Top examples
Ivanov or Ivanova, Kuznetsov or Kuznetsova, Petrov or Petrova, Smirnov or Smirnova, Popov or Popova, and Sokolov or Sokolova are among the most common surnames in the Forebears Russia table.
Russian surnames, male and female forms
Russian Last Names
Browse Russian last names for characters, name research, and creative projects. Each entry shows the masculine and feminine forms, the Cyrillic spelling, and the meaning behind the name.
Ivanova and Ivanov are counted separately, so each form has its own rank.
Forms, Cyrillic, meanings
Browse Russian Last Names
Showing Russian last names. Meanings, usage, Cyrillic spellings, and male or female forms appear only where a source supports them.
Some ranking sources count masculine and feminine forms separately, so each form can carry its own rank.
| Surname | Cyrillic | Form | Meaning | Usage | Type | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivanov / IvanovaForm ranks F 1 / M 2 | Иванов / Иванова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Иван (Ivan), the Russian form of John. | Also used in Bulgarian and Macedonian. | CommonPatronymic | Copy |
| Kuznetsov / KuznetsovaForm ranks F 3 / M 4 | Кузнецов / Кузнецова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian кузнец (kuznets), "blacksmith". | CommonOccupation | Copy | |
| Petrov / PetrovaForm ranks M 5 / F 8 | Петров / Петрова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Пётр (Pyotr), the Russian form of Peter. | Also used in Bulgarian. | CommonPatronymic | Copy |
| Smirnov / SmirnovaForm ranks F 6 / M 9 | Смирнов / Смирнова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian смирный (smirny), "quiet, peaceful, timid". | CommonDescriptive | Copy | |
| Popov / PopovaForm ranks M 10 / F 11 | Попов / Попова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian поп (pop), "priest"; a surname for the son of a priest. | Also used in Bulgarian. | CommonReligious | Copy |
| Volkov / VolkovaForm ranks F 12 / M 18 | Волков / Волкова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian волк (volk), "wolf". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Novikov / NovikovaForm ranks F 13 / M 24 | Новиков / Новикова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian новый (novy), "new", a name for a newcomer to a village. | CommonDescriptive | Copy | |
| Morozov / MorozovaForm ranks F 14 / M 26 | Морозов / Морозова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian мороз (moroz), "frost". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Sokolov / SokolovaForm ranks F 15 / M 30Also written Sokolof, Sokoloff | Соколов / Соколова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian сокол (sokol), "falcon". | Also used in Bulgarian. | CommonNaturePatronymic | Copy |
| Pavlov / PavlovaForm ranks F 16 / M 28 | Павлов / Павлова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Павел (Pavel), the Russian form of Paul. | Also used in Bulgarian. | CommonPatronymic | Copy |
| Romanov / RomanovaForm ranks F 17 / M 34 | Романов / Романова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Роман (Roman), a name from Latin Romanus, "Roman". | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Andreyev / AndreyevaForm ranks F 20 / M 46Also written Andreev, Andreeva | Андреев / Андреева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Андрей (Andrey), the Russian form of Andrew. | Also used in Bulgarian. | CommonPatronymic | Copy |
| Vasilyev / VasilyevaForm ranks M 21 / F 22Also written Vasiliev, Vasilev, Vasilieva, Vasileva | Васильев / Васильева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Василий (Vasiliy), the Russian form of Basil. | Vasiliev, Vasilieva, Vasilev, and Vasileva are also common in English records. | CommonPatronymic | Copy |
| Mikhailov / MikhailovaForm ranks F 23 / M 32Also written Mikhaylov, Mikhaylova | Михайлов / Михайлова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Михаил (Mikhail), the Russian form of Michael. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Makarov / MakarovaForm ranks F 25 / M 36 | Макаров / Макарова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Макар (Makar), the Russian form of Makarios. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Sergeyev / SergeyevaForm ranks F 27 / M 52Also written Sergeev, Sergeeva | Сергеев / Сергеева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Сергей (Sergey), the Russian form of Sergius. