Where did such surnames as Yushchenko, Khmelnitsky, Gavrilyuk and Shevchenko come from? What do Tyagnibok and Zhuiboroda have in common?
This unique "-enko"
Surnames ending in the suffix "-enko" are considered the most typical for Ukrainians, and not because they make up the largest group, but because they practically do not occur among other Slavic peoples. The fact that such surnames became widespread in Russia is explained by the fact that the Ukrainians, after joining the Muscovite state in 1654, constituted the second largest ethnic group after the Russians.
It should be noted that Ukrainian surnames came into use earlier than Russian ones. The very first mention of a surname with the suffix "-enko" dates back to the 16th century. Their localization was typical for Podolia, a little less often for the Kiev region, Zhytomyr region and Galicia. Later, they began to actively spread to Eastern Ukraine.
Researcher Stepan Bevzenko, who studied the register of the Kyiv regiment of the middle of the 17th century, notes that surnames ending in "-enko" accounted for approximately 60% of the entire list of the regiment's family names. The suffix "-enko" is a diminutive, emphasizing the connection with the father, which literally meant "small", "young man", "son". For example, Petrenko is the son of Peter or Yushchenko is the son of Yusk.
Later, the ancient suffix lost its direct meaning and began to be used as a family component. In particular, it became an addition not only for patronymics, but also for nicknames and professions - Zubchenko, Melnichenko.
Polish influence
For a long time, most of today's Ukraine was part of the Commonwealth, which left its mark on the process of forming surnames. Surnames in the form of adjectives ending in "-sky" and "-tsky" were especially popular. Toponyms - the names of territories, settlements, water bodies - were mainly their basis.
Initially, surnames with similar endings were worn exclusively by the Polish aristocracy, as a designation of the rights to own a particular territory - Potocki, Zamoyski. Later, such suffixes also spread to Ukrainian surnames, adding to the names and nicknames - Artemovsky, Khmelnitsky.
Historian Valentin Bendyug notes that from the beginning of the 18th century, “noble families” began to be assigned to those who had an education, first of all, this concerned priests. Thus, according to the researcher's calculations, over 70% of the clergy of the Volyn diocese bore surnames with the suffixes "-tsky" and "-sky".
the phenomenon in Western Ukraine of surnames with endings in “-uk”, “-chuk”, “-yuk”, “-ak” also occurred during the period of the Commonwealth. Baptismal names became the basis for such surnames, but later any others. This helped to solve the problem of identification - the isolation of a particular person from society and the separation of a Ukrainian from a gentry. This is how Gavrilyuk, Ivanyuk, Zakharchuk, Kondratyuk appeared, although over time these suffixes became more widely used - Popelnyuk, Kostelnyuk.
Eastern trail
Linguists have established that there are at least 4,000 Turkic words in the Ukrainian language. This is due to the active resettlement of some Turkic and other eastern peoples in the Black Sea and Dnieper region in connection with the increased Islamization of the Caucasus and Central Asian regions.
All this directly affected the formation of Ukrainian surnames. In particular, the Russian ethnologist L. G. Lopatinsky argued that the family ending “-ko”, common in Ukraine, comes from the Adyghe “kyo” (“kue”), denoting “descendant” or “son”.
For example, the frequently encountered surname Shevchenko, according to the researcher, goes back to the word "sheudzhen", which the Circassians called Christian priests. The descendants of the “sheudzhen” who moved to the Ukrainian lands began to add the ending “-ko” - this is how they turned into Shevchenko.
It is curious that surnames ending in “-ko” are still found among some Caucasian peoples and Tatars, and many of them are very similar to Ukrainian ones: Gerko, Zanko, Kushko, Khatko.
