Buy apparel, books, journals, census & surname info, cookbooks, gifts, maps, music or videos. (402) 474-3363. Their mother tongues were High German or Low German dialects although ethnic German communities had existed in Russia for many generations. Jews who arrived from Germany were usually given the surname Nemtsov, those who arrived from Poland became Poles. Germans responded in particularly large numbers due to poor conditions in their home regions. The "nationalities" of these surnames can be easily determined by almost every person. This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 03:02. Russian Germans in North America are descended from the many ethnic Germans from Russia who emigrated to North America . Patronymic surnames are formed by adding a suffix to the end of your father's name. They were primarily Volga Germans from the lower Volga River valley; Black Sea Germans from the Crimean Peninsula/Black Sea region; or Volhynian Germans from the governorate of Volhynia in what is Ukraine. Our team is comprised of parents, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the parenting space. Unfortunately, with the beginning of the summer of 2014, a new Pictolic is Informational entertainment portal for auditories to get useful information in pictures. Settling in Harvey County, Kansas, he built a water mill on the banks of the Little Arkansas River, the Halstead Milling and Elevator Company. Famous Namesakes: Innessa, Russian singer and songwriter. Pflger ("plowman") Schfer ("shepherd") Jger ("hunter") Becker ("baker") Koch ("cook") Mller ("miller") Schmied/Schmidt ("smith") Stellmacher ("carriage maker") Wagner ("wagon driver") Gerber ("leather preparer") Schuhmacher ("shoemaker") Weber ("weaver") Schneider ("tailor") Zimmermann ("carpenter") Kaufmann ("merchant") Use the list to find your last name and learn about its meaning and origins. Originates from the secular name or nickname that meant 'white, female: Kiselyova. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_surnames_in_Russia&oldid=1147934776, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with Russian-language sources (ru), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 03:49. Lebedev (swan) 7. [18], During the interwar period, conditions in Russia worsened, especially after the Revolution and the Great Famine of 1921. In fact, such surnames have different origins. As for the surname Abramov, it may well be considered Russian. [10] Despite the loss of their language, the Volga Germans have remained distinct and left a lasting impression on the American West.[11]. Canadian Slavonic Papers / Revue Canadienne Des Slavistes 4 (January 1, 1959): 160175. [8] Later, during the period of suburbanization, many of their descendants moved out to outlying areas such as Maywood and Melrose Park. All mean "descendant of Peter". Pfeifer (Gnilushka), Russia - Surnames. Maia Nikitina is a writer and Russian language translator. (1976). Most people believe that these surnames are originally Russian, but historically they are mostly worn by Jews. 100 Jewish Last Names 1. Our list of the most popular Slavic names and names with Slavic origins helps you learn your culture from A-Z. KLEIN - LITTLE. Goerz, H. German Russians in British Columbia, Canada, n.d. Koch, Fred C. The Volga Germans: In Russia and the Americas, from 1763 to the Present. Adam ( Norka) Adler ( Kolb, Brunnental) Adolph ( Hussenbach) Albach ( Paulskoye, Beauregard) Albert ( Walter) Albert ( Kind) Albrecht ( Norka) Alles ( Walter) Alt ( Norka) Altergott ( Dnhof) Amen ( Frank, Walter) Appel ( Pobochnaya) Appelhans ( Rothammel) Aqua ( Keller, Neu-Kolonie) Arndt ( Kolb) Arnhold ( Ernestinendorf) Those that came at the invitation of Catherine were farmers needed to develop the vast steppes. University of Toronto Press, 1999. [14] In the 1890s, twelve Catholic families established Rastadt-Dorf, and another twenty-one settled Katherinetal. Actually, there are really only three surnames (and their variations) that are generally specifically Jewish: Cohen, Levy, and Israel.Yet, even variations of these common Jewish-specific surnames may not be Jewish in origin. Access archives, collections, ancestor lists, records, genealogy, immigration, books, charts & other resources. Moelleken, Wolfgang W. Diaphonic Correspondences in the Low German of Mennonites from the Fraser Valley, British Columbia. Zeitschrift fr Mundartforschung 34, no. By 1930, 450 families of the Evangelical faith were living in that area, most of whom originated from Wiesenseite. The Volga Germans' dialects was also maintained by the churches, especially for Mennonite.