KatzMichael Katz is a former American IFBB professional bodybuilder, most famous for his appearance with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1977 bodybuilding documentary film Pumping Iron. Mike Katz worked as a Jr. High School gym teacher while training as an amateur bodybuilder...
, American bodybuilder - Nathan KatzNathan KatzNathan Katz, Ph.D., is Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Religious Studies, as well as Founder-Director of the Program in the Study of Spirituality, at Florida International University in Miami.-Education and career:...
, American professor - Nicholas Katz, an American mathematician
- Omri KatzOmri KatzOmri Haim Katz is an American actor. His TV and film credits include Eerie, Indiana; Matinee; Adventures in Dinosaur City; Hocus Pocus; and the CBS prime time soap opera Dallas, in which he played the role of John Ross Ewing III, the son of J.R...
, an American-Israeli actor - Paul KatzPaul KatzPaul Katz is an internationally renowned American cellist, best known for his membership of the Cleveland Quartet. Katz currently teaches at the New England Conservatory following positions at Rice University and the Eastman School of Music. He serves on the National Advisory Board of the...
, American cellist - Phil KatzPhil KatzPhillip Walter Katz was a computer programmer best known as the co-creator of the zip file format for data compression, and the author of PKZIP, a program for creating zip files which ran under DOS.- Career :...
, American computer programmer - Phoebe CatesPhoebe CatesPhoebe Cates is an American film actress, model, and entrepreneur known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins.-Early life:...
(born Phoebe Belle Katz), American actress - Randy H. Katz, UC Berkeley professor
- Ronald A. KatzRonald A. KatzRonald A. Katz is an inventor and president of Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing LP. His inventions are primarily in the field of automated call center technology. Katz has developed a portfolio of more than 50 US patents covering his innovations...
, inventor - Robert KatzRobert KatzRobert Katz was an American novelist, screenwriter, and non-fiction author.Katz was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Sidney and Helen Katz, née Holland, and married Beverly Gerstel on September 22, 1957...
(1933-2010), American novelist, screenwriter, and non-fiction author - Ryan KatzRyan KatzRyan Katz is a professional wrestling personality who wrestles/performs under the name GQ Money. He became famous as part of the Xtreme Pro Wrestling promotion where he was the manager of Joey Munoz alias Kaos of The Enterprise...
, professional wrestler billed as "GQ Money" - Sam KatzSam KatzSamuel Michael Katz, OM is the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is also a businessperson and a member of the Order of Manitoba.- Life before mayorship :...
, mayor of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba - Sidney A. KatzSidney A. KatzSidney A. Katz is the 18th and current mayor of Gaithersburg, Maryland. He has held this position since 1998.Katz attended the University of Maryland where the he received his Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration...
, mayor of the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland - Shemuel KatzShemuel KatzFor the writer and MK, see Shmuel Katz .Shmuel Katz was an Israeli artist, illustrator, and cartoonist...
(1926–2010), Israeli artist - Samuel Katz (disambiguation)
- Stu KatzStu KatzStu Katz has been a working jazz pianist and vibraphonist for more than 55 years.Over his long career, he has performed in numerous public venues with young and old bebop luminaries including Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Joey DeFrancesco, Dexter Gordon, Bunky Green, Roy Haynes, Milt Jackson,...
, jazz pianist and vibraphonist - Tamar KatzTamar KatzTamar Katz is an Israeli figure skater. She is the 2005, 2007, and 2008 Israeli national champion.- Career :...
, Israeli figure skater living in the United States - Welwyn Wilton KatzWelwyn Wilton KatzWelwyn Wilton Katz is a Canadian children's author who has lived in Kitchener and Toronto, Ontario. In 1994 she was awarded the Vicky Metcalf Award...
, Canadian children's author - William Loren KatzWilliam Loren KatzWilliam Loren Katz is an American educator, historian, and author of many books on African-American history, including a number of titles for young adult readers...
, American historian, specializing in African American history - Yuri KatzYuri KatzYuri Katz, is a Ukraine-born American musician, arranger, and music producer.Katz worked on different recording projects by DJ Felli Fel, Jamie Kennedy and Stu Stone Howard McCrary, Ya Boy, BooSkills and others.Born on July 15, 1973 to a musician mother...
, Ukraine-born American music producer