There are many misconceptions about the nationality of certain surnames. Thus, some surnames are traditionally considered Jewish, while others are considered Russian. Although this may not be the case.
Myths about Jewish surnames

So, any of our compatriots identifies as Jewish surnames Abramovich, Bergman, Ginzburg, Goldman, Zilberman, Katzman, Cohen, Kramer, Levin, Malkin, Rabinovich, Rivkin, Feldstein, Etkind.

It is generally accepted that all surnames with the suffix “-sky” or “-ich” are Jewish in Russia. But in fact, these are most often the surnames of Polish or Ukrainian origin, indicating the name of the area where the person’s ancestors came from. And they can be worn by both Jews and Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians... And surnames such as Preobrazhensky or Rozhdestvensky were given to seminary graduates, most of whom were Russian.

Another mistake is to consider all surnames with the suffixes “-ov” or “-in” to be Russian. In Russia, indeed, most surnames have such suffixes. But they all have different origins: some were given by the names of their parents, others by their professional affiliation, and others by nicknames. During administrative recording of documents, surnames could be “Russified.” So, who would think that the Russian composer Rachmaninov has Jewish roots? But the surname Rachmaninov owes its origin to the Hebrew “Rahman”, which means “merciful” - this is one of the names of God.
What surnames do Jews in Russia have?

Mass emigration of Jews to Russia began during the time of Catherine II, after the annexation of Poland. In order to assimilate with the local population, representatives of the Jewish people sometimes took surnames similar to Russian or Polish ones: Medinsky, Novik, Kaganovich.

There is also a group of surnames of non-Jewish origin, which, however, are predominantly worn by Jews: Zakharov, Kazakov, Novikov, Polyakov, Yakovlev. This is how it happened historically.
Jewish surnames that we mistake for Russian

Russian Jews were often given surnames based on their professional affiliation or the profession of their parents. So, the Russian surname Shkolnikov seems to come from “schoolboy” (that’s what they called a servant in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church). Many Jews have this surname. The surname Shelomov comes from “shelom”. Its representatives were helmet makers. Dyers and Sapozhnikov - these are the names of Jews whose ancestors were engaged in painting and sewing shoes. These were common Jewish professions in pre-revolutionary Russia. We are accustomed to considering the Russian surname Moiseev, but it comes from Jewish name Moses! The same thing with the surname Avdeev. But Abramov is really a Russian surname: in Rus' there was also the name Abram!

The surnames Shapkin, Tryapkin, Portyankin come from Jewish nicknames. Few people think that the Jewish surnames Galkin, Dolin, Kotin, Lavrov, Plotkin, Sechin, Shokhin, Shuvalov are Jewish...

Everyone knows that Lenin’s comrade-in-arms, Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee Yakov Mikhailovich Sverdlov was a Jew. It was even rumored that he real name Katz. But in fact, he never changed his surname: Sverdlov is a fairly common surname among Jews.

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There are many misconceptions about the nationality of certain surnames. Thus, some surnames are traditionally considered Jewish, while others are considered Russian. Although this may not be the case.

Myths about Jewish surnames

Thus, any of our compatriots identifies as Jewish surnames Abramovich, Bergman, Ginzburg, Goldman, Zilberman, Katsman, Cohen, Kramer, Levin, Malkin, Rabinovich, Rivkin, Feldstein, Etkind.

It is generally accepted that all surnames with the suffix “-sky” or “-ich” are Jewish in Russia. But in fact, these are most often surnames of Polish or Ukrainian origin, indicating the name of the area where the person’s ancestors are from. And they can be worn by both Jews and Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians... And surnames such as Preobrazhensky or Rozhdestvensky were given to seminary graduates, most of whom were Russian.

Another mistake is to consider all surnames with the suffixes “-ov” or “-in” to be Russian. In Russia, indeed, most surnames have such suffixes. But they all have different origins: some were given by the names of their parents, others by their professional affiliation, and others by nicknames. During administrative recording of documents, surnames could be “Russified.” So, who would think that the Russian composer Rachmaninov has Jewish roots? But the surname Rachmaninov owes its origin to the Hebrew “Rahman”, which means “merciful” - this is one of the names of God.

What surnames do Jews in Russia have?