Lopatinsky also attributes Ukrainian surnames ending in "-uk" and "-yuk" to Turkic roots. So, as evidence, he cites the names of the Tatar khans - Kuchuk, Tayuk, Payuk. The researcher of Ukrainian onomastics G. A. Borisenko supplements the list with Ukrainian surnames with a wide variety of endings, which, in his opinion, are of Adyghe origin - Babiy, Bogma, Zigura, Kekukh, Legeza, Prykhno, Shakhray.
for example, the surname Dzhigurda - an example of Ukrainian-Circassian anthroponymic correspondence - consists of two words: Dzhikur - the name of the Zikh governor of Georgia and David - the Georgian king. In other words, Dzhigurda is Dzhikur under David.
Cossack nicknames
The environment of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks contributed to the formation of a large number of the most diverse nicknames, behind which serfs and representatives of other classes, who had escaped from dependence, hid their origin for security reasons.
“According to the rules of the Sich, the newcomers had to leave their names behind the outer walls and enter the Cossack world with the name that would best describe them,” writes researcher V. Sorokopud.
Many of the bright and colorful nicknames, consisting of two parts - a verb in the imperative mood and a noun, subsequently turned into surnames without any suffixes: Zaderykhvist, Zhuiboroda, Lupybatko, Nezdiiminoga.
Some of the surnames can be found even now - Tyagnibok, Sorokopud, Vernigora, Krivonos. A number of modern surnames went from one-component Cossack nicknames - Bulava, Gorobets, Bereza.
ethnic diversity
The diversity of Ukrainian surnames is the result of the influence of those states and peoples, under whose influence Ukraine has been for centuries. It is interesting that for a long time Ukrainian surnames were the product of free word creation and could change several times. Only at the end of the 18th century, in connection with the decree of the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, all surnames acquired a legal status, including in the territories of Ukraine, which were part of Austria-Hungary.
Professor Pavel Chuchka points out that one should distinguish between a “Ukrainian surname” and a surname belonging to a Ukrainian. For example, the surname Schwartz, which is still found in Ukraine, has German roots, but its derivative Shvartsyuk (son of Schwartz) is already typically Ukrainian.
Due to foreign influence, Ukrainian surnames often acquire a very specific sound. So, for example, the surname Yovban, according to Chuchka, has always been prestigious, since it comes from the name of St. Job, which is pronounced Yovb in Hungarian. But the researcher sees the surname Penzenik in the Polish word "penzit", which translates as how to scare
The origin of surnames.
History of Ukrainian surnames is one of the oldest in Europe. Already in the 17th century, almost all Ukrainians had hereditary generic names. For example, the common people of France began to receive surnames at the beginning of the 19th century, Russian peasants - after the abolition of serfdom in 1861. However, for a long time, Ukrainian surnames were not legalized and could change several times. Only at the end of the 18th century did they acquire a legal status like all the surnames of Austria-Hungary, which then included Ukraine.
Methods of formation of surnames.
List of Ukrainian surnames alphabetically testifies to their great diversity in the way they were formed. One enumeration of the suffixes with which they were created will take up considerable space. Here the undisputed leader is the suffix -enko. Initially, he emphasized the connection with his father and meant "the son of someone." Petrenko is the son of Peter, Romanenko is the son of Roman. Later, he lost his ancient meaning and served as an addition to nicknames and professions - Zubchenko, Melnichenko.
If you look dictionary of Ukrainian surnames, then you can notice a certain number of surnames with suffixes -sky, -tsky, which indicates Polish influence (Artemovsky, Khmelnitsky). Usually such surnames were assigned to priests. At the same time, in Western Ukraine, in order to distinguish a Ukrainian from a gentry, surnames are formed on -uk, -yuk. At first, baptismal names served as the basis for them, then any others - Gavrilyuk, Zakharchuk, Popelnyuk.
Among Ukrainian surnames, there are often those in which a trace of other peoples and languages \u200b\u200bis visible, for example, the German roots of Shvartsyuk or Schwartz. And in such surnames as Babiy, Bogma, Kekukh, Prikhno, Shakhrai, experts see the Adyghe origin.
