Did Jews have to change their names to avoid persecution?

Answer 1

If one migrates to a foreign country it's usually a disadvantage to have a name that is difficult to pronounce for people in the new country - for example, the kind of name that is written with clusters of 3-5 consonants. However, it takes much more than a change of name if one is to avoid persecution in an intolerant environment.

Answer 2

Sometimes they did - context was everything. In late 19th/ early 20th century Britain, for example, many Jewish immigrants from Central Europe already had "Germanised" versions of Hebrew names - eg Neumann, Weiss etc - and often these were "Anglicised" to "Newman", "White" etc. Ironically, they feared not so much anti-semitism per se, but rather anti-German prejudice.

Sephardic names (eg Shapiro) were less problematic, mainly because Jewish arrivals often lived alongside the large Italian community in London, and such Jewish names sounded Italian to most people anyway. Jews from Russia, Galicia, the Baltic etc often adopted names that were common in the areas into which they moved: frequently, therefore, in London, & other large cities like Manchester, they took Irish names like Brady, Donovan, Casey, Moody etc, or common Anglo-Scottish names like Mitchell, Green, Armstrong, Lawson, Brown, Fisher etc - usually choosing ones which approximated most closely to their original names. A lot of this was for administrative convenience (officials, bank staff etc had fewer problems recording such familiar names than names of Russian or Polish origin) as much as to avoid anti-semitism.

Finally, it's worth noting that some prominent British Jews actually adopted names which explicitly proclaimed their Judaism - the best example being Benjamin Disraeli, the reforming Conservative politician & Prime Minister in 19th century Britain. Disraeli was largely responsible for the 2nd Reform Act (1867) which nearly doubled the electorate, and he was a forthright critic of British policies in Ireland. Disraeli was a favorite of Queen Victoria (there were even rumors that they were lovers), and in 1876 he was made Earl of Beaconsfield.

Although a convert to Christianity, Disraeli was always proud of his Jewish heritage, & most believe his very name was the indicator of where his spiritual heart lay. Certainly, his commitment to social reform (eg a major Public Health Act, 1875) was consistent with Jewish thinking, and his attainment of the highest public office was an indicator that Jewish origins were no longer a significant bar to advancement in Britain.

Answer 2

No, they can keep their traditional names if they so choose.