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Zaytsev / ZaytsevaForm ranks F 29 / M 55 | Зайцев / Зайцева | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian заяц (zayats), "hare". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Nikolayev / NikolayevaForm ranks F 33 / M 44Also written Nikolaev, Nikolaeva | Николаев / Николаева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Николай (Nikolay), the Russian form of Nicholas. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Zakharov / ZakharovaForm ranks F 35 / M 48 | Захаров / Захарова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Захар (Zakhar), the Russian form of Zacharias. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Stepanov / StepanovaForm ranks F 37 / M 45 | Степанов / Степанова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Степан (Stepan), the Russian form of Stephen. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Lebedev / LebedevaForm ranks F 38 / M 72 | Лебедев / Лебедева | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian лебедь (lebed), "swan". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Kozlov / KozlovaForm ranks F 39 / M 43 | Козлов / Козлова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian козёл (kozyol), "male goat", probably used to denote a goatherd. | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Nikitin / NikitinaForm ranks F 40 / M 54 | Никитин / Никитина | Masculine / Feminine | From the given name Nikita. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Yakovlev / YakovlevaForm ranks F 47 / M 67 | Яковлев / Яковлева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Яков (Yakov), the Russian form of Jacob, also written James. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Orlov / OrlovaForm ranks F 51 / M 58 | Орлов / Орлова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian орёл (oryol), "eagle". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Medvedev / MedvedevaForm ranks M 56 / F 69 | Медведев / Медведева | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian медведь (medved), "bear". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Belov / BelovaForm ranks F 59 / M 71 | Белов / Белова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian белый (bely), "white". | CommonDescriptive | Copy | |
| Borisov / BorisovaForm ranks F 61 / M 75 | Борисов / Борисова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Борис (Boris), a given name of Bulgar Turkic origin. | Also used in Bulgarian. | CommonPatronymic | Copy |
| Alekseyev / AlekseyevaForm ranks F 63 / M 73Also written Alekseev, Alekseeva | Алексеев / Алексеева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Алексей (Aleksey), the Russian form of Alexius. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Kuzmin / KuzminaForm ranks F 65 / M 66 | Кузьмин / Кузьмина | Masculine / Feminine | From the given name Кузьма (Kuzma), the Russian form of Cosmas. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Antonov / AntonovaForm ranks F 70 / M 83 | Антонов / Антонова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Антон (Anton), the Russian form of Anthony. | Also used in Bulgarian. | CommonPatronymic | Copy |
| Dmitriyev / DmitriyevaForm ranks F 74 / M 93Also written Dmitriev, Dmitrieva | Дмитриев / Дмитриева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Дмитрий (Dmitriy), the Russian form of Demetrius. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Tarasov / TarasovaForm ranks F 77 / M 86 | Тарасов / Тарасова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Тарас (Taras), a Russian and Ukrainian form of the Greek name Tarasios. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Matveyev / MatveyevaForm ranks F 79 / M 100Also written Matveev, Matveeva | Матвеев / Матвеева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Матвей (Matvey), the Russian form of Matthew. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Fyodorov / FyodorovaForm ranks F 81 / M 128Also written Fedorov, Fedorova | Фёдоров / Фёдорова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Фёдор (Fyodor), the Russian form of Theodore. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Zhukov / ZhukovaForm ranks F 84 / M 109 | Жуков / Жукова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian жук (zhuk), "beetle". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Sidorov / SidorovaForm ranks M 87 / F 102 | Сидоров / Сидорова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Исидор (Isidor), a Russian form of Isidore. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Sorokin / SorokinaForm ranks F 94 / M 101 | Сорокин / Сорокина | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian сорока (soroka), "magpie". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Gusev / GusevaForm ranks F 97 / M 125 | Гусев / Гусева | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian гусь (gus), "goose". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Danilov / DanilovaForm ranks F 98 / M 126 | Данилов / Данилова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Данил (Danil), a Russian variant of Daniil. | CommonPatronymic | Copy | |
