Senesh

Senesh is a surname of Hungarian Jewish origin. The standard Hungarian spelling is Szenes, and in English transliteration it frequently appears as Senesh or Senesh. The name is linked to the Hungarian word szenes, meaning ash or charcoal, and likely originated as an occupational surname for charcoal burners.

Notable people with the name include Hannah Szenes (1921–1944), sometimes anglicized as Hannah Senesh. She was a Hungarian-born Jewish poet and Zionist activist who volunteered for Britain’s Special Operations Executive during World War II. In March 1944, she parachuted into Nazi-occupied Europe to aid Jewish escape routes and organize resistance in Hungary. She was captured by Hungarian authorities, tortured, and executed later that year. Her poetry, including the well-known poem Blessed Is the Match, has contributed to her status as a national heroine in Israel, where streets, schools, and memorials bear her name.

The surname is most strongly associated with Szenes/Senesh in connection with Hannah, but as a Hungarian Jewish name it appears in various communities and genealogical records worldwide. In historical and cultural contexts, the name is often linked to themes of resistance, memory, and national commemoration.

See also: Szenes, the Hungarian spelling of the surname; lists of people with the surname; memorials and educational institutions named after Hannah Szenes.