By their origin and meaning, most Ukrainian surnames are closely related to Russian ones. There is nothing surprising in this, since both those and other surnames take their roots in history Slavic peoples. In the same time Ukrainian surnames markedly different from typical Russian surnames.
Surnames formed with suffixes.
Most typical suffix for the surnames of the inhabitants of the Dnieper Ukraine, this is the suffix -enk-. According to historical documents The first mentions of such surnames belong to XVI century. According to historians, the suffix and the ending -enko has Turkic origin. Over the following centuries, surnames ending in -enko became widespread (more than half of total number surnames) among the Cossacks from the Left Bank of the Dnieper, in the Kiev region and some other areas. It was not uncommon to switch from a surname without a suffix to a surname with a suffix. For example, Komar - Komarenko.
Other similar ways of changing surnames into the Ukrainian way are the addition of suffixes -eyk- (Bateyko), -ochk- (Marochko), -ko (Andreiko).
Some suffixes, with which Ukrainian surnames are formed, belong to the category of toponymic suffixes and are common not only among Ukrainians, but also among Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Bulgarians and other Slavic peoples. So, the suffix -sk- or -tsk- was often found among representatives of the Ukrainian nobility, whose surnames were formed according to the name of the family estate. For example, Gorodets - Gorodetsky. Other varieties of toponymic suffixes are -ovsk- (-ivsky), -evsk-. Examples of surnames: Baranovsky, Grinevsky.
Characteristic for Ukrainian surnames are the patronymic suffixes -ich- (-ych-) and -uk- (-yuk-). The latter denote "someone's servant, disciple or son." For example, the meaning of the surname Tarasyuk may sound like "son of Taras." In addition, among immigrants from different regions of Ukraine, there may be various suffixes characteristic of these regions. For example, in the regions that were once part of Little Russia, Russian and related endings -ov, -ev and -iv are common. With the help of these suffixes, Ukrainian surnames were Russified and took on the form, for example, like this: Porechenko - Porechenkov.
You can also list surnames with suffixes that are found mainly among Ukrainians: Paliy (suffix -iy, in Transcarpathia is more common -ey), Shcherbak (suffix -ak), Pasichnyk (suffix -nick) and others.
Surnames derived from other words
The origin of many Ukrainian surnames can be easily traced if you pay attention to what words they are formed from. Often young people were given surnames according to the occupation of their parents, the name of the father or his nickname. So, for example, the surname Kovalenko comes from the word "forger", the translation of which sounds like "blacksmith". Also, surnames formed from the names of professions include Grabar (digger), Kravets (tailor), Rybalko (fisherman), etc.
Surnames formed from first names are very popular among Ukrainians. Usually such surnames appeared when young Cossacks were recorded by the name of their father - Zakharchenko, Yushchenko, Vasyuchenko. It is not uncommon for surnames formed from nouns, from the names of animals, and also made up of several words. For example, Share (fate), Koshara (flock of sheep), Gogol (bird), Shchur (rat), Krasnoshapka (red hat), Ryabokon (speckled horse), etc.
Cossack Sich surnames
These Ukrainian surnames should be taken out in a separate paragraph for their unusualness. As a rule, they consist of two parts - a verb and a noun, and have a pronounced emotional coloring. Surnames such as Zaderikhvist or Lupybatko are designed to tune in a certain way, giving rise to many images in the mind.
These flowery surnames owe their appearance to the tradition, according to which those who arrived in the Sich had to leave the old name outside its borders and pick up a new one that would correspond to their character.
Female Ukrainian surnames
Feminine forms in Ukrainian do not exist for all surnames. As a rule, they are used for those surnames that are morphologically identified as adjectives ending in –sky (Khovansky - Khovanskaya), as well as for surnames that sound close to Russian ones (Shugaev - Shugaeva).
Other surnames common among Ukrainians do not have a separate female form. As an exception, Western Ukrainian surnames ending in -iv or -ishin can be cited. Sometimes you can find female variants of these surnames (for example, Pavliv - Pavliva). In addition, in a colloquial conversation, you can hear how from a surname ending in -yuk, they form female form ending in -yuchka (Serdyuk - Serduchka). However literary norm it is not.
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 in early XIX 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 XVIII century they acquired 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. He later 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 see a certain amount of surnames with suffixes -sky, -sky, which speaks of 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 variants education - Skovorodchenko, Borshchevsky, 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 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 general rules Russian language. Rest female surnames do not change by case, like all Ukrainian surnames in -ko.
Top Ukrainian surnames shows which ones are the most popular.
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 XVII century, notes that surnames ending in "-enko" accounted for approximately 60% of the entire list of family names of the regiment. 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. They were mainly based on toponyms - the names of territories, settlements, water objects.
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 with early XVIII century" noble families”began to be assigned to those who had an education, first of all it 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 - selection specific person from society and the separation of the Ukrainian from the 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 area of the Black Sea and the Dnieper region due to 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 common in Ukraine family ending"-ko" comes from the Adyghe "ko" ("kue"), meaning "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 a large number a wide variety of 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. Whole line modern surnames went from one-part Cossack nicknames - Mace, Gorobets, Birch.
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 in late XVIII centuries, 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
Each person is special in their own way. Some have an unusual appearance, others - beautiful voice, and some interesting last name. The surname is part of a person's life. She can be admired by others, but at the same time be an occasion for ridicule. It is very easy to determine the roots by the surname, it is enough to hear the ending. In the past, people chose their surname according to their profession, so most surnames are consonant with the types of work.
Each nation has the characteristics of its own culture, as well as a difference in the suffixes of the surname. A few examples of different nationalities:
- Russians have the endings -ev, -ov. Popular types: Smirnov, Ivanov.
- Ukrainian ones end in -ko, -uk, -yuk. Popular: Shevchenko, Nazarchuk, Serdyuk.
- Belarusians differ in the ending -ov, -ko, -ich. Examples: Rabkov, Kuzmich, Vladyko.
- Moldovans use the ending -u, -an. For example, Rotaru, Marian.
You can list nationalities for a long time, but each will have its own special approach. Slavic surnames may have the same ending, but will sound completely different.
Ukrainian Cossacks
The Cossacks played a huge role in the way of life of the Ukrainian people. It was in the 15th century that the emergence of the Cossacks led to the strengthening of the national spirit.
Most of the surnames found their origin precisely from the Cossack times. Men's options acquired big success, since the Cossacks meant only the presence of men. Women's options did not gain the popularity it deserved.
There was the Don Cossacks, where the nobles were present. Surname options:
In addition to Ukrainian surnames, there were many other Slavic variants in the Don Cossacks.
Dictionary of Ukrainian surnames
The Ukrainian language is famous for its pleasant sound, as well as unusualness. It is closely related to Russian and Polish, so some words are easy to remember.
Each one needs to be considered:
Surnames are completely different. The list is filled with some fun options. For Ukrainian language this is a common thing. Except funny options, there are popular female surnames such as:
- Timoshenko.
- Tkachenko.
- Avramenko.
- Kornienko.
The country is famous for its Cossack traditions, as well as the beauty of Ukrainian women. Some of the surnames have a patronymic root:
- Grigorenko.
- Panasenko.
- Romanchenko.
Khokhlyatsky language can be spread in any field. It sounds nice and is unusual to use. If a person wants to change his surname to Ukrainian, then this list will help you find out approximate options.
Attention, only TODAY!
Surnames beginning with "enko" are known to be considered typically "Ukrainian".
Although they are also common in Belarus, where the number of their carriers is 1 million people, that is, every tenth. However, they are mostly residents of Mozyr, Rechitsa, Gomel, etc. that is, where Ukraine is not far away. It has become an influence Ukrainian factor undoubtedly.
In Russia, the Baltic states, etc. all the more so, almost all carriers of the surname on "enko" are somehow connected with Ukraine.
Where did they come from in Ukraine? Why exactly this form has become characteristic for Ukraine? But for Russia and Belarus, analogues are still rare (-yonok, -onok)
The fact is that, in fact, it was not originally a surname in the current sense of the word, that is, a generic name (nomen in the Roman tradition), that is, a certain proper name, which is passed from father to son identifying the genus as such.
In fact, the form "on enko" is something like modern concept"patronymic" is just the opposite of "sonship" if I may say so.
That is, someone came to sign up by the nickname Ugrin - it was written by Old Ugrin. And the son was written to Ugrinenko. That is, "ugrenenok" in the vocative case. The letter ё in Russian of the 17th century also did not exist. Even in the time of Pushkin, there were disputes about how to correctly say "immortal" or "immortal".