| Kulikov / KulikovaForm ranks F 121 / M 150 | Куликов / Куликова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian кулик (kulik), "sandpiper, snipe". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Vinogradov / VinogradovaForm ranks F 181 / M 226 | Виноградов / Виноградова | Masculine / Feminine | Means "vineyard" in Russian, used for someone who worked at or lived near one. | CommonOccupationPlace | Copy | |
| Komarov / KomarovaForm ranks F 189 / M 215 | Комаров / Комарова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian комар (komar), "mosquito, gnat". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Kiselyov / KiselyovaForm ranks M 200 / F 297Also written Kiselev, Kiselyev, Kiseleva, Kiselyeva | Киселёв / Киселёва | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian кисель (kisel), "jelly, kissel", itself derived from кислый (kisly) meaning "sour". | English records may also use Kiselev, Kiseleva, Kiselyev, or Kiselyeva. | CommonDescriptive | Copy |
| Golubev / GolubevaForm ranks F 213 / M 272 | Голубев / Голубева | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian голубь (golub), "dove, pigeon". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Solovyov / SolovyovaForm ranks F 229 / M 238Also written Soloviev, Solovev, Solovieva, Soloveva | Соловьёв / Соловьёва | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian соловей (solovey), "nightingale". | Alternate English transcriptions may simplify ё or ь. | CommonNature | Copy |
| Kudryavtsev / KudryavtsevaForm ranks F 230 / M 300 | Кудрявцев / Кудрявцева | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian кудри (kudri), "curls", a nickname for someone with curly hair. | CommonDescriptive | Copy | |
| Voronin / VoroninaForm ranks F 232 / M 266 | Воронин / Воронина | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian ворона (vorona), "crow". | CommonNature | Copy | |
| Korolyov / KorolyovaForm ranks M 267 / F 270Also written Korolev, Koroleva | Королёв / Королёва | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian король (korol), "king". | Korolev and Koroleva are common English transcriptions without yo. | CommonDescriptive | Copy |
| Vorobyov / VorobyovaForm ranks M 283Also written Vorobyev, Vorobyeva | Воробьёв / Воробьёва | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian воробей (vorobey), "sparrow". | Nature | Copy | |
| Belyayev / BelyayevaAlso written Beliaev, Belyaev, Beliaeva, Belyaeva | Беляев / Беляева | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian белый (bely), "white". | Descriptive | Copy | |
| Bondarenko | Бондаренко | Unchanged | A Ukrainian-origin occupational surname from bondar, meaning cooper, formed with the diminutive suffix -enko. | Ukrainian in origin and also used in Russian contexts; recorded with one form only. | OccupationUnchanged form | Copy |
| Borodin / Borodina | Бородин / Бородина | Masculine / Feminine | - | Copy | ||
| Bykov / Bykova | Быков / Быкова | Masculine / Feminine | From byk, "bull". | Nature | Copy | |
| Dostoyevsky / DostoyevskayaAlso written Dostoevsky, Dostoevskaya | Достоевский / Достоевская | Masculine / Feminine | A habitational name from Dostoev, a place in Belarus. | Place | Copy | |
| Drozdov / Drozdova | Дроздов / Дроздова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian дрозд (drozd), "songbird". | Nature | Copy | |
| Fomin / Fomina | Фомин / Фомина | Masculine / Feminine | From the given name Фома (Foma), the Russian form of Thomas. | Patronymic | Copy | |
| Gordeyev / GordeyevaAlso written Gordeev, Gordeeva | Гордеев / Гордеева | Masculine / Feminine | - | Copy | ||
| Grigoryev / GrigoryevaAlso written Grigoriev, Grigorieva | Григорьев / Григорьева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Григорий (Grigoriy), the Russian form of Gregory. | Patronymic | Copy | |
