Surname Kazar - Meaning and Origin
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Kazar: What does the surname Kazar mean?
Kazar is a surname of Jewish origin, and is thought to have originated in Eastern Europe several centuries ago. The name likely derives from the Hebrew and Yiddish phrase "Kazier," which translates to "treasurer," an archaic occupational title. This indicates that ancient ancestors of modern-day Kazars were historically involved in activities related to managing and distributing wealth.
The origin of the name can be traced back to two main sources. Some believe the surname's origin lies in the German word “Kazarre,” which translates to "merchant." This implies that many ancient Kazar family members were merchants who often traveled to neighboring communities to sell their wares. Other historians assert that the name has roots in the Hungarian word “Kazaria,” which is ultimately derived from the ancient Persian term for "stronghold." This suggests that many ancient Kazar families were relatively wealthy landowners.
More recently, the surname remained common in Eastern Europe. During the 20th century, Kazar families were persecuted and faced a number of atrocities due to their heritage. As a result, many moved to the United States, Canada, and Israel.
In modern times, the Kazar surname remains relatively rare, although it has been adopted as an hōnen-shi or "great name" by some families in Japan. Regardless, the Kazar surname continues to live on as a symbol of its ancient Eastern European heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisKazar: Where does the name Kazar come from?
The last name Kazar is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe and is most common today in Romania, Israel, Bulgaria, and Hungary. In Romania, the surname can be spelled Kazar, Kazer, or Kazur, and the root of the name is believed to be Turkish. In Israel, the name is derived from a Hebrew name "Kozar" which means "goat-herder". In Bulgaria, the name is believed to come from Turkish and refers to a place of refuge – a “Kazer”. In Hungary, the name may also be derived from a place called “Kazar”.
The last name Kazar is also found in other parts of the world, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. In the U.S., it is most common in Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania. Canada has recorded instances of the name in British Columbia and Alberta, and it is also present in Australia’s New South Wales and Victoria.
As the name originated in Eastern Europe, it is likely that people with the surname Kazar are of Eastern European heritage. That being said, people with non-European heritages are likely to be found with this surname, as immigration from Eastern Europe to other parts of the world has been increasingly common over the years.
Variations of the surname Kazar
Kazar is a single-word surname that originated in Russia and later spread to many countries around the world. It is believed to be derived from the Russian word kazat', which means to speak. As people migrated to different countries, the spelling of the surname changed, resulting in numerous variants and alternate spellings. The variations of Kazar include Kazachkov, Kazakh, Kasar, Kaser, Kazaroff, Kazarov, Kazaravich, and Kazzar.
In addition to these variants, there are surnames that can be considered related to Kazar because they derive from the same language and region but with slight changes in spelling or pronunciation. Some of these names are Kazachenko, Kazachyk, Kazakhstan, Kazior, Kazmer, Kazmurek, Kazmir, Kazimir, and Kazmierski. The suffix "-ov" and "-ev" is often added to the end of a surname to denote male and female versions. So some surnames related to Kazar ending in those suffixes are Kazarova and Kazarovich.
In some parts of the world, such as in Poland, the spelling of Kazar was changed slightly to Kazarz, or Kazarzewski. Another variation of Kazar is Kazzama, which is an Arabic spelling. And in some parts of the Caucasus, the name was changed to Kazakov.
Overall, the variation of names and spellings related to Kazar have become expansive due to migration and cultural influence. Even though there are multiple versions of the surname, the root is traceable to the original Russian meaning.
Famous people with the name Kazar
- Hanna Kazar: star of the 2020 film Groundhog Dog.
- Brad Kazar: Contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter.
- Herberto Kazar: Peruvian musician and vocal coach.
- Markéta Kazarová: Czech writing artist.
- Anthony Kazar: American film producer best known for his work on the films Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and With Honors.
- Lilianne Kazar: Brazilian actress, singer, and model.
- Stephanie Kazar: American calligrapher and graphic artist.
- Jen Kazar: American Fine artist and photographer.
- Leda Kazar: Greek-American actress and model.
- Adele Kazar: American voice actress known for her work on the Mr. Bean animated series.