Kaufman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

Etymology of Kaufman

What does the name Kaufman mean?

The Jewish surname Kaufman is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Kaufman means "merchant" or "shopkeeper" in German, and as a German name was generally an occupational name. However, for most of the Jewish people of this name, Kaufman was derived from the first name Jacob (Yaakov), converted to a surname it became Yakovman, then Yakofman, which was shortened to Kofman. Kaufman, finally, would have been a spelling variation of this last version.

Kaufman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kaufman, Kaufmann, Kauffmann, Kauffman and many more.

Kaufman Ranking

In the United States, the name Kaufman is the 944^th most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 1

Kaufman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kaufman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Kaufman, who arrived in America in 1749

Kaufman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Abraham Kaufman, aged 25, who landed in America from Lukawic, Galicia, in 1893
Abram Kaufman, aged 32, who landed in America from Wilna, Germany, in 1893
Alina Kaufman, aged 54, who landed in America, in 1894

Kaufman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alfred Kaufman, aged 39, who immigrated to the United States from Switzerland, in 1903
Abram Kaufman, aged 10, who landed in America from Bucarest, Roumania, in 1906
Ada Kaufman, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from Berlin, Germany, in 1907
Alexander Kaufman, aged 19, who settled in America from Aleksander, Russia, in 1908
Abrahm Kaufman, aged 6, who immigrated to the United States from Witebsk, Russia, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kaufman (post 1700) +

Irving Robert Kaufman (1910-1992), United States Federal judge and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
George S Kaufman (1889-1961), American Pulitzer Prize (1937) winning playwright
Aaron Kaufman (1973-2024), American film producer and director
Larry Kaufman (b. 1931), known as Larry Merchant, American sportswriter, a longtime commentator for HBO sports presentations
First Sergeant Benjamin Kaufman (1894-1981), American Army soldier awarded the Medal of Honor and the Croix de Guerre
Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman (1949-1984), American comedian and actor who began his career by starting his act with an outrageously bad performance and would then launch into an Elvis Presley impersonation so good that Elvis Presley himself described it as his favorite
Andy Kaufman (1949-1984), American comedian and actor
Philip Kaufman (b. 1936), multiple award-winning American film director, writer, and producer perhaps best known for the movie "The Right Stuff", which won four Academy Awards, five other awards, and an additional eleven nominations. He also directed the cult classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
Fred Kaufman CM FRSC KC (1924-2023), Canadian justice, lawyer, and arbitrator, Chief Justice of Quebec from 1990 to 1991
Mrs. Karen Kaufman M.B.E., (Karen MacKay), British Head of External Affairs for Busy Bees Childcare, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Children and Families 2
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kaufman family +

SS Atlantic

Mr. Wolf Kaufman, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists