The famous Russian linguist A.F. Zhuravlev, Doctor of Philology, Head of the Department of Etymology and Onomastics of the Institute of the Russian Language named after A.F. V. V. Vinogradov, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow).
A.F. Zhuravlev involved in the calculation telephone directories of several cities in Russia and other former Soviet territories, library catalogs, personal lists of institutions that turned out to be available, lists of applicants from some Moscow universities, arrays of onomastic (family) material of various nature on the Internet, etc. However, the surveyed the territory is not clearly outlined by him, the list of cities whose telephone directories were used is not completely given (among those named by A.F. Zhuravlev are Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir, Krasnoyarsk., in Ukraine - Big Yalta). The principles for selecting cities are not sufficiently substantiated. The very nature of the extraction of the material is also debatable. A.F. Zhuravlev himself admits that he cannot “somewhat accurately estimate the total volume of onomastic units that fell into the field of view, and, consequently, the proportion of those surnames in it that were included in the final list.
From the current flow of surnames, only those that fell into the preliminary 800-unit list (further shortened to 500 surnames with the most reliable statistics) were selected. The very same list of 800 units (i.e., surnames) was compiled intuitively. All this reduces the significance of the results obtained, but nevertheless the list of the 500 most frequent Russian surnames is interesting. The number of all carriers of the first 500 most frequent Russian surnames recorded according to various sources is several hundred thousand. Obviously, this list will still be refined, because, according to A.F. Zhuravlev himself, the given statistics “can be recognized as having only the most preliminary character, but in any case better than the Unbegaun table” (meaning the appendix to the book "Russian surnames" with a list of the most frequent surnames of St. Petersburg in 1910).
I decided to bring these 500 names to familiarize site visitors with them. Two graphs with data for comparison according to the statistics of the same surnames in St. Petersburg in 1910 were excluded from the material of A.F. Zhuravlev (they were taken from the work of B.O. Unbegaun). In the final table, to the right of the surname, there is a number showing the relative occurrence of the surname. It is obtained by assigning the total absolute frequency of a given surname to the total absolute frequency of the most common surname Ivanov among Russians.
So, the list compiled by A.F. Zhuravlev. During the preparation for posting on the site, it turned out that there are three more surnames in it (they are given without a serial number). Use your browser's search function to find the name you need.
Rank Surname Frequency 1 Ivanov 1,0000 2 Smirnov 0,7412 3 Kuznetsov 0,7011 4 Popov 0,5334 5 Vasiliev 0,4948 6 Petrov 0,4885 7 Sokolov 0,4666 8 Mikhailov 0,3955 9 Novikov 0,3743 10 Fedorov 0,3662 11 Morozov 0,3639 12 Volkov 0,3636 13 Alekseev 0,3460 14 Lebedev 0,3431 15 Semenov 0,3345 16 Egorov 0,3229 17 Pavlov 0,3226 18 Kozlov 0,3139 19 Stepanov 0,3016 20 Nikolaev 0,3005 21 Orlov 0,2976 22 Andreev 0,2972 23 Makarov 0,2924 24 Nikitin 0,2812 25 Zakharov 0,2755 26 Zaitsev 0,2728 27 Solovyov 0,2712 28 Borisov 0,2710 29 Yakovlev 0,2674 30 Grigoriev 0,2541 31 Romanov 0,2442 32 Vorobyov 0,2371 33 Sergeev 0,2365 34 Kuzmin 0,2255 35 Frolov 0,2235 36 Alexandrov 0,2234 37 Dmitriev 0,2171 38 Korolev 0,2083 39 Gusev 0,2075 40 Kiselev 0,2070 41 Ilyin 0,2063 42 Maksimov 0,2059 43 Polyakov 0,2035 44 Sorokin 0,1998 45 Vinogradov 0,1996 46 Kovalev 0,1978 47 Belov 0,1964 48 Medvedev 0,1953 49 Antonov 0,1928 50 Tarasov 0,1896 51 Zhukov 0,1894 52 Baranov 0,1883 53 Filippov 0,1827 54 Komarov 0,1799 55 Davydov 0,1767 56 Belyaev 0,1750 57 Gerasimov 0,1742 58 Bogdanov 0,1706 59 Osipov 0,1702 60 Sidorov 0,1695 61 Matveev 0,1693 62 Titov 0,1646 63 Markov 0,1628 64 Mironov 0,1625 65 Krylov 0,1605 66 Kulikov 0,1605 67 Karpov 0,1584 68 Vlasov 0,1579 69 Melnikov 0,1567 70 Denisov 0,1544 71 Gavrilov 0,1540 72 Tikhonov 0,1537 73 Kazakov 0,1528 74 Afanasiev 0,1516 75 Danilov 0,1505 76 