No less varied and interpretation of Ukrainian surnames. Many Ukrainians received surnames according to the profession they were engaged in - Zvarych (salt maker), Shvets (shoemaker), Stolyarenko, Koval (blacksmith). Often, surnames are associated with the place of residence, nature, the names of rivers, lakes and even buildings - Lugovoi, Ozirny, Zaklunny (klunya barn), Dniprenko, Rostavets.
The meaning of Ukrainian surnames, associated with the names of animals, birds and fish, can be attributed to ancient surnames. They were born from the nicknames of their first carriers - Vovk, Zaichuk, Orlenko, Karpenko. Plants, household items, food were also not forgotten - Skovoroda, Birch, Bulba, Borsch. Moreover, they had different education options - Skovorodchenko, Borshevsky, Berezovsky.
Surnames of the Cossacks.
It is impossible to ignore the nicknames of the Cossacks, which later became surnames. According to the unwritten laws of the Sich, the Cossacks had to leave their names behind the fence and enter the Cossack world with a new name that would accurately characterize them. Often here the verb in the imperative mood merged with the noun - Zhuiboroda, Lupibatko. Of course, these were nicknames, but many of them have survived to this day already as surnames - Tyagnibok, Podoprigora, Krivonos.
Declension of Ukrainian surnames in Russian.
Most Ukrainian surnames do not have a female form, with the exception of surnames ending in -skaya, -tskaya, -ovskaya, -evskaya (Vishnevskaya, Savitskaya). declination such Ukrainian women's surnames obeys the general rules of the Russian language. The rest of the female surnames do not change by case, like all Ukrainian surnames in -ko.
Top Ukrainian surnames shows which ones are the most popular.
Ukrainian names are very common, not to mention family names. When Kievan Rus converted to Christianity, beautiful words began to emerge, which later became Ukrainian. The Christian church calendar says that it is the basis of all data. So what is the magic of the Ukrainian language?
Ukrainian names and surnames
The origin of Ukrainian surnames is a long story that goes back several centuries. There is one very curious fact: Ukrainian data came into use much earlier than Russian or English. The first surnames were with the suffix -enko-, which is now already known and even familiar. But few people know that this is one of the most ancient suffixes, which dates back to the 16th century.
Each word was given to people for a reason, it meant something. So, for example, the common surname Maistrenko has the translation “freedom”, i.e. someone in the family was not a serf, but had the right to be a master. An ethnic Ukrainian may belong to a group with a long history, due to the presence of some specific signs of the formation of a surname.
Men's
Ukrainian surnames for men depend on endings and suffixes - this is the most important indicator of construction. They were formed for a long time, based on the nicknames of people, their professions, appearance and region of residence, so they could receive them based on the specifics of their activities. Common alphabetical suffixes that play a major role in the formation of data are:
- -eyk-;
- -ko-;
- -points-;
- -nickname-;
- -ar (ar) -;
- -shin-;
- -ba-.
Women's
Ukrainian surnames for women are formed in the same way as for men. Here the endings change a little, they have a declination, but only thanks to this it can be understood that we have a woman in front of us. Also, forms for girls do not exist for everyone. There is also data that does not change, i.e. suitable for both sexes at once. The examples of suffixes are the same as given above. But it is best to disassemble in a visual version.
- Pilipenko. It applies equally to both men and women.
- Serdyukov - by the mention in this case, it is clearly visible that this is a man. Serdyukov - the declension with the addition of the letter "a" can no longer be thought that this is the male sex. For a woman, this consonance is much more suitable.
Funny Ukrainian surnames
The dictionary of Ukrainian surnames is replete with unusual, funny data, which are even strange to consider as names. No, it's not about ridicule. It's just that they are really very funny, funny, few people will have the courage to give their child a similar name. Although, for Ukraine, such names are considered the best of all:
- Ladle;
- Golka;
- Do not shoot;
- Nedaikhleb;
- Thinness;
- chicken coop;
- Fear;
- Pipko the Possessed;
- Cattle;
- Kochmarik;
- Grivul;
- Gurragcha;
- Surdul;
- Bochard;
- Zhovna.