That is, Ugrenenko is a vocative case from Ugrenenko. In modern Russian for the Magyars, the Polish version of "Hungarians" is used. In traditional Russian - Ugrians, and Hungarian, respectively, Ugrin. That is, "Ugrinenko" is the son of a Hungarian, Ugrin. Moskalenko, respectively, is the son of a Muscovite (Moscow Rusyn). Lyashenko, respectively, the son of a Pole (Pole) Litvinenko, respectively, the son of a Litvin (Belarusian). It is characteristic that the surname "Ukrainchenko" somehow does not occur here. Well, this is so clear.
But the absence of the “Rusinenko” option is much more curious, however, this is quite understandable because the Rusyns were either Muscovites or Litvins. In principle, no other Rusyns existed. Because the names "Litvinenko" and "Moskalenko" are, but "Rusinenko" is not. Zhidenka is also absent for obvious reasons. No one recorded them anywhere in any military registers.
For reasons other than military registers, there was no reason at all to keep records.
That is, when in Ukraine, which was then part of the Commonwealth, they began to register in the register, for example, registered Cossacks, etc. in the 17th century, father and sons often came. Accordingly, the father was recorded "as is" while the sons were recorded by adding the traditional diminutive suffix "enk". (by the way, it is in this form that it is traditionally in Russian, in modern Ukrainian it would be "enk"). The ending "-o" is due to the fact that it is a vocative case.
By type Cook - a cook, Leo - a lion cub. Malets - little boy, etc.
Moreover, for modern literary Ukrainian, this suffix, even in the form of "enk" in given value not very typical. For example, instead of "fox" - "fox" instead of "elephant" - "elephant", etc. However, there is a “richenka”, “pisenka”, etc.
Thus it is a traditional Russian suffix, but spread as "sonship" in Ukraine in the 17th century. Especially in the Bratslov Voivodeship, that is, the Podolia region.
However, as a "surname" in modern sense of this word, it began to spread massively exclusively in the 30s of the XX century during the period of mass Soviet passartization. Most of the peasants did not have any surnames at all in principle.
That is why the passport offices of the Ukrainian SSR, to which such a "tradition" was recommended, without further ado, cling to the nickname or name of the father or grandfather, just this very "enko".
Hence all these Nikolaenki, Efimenki, Fomenki, Pivovarenki and so on. Because it is clear that if these were traditional Ukrainian surnames and not a remake Soviet power, it would be Mykolenko, Yohimenko, Khomenko, Brovarenko, etc.
It is with this Stalinist passportization that the fact is connected that on the territory of the former Ukrainian SSR, which was part of the USSR in the 30s, there is a completely prohibitive number of people bearing the surname "enko". And not by any tradition of the 17th century. In that part of Ukraine that was not part of the USSR, that is, Galicia, Volyn, etc. surnames beginning with "enko" are almost exclusively migrants from more eastern regions.
This explains the incident why the form on "enko" without soft sign(enko), which is absolutely not typical for just the modern literary Ukrainian language.
There was nothing like this in Belarus. There was no order to write down all Belarusian peasants in the form of a patronymic, that is, in "ovich". Therefore, in Belarus, surnames with "ovich" are about one and a half million people, which is about 15 percent of the population. Basically, in Belarus, surnames are formed according to the same scheme as in Russia, that is, from male possessive suffix "ov" "ev" from feminine "in".
Well, that is, from "oak" there will be "oaks" from "birch" - birch.
Another thing is that since the Belarusian language was still different from Russian, then, for example, Bochkarev and Kuznetsov are by no means Belarusian surnames. Unlike Kovalev and Bondarev. However, in Russian cooper, too, may well be. As it is possible for a forger, from the word forge and not from the word forge.
Initially, this form is just a middle name. That is, Ivanov is a patronymic, that is, Ivanov's son. While "ovich" is both a patronymic and here is "sonship". "ich" is one of the oldest Slavic suffixes for "sonship".
Example. Tsarevich. That is, the son of the Tsar = the Tsar's son + ich, that is, it is shown that it is the son and not the servant, etc.
However, later the patronymic turned into a surname, and the category of sonship in combination with the patronymic became just a patronymic.
That is, Ivan-ov from a patronymic became a surname, that is generic name(nomen)
While Ivan-ov-ich became just a patronymic.
That is, if a person has a surname in "enko", this only indicates that one of his male ancestors most likely lived on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR at least in the 30s of the 20th century. It is clear that ethnically it could be anyone, just as the rest of the ancestors of this person can also be anyone.