Saveliev 0,1405 77 Timofeev 0,1403 78 Fomin 0,1401 79 Chernov 0,1396 80 Abramov 0,1390 81 Martynov 0,1383 82 Efimov 0,1377 83 Fedotov 0,1377 84 Shcherbakov 0,1375 85 Nazarov 0,1366 86 Kalinin 0,1327 87 Isaev 0,1317 88 Chernyshev 0,1267 89 Bykov 0,1255 90 Maslov 0,1249 91 Rodionov 0,1248 92 Konovalov 0,1245 93 Lazarev 0,1236 94 Voronin 0,1222 95 Klimov 0,1213 96 Filatov 0,1208 97 Ponomarev 0,1203 98 Golubev 0,1200 99 Kudryavtsev 0,1186 100 Prokhorov 0,1182 101 Naumov 0,1172 102 Potapov 0,1165 103 Zhuravlev 0,1160 104 Ovchinnikov 0,1148 105 Trofimov 0,1148 106 Leonov 0,1142 107 Sobolev 0,1135 108 Ermakov 0,1120 109 Kolesnikov 0,1120 110 Goncharov 0,1115 111 Emelyanov 0,1081 112 Nikiforov 0,1055 113 Grachev 0,1049 114 Kotov 0,1037 115 Grishin 0,1017 116 Efremov 0,0995 117 Arkhipov 0,0993 118 Gromov 0,0986 119 Kirillov 0,0982 120 Malyshev 0,0978 121 Panov 0,0978 122 Moiseev 0,0975 123 Rumyantsev 0,0975 124 Akimov 0,0963 125 Kondratiev 0,0954 126 Biryukov 0,0950 127 Gorbunov 0,0940 128 Anisimov 0,0925 129 Eremin 0,0916 130 Tikhomirov 0,0907 131 Galkin 0,0884 132 Lukyanov 0,0876 133 Mikheev 0,0872 134 Skvortsov 0,0862 135 Yudin 0,0859 136 Belousov 0,0856 137 Nesterov 0,0842 138 Simonov 0,0834 139 Prokofiev 0,0826 140 Kharitonov 0,0819 141 Knyazev 0,0809 142 Tsvetkov 0,0807 143 Levin 0,0806 144 Mitrofanov 0,0796 145 Ravens 0,0792 146 Aksenov 0,0781 147 Sofronov 0,0781 148 Maltsev 0,0777 149 logins 0,0774 150 Gorshkov 0,0771 151 Savin 0,0771 152 Krasnov 0,0761 153 Mayorov 0,0761 154 Demidov 0,0756 155 Eliseev 0,0754 156 Rybakov 0,0754 157 Safonov 0,0753 158 Plotnikov 0,0749 159 Demin 0,0745 160 Khokhlov 0,0745 161 Fadeev 0,0740 162 Molchanov 0,0739 163 Ignatov 0,0738 164 Litvinov 0,0738 165 Ershov 0,0736 166 Ushakov 0,0736 167 Dementiev 0,0722 168 Ryabov 0,0722 169 Mukhin 0,0719 170 Kalashnikov 0,0715 171 Leontiev 0,0714 172 Lobanov 0,0714 173 Kuzin 0,0712 174 Korneev 0,0710 175 Evdokimov 0,0700 176 Borodin 0,0699 177 Platonov 0,0699 178 Nekrasov 0,0697 179 Balashov 0,0694 180 Bobrov 0,0692 181 Zhdanov 0,0692 182 pancakes 0,0687 183 Ignatiev 0,0683 184 Korotkov 0,0678 185 Ants 0,0675 186 Kryukov 0,0672 187 Belyakov 0,0671 188 Bogomolov 0,0671 189 Drozdov 0,0669 190 Lavrov 0,0666 191 Zuev 0,0664 192 Petukhov 0,0661 193 Larin 0,0659 194 Nikulin 0,0657 195 Serov 0,0657 196 Terentiev 0,0652 197 Zotov 0,0651 198 Ustinov 0,0650 199 Fokin 0,0648 200 Samoilov 0,0647 201 Konstantinov 0,0645 202 Sakharov 0,0641 203 Shishkin 0,0640 204 Samsonov 0,0638 205 Cherkasov 0,0637 206 Chistyakov 0,0637 207 Nosov 0,0630 208 Spiridonov 0,0627 209 Karasev 0,0618 210 Avdeev 0,0613 211 Vorontsov 0,0612 212 Zverev 0,0606 213 Vladimirov 0,0605 214 Seleznev 0,0598 215 Nechaev 0,0590 216 Kudryashov 0,0587 217 Sedov 0,0580 218 Firsov 0,0578 219 Andrianov 0,0577 220 Panin 0,0577 221 Golovin 0,0571 222 Terekhov 0,0569 223 Ulyanov 0,0567 224 Shestakov 0,0566 225 Ageev 0,0564 226 Nikonov 0,0564 227 Selivanov 0,0564 228 Bazhenov 0,0562 229 Gordeev 0,0562 230 Kozhevnikov 0,0562 231 Pakhomov 0,0560 232 Zimin 0,0557 233 Kostin 0,0556 234 Shirokov 0,0553 235 Filimonov 0,0550 236 Larionov 0,0549 237 Ovsyannikov 0,0546 238 Sazonov 0,0545 239 Suvorov 0,0545 240 Nefedov 0,0543 241 Kornilov 0,0541 242 Lyubimov 0,0541 243 Lviv 0,0536 244 Gorbachev 0,0535 245 Kopylov 0,0534 246 Lukin 0,0531 247 Tokarev 0,0527 248 Kuleshov 0,0525 249 Shilov 0,0522 250 Bolshakov 0,0518 251 Pankratov 0,0518 252 Rodin 0,0514 253 Shapovalov 0,0514 254 Pokrovsky 0,0513 255 Bocharov 0,0507 256 Nikolsky 0,0507 257 Markin 0,0506 258 Gorelov 0,0500 259 Agafonov 0,0499 260 Berezin 0,0499 261 Ermolaev 0,0495 262 Zubkov 0,0495 263 Kupriyanov 0,0495 264 Trifonov 0,0495 265 Maslennikov 0,0488 266 Kruglov 0,0486 267 Tretyakov 0,0486 268 Kolosov 0,0485 269 Rozhkov 0,0485 270 Artamonov 0,0482 271 Shmelev 0,0481 272 Laptev 0,0478 273 Lapshin 0,0468 274 Fedoseev 0,0467 275 Zinoviev 0,0465 276 Zorin 0,0465 277 Utkin 0,0464 278 Stolyarov 0,0461 279 Zubov 0,0458 280 Tkachev 0,0454 281 Dorofeev 0,0450 282 Antipov 0,0447 283 Zavyalov 0,0447 284 Sviridov 0,0447 285 Zolotarev 0,0446 286 fists 0,0446 287 Meshcheryakov 0,0444 288 Makeev 0,0436 289 Dyakonov 0,0434 290 Gulyaev 0,0433 291 Petrovsky 0,0432 292 Bondarev 0,0430 293 Pozdnyakov 0,0430 294 Panfilov 0,0427 295 Kochetkov 0,0426 296 Sukhanov 0,0425 297 Ryzhov 0,0422 298 Starostin 0,0421 