The list is endless, there are not the most successful options that do not sound very aesthetically pleasing. But what to do, such is the Ukrainian language, and we must respect it.
Beautiful Ukrainian surnames
Beautiful Ukrainian surnames, the list of which is extensive. There is familiar data here that is often encountered. The data is really very interesting, well-known, and most importantly, consonant.
- Tkachenko;
- Stepanenko;
- Plushenko;
- Leshchenko;
- Skripko;
- Goncharenko;
- Sobchak;
- Tishchenko;
- Vinnichenko;
- Timoshenko;
- Romaniuk;
- Onishchenko;
- Gouzenko.
Western Ukrainian
Western Ukrainian surnames are the owners of the suffix -iv-, it is found absolutely everywhere. For example, Illiv, Ivaniv, Ivantsiv. In general, in Western Ukraine there are not so many endings and suffixes, so the people limited themselves to the main additions to the data, without declension: -vich-, -ych-, -ovich-, -evich- and -ich-. That's all diversity. If the word ends in one of these suffixes, then it should immediately be determined that this is exclusively Western Ukraine. So, for example, here are a number of well-known names that refer to the Western Ukrainian addition system:
- Mishkevich;
- Koganovich;
- Mrych;
- Enukovich;
- Gorbatsevich;
- Krivich;
- Bekonovich;
- Vinich;
- Stroganovich;
- Strarovoitovich;
- Gudzevich;
- Bykovich;
- Kpekych.
Common
There are also a dozen - the most common Ukrainian surnames, which are not only found on every corner, but are also considered the most popular of all. A large number of famous people have real surnames of Ukrainian origin, for example, astronauts, politicians, etc. List of Ukrainian surnames:
- Strelbitsky.
- Kravets.
- Kravchenko.
- Koval.
- Kravchuk.
- Kovalchuk.
- Pridius.
- Butko.
- Khrushchev.
- Matvienko.
How Ukrainian surnames are inclined
Do Ukrainian surnames decline? In general, the male surname will always fit this rule. But there is also another weighty rule: non-Russian surnames that end in a consonant are necessarily inclined, and foreign data related to non-Slavic traditions ending in a vowel remain unchanged. The feminine side is not as flexible as there are some suffixes that just fall out. So, women have to walk all their lives with male data, but this does not upset them in any way, because in most cases these surnames are very concise and beautiful.
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Factors of education, traditions
The origin of Ukrainian surnames is deeply rooted in the history of the Slavic peoples, so they are often consonant with Russian surnames. Despite this, the formation of Ukrainian surnames has a number of distinctive features. The main one is the role of suffixes in word formation.
Few people know that the Ukrainian surname is one of the oldest in Europe. In any case, in the 17th century, almost all Ukrainians had surnames. Some of them had surnames that were given to their ancestors in princely times. For comparison, French commoners received surnames only at the beginning of the 19th century thanks to the decree of Emperor Napoleon the First. Russian peasants received surnames only after the Reform of 1861. This is one of the reasons why Russians have so many surnames Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov. It is known that when they issued "free" to yesterday's serfs, they were given surnames by the name of their father. The names Ivan, Peter, Sidor at that time were the most common in Russian villages and villages. On occasion, I want to note that the only people in Europe who still do not have permanent surnames are the Icelanders. With them, the name of the father automatically becomes the surname for the child. Therefore, men have surnames like Petersen (Peter's son), and women Peterdottir (Peter's daughter).
The Ukrainian surname, like the surnames of most Europeans, was formed from the name, nickname or profession of the father, very rarely from the name of the mother. Numerous Petrenki, Ivanenki, Romanenki, Luchenki, Lutsenki, Ulyanenki are vivid confirmation of this. In Western Ukraine, patronymic surnames were formed using the suffix "iv": Ivaniv, Illiv, Ivantsiv, unfortunately, the female suffix (ova) did not take root in Ukraine, because a modern Ukrainian woman wears the masculine version of these surnames. The only exceptions are surnames with suffixes –sky, -tsky, -ov-sky, -ev-sky, which have a feminine form.
