Lichtman

Lichtman is a surname of Germanic origin, commonly found among Ashkenazi Jewish communities, though it also occurs in non-Jewish contexts. The name is generally linked to the German word Licht, meaning light, with a patronymic or occupational suffix such as -mann, which may have indicated a lamplighter, lantern bearer, or a person associated with illumination.

Variants of the name include Lichtmann and Leichtman, reflecting changes in spelling through immigration and transliteration into English-speaking countries. In some cases the spelling without the second n (Leichtman) represents phonetic adaptation of Yiddish or German pronunciation.

Geographically, Lichtman has been recorded in the United States, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other countries with historical Jewish and German-speaking communities. The name is most commonly found in urban areas where immigrant populations settled during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Notable people bearing the surname have appeared across fields such as academia, business, literature, and the arts, illustrating the name’s broad distribution in public life. As with many surnames of its type, individual biographies reflect diverse national and cultural backgrounds.

See also: Leichtman, Lichtmann.