# Why are Sidney, Ira, Irving, such common Jewish names? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715 "2011-02-09T00:36:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/41 "2011-02-09T18:41:28Z")
Interesting thread. Perhaps someone can address this: I know, and have known many Stewarts and Stuarts. However, every Stewart I have ever met is Jewish, and every Stuart not. Simple coincidence or ?? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/42 "2011-02-09T18:51:01Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I’ve never met a Jewish Paul, I’m amazed that someone knows three. And I live in New York City, we’re not exactly short on Jews (In my old neighborhood, I could walk to four different Yeshivas). My uncle, whose parents immigrated from Poland to Mexico, is named Paul, and his siblings are Leonard and Harriet. I don’t know what was going on at ALL there, as it doesn’t sound like their parents were going for either traditional Jewish names OR trying to fit in with Mexican culture. Although my uncle does go by Paulo sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/43 "2011-02-09T19:00:13Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Interesting thread. Perhaps someone can address this: I know, and have known many Stewarts and Stuarts. However, every Stewart I have ever met is Jewish, and every Stuart not. Simple coincidence or ?? Stewart Gilligan Griffin is not Jewish. Although, come to think of it, he is. > [@Kyla](#): > > My uncle, whose parents immigrated from Poland to Mexico, is named Paul, and his siblings are Leonard and Harriet. I don’t know what was going on at ALL there, as it doesn’t sound like their parents were going for either traditional Jewish names OR trying to fit in with Mexican culture. Although my uncle does go by Paulo sometimes. What languages do they speak? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/44 "2011-02-09T19:00:28Z")
My grandfather, an Orthodox Jew, was named Adolf. That’s a name not coming back into the family anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/45 "2011-02-09T19:31:41Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > What languages do they speak? Both of his parents are dead now - I’m not sure what their native languages were. I assume Yiddish. When I met them (these are not my grandparents, but my cousins’ grandparents, I met them at my cousin’s bar mitzvah, that sort of thing), we spoke English, but it was obviously not their first language. They also spoke Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/46 "2011-02-09T19:48:52Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Both of his parents are dead now - I’m not sure what their native languages were. I assume Yiddish. When I met them (these are not my grandparents, but my cousins’ grandparents, I met them at my cousin’s bar mitzvah, that sort of thing), we spoke English, but it was obviously not their first language. They also spoke Spanish. There’s a Spanish form of Yiddish called [Ladino](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaeo-Spanish). They might have spoken that as well. I know some Sephardic Jews who speak at least some words of it. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/47 "2011-02-09T19:51:51Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > There’s a Spanish form of Yiddish called [Ladino](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaeo-Spanish). They might have spoken that as well. I know some Sephardic Jews who speak at least some words of it. Ladino isn’t any form of Yiddish, although it is sort analogous to Yiddish, in that it’s a mixture of Hebrew and the dominant surrounding language (in this case Spanish, whereas Yiddish is a Germanic language). But it’s spoken by Sephardim, and my uncle’s parents were Askenazim. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/48 "2011-02-09T20:16:14Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Interesting thread. Perhaps someone can address this: I know, and have known many Stewarts and Stuarts. However, every Stewart I have ever met is Jewish, and every Stuart not. Simple coincidence or ?? But of course, that’s pretty much coincidental. An old friend of my father’s, born 1909, was Stuart. Jewish. And who could ever forget my brother-in-law, Stuart? Also Jewish. There you go. Proof positive. It could happen. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/49 "2011-02-09T20:47:36Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > I’m Jewish. My great grandfather was named Paul. My mom is named Paula in his honor. I know several Pauls who are Jewish. My dad is Howard so there’s another name that takes from the Brits. My dad is a Jewish Paul as well. Named in the 30’s. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/50 "2011-02-09T21:06:01Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Both of his parents are dead now - I’m not sure what their native languages were. I assume Yiddish. When I met them (these are not my grandparents, but my cousins’ grandparents, I met them at my cousin’s bar mitzvah, that sort of thing), we spoke English, but it was obviously not their first language. They also spoke Spanish. Thanks. I admit that I fail to see why a non-anglophone family in a non-English-speaking country would call their daughter “Harriet”, which strikes me as an obvious English name. “Leonard” and “Paul” could be coming from other languages than English, but not from Spanish (neither is “Paulo”, really; the Spanish form is “Pablo”). ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/51 "2011-02-09T21:18:51Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I think **Marley** has it right. My paternal grandfather was named Ira. He was born in the 1880’s in rural Arkansas. He was not Jewish and this was not a family name being passed on. I always wondered how he came by that name and the only way this makes sense would be if it was popular at the time. Isnt that name in the Bible? I would think you’d get non-Jewish Americans with Hebrew or Jewish names considering the importance of the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/52 "2011-02-09T23:54:11Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Isnt that name in the Bible? I would think you’d get non-Jewish Americans with Hebrew or Jewish names considering the importance of the Bible. Yeah, it is. There are a ton of Biblical names that are common in the general Anglophone population, like Rachel and Deborah and Michael, but there are also a number that seem limited to use by Jews, like Ariel. Not sure why that is. **Hypnagogic Jerk** , yeah, I’m speculating, but I know that my uncle’s parents originally immigrated to the US before going to Mexico, where they settled. I’m not sure how long they lived in the US, but maybe they picked up some Anglo names. ---
**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:** [February 10, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/53 "2011-02-10T00:52:36Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I’ve never met a Jewish Paul, I’m amazed that someone knows three. And I live in New York City, we’re not exactly short on Jews (In my old neighborhood, I could walk to four different Yeshivas). My dad’s middle name is Paul, and he lives in Queens (and was raised in central NJ). One of my uncle’s brothers is also named Paul, and the uncle is named Mark. All of them are Jewish and born between 1940 - 1950 in New Jersey, in areas where there was certainly no shortage of Jews. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/54 "2011-02-10T02:32:51Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > My grandfather, an Orthodox Jew, was named Adolf. That’s a name not coming back into the family anytime soon. Not for at least a millennium, I’d think. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/55 "2011-02-10T05:13:14Z")
My father’s name given name was Adolph. He survived, and when he came to America to he changed it to Randolph. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/56 "2011-02-10T05:15:23Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Good god, Caden, what an ugly name. It sounds nice, though. Why, all the Cadens I’ve ever met had excellent rhythm. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/57 "2011-02-10T05:30:38Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > My father’s name given name was Adolph. He survived, and when he came to America to he changed it to Randolph. My grandfather lived in Canada after the war but never changed his name. His wife (my grandmother) called him “Dolfi”. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/58 "2011-02-10T05:31:39Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > True Story: a branch of my family came to the US and they wanted to change their last name to something that “sounded less Jewish.” > > They chose Steinberg. :smack: > > Their original last name actually doesn’t sound Jewish at all to Americans. It sounds italian. (something like “Crispini”) :smack::smack: > > I’ve never met a Jewish Paul, I’m amazed that someone knows three. And I live in New York City, we’re not exactly short on Jews (In my old neighborhood, I could walk to four different Yeshivas). Not to pile on, but I have a cousin who is an Orthodox Jew, and his name is Paul. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/59 "2011-02-10T05:58:41Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Not to pile on, but I have a cousin who is an Orthodox Jew, and his name is Paul. I’m starting to think there are about three Orthodox Jews named Paul, all extremely popular. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715/60 "2011-02-10T05:58:45Z")
I think that the name Paul, in general, is rare. But I certainly don’t think it’s rarer among Jews than among Gentiles. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sidney-ira-irving-such-common-jewish-names/570715.md?page=4)