Mass emigration of Jews to Russia began during the time of Catherine II, after the annexation of Poland. In order to assimilate with the local population, representatives of the Jewish people sometimes took surnames similar to Russian or Polish ones: Medinsky, Novik, Kaganovich.

There is also a group of surnames of non-Jewish origin, which, however, are predominantly worn by Jews: Zakharov, Kazakov, Novikov, Polyakov, Yakovlev. This is how it happened historically.

Jewish surnames that we mistake for Russian

Russian Jews were often given surnames based on their professional affiliation or the profession of their parents. So, the Russian surname Shkolnikov seems to come from “schoolboy” (that’s what a servant was called in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church). Many Jews have this surname. The surname Shelomov comes from “shelom”. Its representatives were helmet makers. Dyers and Sapozhnikov - these are the names of Jews whose ancestors were engaged in painting and sewing shoes. These were common Jewish professions in pre-revolutionary Russia. We are accustomed to considering the Russian surname Moiseev, but it comes from the Hebrew name Moses! The same thing with the surname Avdeev. But Abramov is really a Russian surname: in Rus' there was also the name Abram!

The surnames Shapkin, Tryapkin, Portyankin come from Jewish nicknames. Few people think that the Jewish surnames Galkin, Dolin, Kotin, Lavrov, Plotkin, Sechin, Shokhin, Shuvalov are Jewish...

Everyone knows that Lenin’s comrade-in-arms, Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee Yakov Mikhailovich Sverdlov was a Jew. It was even rumored that his real name was Katz. But in fact, he never changed his surname: Sverdlov is a fairly common surname among Jews.

There are many misconceptions about the nationality of certain surnames. Thus, some surnames are traditionally considered Jewish, while others are considered Russian. Although this may not be the case.

Myths about Jewish surnames

Thus, any of our compatriots identifies as Jewish surnames Abramovich, Bergman, Ginzburg, Goldman, Zilberman, Katsman, Cohen, Kramer, Levin, Malkin, Rabinovich, Rivkin, Feldstein, Etkind.

It is generally accepted that all surnames with the suffix “-sky” or “-ich” are Jewish in Russia. But in fact, these are most often surnames of Polish or Ukrainian origin, indicating the name of the area where the person’s ancestors are from. And they can be worn by both Jews and Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians... And surnames such as Preobrazhensky or Rozhdestvensky were given to seminary graduates, most of whom were Russian.

Another mistake is to consider all surnames with the suffixes “-ov” or “-in” to be Russian. In Russia, indeed, most surnames have such suffixes. But they all have different origins: some were given by the names of their parents, others by their professional affiliation, and others by nicknames. During administrative recording of documents, surnames could be “Russified.” So, who would think that the Russian composer Rachmaninov has Jewish roots? But the surname Rachmaninov owes its origin to the Hebrew “Rahman”, which means “merciful” - this is one of the names of God.

What surnames do Jews in Russia have?

Mass emigration of Jews to Russia began during the time of Catherine II, after the annexation of Poland. In order to assimilate with the local population, representatives of the Jewish people sometimes took surnames similar to Russian or Polish ones: Medinsky, Novik, Kaganovich.

There is also a group of surnames of non-Jewish origin, which, however, are predominantly worn by Jews: Zakharov, Kazakov, Novikov, Polyakov, Yakovlev. This is how it happened historically.

Jewish surnames that we mistake for Russian

Russian Jews were often given surnames based on their professional affiliation or the profession of their parents. So, the Russian surname Shkolnikov seems to come from “schoolboy” (that’s what a servant was called in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church). Many Jews have this surname. The surname Shelomov comes from “shelom”. Its representatives were helmet makers. Dyers and Sapozhnikov - these are the names of Jews whose ancestors were engaged in painting and sewing shoes. These were common Jewish professions in pre-revolutionary Russia. We are accustomed to considering the Russian surname Moiseev, but it comes from the Hebrew name Moses! The same thing with the surname Avdeev. But Abramov is really a Russian surname: in Rus' there was also the name Abram!
The surnames Shapkin, Tryapkin, Portyankin come from Jewish nicknames. Few people think that the Jewish surnames Galkin, Dolin, Kotin, Lavrov, Plotkin, Sechin, Shokhin, Shuvalov are Jewish...

