Happy and Lucky: 'Asher', 'Gad', 'Mazal' and other Related Names in Jewish Historical Name Usage

Mazal, Mazal Tov (מזל, מזל טוב): "Mazal" generally means "luck" or "fortune" in Hebrew. "Mazal Tov" is now a common expression (with early Modern Ashkenazi origins) meaning "congratulations" or "good luck" and is often said at joyous occasions like weddings or bar mitzvahs. The expression literally translates to "good constellation," referring to a favorable alignment of stars. For an example of this name, see מזל מוצרי – ויקיפדיה.

Yom Tov (יום טוב) - Literally: “Good Day”. See list of people with this name in Yom Tov - Wikipedia > “People”.

Tavyomi (טביומי) - Literally: “Good Days”. See Mar bar Rav Ashi - Wikipedia: “Mar bar Rav Ashi was Babylonian rabbi who lived in the 5th century. He would sign his name as Tavyomi, which was either his first name or his nickname.” See another Talmudic sage with this name here: רב טביומי – המכלול

Astruc, Bonastruc (בונאשטרוק) - Bonastruc - Bon Astruc - 'good stars' - 'mazal tov'. Cf. the Yiddish girls' name Glikl, below. See Jewish Encyclopedia at length: Astruc . See also French Wikipedia for discussion of etymology: Astruc (patronyme) — Wikipédia. These names, particularly from Medieval Spain, are likely derived from the word "Astro" or "Astrum" which refers to stars. "Bonastruc" can be roughly translated to "good star" which aligns with the theme of luck and blessing. I mention this name in a previous blogpost: “Notes on the pronunciation of the Hebrew letter ש as 's', as opposed to 'sh' - Pt. 2” (August 21, 2023), under section “Personal given names / nicknames”.

Sitruk: This surname is of Sephardic origin and might be a derivative or variant of names like Astruc.

Gluck, Glick, Glickl: Common proper names and family names in Yiddish. "Gluck" means "luck" in German, and its variants are common surnames among Ashkenazi Jews. Hebrew Wikipedia writes (גליק – ויקיפדיה), my translation, with adjustments: 

"Glick (in German: Glück) is a German and Jewish surname, meaning in German and Yiddish 'blessed luck' (מזל) or happiness (אושר).

This name was common among European Jews for calling a woman by the name Glickchen (גליקכן) or Glickel (גליקל), such as the famous 16-century Ashkenazi memoirist Glikl of Hameln.”

As mentioned, the Yiddish word is from German. See Glück - Wiktionary, for the various senses in German: “1) happiness, joy, bliss (state or emotion); 2) luck, success (mostly when seen as dependant on unearned, accidental factors); 3) good luck, chance (positive coincidence); 4) (only in specific contexts) luck, chance, coincidence in general, fate”.

See also: Glückel of Hameln - Wikipedia: "Glückel was a popular name in the Middle Ages. The name “Glückel” is diminutive of "Glück," the German translation of the Hebrew name “Mazal,” meaning “good fortune.” Mazal was exclusively used by Sephardic Jews, while Ashkenazi Jews used either the German variations of "Glück" and "Glueck" or the Yiddish version "Glick".

Asher (אשר): One of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The name "Asher" means "happy" or "blessed" in Hebrew. In the Bible, Leah, one of Jacob's wives, named her son Asher, saying "Happy am I! For the daughters will call me blessed" (Genesis 30:13).

Osher (אושר): This is the modern Hebrew word for "wealth" or "happiness". It's used both as a name and as a regular noun in the language.

Gad (גד): Another one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The name has a dual meaning; it can mean "luck" or "troop" in Hebrew.  See Gad (deity) - Wikipedia (with adjustments): 

“Gad was the name of the pan-Semitic god of fortune, usually depicted as a male but sometimes as a female, and is attested in ancient records of Aram and Arabia. Gad is also mentioned in the bible as a deity in the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 65:11 – העורכים לגד שלחן), as having been worshipped by a number of Hebrews during the Babylonian captivity [...]

It is possible that the son of Jacob named Gad is named after Gad, or that Gad is a theophoric name, or a descriptive. Although the text presents a different reason, the (ketiv) quotation of Zilpa (Gad's mother) giving the reason of Gad's name (בא גד) could be understood that way.

How widespread the cult of Gad, the deity, was in Canaanite times may be inferred from the names Baalgad (בעל-גד), a city at the foot of Mount Hermon, and Migdal-gad (מגדל-גד), in the territory of Judah. Compare also the proper names Gaddi (גדי) and Gaddiel (גדיאל) in the tribes of Manasseh and Zebulun (Numbers 13:10, 11) [...]

Gad is the patron of a locality, a mountain (Kodashim, tractate Hullin 40a), of an idol (Genesis Rabbah, lxiv), a house, or the world (Genesis Rabbah, lxxi.). Hence "luck" may also be bad (Ecclesiastes Rabbah, vii. 26). A couch or bed for this god of fortune is referred to in the Mishnaic tractate Nedarim 56a).”

Fried, Freud (פריד ; פריעד ; פרויד): These names come from German. "Fried" means "peace" and can be seen in words like "Freud" (joy) or "Freund" (friend). Sigmund Freud, the famous psychoanalyst, had a surname that ties back to this root.

Zelig, Selig, Zelik (ז(ע)ליג ; ז(ע)ליק) - An Ashkenazi Jewish name, "Zelig" means "blessed" or "happy" in Yiddish, from German. See selig - Wiktionary.

Simcha (שמחה). Hebrew word meaning “joy; happiness”. This name is first found in the Middle Ages (for example, Simhah ben Samuel of Vitry - Wikipedia), and became quite popular in modern times.