Surname groups by origin
A rather large group of Ukrainian surnames is formed using the suffix "-enko". For example: Tymoshenko, Shevchenko, Tkachenko, Bondarenko, Kovalenko, Kirilenko, Ivanenko, Petrenko, Pavlenko, Kravchenko, Zakharenko. No less popular in the formation of Ukrainian surnames are suffixes: “-eyko”, “-point”, “-ko”, for example: Andreiko, Butko, Boreiko, Semochko, Marochko, Klitschko, Shumeiko.
The suffixes "-evsky", "-ovsky" are somewhat less common. This way of word formation is clearly illustrated by the surnames: Kotovsky, Alchevsky, Grinevsky Petrovsky, Maslovsky, Mogilevsky.
It is extremely rare that Ukrainian surnames are formed using the Old Slavonic suffix "-ich": Davydovich, Germanovich, Shufrich. But the suffixes "-ik" and "-nik", on the contrary, are quite common. Examples are Ukrainian surnames Petrik, Berdnik, Pasichnik, Linnik.
Here are some more examples of the participation of suffixes in the formation of Ukrainian surnames, for example, the surnames Bondarchuk, Kravchuk, Savchuk, Khitruk, Polishchuk, Tarasyuk, Serdyuk, which were born with the help of the suffixes "-uk", "-yuk" and "-chuk". It is also worth mentioning the surnames: Shcherbak (formed with the suffix "-ak"), Durnovo (suffix "-vo"), Taranets (suffix "-ets"), the infamous surname Chikatilo (suffix "-lo"), well, the famous surname Makhno, formed with the suffix "-no".
A significant part of Ukrainian surnames originates from given names. For example, Zakharchenko, Zakharenko (on behalf of Zakhar), Yuschak, Yushchenko (on behalf of Yushko, Yuri), Klim, Klimenko (on behalf of Kliment), Makarenko, Makarchenko (on behalf of Makar), Nikolenko, Nikolchuk (on behalf of Mykol).
The source of the origin of the next group of Ukrainian surnames was popular on
Ukraine profession. For example:
Ukrainian surnames Bondar, Bondarenko, Bondarchuk - from the profession of a cooper, that is. barrel manufacturer;
Ukrainian surnames Gonchar, Goncharenko, Goncharuk - from pottery;
Ukrainian surnames Koval, Kovalenko, Kovalchuk - from the blacksmith business;
Ukrainian surnames Kravets, Kravchenko, Kravchuk - from the profession of a tailor.
Ukrainian surnames formed from the names of animals deserve special attention. For example: Gogol (that is, a bird), Gorobets (more specifically, a sparrow), Mosquito, Komarovsky (respectively, a mosquito), Leshchinsky, Leshchenko (thanks to the bream), Khrushch, Khrushchev (meaning - May beetle). The most interesting group is represented by such Ukrainian surnames as Beloshtan, Krasnoshapka, Sinebryukh, Ryabokon, Krivonos, Podoprigora, Nepiyvoda, Zabeyvorota and others, formed from two parts (noun + adjective or verb + noun).
Some of the Ukrainian surnames were formed by combining two parts. It could be a bunch: an adjective and a noun, for example, Ukrainian surnames: Beloshtan, Krasnoshapka, Sinebryukh, Ryabokon, Krivonos. Or a combination of a verb and a noun was used: Podoprigora, Nepiyvoda, Zabeyvorota and others.
Thus, Ukrainian surnames have both common and distinctive features in comparison with the surnames of other peoples. General information about the origin of surnames can be found in the surname history section for free, posted on our website. The secrets of surnames will be revealed for you by the section of surnames and their meanings, dedicated to the interpretation of surnames.
Summing up the analysis of the ways of formation of Ukrainian surnames, it should be noted that the original Ukrainian surnames were distorted either by the carriers themselves or by clerks. Such surnames as Minyailov, Shumilov, Pluzhnikov, Ryzhkov, formed by adding the Russian suffix "-ov" either by the carriers themselves, who switched from Little Russians to Great Russians, or by clerks.