| Ilyin / IlyinaAlso written Iljin, Iljina | Ильин / Ильина | Masculine / Feminine | From the given name Илья (Ilya), the Russian form of Elijah. | Patronymic | Copy | |
| Kalinin / Kalinina | Калинин / Калинина | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian калина (kalina), the guelder rose plant. | Nature | Copy | |
| Kolesnik | Колесник | Unchanged | From the Slavic root kolo, "wheel"; an occupational name for a wheelwright. | Recorded with one form only, so this page shows no separate masculine or feminine form. | OccupationUnchanged form | Copy |
| Kovalchuk | Ковальчук | Unchanged | From Ukrainian коваль (koval), "blacksmith". | Also used in Ukrainian. | OccupationUnchanged form | Copy |
| Kravchenko | Кравченко | Unchanged | A Ukrainian-origin patronymic surname from kravets, meaning tailor, formed with the diminutive suffix -enko. | Ukrainian in origin and also used in Russian contexts; recorded with one form only. | OccupationUnchanged form | Copy |
| Lukin / Lukina | Лукин / Лукина | Masculine / Feminine | From luka, "onion". | Patronymic | Copy | |
| Maslov / Maslova | Маслов / Маслова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian масло (maslo), "butter"; originally an occupational name for someone who sold dairy products. | Occupation | Copy | |
| MelnikAlso written Melnyk | Мельник | Unchanged | From Russian мельник (melnik), "miller". | Also used in Belarusian. | OccupationUnchanged form | Copy |
| Ostrovsky / OstrovskayaAlso written Ostrovskiy | Островский / Островская | Masculine / Feminine | Russian form of the Polish surname Ostrowski. | Place | Copy | |
| Pasternak | Пастернак | Unchanged | From a Slavic word for "parsnip", from Latin pastinaca. | Also used in Polish, Ukrainian and Yiddish. | NatureUnchanged form | Copy |
| Ryabov / Ryabova | Рябов / Рябова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian рябой (ryaboy), "pockmarked". | Descriptive | Copy | |
| Rybakov / Rybakova | Рыбаков / Рыбакова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian рыбак (rybak), "fisherman"; an occupational name for a fisher's son. | Occupation | Copy | |
| Savelyev / SavelyevaAlso written Saveliev, Savelieva | Савельев / Савельева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Савелий (Saveliy), the Russian form of the Roman name Sabellius. | Patronymic | Copy | |
| Shevchenko | Шевченко | Unchanged | A Ukrainian-origin patronymic surname from shvets, meaning shoemaker, formed with the diminutive suffix -enko. | Ukrainian in origin and also used in Russian contexts; recorded with one form only. | OccupationUnchanged form | Copy |
| Sobol | Соболь | Unchanged | From the Slavic word sobolĭ, "sable" or "marten"; an occupational name for a fur trader. | Also used in Ukrainian and Jewish. | OccupationNatureUnchanged form | Copy |
| Tchaikovsky / TchaikovskayaAlso written Chaikovsky, Chaykovsky, Chaikovskaya, Chaykovskaya | Чайковский / Чайковская | Masculine / Feminine | Russian form of the name Chayka, from Russian чайка (chayka), "seagull". | Nature | Copy | |
| Tikhonov / Tikhonova | Тихонов / Тихонова | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Тихон (Tikhon), the Russian form of Tychon. | Patronymic | Copy | |
| Timofeyev / TimofeyevaAlso written Timofeev, Timofeeva | Тимофеев / Тимофеева | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic from Тимофей (Timofey), the Russian form of Timothy. | Patronymic | Copy | |
| Tkachenko | Ткаченко | Unchanged | A Ukrainian-origin patronymic surname from tkach, meaning weaver, formed with the diminutive suffix -enko. | Ukrainian in origin and also used in Russian contexts; recorded with one form only. | OccupationUnchanged form | Copy |
| Tsvetkov / TsvetkovaAlso written Cvetkov, Cvetkova | Цветков / Цветкова | Masculine / Feminine | From Russian цветка (tsvetka), "little flower". | Nature | Copy | |
| Yudin / Yudina | Юдин / Юдина | Masculine / Feminine | Patronymic meaning "son of Yuda". | Patronymic | Copy | |
| Zima | Зима | Unchanged | From an Old Slavic word meaning "winter", possibly a nickname for a person with a chilly personality. | Also used in Czech, Slovak and Polish. | NatureDescriptiveUnchanged form | Copy |
| Zimin / Zimina | Зимин / Зимина | Masculine / Feminine | A variant of Зима (Zima), from an Old Slavic word meaning "winter". | Nature | Copy |
Popular examples
Common Russian Last Names
The ranks and frequency below come from the Forebears Russia surname table.
