Montefiore is a surname, meaning "flower mountain". The surname is associated with the Montefiore family,

Sephardi Jews Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefar ...

who were diplomats and bankers all over Europe. The name derives from one of three towns in Italy, although it is not known which one. By 1630 the Montefiores were

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...

s living in

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

, with some of them later moving to

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

. Notable people with the surname include: *

Adam Montefiore Adam Montefiore (born 10 November 1957 in London) is a British-born Israeli wine trade veteran, wine critic and wine writer. Biography Adam Sebag Montefiore was born in Kensington, London. His father was Stephen Eric Sebag-Montefiore, descended f ...

(born 1957), British-born Israeli wine trade veteran and wine critic *

Alan Montefiore Alan Claude Robin Goldsmid Montefiore (born 29 December 1926, London) is a British philosopher and Emeritus Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. He is a co-founder and Emeritus President of the Forum for European Philosophy, as well as Joint Presi ...

(born 1926), British philosopher and Emeritus Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford *

Albert Montefiore Hyamson Albert Montefiore Hyamson, (27 August 1875 – 5 October 1954) was a British civil servant and historian who served as chief immigration officer in the British Mandate of Palestine from 1921 to 1934. The Political Zionist of the 1910s and 192 ...

(1875–1954), British civil servant and historian, chief immigration officer in British Palestine 1921–1934 *

Claude Montefiore Claude Joseph Goldsmid Montefiore, also Goldsmid–Montefiore or just Goldsmid Montefiore (1858–1938) was the intellectual founder of Anglo- Liberal Judaism and the founding president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, a schola ...

(1858–1938), philosopher *

Dora Montefiore Dorothy Frances Montefiore (; 20 December 1851 – 21 December 1933), known as Dora Montefiore, was an English-Australian women's suffragist, socialist, poet, and autobiographer. Early life Born Dorothy Frances Fuller at Kenley Manor near Cou ...

(1851–1933), English-Australian women's suffragist, socialist, poet, and autobiographer *

Eliezer Levi Montefiore Eliezer Levi Montefiore (1820 – 22 October 1894) was a businessman, art enthusiast, and the first director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Montefiore was born in Barbados to merchant Isaac Jacob Levi (who also had a home in Brussels) a ...

, businessman and art collector in Melbourne and Adelaide (nephew of Jacob and Joseph Barrow) *

Fausto Montefiore Fausto Montefiori (born March 16, 1906, date of death unknown) is an Italian boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. In 1928 he was eliminated in the second round of the featherweight class after losing his fight to the upcoming bronze ...

(1906–not known), Italian boxer *

Georges Montefiore-Levi Georges Montefiore-Levi (18 February 1832 – 24 April 1906) was a Belgian politician, industrialist and inventor of Jewish extraction who created the first phosphorus bronze. Early life He was born in Streatham, South London. His father, I ...

(1832–1906), Belgian politician, inventor and philanthropist *

Hugh Sebag-Montefiore Nicholas Hugh Sebag-Montefiore (born 5 March 1955) is a British writer. He trained as a barrister before becoming a journalist and then a non-fiction writer. His second book ''Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man'' was published in 2006. His previous b ...

(born 1955), author, attorney, and journalist *

Hugh Montefiore Hugh William Montefiore (born Hugh William Sebag-Montefiore; 12 May 1920 – 13 May 2005) was an English Anglican bishop and academic, who served as Bishop of Kingston from 1970 to 1978 and Bishop of Birmingham from 1978 to 1987. Early life and ...

(1920–2005), bishop of Birmingham 1977–1987 and environmentalist (born Hugh Sebag-Montefiore) *

Jacob Barrow Montefiore Jacob Barrow Montefiore (1801–1895) was a member of the South Australian Colonization Commission in London from 1835 to 1839, a body appointed by the British Government under King William IV to oversee implementation of the ''South Australia ...