299 Kalmyks 0,0418 300 Kolesov 0,0416 301 Zolotov 0,0415 302 Kravtsov 0,0414 303 Subbotin 0,0414 304 Shubin 0,0414 305 Schukin 0,0412 306 Losev 0,0411 307 Vinokurov 0,0409 308 Lapin 0,0409 309 Parfenov 0,0409 310 Isakov 0,0407 311 Golovanov 0,0402 312 Korovin 0,0402 313 Rozanov 0,0401 314 Artemov 0,0400 315 Kozyrev 0,0400 316 Rusakov 0,0398 317 Aleshin 0,0397 318 Kryuchkov 0,0397 319 Bulgakov 0,0395 320 Koshelev 0,0391 321 Sychev 0,0391 322 Sinitsyn 0,0390 323 Chernykh 0,0383 324 Horns 0,0381 325 Kononov 0,0379 326 Lavrentiev 0,0377 327 Evseev 0,0376 328 Pimenov 0,0376 329 Panteleev 0,0374 330 Goryachev 0,0373 331 Anikin 0,0372 332 Lopatin 0,0372 333 Rudakov 0,0372 334 Odintsov 0,0370 335 Serebryakov 0,0370 336 Pankov 0,0369 337 Degtyarev 0,0367 338 Orekhov 0,0367 339 Tsarev 0,0363 340 Shuvalov 0,0356 341 Kondrashov 0,0355 342 Goryunov 0,0353 343 Dubrovin 0,0353 344 Golikov 0,0349 345 Kurochkin 0,0348 346 Latyshev 0,0348 347 Sevastyanov 0,0348 348 Vavilov 0,0346 349 Erofeev 0,0345 350 Salnikov 0,0345 351 Klyuev 0,0344 352 Noskov 0,0339 353 Ozerov 0,0339 354 Koltsov 0,0338 355 Komissarov 0,0337 356 Merkulov 0,0337 357 Kireev 0,0335 358 Khomyakov 0,0335 359 Bulatov 0,0331 360 Ananiev 0,0329 361 Burov 0,0327 362 Shaposhnikov 0,0327 363 Druzhinin 0,0324 364 Ostrovsky 0,0324 365 Shevelev 0,0320 366 Dolgov 0,0319 367 Suslov 0,0319 368 Shevtsov 0,0317 369 Shepherds 0,0316 370 Rubtsov 0,0313 371 Bychkov 0,0312 372 Glebov 0,0312 373 Ilyinsky 0,0312 374 Uspensky 0,0312 375 Dyakov 0,0310 376 Kochetov 0,0310 377 Vishnevsky 0,0307 378 Vysotsky 0,0305 379 Glukhov 0,0305 380 Dubov 0,0305 381 Bessonov 0,0302 382 Sitnikov 0,0302 383 Astafiev 0,0300 384 Meshkov 0,0300 385 balls 0,0300 386 Yashin 0,0299 387 Kozlovsky 0,0298 388 Tumanov 0,0298 389 bass 0,0296 390 Korchagin 0,0295 391 Boldyrev 0,0293 392 Oleinikov 0,0293 393 Chumakov 0,0293 394 Fomichev 0,0291 395 Gubanov 0,0289 396 Dubinin 0,0289 397 Shulgin 0,0289 398 Kasatkin 0,0285 399 Pirogov 0,0285 400 Semin 0,0285 401 Troshin 0,0284 402 Gorokhov 0,0282 403 Starikov 0,0282 404 Shcheglov 0,0281 405 Fetisov 0,0279 406 Kolpakov 0,0278 407 Chesnokov 0,0278 408 Zykov 0,0277 409 Vereshchagin 0,0274 410 Minaev 0,0272 411 Rudnev 0,0272 412 Trinity 0,0272 413 Okulov 0,0271 414 Shiryaev 0,0271 415 Malinin 0,0270 416 Cherepanov 0,0270 417 Izmailov 0,0268 418 Alekhine 0,0265 419 Zelenin 0,0265 420 Kasyanov 0,0265 421 Pugachev 0,0265 422 Pavlovsky 0,0264 423 Chizhov 0,0264 424 Kondratov 0,0263 425 Voronkov 0,0261 426 Kapustin 0,0261 427 Sotnikov 0,0261 428 Demyanov 0,0260 429 Kosarev 0,0257 430 Belikov 0,0254 431 Sukharev 0,0254 432 Belkin 0,0253 433 Bespalov 0,0253 434 Kulagin 0,0253 435 Savitsky 0,0253 436 Zharov 0,0253 437 Khromov 0,0251 438 Eremeev 0,0250 439 Kartashov 0,0250 440 Astakhov 0,0246 441 Rusanov 0,0246 442 Sukhov 0,0246 443 Veshnyakov 0,0244 444 Voloshin 0,0244 445 Kozin 0,0244 446 Khudyakov 0,0244 447 Zhilin 0,0242 448 Malakhov 0,0239 449 Sizov 0,0237 450 Yezhov 0,0235 451 Tolkachev 0,0235 452 Anokhin 0,0232 453 Vdovin 0,0232 454 Babushkin 0,0231 455 Usov 0,0231 456 Lykov 0,0229 457 Gorlov 0,0228 458 Korshunov 0,0228 459 Markelov 0,0226 460 Postnikov 0,0225 461 Black 0,0225 462 Dorokhov 0,0224 463 Sveshnikov 0,0224 464 Gushchin 0,0222 465 Kalugin 0,0222 466 Blokhin 0,0221 467 Surkov 0,0221 468 Kochergin 0,0219 469 Greeks 0,0217 470 Kazantsev 0,0217 471 Shvetsov 0,0217 472 Ermilov 0,0215 473 Paramonov 0,0215 474 Agapov 0,0214 475 Minin 0,0214 476 Kornev 0,0212 477 Chernyaev 0,0212 478 Gurov 0,0210 479 Ermolov 0,0210 480 Somov 0,0210 481 Dobrynin 0,0208 482 Badgers 0,0205 483 Glushkov 0,0203 484 Chebotarev 0,0203 485 Moskvin 0,0201 486 Uvarov 0,0201 487 Bezrukov 0,0200 488 Muratov 0,0200 489 crayfish 0,0198 490 Snegirev 0,0198 491 Gladkov 0,0197 492 Zlobin 0,0197 493 Morgunov 0,0197 494 Polikarpov 0,0197 495 Ryabinin 0,0197 496 Sudakov 0,0196 497 Kukushkin 0,0193 498 Kalachev 0,0191 499 mushrooms 0,0190 500 Elizarov 0,0190 Zvyagintsev 0,0190 Korolkov 0,0190 Fedosov 0,0190
What are the most common surnames in Russia today? Which one is the most common? Probably, you will say that the most common surname is Ivanov. And you can't go wrong. We have prepared a list for you, which includes the most common surnames in Russia. Also, we will give some examples of the origin of the most common surnames in Russia.
