The Most Popular Ukrainian Surnames and Their Suffixes

This column is a part of a series of articles about Ukrainian culture and history. Our mission is to be your guide to the language, culture, and history of your Ukrainian ancestors. So follow us and learn more about your roots.

This week we will be continuing a previous article, Ukrainian Surname’s Origin and tell you about the most common ways Ukrainians formed their last names.

With the help of suffixes:

Patronymic suffixes that derive from the parents’ names or professions:

– енк- , – єнк-:

One form for feminine and masculine genders.

Іване́нко Ivanenko (from name Іван Ivan)

Петре́нко Petrenko ( Петро Petro)

Са́вченко Savchenko (Сава Sava)

Ма́рченко Marchenko (Марко Marko)

Даниле́нко Danylenko (Данило Danylo)

Климе́нко Klymenko (Климент, Клим Klyment, Klym)

Кузьме́нко Kuzmenko (Кузьма Kuzma)         

Andrii Kuzmenko (Kuzma Skriabin) – was a Ukrainian singer

Павле́нко Pavlenko (Павло Pavlo)

Васи́ленко Vasylenko (Василь Vasyl)       

Карпе́нко Karpenko (Карп Karp)

Ivan Karpenko – Karyi – was a Ukrainian writer and actor

Ле́вченко Levchenko (Лев, Левко Lev, Levko)

Ха́рченко Kharchenko (Харитон, Захарій Kharyton, Zakharii)

Шевче́нко Shevchenko (the son of швець – a shoemaker)

Taras Shevchenko – was a prominent Ukrainian poet and writer

Пономаре́нко Ponomarenko (the son of пономар – a sexton, an officer of the church)

Ковале́нко Kovalenko (from коваль – a blacksmith)

Кра́вченко Kravchenko (from кравець – a tailor)

Ткаче́нко Tkachenko (from ткач – a weaver)

Па́нченко Panchenko (from пан – a landowner)

– ук, – юк

Ковальчу́к Kovalchuk

Шевчу́к Shevchuk

Петру́к Petruk

Данилю́к Danyliuk

Гаврилю́к Havryliuk (from the name Гаврило Havrylo)

Кравчу́к Kravchuk

Leonid Kravchuk – the first President of Independent Ukraine

Ме́льничук Melnychuk (the son of мельник a miller)

Савчу́к Savchyk

-ич, -ович

Пе́трич Petrych

Данило́вич Danylovych

Ка́трич Katrych (from the name Катря Katria)

Кузьми́ч Kuzmych (from the name Кузьма Kuzma)

-ів

Пе́трів Petriv

Іва́нів Ivaniv

Ма́рків Markiv

– аш, -яш:

Дмитра́ш Dmytrash

Андрія́ш Andriiash

Кі́наш Kinash (derives from the name Кіндрат Kindrat)

Diminutive suffixes:

– ець, -єць, -ик, -ко

Дани́лко Danylko

Andrii Danylko – a Ukrainian artist famous for his character Verka Serdiuchka

Ру́дик Rudyk (from рудий – ginger)

Баране́ць Baranets (small sheep)

Коломи́єць Kolomyiets (came from a city Коломия Kolomyia)

– ов, -ев, (- єв) feminitives: -ова, -ева

Самі́йлов Samiilov (from the name Самійло, Самуїл Samiilo, Samuel)

Петро́в Petrov

Миха́йлов Mykhailov

Don’t think that these surnames can be only Russian. These are the common types of surnames for other Slavic nations: Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Macedonian etc.

– ин (makes a matronymic form)

Ле́син Lesyn (from the name Леся Lesia)

Дячи́шин Diachyshyn (from diachykha дячиха – the wife of дяк diak)

Івани́шин Ivanyshyn (from Іваниха Ivanykha – Ivan’s wife)

Toponymic suffixes that are based on a place a person belongs to:

– ський, – цький; – ець, – єць; – ий; feminitives: – ська, – цька; – a

Noble surnames from the name of an ancestral estate:

Хмельни́цький Khmelnytskyi

Bohdan Khmelnytskyi – was a Ukrainian Hetman of Zaporozian Host

Вишневе́цький Vyshnyvetskyi

Usual people had surnames based on the name of region, city, town, or just a living place:

Полта́вський Poltavskyi (from city Полтава Poltava )

Сумськи́й Sumskyi (from city Суми Sumy)