It is necessary to touch upon the distortion of Ukrainian surnames. Such currently Russian surnames as Shevchenkov, Luchenkov, Ivanenkov, Kolesnichenkov were created during the time of general passportization during the reform of 1861. They were provided to the children of Ukrainian immigrants who did not live compactly on the territory of Great Russia. In Siberia, the local population also rebaptized Ukrainians. This is how the names of Savitsky, Romanenkov, Chernetsky were formed.
Ukrainian surnames in their origin and meaning, they have much in common with Russian surnames, since both are closely connected with the history of the Slavic peoples. At the same time, Ukrainian surnames have their own characteristics, which will be discussed in this review.
Suffixes of Ukrainian surnames
One of the most common suffixes in Ukrainian surnames is the suffix "-enko" meaning "someone's son". Examples of such Ukrainian surnames: Shevchenko, Tkachenko, Tymoshenko, Kovalenko, Bondarenko, Kirilenko, Ivanenko, Petrenko, Pavlenko, Kravchenko, Zakharenko, etc. This list of Ukrainian surnames can be quite large, since the most common suffix is used here. Also among Ukrainian surnames, suffixes are often found: “-eyko”, “-point”, “-ko”, for example, surnames: Shumeiko, Boreyko, Semochko, Marochko, Butko, Klitschko, Andreyko. The suffixes "-ovsky", "-evsky" are used a little less often. This, for example, is the following list of Ukrainian surnames: Kotovsky, Petrovsky, Maslovsky, Mogilevsky, Alchevsky, Grinevsky. Sometimes among Ukrainian surnames you can find the Old Slavonic suffix "-ich": Davydovich, Germanovich, Shufrich. Quite often among Ukrainian surnames there are suffixes "-ik" and "-nik". These are, for example, the Ukrainian surnames Petrik, Berdnik, Pasichnik, Linnik. The suffixes "-uk", "-yuk", "-chuk" in Ukrainian surnames mean "someone's servant", for example: Bondarchuk, Kravchuk, Savchuk, Khitruk, Polishchuk, Tarasyuk, Serdyuk, etc.
Among Ukrainian surnames, there are other suffixes, for example, "-vo" - the surname Durnovo, "-ak" - the surname Shcherbak, "-ets" - the surname Taranets, "-lo" - Chikatilo, "-no" - Makhno, etc. ., who also participate in the formation of Ukrainian surnames.
Ukrainian surnames descended from professions
Similar to the surnames of other peoples, the origin of many Ukrainian surnames is associated with crafts and professions. For example:
Ukrainian surnames Bondar, Bondarenko, Bondarchuk - from the profession of a cooper, i.e. barrel manufacturer;
Ukrainian surnames Gonchar, Goncharenko, Goncharuk - from pottery;
Ukrainian surnames Koval, Kovalenko, Kovalchuk - from the blacksmith business;
Ukrainian surnames Kravets, Kravchenko, Kravchuk - from the profession of a tailor.
Obviously, the meaning of all these Ukrainian surnames will correspond to the profession, the name of which became the source for the origin of the surname.
Ukrainian surnames derived from given names
Probably, most peoples have a significant part of surnames formed from given names. Ukrainian surnames are no exception here, the origin of which is associated with names. Such surnames include, for example: Zakharchenko, Zakharenko (on behalf of Zakhar), Yushchak, Yushchenko (on behalf of Yushko, Yuri), Klim, Klimenko (on behalf of Kliment), Makarenko, Makarchenko (on behalf of Makar), Nikolenko, Nikolchuk (from named after Mikola), etc. Of course, the meaning of this type of Ukrainian surnames is determined by the meaning of the names from which they originated.
