Russian last names are as rich and interesting as their history.
In this article, we will take a look at the meaning of some of the most common Russian last names that you may come across.
We will also provide you with a list of some of the most common Russian last names.
In addition, a list of some of the more unusual or rarer Russian last names.
We have Russian last names in various categories.
Table of Contents
Characteristics of Russian Last Names
There are many different characteristics of Russian last names.
Most Russian last names are patronymic, meaning they are based on the first name of the father.
For example, if a man’s name is Ivan and his father’s name is Nikolai, his last name would be Ivanov, which means “son of Ivan.”
If a woman’s name is Maria and her father’s name is Nikolai, her last name would be Ivanova, which means “daughter of Ivan.”
Some Russian last names are derived from occupations.
For example, the occupation-based last name for a blacksmith is Kuznetsov and for a tailor it is Fedorov.
Last names can also indicate place of origin. For example, someone from the city of Kazan might have the last name Kazakov, and someone from the village of Novgorod might have the last name Novgorodov.
There are also many Russian last names that are derived from nicknames.
For example, if a man’s nickname is Vanya (a diminutive form of Ivan), his last name could be Vanyushin.
If a woman’s nickname is Sveta (a diminutive form of Alexandra), her last name could be Svetlova.
Nicknames can also be based on physical characteristics. For example, if a man has red hair, his nickname could be Rysya (from the Russian word for “red”), and his last name could be Rysin.
There are also a few Russian last names that are derived from animal names.
For example, the last name Medvedev comes from the word medved, which means “bear.”
As you can see, there are many different characteristics of Russian last names. patronymic, occupation-based, place of origin-based, nickname-based, and animal-based last names are all quite common in Russia.
Most Common Russian Last Names with Meaning
1. Ivanov – This is one of the most common Russian surnames and it means “son of Ivan”. It is derived from the given name Ivan, which comes from the Greek name Ioannes (John).
2. Smirnov – This surname means “one who has stopped drinking” or “teetotaler” in Russian. It is derived from the Russian word for “to stop” or “to abstain”.
3. Kuznetsov – This common Russian last name is derived from the occupation of blacksmith (kuzya meaning “blacksmith” and -ov meaning “son of”).
4. Popov – This surname means “son of a priest” in Russian and is derived from the given name Pavel (Paul).
5. Sokolov – This last name means “of the Falcons” in Russian and is derived from the word sokol meaning “falcon”.
6. Morozov – This surname has two possible origins: from the Russian word moroz meaning “frost” or from the given name Pavel (Paul).
7. Levin – This last name means “of the Lion” in Russian and is derived from the word lev meaning “lion”.
8. Novikov – This surname means “new man” or “newcomer” in Russian and is derived from the word novyi meaning “new”.
9. Mikhailov – This common Russian surname is derived from the given name Mikhail, which comes from the Hebrew name Michael and means “who is like God?”.
10. Fedorov – This surname is derived from the given name Fedor, which comes from the Greek name Theodoros and means “gift of God”.
These are some of the most common Russian last names along with their meanings.
Popular Russian Last Names
1. Sokolov – This name means “of the falcon” and is derived from the Russian word for falcon, сокол. It’s a popular last name in Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Macedonia.
2. Smirnov – One of the most common surnames in Russia, this name means “one who completes” or “one who finishes” and comes from the Russian verb смирить.
3. Pavlov – This last name comes from the Russian word for “peacock,” павлин. It’s derived from the Old Church Slavonic word pavľinъ and was originally a nickname for someone with beautiful eyes or feathers.
4. Fedorov – This common Russian surname means “of the gift” and is derived from the Russian word федор, meaning “gift.” It’s also popular in Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
5. Morozov – This Russian last name is derived from the word мороз, meaning “frost” or “freezing cold.” It was originally a nickname for someone who was very cold or had pale skin.
6. Novikov – This name comes from the Russian word новый, meaning “new.” It’s a relatively common surname in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
7. Ivanov – One of the most common Russian surnames, this name is derived from the Russian personal name Иван, which is the Slavic form of John.
8. Stepanov – This name is derived from the Russian personal name Степан, which is the Slavic form of Stephen. It’s a common surname in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
9. Alexeev – This name is derived from the Russian personal name Алексей, which is the Slavic form of Alexander. It’s a common surname in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
10. Petrov – This name is derived from the Russian personal name Пётр, which is the Slavic form of Peter. It’s a common surname in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Learn about Russian Last Names – Lessons for Beginners
Russian Last Names Female
1. Ivanova – This is one of the most common Russian surnames and it means “daughter of Ivan”. It is derived from the given name Ivan, which comes from the Greek name Ioannes (John).
