Surname Emek - Meaning and Origin

Emek: What does the surname Emek mean?

The last name Emek is of Hebrew and Yiddish origin. It is derived from the Hebrew phrase “Emeq,” which means “valley” or “ravine.” The name is often used to denote a person who came from a valley or ravine, sometimes indicating that the first bearer of the name had once lived in a place surrounded by hills or cliffs. Additionally, the name may be used to denote someone from any place that was characterized by being in a deep, narrow valley or valley land. The name is still common to this day in Jewish communities and is often spelled “Emek” or “Emeq.”

Emek is also used as a surname among Jewish Sephardic and Mizrahi communities in the Middle East and North Africa. In this use, the name denotes a person who has a family history of living in a deep valley or low-lying area. It is also used among some Jews in central Europe, particularly among those who trace their ancestry back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The last name Emek is also seen as a given name, and is commonly found among Jewish-American families. It is usually derived from the Yiddish form of the same name, and is used mostly in the United States and Canada.

Overall, the last name Emek has two distinct origins: one from the Hebrew phrase meaning “valley” and another from Yiddish. It is used among Jewish communities all over the world, and is often seen as a given name among Jewish-American families.

Emek: Where does the name Emek come from?

The surname Emek is common among Eastern European Jewish surnames. It is particularly common in the countries of Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. It has recently spread to other countries throughout Eastern Europe, including Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania. Other countries with significant populations bearing the surname Emek include Israel, Canada, Australia, and the United States.

In Poland, the name Emek is thought to have originated from the Hebrew word ‘emet’, meaning ‘truth’. It is also thought to be derived from the name ‘Emanu’el’, the Hebrew name for God.

In the United States, many families bearing the last name Emek settled in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most of these immigrants were Ashkenazi Jews originating from Eastern Europe. While there are far fewer Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe today, the surname Emek is still common throughout the country.

Other areas with significant populations of Emek surname holders include Canada, Australia, and Israel, where the Jewish diaspora has created an incredibly diverse and growing population of Jews.

Overall, the surname Emek is most commonly found today throughout Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, while steadily appearing across communities of Jews in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Israel.

Variations of the surname Emek

The surname Emek is derived from the Hebrew word 'emek’, meaning ‘valley’. Consequently, variants of the surname Emek could be Emeky, Emak, Emacks, Emaki, Emakowicz, Emakin, Emacky, Emaker, Emakis, Emackson, Emacki and Emackoff.

In the United States, Emek has also been spelled Emerick, Emrick, England and Emricks. In some cases, these may be a result of immigrants who may have altered their name to sound more ‘American’ so they could blend in better with the local population.

In Poland, the variant form is Emekowo, also spelled Emekewski or Emkowski. In Russia, it is often spelled Emeksy. In Germany, it is sometimes spelled Emeck or Eimick and in France, the variants are Emicq and Emicque.

In some cases, the letter ‘k’ may be substituted for the ‘ck’ sound - as in Emmanuel, Emmick, Emmack, Emmacki or Emmackoff. This variant may be more common in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, where the ‘k’ sound is more typically used.

In Czech, the variants are Emec and Emic. In Slovakia, the variations are Emecek, Emeka and Emberka. In Hungary, it is spelt Emberk and in Croatia, the variant is Emberić. Other variants are Emecs, Emesko, Emerick and Emke.

All these variants are derived from the original Hebrew spelling of 'emek', meaning ‘valley’.

Famous people with the name Emek

• Esin Emek: Esin Emek is a famous Turkish actress and a successful artist in the television series country that started broadcasting in 1986.
• Inci Emek: Inci Emek is a Turkish film and television actress who has won several awards and accolades for her work in both genres.
• Gülay Emek: Gülay Emek is a Turkish actress who started her career at the Turkish National Theater. She is known for her work in the 2004 feature film Oedipus.
• Maria Emek-Maria Emek is a popular Turkish singer and songwriter who has become a household name in the country.
• Ümit Emek: Ümit Emek is a professional basketball player from Turkey. He won the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and is currently playing in the Turkish Basketball League with Galatasaray S.K.
• Tomer Emek: Tomer Emek is an acclaimed Israeli fashion photographer known for his work in both editorial and advertising campaigns.
• Yaacov Emek: Yaacov Emek is a renowned Israeli historian who is known for his extensive research and publications on the history of the Jews in Palestine before the state of Israel was established.
• Gabriel Emek: Gabriel Emek is an accredited Israeli film director who has been nominated for numerous awards for his movies.
• Rahmi Emek: Rahmi Emek is a famous Turkish actor who started his career in theater and made a name for himself in the film and television industry.

Other surnames

EmekciEmeksizEmereyEmerichEmeroEmerryEmersenEmersonEmertEmeryEmett