Everyone knows that Lenin’s comrade-in-arms, Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee Yakov Mikhailovich Sverdlov was a Jew. It was even rumored that his real name was Katz. But in fact, he never changed his surname: Sverdlov is a fairly common surname among Jews.

Anthroponymy specialists count over 500 noble and noble families that were originally of Tatar origin. Among them are Aksakovs, Alyabyevs, Apraksins, Berdyaev, Bunins, Bukharins, Godunovs, Gorchakovs, Dashkov, Derzhavins, Ermolovs, Kadyshevs, Mashkovs, Naryshkin, Ogarev, Peshkovs, Radishchevs, Transchanes, Ryazanovs, Timiryazevs, Turgenevs, Ulanovs, Chaadeva, Chaadeva, Chaadevs Sheremetevs, Yusupovs and many others.

For example, the surname Anichkovs. Its ancestors came from the Horde. The first mention of them dates back to 1495. The Atlasovs' ancestors bore the common Tatar surname Atlasi. The Kozhevnikovs, according to one version, received this surname not at all from the profession of a tanner, but from family name, which included the word “khoja” (in Tatar “lord”). New surname representatives of this family were assigned after they entered the service of Ivan III. The Karamzins descended from the Tatar Kara Murza (which literally means “Black Prince”). The surname itself has been known since the 16th century. At first, its representatives bore the surname Karamza, and then turned into the Karamzins. The most famous descendant of this family is the writer, poet and historian N.M. Karamzin.

Most Tatar surnames come from the name borne by one of the male ancestors in the family. In ancient times, the surname was given by the father, but in early XIX centuries, both children and grandchildren bore the same surname. After arrival Soviet power these names were enshrined in official documents and did not change. Many surnames were given by profession.

Thus, the surname Baksheev came from “bakshi” (scribe), Karaulov - from “karavyl” (guard), Beketov - from “beket” (the so-called teacher of the khan’s son), Tukhachevsky - from “tukhachi” (standard bearer). The surname Suvorov, which we are accustomed to consider Russian, became known in the 15th century. It comes from the profession of a horseman (in Tatar - “suvor”). The first person to bear this surname was the serviceman Goryain Suvorov, who was mentioned in the chronicles for 1482. Subsequently, a legend was invented that the founder of the Suvorov family was a Swede named Suvore, who settled in Russia in 1622. But the surname Tatishchev was assigned by Grand Duke Ivan III to Ivan Shah’s nephew, Prince Solomersky, who was something of an investigator and was distinguished by his ability to quickly identify thieves, who were called “tats” in Tatar. But much more often, Tatar surnames were based on the distinctive qualities of their bearers. So, the ancestors of the Bazarovs received this nickname because they were born on market days. The brother-in-law (husband of his wife’s sister) was called “bazha” in Tatar, hence the surname Bazhanov.

The Tatars called respected people “Velyamin”, and this is how the Russian surname Veliaminov was born, later changed to Velyaminov. Proud people were called “Bulgaks”, hence the surname Bulgakov. Beloved and loving people were called “Dauds” or “Davuds”, later this was transformed into Davydovs. The surname Zhdanov became widespread in Rus' in the 15th-17th centuries. Presumably it comes from the word “vijdan”, which in Tatar meant both passionate lovers and religious fanatics.

The surname Akchurin stands apart. In Russian version Tatar surnames usually have the ending -ov(-ev) or -in(-yn). But certain family names, derived from the names of the Tatar Murzas, were left unchanged even in documents: Enikei, Akchurin, Divey. In the surname Akchurin, “-in” is not a Russian ending, it is part of an ancient family name. One of the variants of its pronunciation is “ak-chura” - “white hero”. Among the representatives of the Akchurin family, whose ancestor is the Mishar-Mordovian prince Adash, who lived in the 15th century, there were famous officials, diplomats, and military men. Of course, it is simply impossible to list all Russian surnames with Tatar roots. To do this, you need to know the etymology of each specific surname.

We've probably all heard the saying:

« Scratch a Russian and you will find a Tatar! »

Russian and Tatar culture were in such close contact with each other that today we sometimes do not even suspect the Tatar origin of some Russian surnames...

How did Tatar surnames appear in Rus'?

