The life of every modern person cannot be imagined without a surname. If the name refers to the individuality of a person, then the surname connects us with our family, with members of our family. We designate ourselves as our ancestors did, living dozens, or even hundreds of years ago.
Curiously, a couple of centuries ago, most of the people who lived in Russia did not have a surname. It was only with representatives of the nobility and free people who were engaged in trade or served in the public service. Most of the Russian population was serfs, and their surnames were unnecessary.
Very often, instead of a surname, nicknames were used, which were given to their owner due to some individual feature. It is from these nicknames that the names later appeared. Before all, surnames appeared among residents of Nizhny Novgorod.
What are the most common surnames in Russia today? Which one is most common? You will probably say that the most common surname is Ivanov. We have prepared for you a list that includes the most common surnames in Russia. We will also try to explain how they arose.
1. Smirnov
This is the most common Russian surname to date. About 100 thousand Smirnovs live in the Moscow region alone. The reason for the widespread use of this surname is very simple: several centuries ago, the names Smirny and Smirena were very popular among the peasant community. Parents rejoiced when they had calm and quiet children and distinguished them from the crowd of screaming brothers and sisters (families were very large then). They greatly facilitated the lives of parents. It was from these names that the surname Smirnov was later formed. There are also numerous forms of this family name: Smirkin, Smirenkin, Smirenkov and others. They all have a similar origin.
It should also be added that the name 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.
2. Ivanov
The second most popular name in our country is Ivanov. The typical Russian name Ivan gave rise to a huge number of Ivanovs. The very name Ivan came from the church name John. By the way, it cannot be said that the surname Ivanov is widespread in Russia everywhere. There are regions where it is more common and areas where there are relatively few Ivanovs.
In the Church Holies, by which the names were given, the name John is mentioned more than 150 times.
Curiously, before the revolution, the name Ivanov was pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable, now it is pronounced with emphasis on the last syllable. Such an option seems to them more harmonious.
In Moscow, the number of Ivanovs is relatively small. Many more of them live in regional centers. It is also necessary to note a huge number of forms of this family name: Ivanchikov, Ivankov and many others.
By the way, other surnames were formed in exactly the same way, which have names basically: Sidorovs, Egorovs, Sergeevs, Semenovs and many others.
3. Kuznetsov
This is another very popular last name, which is in third place on our list. It is easy to guess that the surname came from a kind of human activity. In ancient times, the blacksmith was a fairly respected and wealthy man. Moreover, blacksmiths were often considered almost sorcerers and a little afraid. Still: this man knew the secrets of fire, he could make a plow, sword or horseshoe from a piece of ore.
This surname is very common in Moscow, and in some regions it is found most often. In Russia there are surnames that also originated from the blacksmith's craft, but are based on the Ukrainian or Belarusian name of the blacksmith. It is from these words that the surname Kovalev came from. By the way, similar surnames are widespread in the world: Smith, Schmidt, Herrero and Lee have the same origin. So smiths in old times were respected not only in Russia.
4. Popov
This is the fourth of the most popular surnames in Russia. This name was given not only to the clergy or their children, although this also happened. In olden times the names Pop and Popko were quite widespread. Especially religious parents gave them to their children.
Sometimes such a surname was given to a farm laborer or serf, working for a priest. This surname is most common in the north of Russia. In the Arkhangelsk region, there are most Popovs per one thousand people.
This surname has many forms: Popkov, Popovkin, Popovikovs.
5. Sokolov
In Russia, surnames that were based on the name of birds and animals have always been popular. Medvedev, Volkov, Skvortsov, Perepelkins - this list goes on and on. Among the first hundred of the most common Russian surnames, “animals” are very common. But among this "zoo" of this particular surname it was possible to become one of the most popular in the country. Why?
This surname 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. This was one of the most common non-church names. In general, it should be noted that Russians very often used bird names to create names. Some scholars even believe that this is due to the cult of birds that our ancestors had.
6. Lebedev
Another “bird” surname that was on our list. Researchers argue about its origin. The most plausible version of the appearance of the surname Lebedev is its origin from the non-church name Lebed. Some scientists associate this name 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 slaves who were supposed to deliver swans to the princely table. This was a special kind of tax.
Maybe this surname just arose because of a person’s worship of this beautiful bird. There is another theory regarding the surname Lebedev: it is believed that it was given to priests because of harmony.
7. Novikov
This is also a very common surname in Russia. Any newcomer, pioneer, alien from another region or a rookie was called newcomers in Russia. In ancient times, migration processes were quite active. Thousands of people left for new places, in search of a better share. And they all became newcomers. In ancient documents and chronicles, a lot of people are called newcomers and almost all of them are reported to be aliens. In ancient times, emphasis was usually placed on the second syllable.
8. Morozov
This is another surname that came from the name of the child. The name of the non-church. Usually, frosts were called children who were born in the winter in a severe cold. People believed that if you call the child that way, he will grow up strong, healthy, powerful. Already in the XIV century there are references to the boyars with the surname Morozov.
9. Kozlov
This last name, which takes the penultimate place in our list, also came from the name of the child. Yes, in olden times the son was sometimes called the Goat. Apparently, our distant ancestors did not observe anything wrong with this animal. On behalf of and a surname occurred. The boyar family of the Kozlovs is known.
10. Petrov
With this surname that closes our list the most common Russian surnames, everything is very clear: it came from the ancient and very popular name Peter. Peter was one of the apostles of Christ, he founded the Christian church and was considered a very strong patron for man. So this name was very popular.
The name Peter, and then the name Petrov, began to spread rapidly during the reign of Emperor Peter the Great. Although, up to this point, it was popular.
If you have not met your last name in this list - do not be sad. There are a lot of common surnames, this list can be continued up to a hundred surnames, or even up to a thousand.