List of Balanovskaya
A group of researchers led by Elena Balanovskaya published in 2005 in the journal "Medical Genetics" a work entitled "Family Portraits" of five Russian regions.
The criterion for inclusion in the list of a surname was as follows: it was included if at least five carriers of this surname lived in the region for three generations. First, lists were compiled for five conditional regions - Northern, Central, Central-Western, Central-Eastern and Southern.
- The first 25 surnames from this list, the so-called "all-Russian surnames":
Smirnov, Ivanov, Kuznetsov, Sokolov, Popov, Lebedev
Kozlov, Novikov, Morozov, Petrov, Volkov, Solovyov
Vasiliev, Zaitsev, Pavlov, Semyonov, Golubev, Vinogradov
Bogdanov, Vorobyov, Fedorov, Mikhailov, Belyaev, Tarasov, Belov
A similar list was compiled by V. A. Nikonov on the basis of the telephone directory of Moscow in the 80s of the XX century. He, on the basis of extensive material (surnames of about 3 million people), identified the most common Russian surnames (according to his data, Smirnov, Ivanov, Popov and Kuznetsov) and compiled a map of the distribution of these and other most common surnames.
At the end of the 20th century, Nazarov A.I. compiled a new list of the 100 most frequent surnames of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, in which there are 17 new surnames compared to the previous list. Also, many surnames in it are not in the same places as at the beginning of the 20th century. The most popular: Ivanov, Vasiliev, Smirnov, Petrov, Mikhailov.
Zhuravlev's list is a modern edition.
Another list of the most popular Russian surnames (500 surnames), but more modern, was compiled at the beginning of the 21st century by a team of employees of the Department of Etymology and Onomastics of the Institute of the Russian Language of the Russian Academy of Sciences under the leadership of A.F. Zhuravlev.
- The first 25 surnames from this list:
Ivanov, Smirnov, Kuznetsov, Popov, Vasiliev, Petrov, Sokolov, Mikhailov, Novikov, Fedorov, Morozov, Volkov, Alekseev, Lebedev, Semyonov, Egorov, Pavlov, Kozlov, Stepanov, Nikolaev, Orlov, Andreev, Makarov, Nikitin, Zakharov
Curious origin and meaning of some of them
The most common surname in Russia is Ivanov.
Initially, this is a patronymic from the form Ivan from the male name John. Ivanov is a primordially Russian surname, since the derivative name was in use for several centuries, among the peasantry it captured literally all men.
There are now thousands of Ivanovs in the Russian capital, among them there are even Ivan Ivanovichs. And this is despite the fact that the name Ivanov is not very typical for Moscow. But it is common in large centers. However, in some areas its absence, although not complete, is due to the fact that the name Ivan was used in other forms, patronymics from which they became the progenitors of surnames.
There are over a hundred of these forms. For example, the surname Ivin can be attributed here, since almost all Ivins got their surname not from the name of the Iva tree, but from Iva, a diminutive form of the popular male name. Another form of the name is Ivsha. So are the diminutive forms of Ivan - Ishko and Itsko. The latter is more characteristic of Smolensk dialects or the Belarusian language. Ishko is a South Russian dialect or Ukrainian language.
Also, the ancient forms of the name Ivan are Ishunya and Ishuta. Previously, the surname Ivanov was used with an emphasis on the letter a. Now more often the stress is placed on the last syllable. It is worth noting that some carriers of this surname often insist on the accent on a. This seems to them nobler than the second pronunciation.
In Moscow, the number of Ivanovs is relatively small. Much more of them live in regional centers. It is also necessary to note a huge number of forms of this surname: Ivanchikov, Ivankovy and many others. By the way, other surnames were formed in exactly the same way, which have names at their core: Sidorovs, Egorovs, Sergeevs, Semenovs and many others.
No less common is the surname Smirnov.
- actor Only in Moscow there are about seventy thousand owners of such a surname. Why so much? Everything is simple. Previously, in a large family, peasant parents sighed with relief if quiet, not noisy children were born. This is a rather rare quality and is captured in the name of Smyrna. It, therefore, was often the main name of a person in life, since the church name was immediately forgotten.
The Smirnovs came from the Smirnys. Researchers note that this is the most common surname over a vast territory that covers the entire Northern Volga region, but most often the Smirnovs are found in the Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo and neighboring regions. When moving away from this zone, the surname is less common. The earliest references to this surname refer to the Vladimir tithe, when the following was written on birch bark: “Ivan Smirnov, son of Samarin” or “Stepan, the humble son of the Kuchuks.” Gradually, the noun meek changed the emphasis. In addition to the familiar surname, there are other derivatives that are less common, these are Smirenkin, Smirnitsky, Sminin, Smirensky.
It should also be added that the surname Smirnov is the ninth among the most common in the world. Today it is worn by more than 2.5 million people. In Russia, most people have such a surname in the Volga region and the central regions: Kostroma, Ivanovo and Yaroslavl.
The surname Kuznetsov is the third most popular
It is easy to guess that the surname came from the kind of human activity. In ancient times, the blacksmith was a fairly respected and wealthy person. Moreover, blacksmiths were often considered almost sorcerers and were a little afraid. Still: this man knew the secrets of fire, he could make a plow, a sword or a horseshoe out of a piece of ore.
The surname Kuznetsov comes from the naming of his father by occupation. The blacksmith used to be a necessary and famous person in his village, so they called such a surname everywhere. By the way, there are thousands of Kuznetsovs in Moscow, however, they are inferior in number to the Ivanovs.
Most often, the surname was found in the Penza province. Well, in general, throughout the country, the distribution of the Kuznetsovs is limited due to the use of the Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian dialects, but from the west to the south-west the surname with the basis "blacksmith" still spreads. It is worth noting that other peoples also have very frequent surnames, where the base means "blacksmith". The British have the surname Smith, and the Germans have Schmidt.
