OUR FAMILY NAME - by Vibeke Sealtiel Olsen - Newsletters - http://maxpages.com/donadeli/Famname

We know by now that our family name can be spelled in numerous ways. In this article I list all the spellings that are known to me and I try to describe how I believe the spelling of the name changed through the years. The spelling variations which are still used by members of the family are marked with and asterix (*).

SHEALTIEL: This is the traditional transliteration of the Hebrew name, which can be found in the medieval documents that refer to the family. The meaning of our family name - "I (have) asked of G'd" - is the translation of the Hebrew sentence . Our forebears in Spain used the Shealtiel transliteration in Spanish and Latin documents, along with the spelling variation Saltell, which was used as their "christian" name. Schealtiel would be a variation of this spelling.

*SALTIEL: This is the most common spelling of the name today, used both by the Saltiels of Salonika, and by the first two generations of our North Sea Branch (on one occasion in 1808 with a trema above the letter "E", which was ment to stress the Hebrew pronounciation of the name). Saltiel was used once more by descendants of the North Sea Branch who emigrated to London in 1869. They chose to dump the first "E" in Sealtiel, that had been added to the family name 50 years before, because after arrival in England their name was corrupted into when using the "dutch" spelling. The Saltiel spelling was also used by family members in Austria, sometimes with the addition of an accent: Salti'el. It seems that the Saltiel spelling was first adopted by the Shealtiel family when they arrived in Salonika around the year 1391 CE, as the sound "Sh" does not exist in the Greek alphabet.

*SALTIAL: I believe this is an erronous spelling of the name Saltiel, it can be found in American telephone directories. Other erronous spellings are Seltiel and Selkiel.

*SHA'ALTIEL: This spelling of the name is used by a South-african family of Israeli origine. In my opinion, this transliteration comes the closest to the Hebrew pronounciation of the sentence "I (have) asked of G'd".

*SHALTIEL: Today, this is the common transliteration of the name by our Israeli relatives. It is generally accepted that this transliteration of the name comes the closest to the Hebrew original. General David Shaltiel was given the name David Sealtiel at birth, but he changed the spelling of his name into Shaltiel, when he came to Palestine in the 1930s.

*SEALTIEL: This spelling of the name was adopted by members of the North Sea Branch after living in Amsterdam for two generations. My forebear David Saltiel had close connections with the Sephardic Congregation, as he was a servant of the Esnoga, the great Sephardic Synagogue. When David stated that his family name was of Hebrew origine, the Haham (Rabbi) showed him how he believed David should write his name according the the Hebrew pronounciation. This is how the name Sealtiel was created. The trema above the last "E" was an important element of their name to the descendants of David: the Dutch Sealtiels. They felt that the Hebrew pronounciation of their name was stressed through the addition of a trema. Over the years there were several discussions within the family, whether the name should be written with a trema or not. Today, most members of the family write their name without trema, as the computers do not enable this additon or because some clercs forgot to add the trema to the civil registration of the newborn. Later (deliberate or erronous) modifications of the spelling of the name include Saeltiel, Sealthiel, Sealtille, Salthill, Sentiel, Selkiel and De Sealtiel. The pronounciation of the name today varies between or the pure Dutch pronounciation by the proud Dutch members of this family .

*SEALTILL: This is an erronous spelling of the name Sealtiel, which I have found in a German telephone directory.

*CHALTIEL: The name Chaltiel is used by family members of Algerian and Tunesian origine who now live in France. This spelling of our name is inspired by the French language (the pronounciation is similar to the "Ch" of Charlotte) and this is an example that the correct pronounciation of the name prevails upon the traditional beginning of the name with the letter "S".

*CHARLAP: a letter from Ram Thein to Moshe Shaltiel (listed in the Shealtiel Gazette summer 1998) confirms that there is a link with the Sephardic Charlap (Harlap, Lapin) family of Poland, who descend from Simon Shealtiel of Spain.

*CHARTIEL: This is an erronus registration of the name Chaltiel upon arrival in a new country.

SCHALTIEL: The forebears of the Saltiels of Austria used this spelling of the name in the early 19th century while the family was living in Pest, Hungary. It is possible that the S(c)atti(e)l family name was created though a corruption of the spelling of this name.

*SCIALTIEL: This spelling is found among family members in Italy and is another example how the correct pronounciation of the name is preferred above the spelling. Scieltiel would be a variation of this name.

*SALTEL: This is the "christian" name which was used by our Spanish forebears before the expulsion along with the spelling Shealtiel. The original spelling was Saltell, and in one instance, the name was spelled as Saltellus. the name is believed to have survived until today in France, where 165 Saltel families have recently been found. Presumably this branch chose to convert to chistianity and hence hung unto their "christian name". As far as I know, all the members of the Saltell family are christians.

*SALTELLI: I believe that this is the "Italianzed" version of the name Saltel. This name is found in a 16th century document, referring to two Jewish brothers who were landlords in Cassato Monteferrate. I do not know if there are any Jewish members of the Saltelli family.

*XALTIEL: This is a very rare spelling of our family name, which has been found at only one medieval document.

Other variations of the spelling of our name include some of the names which I discovered in American social Service registers and which are believe to be of Greek, Italian and Danube origine: Salthiel, Salatel, Saletel, Saltelis, Siltala, Salutillo, Saluitelli, Saltillo and Zaldel. Saltiel is used as a given name by Sephardic Jews of Salonikan origine; in our family we have Salti Saltiel (Istanbul) and Saltiel Saltiel (USA). Sealtiel Alatriste is a famous Mexican author. Shealtiel is one of the seven archangels mentioned by the Xtian Gnostics. Rabbinical students are known to have taken the name Shaltiel as a middle name, because they feel that the name conveys their great spiritual affinity. Shaltiel is also a given name among Yemenite Jews in Israel.

The conclusion is, that we can not say there is one correct spelling of our family name, except the original Hebrew spelling. Any spelling which is in accordance with the country where we live is correct, as long as the pronounciation of the name is in accordance with the pronounciation of the Hebrew words, which our name consists of. There has been a continuation of our family name through many generations, and our unique family name is the key that has enabled us to confirm the family link between us.

Copyright by Vibeke Sealtiel Olsen
Amsterdam, 1998

Dona Deli

Amsterdam

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vibekeolsen@yahoo.com

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Page Updated Tue Jan 12, 1999 8:13am EST