Ranks need context
The ranking counts Ivanova and Ivanov separately, so each form has its own rank.
Common is not origin
A rank says nothing about where a surname came from.
| Male form | Female form | Cyrillic | Form ranks | Occurrence in Russia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivanov | Ivanova | Иванов / Иванова | F 1 / M 2 | M 881,461 (1:164)F 927,695 (1:155) |
| Kuznetsov | Kuznetsova | Кузнецов / Кузнецова | F 3 / M 4 | M 436,730 (1:330)F 454,051 (1:317) |
| Petrov | Petrova | Петров / Петрова | M 5 / F 8 | M 429,896 (1:335)F 383,208 (1:376) |
| Smirnov | Smirnova | Смирнов / Смирнова | F 6 / M 9 | M 366,247 (1:394)F 428,055 (1:337) |
| Popov | Popova | Попов / Попова | M 10 / F 11 | M 365,925 (1:394)F 365,778 (1:394) |
| Volkov | Volkova | Волков / Волкова | F 12 / M 18 | M 219,101 (1:658)F 303,909 (1:474) |
| Novikov | Novikova | Новиков / Новикова | F 13 / M 24 | M 205,699 (1:701)F 257,629 (1:559) |
| Morozov | Morozova | Морозов / Морозова | F 14 / M 26 | M 194,993 (1:739)F 240,256 (1:600) |
| SokolovAlso written Sokolof, Sokoloff | Sokolova | Соколов / Соколова | F 15 / M 30 | M 186,252 (1:774)F 230,120 (1:626) |
| Pavlov | Pavlova | Павлов / Павлова | F 16 / M 28 | M 188,495 (1:765)F 223,226 (1:646) |
| Romanov | Romanova | Романов / Романова | F 17 / M 34 | M 179,055 (1:805)F 221,963 (1:649) |
| AndreyevAlso written Andreev | AndreyevaAlso written Andreeva | Андреев / Андреева | F 20 / M 46 | M 159,923 (1:901)F 215,723 (1:668) |
| VasilyevAlso written Vasiliev, Vasilev | VasilyevaAlso written Vasilieva, Vasileva | Васильев / Васильева | M 21 / F 22 | M 211,487 (1:681)F 209,526 (1:688) |
| MikhailovAlso written Mikhaylov | MikhailovaAlso written Mikhaylova | Михайлов / Михайлова | F 23 / M 32 | M 181,262 (1:795)F 209,420 (1:688) |
| Makarov | Makarova | Макаров / Макарова | F 25 / M 36 | M 177,125 (1:814)F 205,048 (1:703) |
| SergeyevAlso written Sergeev | SergeyevaAlso written Sergeeva | Сергеев / Сергеева | F 27 / M 52 | M 149,836 (1:962)F 188,877 (1:763) |
| Zaytsev | Zaytseva | Зайцев / Зайцева | F 29 / M 55 | M 144,972 (1:994)F 187,519 (1:769) |
| NikolayevAlso written Nikolaev | NikolayevaAlso written Nikolaeva | Николаев / Николаева | F 33 / M 44 | M 163,507 (1:881)F 179,334 (1:804) |
| Zakharov | Zakharova | Захаров / Захарова | F 35 / M 48 | M 155,349 (1:928)F 178,591 (1:807) |
| Stepanov | Stepanova | Степанов / Степанова | F 37 / M 45 | M 161,534 (1:892)F 176,194 (1:818) |
Common Russian surnames can be ranked differently depending on whether masculine and feminine forms are counted separately.