Ukrainian surnames descended from animals
Among Ukrainian surnames there are some surnames formed from the names of animals. These include the following Ukrainian surnames: Gogol (meaning bird), Gorobets (meaning sparrow), Komar, Komarovsky (meaning mosquito), Leshchinsky, Leshchenko (meaning bream), Khrushch, Khrushchov (meaning Maybug), etc.
Compound Ukrainian surnames
Some of the Ukrainian surnames were formed by combining two parts. It could be a bunch: an adjective and a noun, for example, Ukrainian surnames: Beloshtan, Krasnoshapka, Sinebryukh, Ryabokon, Krivonos, etc. Or a combination of a verb and a noun was used: Podoprigora, Nepiyvoda, Zabeyvorota and others.
In a conversation, you can come across the following statement: “Here, his last name ends in -in, which means he is a Jew.” Are Susanin, Repin and even Pushkin Jewish surnames? Some strange idea among the people, where did it come from? After all, the suffix -in- is often found in possessive adjectives formed from nouns of the first declension: koshkin, mother. While adjectives from words of the second declension are formed using the suffix -ov-: grandfathers, crocodiles. Did the words of the first declension as the basis for the surname were chosen only by Jews? It would be very strange. But probably, everything that is spinning on the tongue of people has some reason, even if it has been distorted over time. Let's figure out how to determine nationality by last name.
Ending or suffix?
It is not entirely correct to call the familiar -ov / -ev endings. The ending in Russian is a variable part of a word. Let's see what is inclined in the surnames: Ivanov - Ivanova - Ivanov. It can be concluded that -ov is a suffix followed by a null ending, as in most masculine nouns. And only in cases or when changing gender and number (Ivanova, Ivanovy) do endings sound. But there is also a folk, and not a linguistic concept of "ending" - that which ends. In that case, this word is applicable here. And then we can safely determine the ending of surnames by nationality!
Russian surnames
The range of Russian surnames is much wider than those ending in -ov. They are characterized by suffixes -in, -yn, -ov, -ev, -skoy, -tskoy, -ih, -yh (Lapin, Ptitsyn, Sokolov, Solovyov, Donskoy, Trubetskoy, Moscow, Sedykh).
Russian surnames with -ov, -ev are really as much as 60-70%, and with -in, -yn - only about 30%, which is also quite a lot. What is the reason for this ratio? As already mentioned, the suffixes -ov, -ev are attached to second declension nouns, most of which are masculine. And since in Russian surnames often originated from the name or occupation of the father (Ivanov, Bondarev), such a suffix is very logical. But there are also male names ending in -a, -я, and it was from them that the surnames Ilyin, Nikitin arose, of whose Russianness we have no doubt.
What about Ukrainians?
Ukrainian ones are usually formed with the help of suffixes -enko, -ko, -uk, -yuk. And also without suffixes from words denoting professions (Korolenko, Spirko, Govoruk, Prizhnyuk, Bondar).
More about Jews
Jewish surnames are very diverse, because Jews have been scattered throughout the world for centuries. The suffixes -ich, -man and -er can be their true sign. But here, too, confusion is possible. Family endings -ich, -ovich, -evich are typical for Poles and Slavic peoples living in East Germany. For example, one of the most famous poets in Poland is Mickiewicz.
But the basis of the surname can sometimes immediately suggest the Jewish origin of its bearer. If the basis is Levi or Cohen/Kogan, the clan originates from the high priests - kohens or his assistants - Levites. So everything is clear with Levi, Levitans, Kaganoviches.
What do surnames in -sky and -sky say?
It is wrong to assume that surnames ending in -sky or -sky are necessarily Jewish. This stereotype has developed because they were common in Poland and Ukraine. In these places there were many family estates, the names of the owners-nobles were formed from the name of the estate. For example, the ancestors of the famous revolutionary Dzerzhinsky owned the Dzerzhinovo estate on the territory of modern Belarus, and then Poland.