[23]. A Slavic name suffix is a common way of forming patronymics, family names, and pet names in the Slavic languages. The people often settled together from the same region of Germany and so spoke the same German dialect. Some signified an ancestral people or homeland, such as MacDhubhghaill (son of a dark-haired foreigner; referring to one type of Scandinavian), MacFhionnghaill (son of a fair-haired foreigner; also referring to a Scandinavian people), MacLachlainn or MacLachlainneach (son of a Scandinavian). In Russia, where patronyms are used, a person may have two, Russia, Serbia (especially in Vojvodina), Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Ukraine (rare), Ukraine (to a lesser extent in Belarus, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia), Comes from the physically smaller of a noun; possibly coming from the younger son or daughter of a family. In many parts of the United States, they tend to have blended to a large degree with the "regular" German Americans, who are much more numerous than Russian Germans in the northern half of the United States. Since the villages in Russia often were populated by settlers from a particular region and isolated from Germany, they maintained their regional dialects. Baumann - also meaning "farmer," this surname is earthy and honest. The prairie lands abutting the United States border experienced Dust Bowl conditions, which sent swarms of families to the coastal areas of British Columbia. Do you really think that these surnames are Russian? Eventually, the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. Later Russia's capital city was changed to Moscow. Baykalov Russian. Many Volga Germans emigrated from the United States to Western Canada from 1890 to1909. This is taken from the Hebrew name 'hevel' meaning 'breath,' 'vanity' or 'vapor.'. Let's get started. Celebrities with Germans from Russia ancestors: Many German-speaking people also settled in related regions, including, for example, Russian Poland. [citation needed] For example, a minister of the Orthodox Church, who was popularly called "schoolchildren", could get the surname of Schoolchildren. For example, a woman named Lyudmila Ivanovna Alekseev would be the daughter of a man named Ivan. As for the surname Abramov, it may well be considered Russian. Previously, the name Abram was quite popular in Russia, and this surname appeared thanks to him. Shoe repair specialists became Shoemakers, painters Dyers. Surname Charts About AHSGR German Russian Surname Charts AHSGR German Russian surname chart lists delineate the various ancestral charts that have been purchased by AHSGR members from researchers in Russia. The immigrants settled mainly in the colonies of St. Peter and St. Joseph, East and West of Saskatoon, in central Saskatchewan. Many Volga Germans sought to leave the Soviet Union but faced opposition from a government that did not wish to see such a large portion of its population leave. doi:10.2307/40866073. Belikov Russian. Most Popular Russian Last Names on FamilyEducation: Volkov, Romanoff, Kuznetsov, Bortnik, Gusev,Kuznetsov, Bortnik, Gusev. Members-only access to files, clues & articles as well as discounts and free museum & library access. Find out his reasons when Mark joins us as the keynote speaker at the AHSGR Convention in Greeley, Colorado. Also included were Plautdietsch-speaking Mennonites of Dutch ancestry, who are now mostly referred to as Russian Mennonites despite their origins and Low German language, as well as Hutterites, both of whom sought religious freedom. Kloberdanz, Timothy J. Derived from Russian (basisty) meaning "having bass, deep voice". The individual (s) or village chart coordinator commissioning the chart are listed on each. Can also be spelled as Andreyev / Andreyeva, female: Belyaeva. Many pushed further west and settled in British Columbia. For more details about these "Germans" see the Historical Geography page. Kozlov (goat) 8. A Slavic name suffix is a common way of forming patronymics, family names, and pet names in the Slavic languages. In order to "merge" with the local population, they took other surnames, for example, Kaganovich, Novik or Medinsky. For example, Volkov means wolf and Bykov means bull. For more parenting tips and tricks, find us on Pinterest: Are you a writer, expert, or influencer? Although the above describes the beginnings of major German migration into Russia, it should also be noted that many Germans lived there prior to the time of Catherine. The first Russian surnames were Slavic pagan names that described the person's character or a particular trait, and, less often, occupation. Privacy Policy. Russia is by far the largest country in the world, and fittingly the history of Russia is rich and expansive. They often succeeded in dryland farming, which they had practiced in Russia. All mean "descendant of a blacksmith". (2019) Surnames in modern Russia. The federal Wartime Elections Act, passed in September 1917, revoked the citizenship of any German naturalized after March 1902. Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. pp. Those conditions led to German mass migrations from Russia. Most Slavic surnames have suffixes which are found in varying degrees over the different . Can also be spelled as Vasiliev / Vasilieva, female: Nikolaeva. Outside those areas, they also settled in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York State, Oregon, Washington State, Wisconsin, and California's Fresno County in the Central Valley. As you can see, a person's last name alone is not enough to determine which nationality he belongs to. 2023 American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. This page was last edited on 30 March 2023, at 12:58. Make a Tax Deductible Donation Contact Us 631 D St Lincoln, NE 68502 (402) 474-3363 Monday - Friday 9am-4pm Saturday & Sunday Closed Nov 23 & 24 Closed Dec 25 - Jan 1 Closed They are also seen in North America, Argentina, and Australia. Smirnov (peaceful, quiet) 2. Russian surnames appearedat different times in different classes of Russian society. But what about the Novikovs, Yakovlevs and Yusupovs? Below is a list of common Slavic family names representing the varied languages of Slavic culture. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. The 10 Most Common German surnames (with English translations) Becker - baker Fischer - fisherman Hoffmann / Hofmann - courtier or steward Meier or Meyer - manorial landlord, or later, a self-employed farmer Mller - miller Schmidt - smith Schneider - tailor Schulz - sheriff (medieval) Wagner - wainwright (maker & repairer of wagons) Weber - weaver The Volga Germans who flocked to Canada in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries came from different religious backgrounds, including Lutheran, Catholic, and Mennonite. The last group, named after the founder Menno Simons, was the largest portion of the immigrant population. [20] Throughout the period after World War II, new immigrants joined their families in British Columbia and congregated in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. The subsequent rise of Nazi Germany, with its concern about ethnic Germans in other lands and proselytizing to the German Volk, led to suspicions of any Germans in Russia. The following list includes the 40 most popular contemporary Russian surnames, their meanings, and variations. Novikov (new) 9. A passenger walks past a wall decorated with the names of Russian writers and poets at Rasskazovka metro station in Moscow. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. Like other Slavic languages, Russian names also follow a patronymic pattern by adding -nov or -nova for the son of or daughter of to a given name. L. Elizabeth Forry is an Early Childhood Educator with 15 years of classroom experience. Many, if not most, Slavic last names are formed by adding possessive and other suffixes to given names and other words. Negatively influenced by the violation of their rights and cultural persecution by the tsar, the Russian Germans who settled in the northern Midwest saw themselves a downtrodden ethnic group that was separate from Russian Americans and had an entirely different experience from the German Americans who had immigrated from German lands. From 1873 to 1879, Mennonites formed block settlements in Manitoba such as the East Reserve and West Reserve, with a total of close to 7,000 members. From time immemorial, surnames ending in "-ich" or "-skyy" are considered "Jewish" in Russia. Czech last names are a melting pot of Czech, German, and Slovak. After emigrating from Russia to the Americas, the Germans kept speaking their dialects. The empire of Kyiv eventually dissolved in the 13th century due to the invasion of the Mongols. This is similar to the use of "-son" or "-sen" in Germanic languages. Most of these Germans were probably associated with trades such as mining, lumber, etc., the professions such as medicine or legal, as well as the arts. Category:Russian surnames from German Edit category data Recent changes Newest pages ordered by last category link update Oldest pages ordered by last edit Other Germans, especially those in Volhynia, arrived because of the availability of cheap land. Sackett, S. J. The economy of the Prairies and much of the rest of Canada was dependent on the success of wheat farming. 