The JEWISH people whih family name KAPLAN , in America and Europe, are they originally TURKISH ? Yes or no ?

I met a Turk whose name is Kaplan too, but he says he's not Jewish, and I also met American Jews whose name is Kaplan (and they say they are not Turks).


So I don't understand...Either one or the other is lying?

The JEWISH people whih family name KAPLAN , in America and Europe, are they originally TURKISH ? Yes or no ?
Well, I'm pretty sure Kaplan is a Jewish name, but I'm a Jew and I lived in Istanbul for a year. Made lots of friends in the Jewish community there, and none of them had the surname Kaplan. That doesn't definitively answer your question, but hopefully it helps.





Nobody you mentioned is lying necessarily. Kaplan could be a name common to Jews and Gentiles. Or, even if it's a Jewish name, it's possible that your Turkish friend's father was a Jew named Kaplan (or one of his ancestors was), and his mother's side wasn't Jewish, hence making him a non-Jew. Or it might even be that he considers himself a Muslim, and hence, wouldn't recognize himself as a Jew even if, by Jewish standards, he was.





And American Jews come from all over the world in terms of ancestry. Were your American Jewish friends of a distinctly non-Turkish ethnic background? Would you be able to tell if they were? Most of Turkey's Jews are descended from the ones who were exiled from Spain in 1492. Being of Spanish stock, they could be dark or fair-skinned, with any color eyes. You never know.
Reply:I did not know Kaplans were Cohens.





Wow! I actually learned something from this forum. Thanks!
Reply:Regarding wiki it's a Jewish surname.





"It is therefore suggested that Kaplan is one of the oldest European/Middle Eastern surnames still in use today as those who have the name Kaplan are considered to be the descendants of the high priests of Jewish biblical times".


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metin_Kapla...





Of course a Turk with the name Kaplan does not have to be Jewish (You are only Jewish if your mother is, unless you convert) and an American Jew of course is not a Turk.





Take care.
Reply:All "Hebrews" come from the mountain ranges of Turkey? That's quite a statement.
Reply:No


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaplan_(sur...


here is more info on that, i used to wonder that myself, being that I'm turkish and kaplan means tiger in turkish.





Jews took the name Kaplan, particularly in Eastern Europe, as a vernacular equivalent of the name Cohen[citation needed]. In Polish, for example, the term "kaplan" (spelled Kap艂an) translates as "priest"[1], which is equivalent to the English translation for the Hebrew word "Cohen". It is therefore suggested that Kaplan is one of the oldest European/Middle Eastern surnames still in use today as those who have the name Kaplan are considered to be the descendants of the high priests of Jewish biblical times.
Reply:I am a Kaplan and I am not a Turk, I am a Jew whose ancestors were from Russia.
Reply:Kaplan is a variant of the name Cohen. It is considered a Jewish family name.


I would guess if your name was Kaplan and you lived in Turkey you might not admit to being Jewish if your family converted to Islam.


I know many people named Kaplan and they are all Jewish.


I don't think I would assume the Turk is lying because he could have the name left over but have no idea who in his lineage was Jewish or where the name came from.


I have known Jews named Stone (English), Murphy (Irish) and Wang (Chinese). No reason it could not be the same way with the person named Kaplan from Turkey.
Reply:Jews from Turkey are sephardic and 'Kaplan' is an ashkenazic jewish name. Possibly the name could be used by both though.
Reply:Well something you need to understand, like Arabs that come from the Arabian peninsula, Hebrews came from the mountain ranges in Turkey, its most likely a Turkish name for any religion or group of people in the area, they're both who they say they are