Feminine forms
Female Russian Last Names
Many Russian surnames use a feminine form when the bearer is female. Common patterns include -ova, -eva, -ina, and -skaya. Each entry pairs the female form with its Cyrillic spelling, the male form, and a short meaning.
| Female surname | Cyrillic | Male form | Occurrence in Russia | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivanova | Иванова | Ivanov | 927,695 (1:155) | Patronymic from Иван (Ivan), the Russian form of John. |
| Kuznetsova | Кузнецова | Kuznetsov | 454,051 (1:317) | From Russian кузнец (kuznets), "blacksmith". |
| Smirnova | Смирнова | Smirnov | 428,055 (1:337) | From Russian смирный (smirny), "quiet, peaceful, timid". |
| Petrova | Петрова | Petrov | 383,208 (1:376) | Patronymic from Пётр (Pyotr), the Russian form of Peter. |
| Popova | Попова | Popov | 365,778 (1:394) | From Russian поп (pop), "priest"; a surname for the son of a priest. |
| Volkova | Волкова | Volkov | 303,909 (1:474) | From Russian волк (volk), "wolf". |
| Novikova | Новикова | Novikov | 257,629 (1:559) | From Russian новый (novy), "new", a name for a newcomer to a village. |
| Morozova | Морозова | Morozov | 240,256 (1:600) | From Russian мороз (moroz), "frost". |
| Sokolova | Соколова | SokolovAlso written Sokolof, Sokoloff | 230,120 (1:626) | From Russian сокол (sokol), "falcon". |
| Pavlova | Павлова | Pavlov | 223,226 (1:646) | Patronymic from Павел (Pavel), the Russian form of Paul. |
| Romanova | Романова | Romanov | 221,963 (1:649) | Patronymic from Роман (Roman), a name from Latin Romanus, "Roman". |
| AndreyevaAlso written Andreeva | Андреева | AndreyevAlso written Andreev | 215,723 (1:668) | Patronymic from Андрей (Andrey), the Russian form of Andrew. |
| VasilyevaAlso written Vasilieva, Vasileva | Васильева | VasilyevAlso written Vasiliev, Vasilev | 209,526 (1:688) | Patronymic from Василий (Vasiliy), the Russian form of Basil. |
| MikhailovaAlso written Mikhaylova | Михайлова | MikhailovAlso written Mikhaylov | 209,420 (1:688) | Patronymic from Михаил (Mikhail), the Russian form of Michael. |
| Makarova | Макарова | Makarov | 205,048 (1:703) | Patronymic from Макар (Makar), the Russian form of Makarios. |
| SergeyevaAlso written Sergeeva | Сергеева | SergeyevAlso written Sergeev | 188,877 (1:763) | Patronymic from Сергей (Sergey), the Russian form of Sergius. |
| Zaytseva | Зайцева | Zaytsev | 187,519 (1:769) | From Russian заяц (zayats), "hare". |
| NikolayevaAlso written Nikolaeva | Николаева | NikolayevAlso written Nikolaev | 179,334 (1:804) | Patronymic from Николай (Nikolay), the Russian form of Nicholas. |
| Zakharova | Захарова | Zakharov | 178,591 (1:807) | Patronymic from Захар (Zakhar), the Russian form of Zacharias. |
| Stepanova | Степанова | Stepanov | 176,194 (1:818) | Patronymic from Степан (Stepan), the Russian form of Stephen. |
Masculine forms
Male Russian Last Names
These are common male Russian last names. Each entry pairs the male form with its Cyrillic spelling, the female form, and a short meaning. Russian male last names usually keep the base ending of the family name.
