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The Use and Misuse of Distinctive Jewish Names in Research on Jewish Populations

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The Use and Misuse of Distinctive Jewish Names in Research on Jewish Populations The Use and Misuse of Distinctive Jewish Names in Research on Jewish Populations Barry A. Kosmin Stanley Waterman A recurring problem in social science research involves matching the questions addressed and the problems to be solved with existing data. Research often has to be tailored to meet the deficiencies and inadequacies of the existing data which is hardly an ideal situation. This problem is frequently met in Jewish social studies of the Diaspora. As census classifications seldom nowadays cover Jewish groups adequately, the researcher is forced to use some surrogate method for identifying the Jewish population he wishes to study. Thus even when the student of Jewish population is not confronted with a major undertaking such as a survey, his statistical problems are compounded by his need to identify a subpopulation unenumerated in the census. In ethnic research, the identification of names that can be positively attributed to a specific ethnic group has often been used as a means for estimating and mapping ethnic populations. Ifan appropriate source can be used which will ensure a 'universe' of the ethnic population, then it is possible to make some general statements about ~ ------~- the residential location ofthat population, draw a sample population from it and per­ haps make some more detailed comparisons between the nature ofthe subgroup and the general population. Yet, the use of ethnic names is a method fraught with pitfalls in modern Western societies. Names change to suit the environment; people drop their names and adopt new ones, often to hide their origins. Often, assimilation into a general society can occur while a name remains. So many are the potential stumbling blocks that it seems as if using ethnic names should be restricted solely to those who know the answers in advance, or at least to those who are very familiar with the population under investi­ gation. The methodological, conceptual and sociological problems associated with such a research tool undoubtedly produce the type ofconflictual evidence which has surfaced in the recent debate in Public Opinion Quarterly concerning the Distinctive Jewish Name (DJN) factor and 'Jewish identification' among American Jews (Himmelfarb, Loar and Mott, 1981). Jewish names have been used for at least 40 years in social research, especially in North America. The method ofusing a relatively small number ofDJNs was reported by Massarik in 1966, the method dating back to the early 1940s for a study of Jews in the New York area (Massarik, 1966). Later studies have followed similar methodol­ 2 Barry A. Kosmin and Stanley Waterman The Use and Misuse ofDil ogies, rather than going for names which are definitely Jewish or which try to identify the result ofWelsh Noncon: Jews by using a combination of surname and forename analysis. The method outlined thus the unsuspecting a~ by Cohen (1981) chooses 38 surnames which account for 10.6%ofa known population non-Jews if he makeythe : of 118,000 Jewish households on the UJA donors' list in the United States. The names Josephs derived frot# biblic chosen are not those which necessarily represent the most frequent occurrences in the some of this influence resul Jewish 'universe' but those which are distinctively known to be Jewish. Thus an ele­ Britain. ment of subjectivity creeps in, where the researcher chooses to eliminate some names Our findings showed tha­ which he assesses as not 'Jewish enough' even though there are more carriers of this the county of Kent, Jacobs name than some names which he does recognize as Jewish. It goes without saying that names. Table 1 shows how t: many names identified as Jewish in New York or London would not be identified as Cohen and that of Jacobs vc such in Munich or Zurich, and this factor is recognized by Cohen's amended list (of area. 21 names) for use in the 'Mid-West' of the United States. One feature to identify il How is a surname recognized as being distinctively Jewish? Obviously, this takes chester Jewry. The number. more than simply a high occurrence of a name among a known population. It is con­ ceivable that many Jews might bear a name which might also be borne by large num­ TABLE 1. COHEN-JACOBS I' bers of people who are not Jewish. If so, we are looking for a series of names which are borne by Jews alone, in order to avoid confusion. However, in modern Western Area societies with long histories of assimilation no name can be guaranteed to be 100% Jewish, so any usage ofDJN can only have an optimum reliability. Nevertheless, there N.U. Kent is empirical evidence for DJN application on certain levels of analysis within clear N.E. Surrey methodological guidelines. This paper is intended to