Many Jews lived in these areas, so many took local surnames. But Russian nobles also have such surnames, for example, the noble surname Dubrovsky from Pushkin's work is quite real. There is another interesting fact. In seminaries, they often gave a surname formed from church holidays - Preobrazhensky, Rozhdestvensky. In this case, the definition of nationality at the end of surnames can lead to errors. Seminaries also served as the birthplace of surnames with an unusual root for the Russian ear, because they were formed from Latin words: Formozov, Kastorov. By the way, under Ivan the Terrible, the deacon Ivan Bicycles served. But the bicycle had not yet been invented! How is it that there is no object, but there is a surname? The answer was this: it turned out to be a tracing paper from the Latin “swift-footed”, only with a native Russian suffix.
Surname ending in -in: we reveal the secret!
So what about the last name ending in -in? Nationality on this basis is difficult to determine. Indeed, some Jewish surnames end in this way. It turns out that in some of them this is just an external coincidence with the Russian suffix. For example, Khazin is descended from the modified surname Khazan - this is how one of the types of servants in the temple was called in Hebrew. Literally, this translates as "overseer", since the chazan followed the order of worship and the accuracy of the text. You can guess where the name Khazanov comes from. But she has the “most Russian” suffix -ov!
But there are also matronyms, that is, those that are formed on behalf of the mother. Moreover, the female names from which they were formed were not Russian. For example, the Jewish surname Belkin is a homonym of a Russian surname. It was formed not from a fluffy animal, but from the female name of Bale.
German or Jewish?
Another interesting pattern was noticed. As soon as we hear names like Rosenfeld, Morgenstern, we immediately confidently determine the nationality of its bearer. Definitely a Jew! But not everything is so simple! After all, these are words of German origin. For example, Rosenfeld is a "field of roses". How did it happen? It turns out that on the territory of the German Empire, as well as in the Russian and Austrian, there was a decree on the assignment of surnames to Jews. Of course, they were formed in the language of the country in which the Jew lived. Since they were not transmitted from distant ancestors from the depths of centuries, people themselves chose them. Sometimes this choice could be made by the registrar. So many artificial, bizarre surnames appeared that could not have arisen in a natural way.
How, then, to distinguish a Jew from a German, if both have German surnames? It's hard to do this. Therefore, here you should not be guided only by the origin of the word, you need to know the genealogy of a particular person. Here, at the end of the surname, nationality simply cannot be determined!
Georgian surnames
It is not difficult for Georgians to guess the ending of surnames by nationality. If Georgians are likely to be -shvili, -dze, -uri, -ava, -a, -ua, -ia, -ni, -li, -si (Basilashvili, Svanidze, Pirtskhalava, Adamia, Gelovani, Tsereteli). There are also Georgian surnames that end in -tskaya. This is consonant with Russian (Trubetskaya), but this is not a suffix, and they not only do not change by gender (Diana Gurtskaya - Robert Gurtskaya), but also do not decline by case (with Diana Gurtskaya).
Ossetian surnames
Ossetian surnames are characterized by the ending -ty / -ty (Kokoyty). Characteristic for this nationality is the ending of the surname in -ev (Abaev, Eziev), usually it is preceded by a vowel. Often the stem of a word is incomprehensible to us. But sometimes it can turn out to be homonymous or almost homonymous to the Russian word, which is confusing. There are among them those that end in -ov: Botov, Bekurov. In fact, these are the real Russian suffixes, and they are attached to the Ossetian root according to tradition in this way to convey surnames in writing. These are the fruits of Russification of Ossetian surnames. At the same time, it is foolish to assume that all surnames ending in -ev are Ossetian. The ending of the surname in -ev does not yet determine nationality. Surnames such as Grigoriev, Polev, Gostev are Russian and they differ from similar ones ending in -ov only in that the last consonant in the noun was soft.
A few words about Armenians
Armenian surnames often end in -yan or -yants (Hakopyan, Grigoryants). Actually, -yan - this is the truncated -yants, which meant belonging to the genus.
Now you know how to find out the nationality at the end of the last name. Yes, it is not always easy to do this with guaranteed accuracy, even with a developed language sense. But as they say, the main thing is that a person be good!
