Shapira Surname History

• Origins Available:
• Israel

Etymology of Shapira

During the times when people began to adopt second names to better identify themselves, one of the most common traditions for adopting surnames in Jewish culture was to assume a surname ornamentally, that is, choosing a name that is unrelated to the occupation or an ancestors' name. The surname Shapira was likely an ornamental name derived from the Hebrew word "shapir," which means 'lovely'. It is also thought that some bearers of Shapira derived their name from the German town Speyer, which had a large Jewish population in the Middle Ages.

Shapira Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Shapiro, Schapiro, Shapero, Shapira, Chapiro, Szapiro, Szapira and many more.