Tracing my families roots. Is the name Hellberg Jewish origin?

Question

I knew from my family, that my grandma Irene, Ella Hellberg, born Fischer, had to proof to the n***s, six generation's back, that we were not Jewish. But I have my doubts. Is the name Hellberg Jewish? IF yes, I would know why I am so interested in Jewish history.

Answer 1

Any name can be Jewish.  When surnames were taken or assigned in Europe in the last melennium, Jews frequently took the same names as non Jews.  A lot of names in the U. S. get considered Jewish as a large portion of the immigrants that came to this country with those names were Jewish while back in their home countries they were used by Jews and non Jews alike.

Actually, Orthodox and Conservative Judaism defines a Jew by the mother not the father. They state they get the nation from the mother and the tribe from the father.  If they don't have a Jewish father, they belong to the tribe of the nearest male relative on the mother's side of the family.

Now, "tribe" does not mean the same as the tribes of Israel in the Bible.

They state if a person doesn't have a Jewish mother, the only way they can be a Jew is by conversion.

Reform Jews view it differently.

Answer 2

Hellberg Name Meaning and History

North German and Norwegian: variant spelling of Helberg.

Swedish: ornamental name from häll ‘stone’, ‘rock’ + berg ‘mountain’.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): ornamental name composed of German h**l ‘light’, ‘bright’ + Berg ‘mountain’, ‘hill’.

Place of

Origin Hellberg Immigrants

Germany 43

Sweden 41

Hannover 10

Preussen 10

Norway 8

Denmark 5

Answer 3

It has different origins:

North German and Norwegian: variant spelling of Helberg.

Swedish: ornamental name from häll ‘stone’, ‘rock’ + berg ‘mountain’.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): ornamental name composed of German h**l ‘light’, ‘bright’ + Berg ‘mountain’, ‘hill’.