Here it is worth noting such a fairly common Russian surname as Kovalev. Although the word "koval" is not in the Russian literary language. But in Ukraine and in the south of Russia, a blacksmith was called that.
But Kuznechikhin and Kovalikhin are formed from the name of a woman - the wife of a blacksmith. Kovankov and Kovalkov are Russified Belarusian and Ukrainian surnames. The names of birds and animals are also one of the sources of surnames and nicknames.
The origin of the surname is quite obvious - Popov.
- Russian physicist and electrical engineer, professor, inventor, state councilor Initially, Popov meant "son of a priest", "son of Pop". And here it is worth noting that not all Popovs or Popkovs are descendants of priests. Pop (or Popko) as a personal name was quite common among the laity. Religious parents gladly named their children Popili and Popko. However, sometimes the name Popov was given to an employee of the priest, a farm laborer.
This surname is common especially in the north of Russia. The calculation of the Popovs showed that in the Arkhangelsk province quite often there is a person with such a surname per thousand people.
Thousands of Popovs and in the Russian capital. Researchers suggest that in the north of Russia the surname spread due to the fact that the election of the clergy there, including priests, took place among the inhabitants.
The basis of the surname Vasiliev was the church name Vasily.
Alexander Vasiliev "Spleen" The male baptismal name Basil goes back to the Greek word basileus - "ruler, king." Among the patrons of the name are the holy martyr Basil the Athenian, the holy martyr of the 4th century Basil of Ankiria, the Novgorod saint Basil the Blessed, who performed the feat of foolishness and tirelessly denounced lies and hypocrisy.
It should be noted that the surnames formed from the full form of the name had mainly the social elite, the nobility, or families that enjoyed great authority in the area, whose representatives were respectfully called by the neighbors by the full name, in contrast to people from other classes, who were called, as a rule , diminutives, derivatives, everyday names.
In addition, some Vasilievs are of noble origin. In the history of Russia, several noble families of Vasiliev are known.
No less interesting is the origin of the surname - Petrov.
Alexander Petrov - actor The surname Petrov goes back to the canonical male name Peter (translated from other Greek - “stone, rock”). Peter was one of the apostles of Christ, he founded the Christian church and was considered a very strong patron for man.
The surname Petrov is one of the 10 most frequent in Russia (in some territories up to 6-7 people per thousand).
The name Peter became especially widespread in the 18th century, when this name began to be given in honor of Emperor Peter I. Surnames formed from the full form of the name had mainly the social elite, to know, or families that enjoyed great authority in the area, whose representatives were respectfully neighbors called by the full name, in contrast to other classes, which were called, as a rule, diminutive, derivative, everyday names.
The patron of the name Peter was a Christian saint, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ - Peter. In Catholicism, it is believed that the apostle Peter was the first bishop of Rome, that is, the first pope. He was canonized in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
In Rome, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul was introduced, as the two most revered apostles, called the chief holy apostles for their especially zealous service to the Lord and the spread of the faith of Christ.
In Rus', they believed that if you give a child the name of a saint or great martyr, then his life will be bright, good or difficult, because there is an invisible connection between the name and the fate of a person. Peter, eventually received the name Petrov.
The surname Mikhailov is no less popular.
Stas Mikhailov - artist The basis of the surname was the church name Michael. The male baptismal name Michael, translated from Hebrew, means "equal, like God." The surname Mikhailov was based on his old everyday form - Mikhailo.
Among the patrons of this name is the most revered biblical character. The Revelation of John the Theologian tells of the heavenly battle of the archangel Michael and his angels with the seven-headed and ten-horned dragon, as a result of which the great dragon, the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, was cast down to earth.
Also in Russia, surnames have always been popular, which were based on the name of birds and animals. Medvedevs, Volkovs, Skvortsovs, Perepelkins - this list is endless. Among the first hundred of the most common Russian surnames, “animal” ones are very common.
According to researchers, Russian surnames are more often associated with birds than with animals or fish. This is partly justified by the cult of birds among Russians.
However, on the other hand, the main reason is not in the cult of birds, but in the everyday and economic role of birds in the life of a Russian person: this is a wide industrial hunting, and poultry farming, which was noted in every family, and much more.
Among the "bird" the most common surname in Russia is Sokolov.
Andrey Sokolov - actor This patronymic is from the non-church Russian male name Sokol. According to some estimates, in St. Petersburg, the surname ranked 7th in frequency, and of the surnames that were formed from non-canonical names, Sokolov was second only to Smirnov.
However, this surname, as mentioned above, appeared not only thanks to the name of the bird, but also thanks to the old Russian name. In honor of the beautiful and proud bird, parents often gave their sons the name Falcon. It was one of the most common non-church names. In general, it should be noted that the Russians very often used the names of birds to create names. Some scientists even believe that this is due to the cult of birds that our ancestors had.
"Bird" surname Lebedev
Another "bird" surname that made our list. Researchers argue about its origin. The most plausible version of the appearance of the name Lebedev is its origin from the non-church name Lebed.
Some scientists associate this surname with the city, which is located in the Sumy region.
There is a version that connects the origin of this surname with a special group of people - "swans". These are serfs who were supposed to deliver swans to the princely table. This was a special kind of tribute.
It is possible that this surname arose due to the admiration of a person for this beautiful bird.
There is another theory regarding the surname Lebedev: it is believed that it was given to priests because of the euphony.
100 most common surnames in RussiaThe most common surnames and their history of origin:
Kuznetsov Surname from the name of the father by occupation. Since the blacksmith was the most necessary and well-known person in the village, naming according to this sign was everywhere. Therefore, the surname Kuznetsov is one of the most frequent in Russia;
thousand Kuznetsovs lived in Moscow (yielding in number only to the Ivanovs, of which there are thousands. In some areas, the surname Kuznetsov ranked first in frequency (for example, in the volosts of the Kerensky and Chembarsky districts of the Penza province, out of the thousands of Russians covered by the calculations, the Kuznetsovs) Throughout the country as a whole, the spread of the surname Kuznetsov is somewhat limited by the use of the Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian dialect word koval in the same meaning "blacksmith", therefore, surnames with this stem spread from the west and south-west. Other nations also have very frequent surnames with the stem meaning "blacksmith", for example, the most common English surname is Smith, the German Schmidt. (N) Kovalev is one of the most common Russian; surnames, although the word "koval" is not in the Russian literary language. In southern Russia and Ukraine, a blacksmith is called a kohl. farrier, don’t trash your hands "(that is, don’t get dirty) advises folk wisdom; don’t take on a job that you don’t know. (F) Kovalenya. One of the suffixes that form Belarusian surnames is enya. Kowalski is a Polish or Ukrainian surname. Kovalikhin and Kuznechikhin, metronymic surnames, are formed from the name of a woman, the wife of a blacksmith. Kovalkov, Kovankov ruchified Ukrainian or Belarusian surnames.