2. Smirnova – This surname means “one who has stopped drinking” or “teetotaler” in Russian. It is derived from the Russian word for “to stop” or “to abstain”.
3. Petrova – This surname means “daughter of Peter”. It is derived from the given name Peter, which comes from the Greek name Petros (rock).
4. Sidorova – This surname means “wife of Sidor”. It is derived from the given name Sidor, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Severus.
5. Lavrovа – This surname means “son of Lavr”. It is derived from the given name Lavr, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Laurence.
6. Alexeeva – This surname means “daughter of Alexei”. It is derived from the given name Alexei, which comes from the Greek name Alexandros (defender of men).
7. Makarova – This surname means “son of Makar”. It is derived from the given name Makar, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Maximus.
8. Nikitina – This surname means “daughter of Nikita”. It is derived from the given name Nikita, which comes from the Greek name Nikolaos (victor of people).
9. Zubova – This surname means “son of Zub”. It is derived from the given name Zub, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Severus.
10. Stepanova – This surname means “wife of Stepan”. It is derived from the given name Stepan, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Stephanus.
Russian Last Names Male
1. Alexeev – This surname means “son of Alexei”. It is derived from the given name Alexei, which comes from the Greek name Alexandros (defender of men).
2. Sidorov – This surname means “son of Sidor”. It is derived from the given name Sidor, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Severus.
3. Makarov – This surname means “son of Makar”. It is derived from the given name Makar, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Maximus.
4. Nikitin – This surname means “son of Nikita”. It is derived from the given name Nikita, which comes from the Greek name Nikolaos (victor of people).
5. Zubov – This surname means “son of Zub”. It is derived from the given name Zub, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Severus.
6. Stepanov – This surname means “son of Stepan”. It is derived from the given name Stepan, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Stephanus.
7. Lavrov – This surname means “son of Lavr”. It is derived from the given name Lavr, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Laurence.
8. Fedorov – This surname is derived from the given name Fedor, which comes from the Greek name Theodoros and means “gift of God”.
9. Mikhailov – This common Russian surname is derived from the given name Mikhail, which comes from the Hebrew name Michael and means “who is like God?”.
10. Novikov – This surname means “new man” or “newcomer” in Russian and is derived from the word novyi meaning “new”.
These are some of the most popular Russian last names along with their meanings.
As you can see, many of these surnames have Christian origins.
AF-274: Russian Surnames and Their Meanings
Russian Last Names Generator
These names were automatically generated:
1) Lazrov
2) Svetlov
3) Arkhipov
4) Chernyakov
5) Trofimov
6) Leontev
7) Brusnikov
8) Makeyev
9) Gromov
10) Stepanenko
11) Remsha
Russian Last Names that Start with K
1) Kravchenko – this Ukrainian surname means “son of Krava” and is derived from the given name Krava, which comes from the word for “cow”.
2) Kovalev – this Russian surname comes from the given name Kovalyov, which is derived from the word for “blacksmith”.
3) Kiselev – this Russian surname is derived from the given name Kiselyov, which is thought to be a diminutive form of the word for “pine tree”.
4) Kislyakov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Kislyak, which is derived from the word for “sable”.
5) Kravtsov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Kravtsov, which is derived from the word for “miller”.
6) Kovtun – this Ukrainian surname is derived from the given name Kovtun, which is thought to be a diminutive form of the word for “blacksmith”.
7) Koretsky – this Ukrainian surname comes from the given name Koretsky, which is derived from the word for “corncrake”.
8) Kobzar – this Ukrainian surname is derived from the given name Kobzar, which is thought to be a occupational name for someone who played the kobza (a type of musical instrument).
9) Korolyov – this Ukrainian surname is derived from the given name Korolyov, which is thought to be a occupational name for someone who worked as a royal official.
10) Kovpak – this Ukrainian surname is derived from the given name Kovpak, which is thought to be a diminutive form of the word for “blacksmith”.
These are some Russian last names that start with the letter K. As you can see, many of these surnames have occupation-based origins.
Russian Last Names that Start with M
1) Mikhailov – this common Russian surname is derived from the given name Mikhail, which comes from the Hebrew name Michael and means “who is like God?”.
2) Makarov – this surname means “son of Makar”. It is derived from the given name Makar, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Maximus.
3) Maximov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Maxim, which is a form of the Latin name Maximus.
4) Melnikov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Melnikov, which is derived from the Greek word melas meaning “black”.
