Jewish Women’s Names in 16th-/17th-Century Istanbul

In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the Istanbul area was home to a variety of Jewish communities: Greek-speaking Romaniote Jews, who had lived in the city since the days of Byzantium; Karaites; Ashkenazim; and Sephardim. The names of the Jewish women of Istanbul reflect this mixture: Castilian, Portuguese, and Spanish with a touch of Arabic; Greek; Hebrew; Turkish, the common language; and Greek-Turkish, Hebrew-Greek, and Spanish-Greek combinations.

The names are drawn from gravestones in the Hasköy Jewish Cemetery, with a handful of supplemental names from other Istanbul-area Jewish cemeteries and from the city of Tekirdağ.

Afedra
“Lady.” Greek female form of the Turkish effendi, “lord”
אפ’ידרה Afedra, 1619

Apodopoula
אפודופלא Apodopoula, 1621

Arkhondopoula
Greek, “nobleman’s daughter”
ארכונדופולה Arkhondopoula, 1609

Aryana
The origin and meaning of this name is unknown, but another late 16th-century Aryana’s letter to her sister is preserved in the Cairo Geniza.1
אריינה Aryana, 1584

Asteroula
Possibly Greek aster “star” + -oula (diminutive suffix)
איסטרולה Asterola, 1619

Bienvenida
Spanish and Portuguese “welcome”; a Sephardic translation of shalom. Bienvenida was the Castilian form; the Portuguese form was Benvenida. The name was also written Bien Venida/Ben Venida.
ביינונידה Bienvenida, 1604
בייןוינידה Bienvenida, 1621

Boula/Bula
Greek Boula, “elder sister,” was a nickname that was originally added to the main name (e.g. Boula Khursi), then developed into a name in its own right. The spelling below is questionable, but I have not been able to identify any other name it could be.
בולו Bolo?, 1583, 1615

Dona
Castilian and Portuguese, “lady”
דונה Dona, 1586, 1592, 1613, 1614, 1615, 1621
דונא Dona, 1587
דוניא Donia (Donia Reina), 1586
דונייא Donia (Donia Mazel Tov), 1591

Esperansa
Spanish, “hope,” possibly a translation of Tikvah
איספיראנסה Esperansa, 1602

Estereliya
Variant spelling of Castilian Estrelya, usually spelled אישטרילייא or איסטרילייא.
אסטרלייא Estereliya, 1585

Esther
אסתר Esther, 1584, 1590, 1592, 1600, 1601, 1612, 1614, 1615, 1620, 1622, 1623

Foti
פוטי Foti, 1612

Gira
גירה Gira, 1607

Gracia
Spanish, “grace, charm”
גראסייה Gracia, 1590
גראסיא Gracia, 1624

Hali
חאלי Hali, 1590

Hana
Hebrew, “favor, grace”
חנה Hana, 1584, 1590, 1617, 1623

Irini
Greek, “peace”
אייריני Eirini, 1604
איריני Irini, 1614

Jamila
Arabic Jamila “beauty, elegance.” Although typically a Muslim name in Turkey, Jamila was used by the Jews of Navarre, who brought the tradition with them to Istanbul.
ג’אמילה Jamila, 1614
ג’ימילה Jimila, 1606

Joya
ג’ויא Joya, 1618

Kadun
Possibly Turkish kadın, “woman,” occasionally used as a name element by Turkish speakers.
קדון Kadun, 1583, 1625

Kalo
Greek, “good”
קאלו Kalo, 1590
קלו Kalo?, 1586

Kalomira
Greek, “good luck”
קאלומירה Kalomira, 1583, 1590, 1591, 1611, 1619, 1620
קלומיר’ה Kilomira, 1587
קלומירה Kelomira??, 1600
קאלומרה Kalomera, 1605

Khrisokali
Possibly Greek chrysos “gold” + kali
כרישוקלי Khrisokali, 1621

Khursi
A common variant of the Romaniote Greek name Khrisula, “golden.”
כורשי Khursi, 1584, 1587, 1589, 1590

Klara
קלרה Klara, 1608
קלארה Klara, 1611, 1625
קאלרה Klara, 1583

Leah
לאה Leah, 1589

Malka
Hebrew, “queen”
מלכה Malka, 1590, 1594, 1604, 1610

Malka Yona
Hebrew, Malka “queen” + Yona “pigeon, dove”
מלכה יונה Malka Yona, 1617

Mamiya
ממיה Mamiya, 1590

Margalit
Hebrew, “pearl”
מרגלית Margalit, 1584

Mazel Tov
Yiddish, “good luck”
מזל טוב Mazel Tov, 1595, 1610, 1624
דונייא מזל טוב Donia Mazel Tov, 1591

Miqri
Greek, “small one”
מקרי Miqri, 1618
מיקרי Miqeri, 1625

Miriyam
מרים Miriyam, 1585, 1590

Mukhila
מוכילה Mukhila, 1621

Muqali
Greek mouqali, “my good one”
מוקלי Muqali, 1597, 1601

Nehama
Hebrew, “comfort”
נהמה Nehama, 1585, 1592, 1597, 1598, 1612

Orihala
אוריחלה Orihala, 1589

Oro Sol
Spanish oro “gold” + sol “sun.” Also written as one word.
אורו שול Oro Sol, 1612

Oro Vida
Spanish oro “gold” + vida “life.” Also written as one word.
אורו וידה Oro Vida, 1584, 1590