2. Smirnov Smirnov is one of the most common Russian surnames. In Moscow alone there are seventy thousand Smirnovs. Why? In a large peasant family, quiet, quiet children were a great relief for parents. This quality, rare for small children, was imprinted in the secular name Smirnaya, it often became the main name of a person for life (the church name was forgotten by those around him). The Smirnovs came from the Smirnys. (F) The most common Russian surname in a vast strip covering the entire Northern Volga region, most often in the Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo regions and adjacent areas of neighboring regions, to the east this zone extends to the Kirov region. As you move away from this zone, the frequency decreases. In Moscow, the surname Smirnov occupied the fifth place in thousands of people) By origin, it is a patronymic from the Russian non-church male name Smirnaya, i. “meek, quiet, obedient” Early examples of a patronymic in the Vladimir tithe of the city of Ivan Smirnovo son of Samarin “Stepan of the meek son of Kuchukov” ) Surnames Smirnin, Smirenkin from the ancient Slavic names of Smiren, Smirenka. Smirensky, Smirnitsky seminary surnames from the same root.
3. Ivanov Patronymic from the common form Ivan from the canonical male personal name John. Ivanov is the most common surname of Russians, since the name for several centuries (from to the century remained the most common among Russians: among the peasantry it covered from to all men. In Moscow, thousands of Ivanovs (of which Ivan Ivanovichi) It is characteristic that in this territory the surname Ivanov is usually not too frequent, yielding to many others, but it is widespread everywhere and therefore takes first place in large centers and throughout the country.Relative rarity in some localities is due to the fact that the name was used in many different forms, patronymics from which they became surnames.These forms are much more than a hundred, respectively, the surnames from patronymics formed from these forms are numerous.(N) The most common male name in Russia, Ivan "Ivanov, like filthy mushrooms" joked the people) gave rise to dozens of derivative forms. I confidently add the surname Ivin to this list, since most of the Ivins are not from the name of the tree, but from Iva, an abbreviated form of the name Ivan. Ivsha is also one of the forms of this name. Itsko, Ishko diminutive forms of the name Ivan. Itsko is more characteristic of the Belarusian language and Smolensk dialects, Ishko is more characteristic of the Ukrainian language and South Russian dialects. Ishunya, Ishuta are ancient diminutive forms of the name Ivan. (F) In c. the surname was used with an accent on a. Now it is more often used with the stress on the last syllable. It is characteristic that some bearers of the surname insist on a form with an accent on a, which seems to them more noble than the usual one with an accent on the last syllable.
4. Popov Not all Popovs and Popkovs are descendants of priests. As a personal name, Pop (Popko) was quite common among lay people. Religious parents willingly called their children the names of Drank Popko. Example: landowner Popko (near Senka Pop, peasant Popko Efimov, peasant) thousand people. In Moscow, thousand Popovs. Initially, priests meant: patronymic "son of a priest", patronymic "son of Pop" from the nickname Pop; from the documents of the centuries the peasant Senka Pop, the Don Cossack Mikhailo Pop, etc. worker at the priests worker. As an assumption of the spread of this surname in the north of Russia, one can assume the election of the clergy in these areas: up to the century there were no priests appointed, but the inhabitants themselves elected from among themselves.(N)
5. Sokolov The names of animals and birds are one of the main sources of nicknames and surnames derived from them. "Bird" surnames occupy positions in the first hundred Russian surnames. Sokolov is the most common among the "bird" and is in seventh position in the frequency list of all Russian surnames. (U) Sokolov. Patronymic from the Russian non-church male name Sokol. One of the ten most common Russian surnames. According to B. Unbegaun, in St. Petersburg in the city, she ranked seventh in frequency, and of all the surnames formed from non-canonical names, she was second only to Smirnov. The unusually high frequency of Russian surnames based on the names of birds was noted by a major foreign Slavist V.R. Kiparsky, proving in his articles that this was dictated by the cult of birds among the Russians. My calculations confirmed that Russian surnames are indeed associated with birds more often than with animals or, for example, fish. But this phenomenon cannot be explained by the cult of birds, since the surnames in most of the later origin of centuries. only a minority is older) and we can talk about the origin not of surnames, but of those names from which they are formed. However, in this case, the main reason is not the cult of the bird, but the huge economic and household role of birds in the life of Russians: extensive industrial hunting, poultry farming in every family, grandiose falconry and much more (for more details, see Nikonov V.A. Name and society. M. (N) Sokolikha wife of Sokol. Surnames in -skiy may be of Ukrainian Polish origin. Possibly from the geographical names Sokol, Sokolovo. Similarly, Sokologorsky Sokolinaya Gora. Similarly, Russian Sokoltsov
next in the rankings are:
6. Lebedev
7. Kozlov
8. Novikov
9. Morozov
10. Petrov
11. Volkov
12. Solovyov
13. Vasiliev
14. Zaitsev
15. Pavlov
16. Semenov
17. Golubev
18. Vinogradov
19. Bogdanov
20. Sparrows
21. Fedorov
22. Mikhailov
23. Belyaev
24. Tarasov
25. Belov
26. Mosquitoes
27. Orlov
28. Kiselev
29. Makarov
30. Andreev
31. Kovalev
32. Ilyin
33. Gusev
34. Titov
35. Kuzmin
36. Kudryavtsev
37. Baranov
38. Kulikov
39. Alekseev
40. Stepanov
41. Yakovlev
42. Sorokin
43. Sergeev
44. Romanov
45. Zakharov
46. Borisov
47. Queens
48. Gerasimov
49. Ponomarev
50. Grigoriev
51. Lazarev
52. Medvedev (from Layola: remember the president of the Russian Federation)
53. Ershov
54. Nikitin
55. Sobolev
56. Ryabov
57. Polyakov
58. Flowers
59. Danilov
60. Zhukov
61. Frolov
62. Zhuravlev
63. Nikolaev
64. Krylov
65. Maksimov
66. Sidorov
67. Osipov
68. Belousov
69. Fedotov
70. Dorofeev
71. Egorov
72. Matveev
73. Bobrov
74. Dmitriev
75. Kalinin
76. Anisimov
77. Roosters
78. Antonov
79. Timofeev
80. Nikiforov
81. Veselov
82. Filippov
83. Markov
84. Bolshakov
85. Sukhanov
86. Mironov
87. Shiryaev
88. Alexandrov
89. Konovalov
90. Shestakov
91. Kazakov
92. Efimov
93. Denisov
94. Gromov
95. Fomin
96. Davydov
97. Melnikov
98. Shcherbakov
99. Blinov
100. Kolesnikov
In recent times, the history of the origin and distribution of surnames worried only linguists, historians, ethnographers and, of course, the owners of this value. However, recently scientists from the laboratory of popular human genetics of the State Medical Genetic Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences have become interested in this issue.