5) Matveev – this Russian surname comes from the given name Matvei, which is a Russian form of the Latin name Matthew.
6) Morgunov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Morgunov, which is derived from the word for “morning”.
7) Morozov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Moroz, which is derived from the word for “frost”.
8) Muravyov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Muravyov, which is derived from the word for “raspberry”.
9) Makarovskii – this Russian surname comes from the given name Makarovskii, which is derived from the word for “of or belonging to Makar”.
10) Maksimenkov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Maksimenkov, which is derived from the Latin name Maximus.
These are some Russian last names that start with the letter M. As you can see, many of these surnames have biblical or Latin origins.
Russian Last Names that Start with R
1) Romanov – this famous Russian last name is derived from the given name Roman, which comes from the Latin name Romulus.
2) Rybakov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Rybakov, which is derived from the word for “fisherman”.
3) Rogachev – this Russian surname comes from the given name Rogachev, which is derived from the word for “hornbeam tree”.
4) Rodionov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Rodion, which is a form of the Latin name Rodney.
5) Rubtsov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Rubtsov, which is derived from the word for “redhead”.
6) Ryzhkov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Ryzhkov, which is derived from the word for “ginger”.
7) Repin – this famous Russian last name comes from the given name Repin, which is derived from the word for “regiment”.
8) Romanenko – this Ukrainian surname is derived from the given name Romanenko, which comes from the Latin name Romulus.
9) Rogov – this Ukrainian surname comes from the given name Rogov, which is derived from the word for “corncrake”.
10) Rudyk – this Ukrainian surname comes from the given name Rudyk, which is derived from the word for “redhead”.
These are some Russian last names that start with the letter R. As you can see, many of these surnames have Latin or Ukrainian origins.
Russian Last Names that Start with S
1) Sokolov – this common Russian surname means “son of Sokol”. It is derived from the given name Sokol, which is Slavic for “falcon”.
2) Stepanov – this Russian surname is derived from the given name Stepan, which is a form of the Greek name Stephen.
3) Smirnov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Smirnov, which is derived from the word for “peaceful”.
4) Serebryakov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Serebryakov, which is derived from the word for “silver”.
5) Solomatov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Solomatov, which is derived from the word for “of or belonging to Solomon”.
6) Sorokin – this Russian surname comes from the given name Sorokin, which is derived from the word for “sorrel”.
7) Sokolova – this feminine form of the Russian surname Sokolov comes from the given name Sokolova, which is derived from the word for “falconess”.
8) Sergeeva – this feminine form of the Russian surname Sergei comes from the given name Sergeeva, which is derived from the Latin name Sergius.
9) Savinova – this feminine form of the Russian surname Savin comes from the given name Savinova, which is derived from the word for “juniper”.
10) Solomatova – this feminine form of the Russian surname Solomatov comes from the given name Solomatova, which is derived from the word for “of or belonging to Solomon”.
These are some Russian last names that start with the letter S. As you can see, many of these surnames have Slavic, Greek, or Latin origins.
Russian Last Names that Start with V
1) Vasiliev – this common Russian surname is derived from the given name Vasily, which is a form of the Greek name Basil.
2) Volkov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Volkov, which is derived from the word for “wolf”.
3) Vorobiev – this Russian surname comes from the given name Vorobiev, which is derived from the word for “sparrow”.
4) Viktorov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Viktor, which is derived from the Latin name Victor.
5) Vinogradov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Vinogradov, which is derived from the word for “grape”.
6) Vladimirov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Vladimir, which is derived from the Old Slavonic word for “lord”.
7) Vasilev – this Russian surname comes from the given name Vasilev, which is a form of the Greek name Basil.
8) Voronin – this Russian surname comes from the given name Voronin, which is derived from the word for “raven”.
9) Voytenkov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Voytenkov, which is derived from the word for “soldier”.
10) Valov – this Ukrainian surname comes from the given name Valov, which is derived from the word for “calf”.
These are some Russian last names that start with the letter V. As you can see, many of these surnames have Greek, Latin, or Old Slavonic origins.
Russian Last Names that Start with Y
1) Yakovlev – this Russian surname comes from the given name Yakovlev, which is a form of the Hebrew name Jacob.
2) Yarovoy – this Russian surname comes from the given name Yarovoy, which is derived from the word for “spring”.
3) Yegorov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Yegor, which is derived from the Greek name George.
4) Yeliseyev – this Russian surname comes from the given name Yelisey, which is derived from the Greek name Elias.