Russian surnames Tatar origin appeared, of course, during the period Tatar-Mongol yoke. Then many Tatars served at the court of Ivan the Terrible and other Russian tsars. A lot has happened mixed marriages between representatives of the Russian and Tatar nobility. As a result, anthroponymic experts count over 500 noble and noble families that were originally of Tatar origin.

Russian Tsar Boris Godunov

Among them Aksakovs, Alyabyevs, Apraksins, Berdyaevs, Bunins, Bukharins, Godunovs, Gorchakovs, Dashkovs, Derzhavins, Ermolovs, Kadyshevs, Mashkovs, Naryshkins, Ogarevs, Peshkovs, Radishchevs, Rastopchins, Ryazanovs, Timiryazevs, Turgenevs, Ulanovs, Khrushchevs, Chaadaevs, Emetevs, Yusupovs and many others.

Examples of the origin of Russian surnames from the Tatars

Take, for example, the last name Anichkovs. Its ancestors came from the Horde. The first mention of them dates back to 1495. The Atlasovs' ancestors bore the common Tatar surname Atlasi.

Kozhevnikovs, according to one version, they received this surname not at all from the tanner’s profession, but from their family surname, which included the word “Khoja” (in Tatar “lord”). Representatives of this family were given a new surname after they entered the service of Ivan III in 1509.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin - historian, poet, prose writer,

Russian reformer literary language

Karamzins descended from the Tatar Kara Murza (which literally means “Black Prince”). The surname itself has been known since the 16th century. At first, its representatives bore the surname Karamza, and then turned into the Karamzins. The most famous descendant of this family is the writer, poet and historian N.M. Karamzin.

Types of Tatar surnames in Russia

Most Tatar surnames come from the name borne by one of the male ancestors in the family. In ancient times, the surname was given by the father, but at the beginning of the 19th century both children and grandchildren bore the same surname. After the advent of Soviet power, these surnames were enshrined in official documents and did not change.

Many surnames were given by profession. Yes, last name Baksheev came from “bakshi” (scribe), Karaulov- from “karavyl” (guard), Beketov- from “beket” (the so-called teacher of the khan’s son), Tukhachevsky- from “tukhachi” (standard bearer).

Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov - Russian commander

Surname Suvorov, which we are accustomed to consider Russian, became known in the 15th century. It comes from the profession of a horseman (in Tatar - “suvor”). The first person to bear this surname was the serviceman Goryain Suvorov, who was mentioned in the chronicles for 1482. Subsequently, a legend was invented that the founder of the Suvorov family was a Swede named Suvore, who settled in Russia in 1622.

And here is the last name Tatishchev was assigned by Grand Duke Ivan III to Ivan Shah’s nephew, Prince Solomersky, who was something of an investigator and was distinguished by his ability to quickly identify thieves, who were called “tats” in Tatar.

But much more often, Tatar surnames were based on the distinctive qualities of their bearers. So, the ancestors of the Bazarovs received this nickname because they were born on market days. The brother-in-law (husband of his wife’s sister) was called “bazha” in Tatar, hence the surname Bazhanov. The Tatars called respected people “Veliamin”, this is how the Russian surname Veliaminov was born, later converted into Velyaminov.

Proud people were called “Bulgaks”, hence the surname Bulgakov. Those who loved and loved were called “dauds” or “dawoods”, later this was transformed into Davydovs.

Denis Vasilievich Davydov - Russian poet, the most brilliant

representative of “hussar poetry”, memoirist, lieutenant general

Surname Zhdanov became widespread in Rus' in the 15th-17th centuries. Presumably it comes from the word “vijdan”, which in Tatar meant both passionate lovers and religious fanatics.

The last name stands out Akchurin. In the Russian version, Tatar surnames usually end in -ov (-ev) or -in (-yn). But certain family names, derived from the names of the Tatar Murzas, were left unchanged even in documents: Enikei, Akchurin, Divey.

In the surname Akchurin, “-in” is not a Russian ending, it is part of an ancient family name. One of the variants of its pronunciation is “ak-chura” - “white hero”. Among the representatives of the Akchurin family, whose ancestor is the Mishar-Mordovian prince Adash, who lived in the 15th century, there were famous officials, diplomats, and military men.

Of course, it is simply impossible to list all Russian surnames with Tatar roots. To do this, you need to know the etymology of each specific surname.