3/4 (December 1, 1967): 240253. Many surnames, especially occupational and descriptive surnames, were changed to the English equivalent of the German. Wheat had been a staple crop for the Volga Germans in Russia and adapted well to the climate of Western Canada. It is the 9th most popular name in the world, with over 2.5 million people called Smirnov. The Russians and Ukrainians share many familiar names and words, so some names popular in one country may also be shared in the other. German Last Names and Their Meanings [deleted] 1 yr. ago My great-grandmother's name was Baldermann. Albrecht - a first and last name of German origin, with the radiant meanings of "noble, bright.". Russian Germans in North America are descended from the many ethnic Germans from Russia who emigrated to North America. During World War I, their identity was challenged by anti-German sentiment. Anderson, Alan B. The smaller villages were often settled by colonists of a common religious denomination who had come from the same area and so a town is made up of German-speaking Catholics, Lutherans, or Jews, for instance. 631 D St "St. Josephs Colony, Katherinetal Colony, Kronau-Rastadt, and Odessa (18861904)." The Canadian Prairies: A History (Student ed.). In 1932 and 1933, the Soviet authorities forced starvation among the Volga Germans according to Western observers. Slavic languages are Indo-European and include three main categories: Eastern Slavic languages, Western Slavic languages, and Southern Slavic languages. . Use these as suggestions to set meaningful goals and to select the records that will help you achieve your research goals. Warkentin's greatest contribution to Kansas was the introduction of hard Turkey Wheat into Kansas, which replaced the soft variety grown exclusively in the state. Russians often use the expression ', , ' (Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov) when talking about the average Russian. Soviet authorities seized food supplies under the pretext of famine in the rest of the Soviet Union, and they ordered the breakup of many German villages.[1]. They raised large families, built German-style churches, buried their dead in distinctive cemeteries by using wrought iron grave markers,[9] and created choir groups that sang German church hymns. There are almost 100,000 Ivanovs just in Moscow, despite the fact that the majority of Ivanovs live in Russian regions. Most people believe that these surnames are originally Russian, but historically they are mostly worn by Jews. Large-scale immigration to the Americas started in the 1870s and continued until the 1917 Revolution, when travel and emigration were stopped.[5][6]. Many immigrants who arrived between 1870 and 1912 spent a period doing farm labor, especially in northeastern Colorado and in Montana along the lower Yellowstone River in sugar beet fields. Like other Slavic languages, Russian names also follow a patronymic pattern by adding -nov or -nova for the son of or daughter of to a given name. The Most Popular Russian Surnames and Their Origins, Changes in Russian Surnames Over the Centuries. He documented life in the ethnic German communities in Russia, the immigration experience, work and social life in the United States, and interaction between the Russian-German communities and the wider society in both Russia and the United States. The Meanings and Origins of Spanish Surnames, 20 Common Australian Surnames and Their Meanings, Learn This Patronymic Surname Meaning "Son of Robert", The Meaning and Origin of the Last Name 'Thomas', with over 2.5 million people called Smirnov, from the secular (mirskoe) name/nickname Novik, which comes from the word 'new', M.F.A., Creative Writing, Manchester Metropolitan University, Diploma in Translation (IoLet Level 7, Russian), Chartered Institute of Linguists. In the 2000 Census, North Dakota reported 43.9% of the population identified as having German ancestry. As publishing costs rose and the internet became available GRHS finally decided to only distribute the Stammbaum data online. Please consider donating in the area of your choice. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. [12] They were often described as looking like Russians but sounding like Germans. Today, Russia exists as a modern democratic state also referred to as the Russian Federation. A court in Germany has rejected a married couple's request to legally change their Russian-sounding surname due to them getting mocked mercilessly on a daily basis since the start of the war in . Lincoln, NE 68502 After living under Stalins horrifying regime, should they run in retreat from the wolves they despise or search for freedom with the devils they dont know? Many settlements were renamed to disguise their obvious German origin. A smaller number moved farther west and found employment as ranchers and cowboys. Browse photos, quilts, Bibles, music, instruments, wedding dresses, clothing and furniture. Without the generosity of AHSGRs donors, we would not be able to provide extensive resources that are both invaluable & imperative to keeping our heritage alive. But Ukrainian names also use -yshyn, - enko, -chuk, and -vich. Many such surnames are found among Russian Jews. The scouts had been reliant on the assistance of established Mennonite groups such as those found