Ashkenazi this!

Me: Is “Tokarski” in the Jewish registry of names?

 AI: Yes, the surname Tokarski is included in major Jewish genealogical registries, such as the Consolidated Jewish Surname Index (CJSI) and JewishGen databases.

• Origin: It is classified as a Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) surname, derived either as a patronymic from the occupational name Tokarz (turner/lathe operator) or as a habitational name from places called Tokary in Poland.
• Registry Presence: The name appears in the Consolidated Jewish Surname Index, which aggregates data from 31+ Jewish genealogical databases.
• Specific Records: Jewish burial records for the surname Tokarski exist in Argentina (e.g., Buenos Aires), and the name is tracked in the JewishGen Family Finder.

While the surname is ethnically Polish, its presence in these indices confirms its usage within Jewish communities, particularly in Eastern Europe and among diaspora populations.

Me: Is there a connection to the Tokarev region of Ukraine?

Checked for Tokarev region in Ukraine

There is no “Tokarev region” in Ukraine. What exists are several small villages and settlements with related names — Tokareve (Kherson Oblast), Tokarivka (in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Zhytomyr oblasts), and Tokarevka — all derived from the same Slavic root tokar/tokarz (turner/lathe operator).

The connection between Tokarski and these place names is etymological, not geographical:

• Tokarski is a Polish (and Jewish Ashkenazi) surname, either patronymic from Tokarz or habitational from places called Tokary in Poland.
• Tokarev / Tokarivka / Tokareve are Ukrainian and Russian place names sharing the same occupational root (tokar = turner).
• Ancestry’s Dictionary of American Family Names notes that Tokarski may in some cases be “a variant transliteration of Ukrainian Tokarsky, a “cognate” [me” having a common ancestor] of the Polish form.

So they are linguistic cousins — all descending from the same Slavic occupational term for a wood/metal turner — but Tokarski is not derived from a Ukrainian place called Tokarev. The surname’s primary origin is Polish, not Ukrainian.

Me: Are Ashkenazi Jews the smartest people on earth?

AI: The assertion that Ashkenazi Jews are the smartest people on earth is a widely debated stereotype rooted in claims that they have the highest average IQ of any ethnic group, though the evidence for this is disputed and inconclusive.

IQ Scores and Rankings

• Studies generally estimate the average IQ of Ashkenazi Jews to be in the range of 107 to 115, with some claims suggesting a median of 117.
• Proponents argue this places them at the top of global intelligence charts, significantly higher than the world average and other groups like East Asians.
• Critics and many researchers state there is little good evidence to support the claim of a definitive intelligence advantage, noting that effect sizes remain contentious and that many studies lack representative sampling.

Genetic and Cultural Theories

• A controversial 2005 paper, Natural History of Ashkenazi Intelligence, hypothesized that genetic selection for cognitively demanding occupations in medieval Europe led to higher intelligence, potentially linked to the survival of certain genetic disorders.
• This genetic theory is heavily criticized; opponents argue that cultural values, socioeconomic factors, and historical context better explain the community’s high achievement in intellectual fields.
• Notably, non-Ashkenazi Jews (such as Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews) do not show similar high IQ averages, suggesting that the trait may be linked to specific historical and environmental pressures rather than a universal Jewish genetic predisposition.

Academic Achievement

• Regardless of the IQ debate, Ashkenazi Jews are disproportionately represented in high-intellect fields, comprising approximately 22% of Nobel laureates despite being only 0.2% of the global population.
• They also hold high percentages of awards in fields like mathematics, physics, and economics, a success rate that some argue exceeds what can be explained by IQ alone.

 

Me: I take that as a YES, especially the part about” … this places them at the top of global intelligence chart.” That may not be contextually accurate, but it is right enough for me. On the other hand, my mother’s side of the family is Irish, and her name, “Leonard”, is in the Consolidated Ordinary Schmuck Surname Index (COSSI).