What is the reason for the unexpected excitement around the seemingly unremarkable historical heritage?
How the list of 100 most common Russian surnames is compiled
Scientists argue that the entire Russian gene pool is hidden in the origins of the origin of primordially Russian surnames.
Taking into account hundreds of thousands of surnames concentrated in the expanses of the Russian state, the researchers took as a basis only the indigenous people who territorially live in Central Russia and in the Russian North.
But here, too, problems arose: the most common surnames did not always turn out to be native Russian. Therefore, scientists faced the task of separating native and migratory specimens.
Additional parameters were introduced, which the surname had to correspond to:
- At least three representatives per last name.
- Compliance with local linguistic norms and dialects.
After that, 14428 remained from the original list.
By the way, scientists are considering 8 regions: Arkhangelsk, Kostroma, Smolensk, Belgorod, Kursk and Voronezh regions, as well as the Kashinsky district of the Tver region.
These regions make up 5 regions of Russia: Northern, Eastern, Central, Western, Southern.
Ivanovs, Smirnovs: the founders of the genetic fund
The most common surnames include 250 names.
The list was compiled on the basis of the frequency of their predominance in each of the previously designated regions.
I would like to say that even a simple layman who is ignorant of genetic and historical sciences could name some names.
For example, to the question “what is the most common surname in Russia”, every second person will say: “Smirnovs, Ivanovs”. These data will be taken by them not from research, but from the realities of life: everyone has such a friend or acquaintance. They top the list of the 100 most common surnames.
History of the study of the issue: V.A. Nikonov and B.O. Unbegaun
As noted earlier, geneticists were not the first to become interested in the origin of surnames. Linguists, historians and ethnographers can be called pioneers in this field.
Among them is the Soviet onomatologist V.A. Nikonov. It is his mind that owns the officially registered conclusion about what are the most common surnames in Russia. Nikonov found that Smirnovs, Ivanovs, Popovs and Kuznetsovs are the most common names in the designated areas.
And the compiled top lists "The most common Russian surname" is far from a modern innovation.
The first such list belongs to B.O. Unbegaun. It was compiled in 1972 according to the St. Petersburg address book. The most common surnames were 31,503 people. And out of 200 thousand names from the address book, Unbegaun singled out the 100 most popular. But the list he revealed was not clean and included not only Russian residents, but also visitors. For example, Schmidt, Miller - it is difficult to call Slavic, therefore, based on this fact, the book "Russian Surnames" published in 1989 can hardly be called 100% reliable.
The most common Russian surname: a list of geneticists
Will you find yourself in the list compiled by geneticists? And what is the most common Russian surname, of course, in addition to those previously announced?
In order to find out the answers to these questions, at least one list must be made public. To do this, we chose a list compiled by geneticists based on 5 Russian regions. To make it easier to search, it is sorted alphabetically, not by popularity. To the right of each surname is a serial number corresponding to the list created by geneticists.
Surname | № | Surname | № | Surname | № | Surname | № | Surname | № |
___A___ | |||||||||
Solovyov | |||||||||
Komissarov | Nekrasov | ||||||||
Agafonov | Kondratiev | Nesterov | Stepanov | ||||||
___D___ | Konovalov | Strelkov | |||||||
Alexandrov | Nikiforov | Subbotin | |||||||
Alekseev | Konstantinov | Nikolaev | |||||||
Dementiev | |||||||||
Anisimov | Kornilov | ||||||||
Dmitriev | ___T___ |
||||||||
Artemiev | |||||||||
Dorofeev | ___ABOUT___ | Terentiev | |||||||
Afanasiev | Ovchinnikov | ||||||||
___B___ | Krasilnikov | Timofeev | |||||||
___E___ | |||||||||
Evdokimov | |||||||||
Belozerov | Kudryavtsev | Tretyakov | |||||||
Belousov | Kudryashov | ___P___ | Trofimov | ||||||
Kuznetsov | |||||||||
Emelyanov | _________ |
||||||||
Bespalov | Panfilov | ||||||||
___Ф___ |
|||||||||
___L___ | |||||||||
___AND___ | Lavrentiev | ||||||||
Fedoseev | |||||||||
Bogdanov | Ponomarev | ||||||||
Bolshakov | Zhuravlev | Larionov | |||||||
___З___ | Filippov | ||||||||
Prokhorov | |||||||||
___R___ | |||||||||
___IN___ | Zinoviev | Rodionov | |||||||
Vasiliev | ___X___ |
||||||||
___M___ | Kharitonov | ||||||||
Vinogradov | ___AND___ | ||||||||
Vishnyakov | Maksimov | ___C___ |
|||||||
Vladimirov | Mammoths | ||||||||
Ignatiev | ___WITH___ | ___H___ |
|||||||
Martynov | Saveliev | ||||||||
Vorobyov | ___Ш___ |
||||||||
Vorontsov | ___TO___ | Medvedev | Samoilov | ||||||
___G___ | Melnikov | Samsonov | |||||||
Gavrilov | Merkushev | Shestakov | |||||||
Kalashnikov | Seleznev | ||||||||
Gerasimov | Mikhailov | Seliverstov | |||||||
Kapustin | |||||||||
Gorbachev | ___SCH___ |
||||||||
Gorbunov | Kirillov | Molchanov | Shcherbakov | ||||||
Ants | ___Yu/I___ |
||||||||
Grigoriev | Sitnikov | ||||||||
butchers | |||||||||
The history of the origin of the surname
We have already learned which Russian surname is the most common: the Smirnov families have it.
