# Is Dr. Jack Kevorkian Arab-American? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727 "2004-09-09T03:05:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/1 "2004-09-09T03:05:59Z")
I have long since supported Jack Kevorkian (I’m sorry, those are just my political beliefs 🙂 ). And I found it tragic when he finally ended up in prison. Anyways, on a lighter note (which is what this thread is about–I don’t want to start an assisted suicide debate here) is Dr. Kevorkian Arab-American? Does anyone know? The reason why I ask is because I recently saw a woman of Arab descent on tv. And she had the name Kevorkian in her surname. I would have looked this up myself. But I wasn’t exactly sure how to Google it 😉 . 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/2 "2004-09-09T03:30:49Z")
Confirming what I thought, both Rootsweb and NNDB say that the Kevorkian family is of Armenian descent. (No cites provided – both were merely casual mentions in relation to something totally different.) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/3 "2004-09-09T03:34:44Z")
Dr. Jack is apparently of [Armenian-American](http://www.cilicia.com/armo22.html) extraction. “Kevorkian” itself is an Armenian name; Armenians being an established minority group in several Middle Eastern countries, it would be perfectly plausible for a person of Arab extraction to have it as a family name. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/4 "2004-09-09T03:36:16Z")
-ian is a very common ending for Armenian surnames. How did you know the woman you saw on TV was actually of Arab descent? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/5 "2004-09-09T03:39:54Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > How did you know the woman you saw on TV was actually of Arab descent? I forget the exact details, but her appearance on the program bore some direct relation to the Arab community, which she was a part of. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/6 "2004-09-09T03:40:14Z")
Kevorkian is an Armenian name. The Armenians are not Arabs, although a number of countries with Arab majority populations and a dominant Arab culture contain Armenian minorities. Kevorkian’s ancestors may therefore have come from an Arab country, but the name suggests that they were Armenians rather than Arabs. ---
**Author:** ![tygerbryght](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@tygerbryght](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygerbryght)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/7 "2004-09-09T06:24:17Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > -ian is a very common ending for Armenian surnames. > > … TTB of my knowledge, it is fairly safe to assume that any surname that ends in -ian is Armenian. I’m trying to think of a counter-example but can’t at the moment. There is a large Armenian contingent in the metropolitan Detroit area, along with some of their churches (and I think there’s a bishop). … nobly stifling further comment. (Hey, why isn’t there a smiley with a halo??) ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/8 "2004-09-09T10:09:57Z")
Another good example of a person of Armenian-American descent is Andre Agassi. His father’s surname was Agassian; he changed it to Agassi when he became a US citizen. Another Armenian -ian from the tennis world is the Argentine David Nalbandian. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/9 "2004-09-09T11:25:04Z")
> [@tygerbryght](#): > > TTB of my knowledge, it is fairly safe to assume that any surname that ends in -ian is Armenian. Well, there’s [MacIan](http://www.scotlandshop.net/designertartanclothing/maciantartan.php)… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/10 "2004-09-09T11:57:53Z")
Of course, the most famous Armenian-American of all is Capt. John Yossarian from [Catch 22](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065528/) by [Joseph Heller](http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/amlit/heller.html). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/11 "2004-09-09T13:32:56Z")
We’re forgetting Cher! Anyway, Jack was the son of Armenian refugees. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/12 "2004-09-09T15:40:29Z")
> [@tygerbryght](#): > > TTB of my knowledge, it is fairly safe to assume that any surname that ends in -ian is Armenian. I’m trying to think of a counter-example but can’t at the moment. _Christian_ and _O’Brian_ come to mind. Also some southern Indian surnames such as _Subramanian_. But the majority of “non-English” sounding surnames that end in -ian in the U.S. are probably Armenian. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/13 "2004-09-09T16:13:14Z")
Another non Armenian last name is **Killian** (as in Killian’s Red beer) which, I assume, is Irish (the name, not the beer). Anyways, the _-ian_ suffix means “son of” so Hagopian = Hagop’s son. The equivalent of our Johnson, Thompson, etc. and the Russian _-ovitch_. During and after the Turkish genocide in the early part of the last century many Armenians became dispersed throughout the Middle East. Another famous Armenian-American (at least where I am from) is author William Saroyan. ---
**Author:** ![tygerbryght](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@tygerbryght](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygerbryght)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/14 "2004-09-09T16:33:39Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > _Christian_ and _O’Brian_ come to mind. Also some southern Indian surnames such as _Subramanian_. But the majority of “non-English” sounding surnames that end in -ian in the U.S. are probably Armenian. Thanks. I knew there were a few counterexamples, but couldn’t bring them into RAM. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/15 "2004-09-09T17:07:44Z")
According to [this page](http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/armenians/names_p1.html), Kevorkian would therefore mean “son of George”. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/16 "2004-09-09T19:40:53Z")
> [@Mycroft Holmes](#): > > Of course, the most famous Armenian-American of all is Capt. John Yossarian from [Catch 22](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065528/) by [Joseph Heller](http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/amlit/heller.html). 😃 I thought he was Assyrian. ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/17 "2004-09-09T21:49:10Z")
> [@TitoBenito](#): > > I thought he was Assyrian. Right… Heller picked a non-modern ethnic group for his protagonist so he could better represent/be Everyman. A friend of mine is a second-generation American, no foreign accent, of Armenian descent. He grew up here, his father teaches college here, etc. He’s also a photographer who takes artistic photos of post-industrial decay. Long story short, he got picked up by the police and disappeared for 2 days who thought he was an Arab terrorist while taking photos of an old local bridge. :eek: Not that arresting Arab-Americans for the same reason is a good idea, but clearly there are a lot of people who don’t know the difference. If there’s any light side to this, it’s his description of trying to reason with the police… “No, ARMENIAN. Armenian-AMERICAN… yeah, in the Middle East, but… no, ARMENIAN… we’re CHRISTIANS, fer cryin’ out loud… look, I’m FROM here, I take photos, I eat hot dogs, I’m a basketball fan… AR-ME-NI-AN - look it up!” ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/18 "2004-09-10T06:15:45Z")
> [@Crandolph](#): > > Right… Heller picked a non-modern ethnic group for his protagonist so he could better represent/be Everyman. Don’t tell that to the Assyrians. [Assyrians](http://www.aina.org/aol/) are alive and well in the modern day. There are a few million ([3.5](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian) according to wikipedia) of them still kicking it in the middle east. There are a lot of them in Chicago. And Yossarian was an [Assyrian](http://www.bookrags.com/notes/c22/TOP2.htm), I checked my copy. However, Yossarian is not an Assyrian name but a Armenian name. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/19 "2004-09-10T10:34:26Z")
> [@TitoBenito](#): > > There are a lot of them in Chicago. Yep, there’s an Assyrian-American Cultural Center a mile or so from my apartment, and somewhat of an Assyrian neighborhood along Devon Avenue in Chicago (sandwiched in among the Indians, Pakistanis, assorted Russophones, and Orthodox Jews). Great grocery shopping along that stretch of Devon Ave., let me tell you. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727/20 "2004-09-11T19:52:08Z")
Apple’s Steve Jobs is Arab-American. Or half Arab-American. His (bio) father was Egyptian. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dr-jack-kevorkian-arab-american/263727.md?page=2)