set out some interesting empiri­ Greater Manchester cal findings and to highlight some of the difficulties of applying the DJN for Social London postal area USA Jews Research on Jews in Britain. The study involved a variety ofmethods in order to reach a reliable estimate and map the number of Jews in Greater London in 1984. to be lower than that in Lond The Jacobs Factor ure? The explanation lies in a in the 'Cohen count and rati Our first experiment was to apply the UJA list of DJN and the suggested multiplier factor to a series ofAnglo-Jewish population centers. We hoped to be able to measure the applicability ofthis method to British conditions by comparing the resulting popu­ The- lation totals with our own totals based upon the Board of Deputies of British Jews annual collections of birth, marriage and mortality data (Haberman, Kosmin and More than a decade ago an Levy, 1983). uties revealed that among th When applied to private entries in the Greater Manchester telephone directory the gogue 2% had the surname Cc resultant total using a multiplier for the average household size was well in excess of name. We went on to investi; the known range for Manchester Jewry. However. we noticed that compared with see if the same pattern occun American Jews we had considerably more cases oftwo names, Cohen and Jacobs. We the years 1973-1974 only one decided that the Cohens should be left unadjusted. but instead extracted Jacobs and ure was one in 38. This rati this reduced the resultant estimate to 35,000 which was inside the possible range. researches into Jews among tho We believed Jacobs to be a problem in the British setting because, like other biblical We had thus uncovered an names such as Levi, Solomon, David or Abraham, it was popular among members order of 37% over 75 years. 1 of the Nonconformist Churches and were often adopted in 17th century England as of Deed Poll changes in the re a surname. In a well known instance, that of the Welsh. surnames were infrequently most name changes occurred used until the 18th century; persons were (and in some regions of Wales still are) possible to arrive at some son known by their given name and their occupation (e.g. Morgan, the shoe). When sur­ in Table 2. This information names were taken, the given name was simply adopted as the new family name. As political scientist as well as tt nin and Stanley Waterman The Use and Misuse of Distinctive Jewish Names 3 "ish or which try to identify the result of Welsh Nonconformism. biblical names frequently became family names. llysis. The method outlined thus the unsuspecting and careless 1985 observer may find that he is picking up several 0.6% ofa known population non-Jews if he makes the simple assumption that family names such as Isaacs or Ie United States. The names Josephs derived from biblical given names are always Jewish. In the British context. frequent occurrences in the some of this influence resurfaced in the West Indies and then found its way back to Britain. :l to be Jewish. Thus an ele­ ,es to eliminate some names Our findings showed that the less Jewish an area the higher the 'Jacobs factor'. In i:re are more carriers of this the county of Kent, Jacobs alone accounted for over 40% of the total of the 24 sur­ t. Itgoes without saying that names. Table I shows how the ratio between the most popular Anglo-Jewish surname n would not be identified as Cohen and that of Jacobs varies and reverses itself according to the Jewishness of an :>y Cohen's amended list (of area. One feature to identify in Table I is the apparently anomalous position of Man­ ~s. ~wish? Obviously, this takes chester Jewry. The number and proportion of Jews in Greater Manchester is known known population. It is con­ also be borne by large num­ TABLE I. COHEN-JACOBS RATIO, 19805 for a series of names which .owever, in modern Western Ar-ea Ratio Je\Jlahnes8 n be guaranteed to be 100% ~liability. Nevertheless, there N.lJ. Kent 3.1 least Jewish N.E. Surrey 1.4 ~vels of analysis within clear Greater Manchester 0.3 out some interesting empiri­ London postal area 0.6 applying the DJN for Social USA Jews 0.2 most Jewish "ofmethods in orderto reach ;:ater London in 1984. to be lower than that in London, so how does it emerge as closer to the American fig­ ure? The explanation lies in another important empirical finding: that ofthe variation in the 'Cohen count and ratio' across Britain and other national communities. ;j" and the suggested multiplier e hoped to be able to measure ::omparing the resulting popu­ The Ratio of Jews to Cohens j of Deputies of British Jews ::ita (Haberman, Kosmin and More than a decade ago an investigation by the Research Unit ofthe Board ofDep­ uties revealed that among the 40,000 members of the London-based United Syna­ bester telephone directory the gogue 2% had the surname Cohen, which was by far the most common Jewish ethnic "lold size was well in excess of name.
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