Paloma
Spanish, “dove.” Possibly a translation of Yona.
פאלומה Paloma, 1624

Parthi
Greek, “virgin, pure”
פארתי Parthi, 1583

Pirla
From Spanish perla, “pearl”
פירלה Pirla, 1584

Poli
פולי Poli, 1584

Pustida
פושטידה Pustida, 1590

Pustira
Greek, “viola”
פוסטירה Pustira, 1625

Qortisah
קורטישה Qortisah, 1614

Rachel
רחל Rachel, 1581, 1590, 1600, 1612, 1617, 1621
רחיל Rachel??, 1581

Rika
Either Spanish rica, “rich,” or a variant of Rivka.
ריקה Rika, 1600, 1615, 1620

Rivka
רבקה Rivka, 1585, 1590, 1603, 1611, 1613, 1614

Regonola
ריגונולה Regonola, 1590

Reina/Reyna
Spanish reina “queen,” a Sephardic translation of Malka.
ריינה Reina, 1600, 1611, 1612, 1617, 1619
דוניא ריינה Donia Reina, 1586

Rima
רימה Rima, 1600

Rina
רינה Rina, 1600, 1610, 1618

Rosa
רוזה Rosa, 1619

Sara
Hebrew, “princess”
שרה Sara, 1585, 1589, 1590, 1591, 1595, 1612, 1619

Sarai/Saray
שרי Sarai/Saray, 1584

Saropoula
Greek, “Sara’s daughter”?
שרופולה Saropoula, 1620

Seniyoroula
Spanish señora “lady, mistress” + Greek -oula (diminutive suffix). Señora שניורה was a Sephardic female name.
שניורולה Seniyoroula, 1594

Shabetai
Hebrew shabbat “sabbath.” Given to girls born on the Sabbath. More commonly a male name.
שבתי Shabetai, 1605

Shabetaia
Feminine form of Hebrew shabbat “sabbath.” Given to girls born on the Sabbath.
שבתיא Shabetaia, 1590, 1600
שבטיא Shabetaia, 1590

Shabatula
Hebrew shabbat “sabbath” + Greek -oula (diminutive suffix). Given to girls born on the Sabbath.
שבתולה Shabatula, 1584

Simha
Hebrew, “joy”
שמחה Simha, 1601, 1614

Simi
Probably a diminutive of Simha
סימי Simi, 1612

Siti
Arabic sitti, “lady.” Widely used as a name or name component by Jews in Arab-speaking countries, but rare in Turkey.
שיטי Siti, 1612

Sultana
Turkish Sultana “imperial” or “sultana,” one of the few names used by women of all religions.
שולטנה Sultana, 1594, 1615, 1619, 1621

Tamar
תמר Tamar, 1584, 1625

Toporola
Possibly a Greek name plus -oula (diminutive suffix)
טופורולה Toporola, 1595

Vida
Spanish Vita “life,” a Sephardic translation of Haim.
בידה Bida or Vida, 1619
וידה Vida, 1623

Yafet
יפה Yafet, 1592

Zafira
זאפירה Zafira, 1585, 1591

Names with Uncertain Pronunciations

אלחורופולה Alchoropoula, Elchoropoula?, 1614

אייכוינה Eichoina?, 1595

אפינדרה Epindera?, 1622 (Possibly from Greek Pindaros)

ג’יפטול (גיפטול?) Giptol?, 1625 (Although ג’ now indicates that the initial sound is a soft J, this was not the case in the 16th and 17th centuries.)

פאנשתה Pansheta? Panesheta?, 1611

פשאדה Peshada, Pashada? Fasada?, 1602 (From Spanish pesada, “heavy”? Pasat/Pasad פשאד was a Sephardic last name. From Fasad פשאד?)

פרוטוס Protos, Prautos? (Possibly from Greek protos, “first, best.”)

שרלי Sharli?, 1609

סוריאנה Soriana? Suriana?, 1624 (probably Sephardic)

זמבולה Zembula, 1625

ז’פולה Zapola, 1584
ז[ו]פולה Zofola, 1615

זויאה Zoya, 1616 (possibly a variant of Zoe?)

Sources and Methodology

The main source is the inscriptions in a database of Jewish tombstones, A World Beyond: Jewish Cemeteries in Turkey, 1583-1990. Of the 517 stones dated from 1581 through the end of 1625, 484 stones had inscriptions complete enough to give onomastic data; and of these 484, 212 contained legible female names. Almost all of the names were from the Hasköy Jewish Cemetery, with a handful from other Jewish cemeteries.

Sources for Meanings and Pronunciation

Bunis, David. “Language and Personal Names of Judezmo Speakers in Eres Israel in the Time of Nathan of Gaza.” El Prezente, 2021.

Bunis, David. “Judeo-Spanish (Judezmo), Hebrew Component in.” Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics, Volume 2, G-O. Ed. Khan, Geoffrey et al. Brill, 2013. pp. 421-427.

Rozen, Minna. Studies in the History of Istanbul Jewry, 1453-1923: A Journey through Civilizations. Brepols Publishers, 2015.

Credits

Courtesy of the academic research site “A World Beyond: Jewish Cemeteries in Turkey, 1583-1990” of the Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center of Tel Aviv University.

  1. Letter from Aryana to her sister Shurbilliya. ENA 2808.65. Accessed on March 19, 2022, at https://geniza.princeton.edu/en/documents/12427/ ↩︎

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