Netanyahu (surname)
| Pronunciation | English: /ˌnɛtənˈjɑːhuː/ NET-ən-YAH-hoo Hebrew: [netanˈjahu] |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Hebrew |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | 'given by God' |
Netanyahu (Hebrew: נְתַנְיָהוּ) is a Hebrew-language Jewish surname. The name means "given by Yahweh, or God" in Hebrew, from the Hebrew natan (נָתַן, 'to give') and Yah (יָהּ, 'Yah, Yahweh').[1]
Though its use as a surname is a modern one and affiliated with the family of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the name itself can be traced back to Ancient Israel and Judah. Netanyahu, also spelled Nethaniah in English-language texts, appears three times in the Hebrew Bible, given to minor Biblical characters in the First Book of Chronicles, the Second Book of Kings, and the Book of Jeremiah. Because yahu and el are used interchangeably in Hebrew as names for God in Judaism, the name has the same meaning as Nathanael and Nathan is a short form of both names.
The Netanyahu family's use of the name dates back to the early 1920s, when Benjamin Netanyahu's father, Benzion Mileikowsky, immigrated from Congress Poland to Mandatory Palestine with his family.[2] At the time, the Hebraization of surnames was a popular practice among Ashkenazi Jews due to Zionist efforts to revive the Hebrew language and Benzion began using the Hebrew Netanyahu as his surname in honor of his father, Rabbi Nathan Mileikowsky, would Hebraize his given name to Netanyahu.
Notable people with the name include:
- Benjamin Netanyahu (born 1949), Prime Minister of Israel 1996–1999, 2009–2021, and 2022–present
- Benzion Netanyahu (né Mileikowsky; 1910–2012), Israeli historian
- Elisha Netanyahu (1912–1986), Israeli mathematician
- Iddo Netanyahu (born 1952), Israeli physician and author
- Nathan Netanyahu (born 1951), Israeli computer scientist
- Sara Netanyahu (née Ben-Artzi; born 1958), current spouse of the prime minister of Israel
- Shoshana Netanyahu (née Shenburg; 1923–2022), Israeli Supreme Court justice
- Yair Netanyahu (born 1991), Israeli podcaster
- Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu (1946–1976), Israeli special forces commander
See also
- Mileikowsky, the original surname of the Netanyahu family
- Nathaniel, a given name of Hebrew origin used as the basis for the Netanyahu surname
- Netanya, a similarly named city in Israel named for American philanthropist Nathan Straus
- Hebraization of surnames, a common practice among Ashkenazi Jews of Mandatory Palestine and Israel
References
- ^ "IsraelBiblicalStudies.com". lp.israelbiblicalstudies.com. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
- ^ Evans, Dr Mike (2015-12-17). "A Rendezvous with Destiny". Jerusalem Prayer Team. Retrieved 2025-06-17.