5) Yusupov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Yusup, which is derived from the Arabic name Joseph.
6) Yakushin – this Russian surname comes from the given name Yakushin, which is derived from the word for “medicine man”.
7) Yemelyanov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Yemelyan, which is derived from the Greek name Demetrius.
8) Zubkov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Zubkov, which is derived from the word for “beet”.
9) Zharkov – this Russian surname comes from the given name Zharkov, which is derived from the word for “pig”.
10) Zadorozhny – this Russian surname comes from the given name Zadorozhny, which is derived from the word for “east”.
These are some Russian last names that start with the letter Y. As you can see, many of these surnames have Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, or Old Slavonic origins.
Pretty Russian Last Names
1) Tantlevskaya
2) Tolstikova
3) Svetlichnaya
4) Chernysheva
5) Zykina
6) Zakharova
7) Shelestova
8) Ivashchenko
9) Kiseleva
10) Kabanova
Long Russian Last Names
1) Zharkovskiy-Molchanov
2) Voytenkovskiy-Kolesnikov
3) Solomatova-Nikitina
4) Vasilevskaya-Smirnova
5) Yakovleva-Ulyanenko
6) Zubkova-Gromova
7) Zhukova-Lobanova
8) Yemelyanovna-Vladimirovna
9) Yusupova-Kuznetsova
10) Zadorozhnaya-Petrovna
Rare Russian Last Names
1) Yurovsky
There are some rare Russian last names that don’t fit into any of the above categories.
One example is the last name Yurovsky, which comes from the Russian word for “geographer.”
This last name is quite rare, as most Russians with this surname are descendants of a 18th-century nobleman who was given the title of “Count of Yurovsky” by Empress Catherine the Great.
2) Bersenev
3) Chaplinsky
4) Tolstoy
Other examples of rare Russian last names include Bersenev (from the Russian word for “birch tree”), Chaplinsky (from the Russian word for “chapel”), and Tolstoy (from the Russian word for “fat”).
These last names are quite rare, as most Russians with these surnames are descendants of 18th-century nobles who were given these titles by Empress Catherine the Great.
5) Tarasov
6) Goncharenko
7) Kislyakov
8) Sidorov
Some other examples of rare Russian last names include Tarasov (from the Russian word for “taras”, meaning “crane”), Goncharenko (from the Russian word for “gonchar”, meaning “potter”), and Sidorov (from the Russian word for “sidor”, meaning “cobbler”).
Americanized Russian Last Names
1) Pozdeev = Porter
2) Kravchuk = Cramer
3) Orlov = Orton
4) Tarasov = Tarrant
5) Yakovlev = Jacobs
6) Yemelyanov = Emerson
7) Zadorozhny = Zarinski
8) Zubkov = Cooper
9) Zharkov = Jarkoff
10) Zykina = Sikes
Russian Royal Last Names (Rich)
1) Romanov = Royal
2) Ivans = Of Ivan
3) Alexeiev = Son of Alexander
4) Vladimirov = Of Vladimir
5) Mikhailov = Of Michael
6) Dimitriev = Of Demetrius
7) Petrov = Of Peter
8) Dmitriev = Of Dmitry
With the exception of surname “Romanov”, all other surnames are patronymic surnames, meaning they indicate descent from a male ancestor with a given name.
For example, the surname “Ivans” indicates descent from Ivan, and the surname “Mikhailov” indicates descent from Mikhail.
FAQs – Russian Last Names
How do Russian last names work?
Russian names are structured as: [first name] [middle patronymic name] [surname].
In Russia, middle names usually indicate the patronymic name of the person’s father. For example, if a man’s name is Mikhail and his father’s name is Ivan, then his middle patronymic name would be Ivanovich, which means “son of Ivan.”
For the last name, women usually have an -a added to the end.
So Federov would be a male last name while Federova would be a female last name.
What are some common Russian last names?
Some common Russian last names include Ivanov (son of Ivan), Petrov (son of Peter), Sidorov (son of Sidor), and Vasiliev (son of Vasiliy).
What are some rare Russian last names?
Some rare Russian last names include Yurovsky (geographer), Chaplinsky (chapel), Tolstoy (fat), and Tarasov (crane).
How do I find out what my Russian last name means?
If you’re interested in finding out the meaning of your Russian last name, there are many resources on the internet you can use.
A google search will often help derive the meaning of your last name.
Conclusion – Russian Last Names
To conclude, there are many different types of Russian last names, ranging from common to rare.
The meaning of your Russian last name can often be found by doing a simple internet search.