| Male surname | Cyrillic | Female form | Occurrence in Russia | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivanov | Иванов | Ivanova | 881,461 (1:164) | Patronymic from Иван (Ivan), the Russian form of John. |
| Kuznetsov | Кузнецов | Kuznetsova | 436,730 (1:330) | From Russian кузнец (kuznets), "blacksmith". |
| Petrov | Петров | Petrova | 429,896 (1:335) | Patronymic from Пётр (Pyotr), the Russian form of Peter. |
| Smirnov | Смирнов | Smirnova | 366,247 (1:394) | From Russian смирный (smirny), "quiet, peaceful, timid". |
| Popov | Попов | Popova | 365,925 (1:394) | From Russian поп (pop), "priest"; a surname for the son of a priest. |
| Volkov | Волков | Volkova | 219,101 (1:658) | From Russian волк (volk), "wolf". |
| VasilyevAlso written Vasiliev, Vasilev | Васильев | VasilyevaAlso written Vasilieva, Vasileva | 211,487 (1:681) | Patronymic from Василий (Vasiliy), the Russian form of Basil. |
| Novikov | Новиков | Novikova | 205,699 (1:701) | From Russian новый (novy), "new", a name for a newcomer to a village. |
| Morozov | Морозов | Morozova | 194,993 (1:739) | From Russian мороз (moroz), "frost". |
| Pavlov | Павлов | Pavlova | 188,495 (1:765) | Patronymic from Павел (Pavel), the Russian form of Paul. |
| SokolovAlso written Sokolof, Sokoloff | Соколов | Sokolova | 186,252 (1:774) | From Russian сокол (sokol), "falcon". |
| MikhailovAlso written Mikhaylov | Михайлов | MikhailovaAlso written Mikhaylova | 181,262 (1:795) | Patronymic from Михаил (Mikhail), the Russian form of Michael. |
| Romanov | Романов | Romanova | 179,055 (1:805) | Patronymic from Роман (Roman), a name from Latin Romanus, "Roman". |
| Makarov | Макаров | Makarova | 177,125 (1:814) | Patronymic from Макар (Makar), the Russian form of Makarios. |
| Kozlov | Козлов | Kozlova | 165,374 (1:871) | From Russian козёл (kozyol), "male goat", probably used to denote a goatherd. |
| NikolayevAlso written Nikolaev | Николаев | NikolayevaAlso written Nikolaeva | 163,507 (1:881) | Patronymic from Николай (Nikolay), the Russian form of Nicholas. |
| Stepanov | Степанов | Stepanova | 161,534 (1:892) | Patronymic from Степан (Stepan), the Russian form of Stephen. |
| AndreyevAlso written Andreev | Андреев | AndreyevaAlso written Andreeva | 159,923 (1:901) | Patronymic from Андрей (Andrey), the Russian form of Andrew. |
| Zakharov | Захаров | Zakharova | 155,349 (1:928) | Patronymic from Захар (Zakhar), the Russian form of Zacharias. |
| SergeyevAlso written Sergeev | Сергеев | SergeyevaAlso written Sergeeva | 149,836 (1:962) | Patronymic from Сергей (Sergey), the Russian form of Sergius. |
Russian last names and meanings
Russian Last Names and Meanings
Each meaning points to a word root, an occupation, or a given name behind the surname.
| Russian surname | Meaning | Origin type | Male / female form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivanov | Patronymic from Иван (Ivan), the Russian form of John. | Patronymic | Ivanov / Ivanova |
| Kuznetsov | From Russian кузнец (kuznets), "blacksmith". | Occupation | Kuznetsov / Kuznetsova |
| Petrov | Patronymic from Пётр (Pyotr), the Russian form of Peter. | Patronymic | Petrov / Petrova |
| Smirnov | From Russian смирный (smirny), "quiet, peaceful, timid". | Descriptive | Smirnov / Smirnova |
| Sokolov | From Russian сокол (sokol), "falcon". | Nature | Sokolov / Sokolova |
| Volkov | From Russian волк (volk), "wolf". | Nature | Volkov / Volkova |
| Morozov | From Russian мороз (moroz), "frost". | Nature | Morozov / Morozova |
| Popov | From Russian поп (pop), "priest"; a surname for the son of a priest. | Religious | Popov / Popova |
| Romanov | Patronymic from Роман (Roman), a name from Latin Romanus, "Roman". | Patronymic | Romanov / Romanova |
| Medvedev | From Russian медведь (medved), "bear". | Nature | Medvedev / Medvedeva |
| Lebedev | From Russian лебедь (lebed), "swan". | Nature | Lebedev / Lebedeva |
| Novikov | From Russian новый (novy), "new", a name for a newcomer to a village. | Descriptive | Novikov / Novikova |
| Ostrovsky | Russian form of the Polish surname Ostrowski. | Place | Ostrovsky / Ostrovskaya |
| Melnik | From Russian мельник (melnik), "miller". | Occupation | Unchanged form: Melnik |
Masculine, feminine, unchanged
How Male and Female Russian Last Names Work
Most paired forms change one ending: a masculine form in -ov, -ev, -in, or -sky becomes -ova, -eva, -ina, or -skaya for a woman. Some surnames do not change at all.