in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and in Ontario. Russians often use the expression ', , ' (Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov) when talking about the average Russian. Writes the blogger samsebeskazal: The inhabitants of lower Manhattan really got excited today when they saw this. FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Despite these obstacles, there are other sources you can use to find ancestors who were Germans from Russia. [16] The communities were centered around religious homogeneity, the insistence on the tenets of adult baptism, and the refusal to bear arms or to swear an oath. Many families living in the Jefferson Park central business district along Lawrence and Milwaukee Avenue have Volga German immigrant ancestors. [citation needed] The upper Great Plains of the United States and southern Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in Canada have large areas that are populated primarily by descendants of Germans from Russia. The Serbo-Croatian language is part of the South Slavic Language family and is spoken in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Toronto and London: University of Toronto Press. 3. The Russian aristocracy began using last names to differentiate between two people of the same name in the 17th century, while peasants didn't begin adopting surnames until the feudal system was abolished late in the 19th century. In the 1550s, Ivan IV became Russia's first Tsar after successfully driving away the Mongols. In addition, the upper Great Plains still had arable land available for free settlement under the Homestead Act. Therefore, surnames like Tryapkin, Sechin, Galkin, Dolina, Shokhin and so on can be safely considered Jewish. Publications, events, conventions and storytelling contests keep our German Russian heritage alive & thriving. The answer to this question and the refutation of the most common myths associated with "native Russian" surnames, you will find in our material. Abelman From an old German word meaning "noble one." 3. (2020, August 25). In addition to the large population of Volga Germans that settled on the American prairie, many also settled in the Canadian West. Globus Spezial (n.d.): 191192. Yumaguzin V.V., Vinnik M.V. Sitemap. The most common or well-known languages included Russian, Polish, Czech, Ukrainian, and Serbo-Croatian. Apply this search to the user-submitted names, the letters in the pattern are compared to the letters in the name, search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes, this field understands simple boolean logic, force a term to be included by preceding it with a, force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a, sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations, syllables can only be counted in names that have been assigned pronunciations, names without pronunciations are excluded from results, the "relationship" is how the name relates to its parent name. In the early 1870s, the Canadian government had begun to create promotional programs in Europe to entice settlers to the largely-unsettled western areas in what would become Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia. In the 1950s it was still common for children in the Dakotas to speak in English and for the parents and grandparents to use German. Keywords: Jews | Israel | Israelis | People | Nationalities | Russians | Surname. Need help finding your Russian town where your Germans came from? Smirnov Russian. In East Slavic languages (Belarusian, Russian, Rusyn, and Ukrainian) the same system of name suffixes can be used to express several meanings. Also, many Jewish surnames came from nicknames. The Volga Germans in Old Russia and in Western North America: Their Changing World View. Anthropological Quarterly 48, no. [14] In the early 20th century, many immigrants moved from the United States to Canada in search of inexpensive land and greater social autonomy. You generally can't identify Jewish ancestry by a surname alone. Originally recruited and welcomed to the Russian Empire in the 18th century, when they were promised to be allowed to practice own language and religions and to be exempted from compulsory military service, the Russian Germans found increasing hardship. While some of them were nicknames bestowed on a person during their life, others were names that newborn babies were given as an intention for the kind of character or life they would have, or to describe the conditions surrounding the baby's birth, such as particularly cold weather. Thw latter kind of Kuchen has been the state dessert of South Dakota since 2013. Czech last names are a melting pot of Czech, German, and Slovak. Nikitina, Maia. Many Germans in the Americas sent donations back to their communities, but others permanently lost contact with their relatives