But what secret does she keep in herself? In order to open this veil, it is necessary to delve into the history of its origin.
There are several theories. The most popular are two of them.
Theory #1
The first version explains the wide area of distribution of the surname.
According to legend, in ancient times there was an estate of wandering people who led a nomadic lifestyle, moving throughout Rus' from village to village. In gratitude for the shelter, they showed residents more efficient ways of farming, farming, and shared knowledge.
It is believed that when they first entered the territory of a settlement, they uttered the phrase: “Greetings to you, good people. We go WITH THE NEW WORLD. This became not only their greeting, but also the promise of a reward for shelter.
Years later, the nomadic people ceased to exist, but their descendants did not forget their roots, so they began to be called SMIRNOVs.
Theory #2
The second version is among those that support the origin of surnames from proper names. It says that according to Slavic beliefs, the name Smyrna previously existed. The descendant of this man after the 15th-17th centuries began to be called Smirnov, which was a direct indication of the head of the family.
Famous Smirnovs
Given the extent of the spread of the surname, it is not difficult to assume that among famous personalities there are often “Smirnovs”.
I would like to mention one such dynasty.
The branch we are considering contains the creative path of three generations - parents and children.
Actor and director Andrei Smirnov is a gifted child of an equally brilliant parent.
His father, Sergei Sergeevich Smirnov, was a Soviet writer, public figure, and participant in the Second World War. Author of the novel "Brest Fortress".
The daughter of Andrei Sergeevich, Avdotya, is better known as Dunya Smirnova: a well-known Soviet presenter, film director, critic, screenwriter.
Such dynasties are not uncommon if the family is on the list of the 100 most common surnames.
And what is happening in the world?
Naturally, not only in the Russian expanses, a tendency for the predominance of certain surnames has been noticed.
For example, in China the most popular is Li.
Therefore, it will be interesting to find out which surname is the most common in the world.
- Li: Over 100 million members worldwide.
- Zhang: about 100 million representatives.
- Wang: over 90 million.
- Nguyen: over 36 million. The area of origin is Vietnam.
- Garcia: over 10 million. Spanish roots.
- Gonzalez: over 10 million. Spanish roots
- Hernandez: over 8 million representatives. The history of origin is divided into two branches: Spanish and Portuguese.
- Smith: over 4 million. Country - England.
- Smirnov: over 2.5 million representatives worldwide.
- Muller: About a million. Roots - Germany.
It is logical that the top three are Chinese surnames. After all, the Chinese (otherwise Han Chinese) make up 19% of the total number of people on the planet.
The surname Li, as you already know, is the most common in the world: 7.9% of the total population of China owns it.
It has numerous spelling variations: Li, Lee and Ly. Has Chinese and Korean roots.
The Chinese emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan, who reigned from 618-626, also belonged to the Li clan.
An interesting fact is that in the struggle for power, he defeated other contenders for the throne, including Li Gi. And his son, Li Shimin, who was tried to be killed by his own brothers, became a follower.
Tracking which is the most common surname in Russia is a rather difficult task, and all because there is simply no strictly defined algorithm for calculating such data. The main difficulty is presented by women who change their maiden name after marriage and actually become owners of not one, but two surnames. A divorce is possible with a return to the previous surname or a second marriage with a transition to a third surname. And this is where the confusion begins!
The most common surname in Russia
However, despite all the difficulties, experts do not leave attempts to determine what is the most common surname in Russia, and make their own ratings. As a rule, their lists include the 100 most common surnames in Russia, although some scientists limit themselves to five, while others are interested in deeper and more voluminous data. There are some minor differences in these ratings, but they all agree that the first place in Russia belongs to the Smirnovs. The Smirnovs owe the origin of their surname to meek and obedient children, whose appearance, as a rule, brought great joy to their parents. It was humility that formed the basis of the most famous and popular Russian surname. The Smirnovs are followed by the Ivanovs, Kuznetsovs, Popovs and Sokolovs in the top five.
Signs of the formation of Russian surnames
Considering and studying in Russia, one can single out some of the features that formed the basis of a particular surname, and thus classify them. The most common basis for the formation of a surname was a given name. For example, Ivan - Ivanov, Peter - Petrov, Sidor - Sidorov, etc. A huge number of surnames owe their origin to the professional activity of the owner, his nickname. An example is Plotnikov, Melnikov, Goncharov, Kuznetsov. Animals were also quite common for the formation of surnames: Sokolov, Volkov, Vorobyov, Medvedev, Lebedev, Kozlov, Gusev, Orlov, etc.
Without a surname today it is impossible to imagine our ordinary life, but once, just a couple of centuries ago, the presence of a surname was the exception rather than the norm. Only after the full year in 1861, surnames began to form and be assigned among the peasantry, and the nicknames that existed before that, such as Peter the Strong Hands or Ivan the Quick, forever sunk into oblivion. Observing the formation of Russian surnames, it should be noted that the princes and boyars were the first to acquire them, and this began as early as the 16th century. Servants and merchants secured the right to bear surnames only by the 18-19th century, then the clergy joined them. The peasants, however, felt the need for this only when they became free and ceased to belong to anyone.
Popular surnames of the world
Having learned what is the most common surname in Russia, we will ask, what is the first surname in the world? More than a hundred million people on Earth have the most common surname in China - Li and about the same - Zhang. Another popular Chinese surname Wang is 93 million people. Vietnamese Nguyen - 36 million, Spanish Garcia and Gonzalez - 10 million each. The Spanish-Portuguese surname Hernandez belongs to 8 million people. English Smiths - 4 million, German Millers - one million. For comparison: there are 2.5 million Russian Smirnovs in the world.
