Ophir (Gutgold) Family

The origin of the Ophir family is in Eastern Europe (Poland, mainly). The family pages will show the main family members. If you are interested in more information - don't hesitate to contact me.

The origin of the OPHIR surname

The OPHIR surname was introduced into our family in the 1950's when my father Rafi changed his name from Raphael Gutgold to Raphael Ophir. It was alleged that the Gutgold surname originated from the profession of the Gutgold family members which was goldsmith (hence, Gutgold or "good gold"). The Ophir surname tries to preserve the meaning of the surname with a modern Israeli word.
Many modern Israeli families bear the OPHIR surname. Most of those families have changed their original (foreign) surname to this Israeli modern word. In most cases there is no family connection with "our" Ophir family. We can track the GUTGOLD surname back to the 1800's. Sadly, most family written records were lost in the Holocaust and during the Immigration to Palestine (Israel).

What is the meaning of OPHIR?

Pronounced As: ofr, in the Bible.
1 Seaport or region from which the ships of Solomon brought fine gold in great quantity. Sandalwood, precious stones, ivory, apes, and peacocks were also part of the triennial cargo. The location of Ophir is unknown. It has been variously identified with NE Africa, SE Arabia, and India, but the present tendency is to identify it with SW Arabia (the modern Yemen) and possibly the neighboring African coast.
2 Son of Joktan. (© Electric Library's Free Encyclopedia)
A country of uncertain location, possibly southern Arabia or the eastern coast of Africa, from which gold and precious stones and trees were brought for Solomon. I Kings 10:11.(© infoplease)

Ophir in the free encyclopedia Wikipedia