| ![Show Contents]() Fleisch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of FleischWhat does the name Fleisch mean? One cannot simply look at the etymology of a Jewish name to truly understand the origins. Rather understanding the vast historical context along with the name will guide you. However, it does make Jewish surnames extremely difficult to trace back to their origins. Jewish surnames encompass diverse languages, and situational experiences. And attempting to translate words proves to be a challenge as well without context. An example would be the German name Schatzmann which means ‘treasurer’, however if used as a Jewish surname, it would mean "shaliah tzibbur - a leader in prayers." 1 The Ashkenazic Jewish surname Fleisch is an occupational surname. It comes from the German word "flescher," which meant 'flesh' or 'meat.' Butchers often were thus named. The butchers of the Jewish ghettos of medieval Europe, acted as an unofficial army, as they were familiar with handling knives and axes. 2 Early Origins of the Fleisch familyThe surname Fleisch was first found in Franconia, Nuremberg where the Fleischmann was prevalent in the 12th century continuing through to modern times. Fleischhaker was found in Bavaria and Austria, Moravia, and Flischhauer was found in central and North Germany. Heinrich Flaischesse was listed in Austria in 1180. Later Fleischhauer was found in central Germany and generally corresponds to the Lower German Knockhenhauer (in both cases meaning butcher). Heinrich Lenke der Fleischman was listed in Eger in 1379. In modern times, Fleischner is frequently found in Vienna and more recent variant of Fleischer. 2 Fleisch Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Fleischer, Fleisch, Fleischer, Fleisher, Flescher, Flaisher, Flajszer, Fleischner, Fleishner, Fleshner, Fleishmann, Fleischman, Fleishman, Fleischmann, Fleishhacker, Fleischhacker and many more.
| Fleisch migration to the United States | + |
Fleisch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Rosa Fleisch, who settled in New York in 1865
- Georg Fleisch worked as a priest in Cincinnati from 1868 to 1874
| Contemporary Notables of the name Fleisch (post 1700) | + |
- Karl Bernhard Fleisch (1778-1814), German doctor
- Kaganoff, Benzion C. A Dictionary of Jewish names and their history. Schocken Books, 1977. Digital
- Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
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