(1801–1895), Colonial Commissioner for South Australia resident in London (brother of Joseph Barrow, cousin to Sir Moses) *

Jacob Levi Montefiore Jacob Levi Montefiore (11 January 1819 – 24 January 1885) was a businessman, financier, writer and politician in New South Wales, Australia. He was born at Bridgetown in Barbados to merchant Isaac Jacob Levi and his wife Esther Hannah Montefi ...

(1819–1885), Australian politician (brother of Eliezer Levi, nephew of Jacob and Joseph Barrow) *

John Israel Montefiore John Israel Montefiore (1807 – 14 February 1898), also known as John Julius Montefiore, was one of the first Jewish settlers in New Zealand. He became a trader and merchant in the Far North District of the country, and was later active in b ...

(1807–1898), New Zealand trader and merchant *

Joseph Barrow Montefiore Joseph Barrow Montefiore (24 June 1803 – 8 September 1893), merchant and financier, was the youngest son of Eliezer Montefiore, merchant, of Barbados and London, and his wife, Judith (née Barrow). Montefiore was born on 24 June 1803 in Londo ...

(1803–1893), merchant and financier in the Australian colonies (brother of Jacob Barrow, cousin to Sir Moses) * Joseph Meyer Montefiore, president of the

Board of Deputies of British Jews The Board of Deputies of British Jews, commonly referred to as the Board of Deputies, is the largest and second oldest Jewish communal organisation in the United Kingdom, after only the Initiation Society which was founded in 1745. Established ...

, 1862–1868, 1868–1871, and 1874–1880 *

Joseph Sebag-Montefiore Sir Joseph Sebag-Montefiore (born 29 August 1822 in London, died 19 January 1903 in London) was a British banker, stockbroker and politician. He was the son of Solomon Sebag and his wife Sarah Montefiore. He married Adelaide Cohen, daughter of Lou ...

(1822–1903) financier *

Judith Montefiore Judith, Lady Montefiore (née Barent Cohen; 20 February 1784 – 24 September 1862) was a British linguist, musician, travel writer, and philanthropist. She was the wife of Sir Moses Montefiore. She authored the first Jewish cook book written i ...

(1786–1862), British linguist, musician, and philanthropist, wife of Sir Moses * Sir

Moses Montefiore Sir Moses Haim Montefiore, 1st Baronet, (24 October 1784 – 28 July 1885) was a British financier and banker, activist, philanthropist and Sheriff of London. Born to an Italian Sephardic Jewish family based in London, afte ...

(1784–1885), prominent British financier, stockbroker, banker and philanthropist, husband of Judith * Moses Eliezer Montefiore (1798–1894), probably brother of Jacob and Joseph Barrow *

Leonard A. Montefiore Leonard Montefiore (1853, Kensington, London – 1879) was an author and philanthropist. He was a grandnephew of Moses Montefiore and a nephew of Francis Goldsmid. Education In October 1870 Montefiore entered University College London where he a ...

(1853–1879), British author and philanthropist *

Leonard G. Montefiore Leonard Nathaniel Goldsmid-Montefiore (2 June 1889 – 23 December 1961) was a wealthy member of the Montefiore family, the only son of Claude Montefiore, and he succeeded his father as a leader of Jewish philanthropic organisations in th ...

(1889–1961), Anglo-Jewish community leader and philanthropist *

Santa Montefiore Santa Montefiore (; born 2 February 1970) is a British author. Early life Santa Montefiore was born Santa Palmer-Tomkinson on 2 February 1970 in Winchester. Her parents are Charles Palmer-Tomkinson, formerly High Sheriff of Hampshire, and Pa ...

(born 1970), British author *

Simon Sebag Montefiore Simon Jonathan Sebag Montefiore (; born 27 June 1965) is a British historian, television presenter and author of popular history books and novels, including ''Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar' (2003), Monsters: History's Most Evil Men and ...

(born 1965), British historian and author

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montefiore Italian-language surnames

See also

References