during the social disruptions of the Ukrainian famine, Stalin's Great Purge, and World War II. Chicago now has the largest number of ethnic Volga Germans in North America. The second section was a list of surnames being researched and the member codes of members interested in each surname. [2] In some areas, his forces attempted to bulldoze the German churches and reused their tombstones for paving blocks. female: Vassilieva. His novel, The Last Green Valley, chronicles the Martels, Germans who have farmed in the Russian Empire (currently Ukraine) for more than a century. While the surname Ivanov came from a first name, another popular Russian surname, Smirnov, originated from a nickname that means 'the quiet one' (). The same list includes some Novikov, Yakovlev, Zakharov and Kazakov. Surname Exchange - Germans from Russia Research Surname Exchange Surname Exchange The Surname Exchange consists of the following two documents which correspond to the original two sections in the Staumbaum : The Surname Exchange List contains all the surnames currently on file and the code numbers of members who are researching those surnames. "Rulanddeutsche in Der Kanadischen Prire." So they managed to impersonate Russians or Poles. Myth 2. Once they were used to indicate the name of the area where the ancestors of man lived. HEIER, EDMUND. Try the "How to" Guide that helps you figure that out. Canada was seen as a new frontier and a place of vast land but little settlement. 2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Migration to Canada and the United States by Russian Germans (German: Deutsche aus Russland or Russlanddeutsche; Russian: , romanized:rossiyskiye nemtsy) peaked in the late 19th century. Since the reunification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the declining conditions in Russia, many ethnic Germans still living in the lands of the former Soviet Union sought German repatriation. BECKER - BAKER. For example, the composer Sergei Rachmaninov, as it turned out, has Jewish roots, and he received his surname from the male name Rahman, which means "merciful" in Russian. Migration to Canada and the United States by Russian Germans (German: Deutsche aus Russland or Russlanddeutsche; Russian: , romanized : rossiyskiye nemtsy) peaked in the late 19th century. The Members Code List contains a cross reference of member code numbers with their corresponding mailing address. This surname comes from the first name Ivan, which was for centuries a very common name, especially among the peasant class. These suffixes indicate the individuals fathers name or where they are from. Few people know, but some popular supposedly Russian surnames are actually Jewish. About 100,000 Volga Germans immigrated by 1900 and settled primarily in the Dakotas, Kansas, and Nebraska. Unlike many other immigrants to the Americas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Germans from Russia wanted to continue farming and settled in agricultural areas, rather than industrial cities. Lutheran and Catholic Volga Germans were also significant migrants to Canada but lacked the organization of their Mennonite brethren. Please consider donating in the area of your choice. Derived from Russian (smirny) meaning "quiet, peaceful, timid". Peak Popularity: Innessa is a unique name and can't be found in the top 1000 list of girl's names in the United States. During the 1970s, Dr. Kenneth Rock, a professor of history at Colorado State University, collected 60 oral histories of Russian German immigrants and their descendants as part of the "Germans from Russia in Colorado" Study Project. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. "The Top 40 Russian Surnames and Meanings." For additional details about family history research in these countries see also: Germans from Russia Settlement Locations Map, https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Germans_from_Russia_Genealogy&oldid=5277657. Slavic name suffixes. Lenin created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(U.S.S.R.) from Russia and 14 other republics, including Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia. Search villages, regions, colony groups, Village Coordinator (VC) info and members-only village files. In the 1980s, tensions rose between the U.S.S.R and the United States, leading to the Cold War. 100 Russian Last Names 1. But surnames like Preobrazhensky or Rozhdestvensky, in which there is also a "Jewish" ending "-ski", were previously issued to graduates of seminaries and were purely religious in nature. German remains the second-most-spoken language in North and South Dakota, and Germans from Russia sometimes use loanwords, such as Kuchen for 'cake' although that word is primarily used for the sweet bread dessert made in a pie plate with topping like fruits or cottage cheese.