Safran Family History
Safran Name Meaning
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic); Hungarian (Sáfrán); Croatian and Slovenian (Šafran); Czech and Slovak (Šafran and Šafrán): from Middle High German saffrān German Safran Hungarian sáfrány Slavic šafran (standard Slovenian is žafran; see below) ‘saffron’ a bright yellow spice and colorant derived from the stigmas of a crocus hence a metonymic occupational name for a spicer or a nickname for someone with reddish-yellow hair. The word is ultimately derived from Arabic zaʿfarān. The Jewish name is mainly artificial. Americanized form of Polish Szafran and Slovenian Žafran: from Polish szafran Slovenian žafran ‘saffron’ words of the same ultimately Arabic origin as above.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press