-ov becomes -ova
Ivanov → Ivanova and Petrov → Petrova add an a to the base form.
-ev becomes -eva
Medvedev → Medvedeva. Sergeyev, also written Sergeev, becomes Sergeyeva.
-in becomes -ina
Nikitin → Nikitina and Ilyin → Ilyina follow the -in and -ina pair.
-sky becomes -skaya
Tchaikovsky → Tchaikovskaya and Dostoyevsky → Dostoyevskaya follow this adjective-type pair.
Surnames that do not change
Kolesnik, Melnik, Pasternak, and several -enko names are recorded with one form only, so no separate feminine form is shown.
Read forms carefully
How Russian Last Names Work
Russian names often use a given name, patronymic, and family name. This page lists family names, not patronymics used in the middle-name position.
Cyrillic and Latin differ
The same Cyrillic surname can have several English spellings, so you may see one name written in more than one way.
A meaning is not a family story
A meaning explains a word root or a name connection. It does not tell you about a particular person or family.
Russian-used is a boundary
Some unchanged forms are used in Russian-language contexts but also belong to neighboring East Slavic traditions.
Starts with M
Russian Last Names That Start With M
Russian surnames beginning with M follow the same masculine and feminine patterns seen across the list. Ranks are per form.
Mikhailov / Mikhailova
Cyrillic: Михайлов / Михайлова · Form: Masculine / Feminine · Meaning: Patronymic from Михаил (Mikhail), the Russian form of Michael. Female form rank 23, male form rank 32.
Makarov / Makarova
Cyrillic: Макаров / Макарова · Form: Masculine / Feminine · Meaning: Patronymic from Макар (Makar), the Russian form of Makarios. Female form rank 25, male form rank 36.
Morozov / Morozova
Cyrillic: Морозов / Морозова · Form: Masculine / Feminine · Meaning: From Russian мороз (moroz), "frost". Female form rank 14, male form rank 26.
Matveyev / Matveyeva
Cyrillic: Матвеев / Матвеева · Form: Masculine / Feminine · Meaning: Patronymic from Матвей (Matvey), the Russian form of Matthew. Female form rank 79, male form rank 100.
Medvedev / Medvedeva
Cyrillic: Медведев / Медведева · Form: Masculine / Feminine · Meaning: From Russian медведь (medved), "bear". Male form rank 56, female form rank 69.
Maslov / Maslova
Cyrillic: Маслов / Маслова · Form: Masculine / Feminine · Meaning: From Russian масло (maslo), "butter"; originally an occupational name for someone who sold dairy products.
Melnik
Cyrillic: Мельник · Form: Unchanged · Meaning: From Russian мельник (melnik), "miller".
Not a separate system
Russian vs Soviet Last Names
Soviet last names are not a separate surname system. The Soviet Union included many language communities, so surnames used in the USSR came from Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Georgian, Armenian, Baltic, Central Asian, and other traditions.
What the term usually means
Most searches for Soviet last names are looking for Russian surnames used during the Soviet period, roughly 1922 to 1991.
Russian surnames are not uniquely Soviet
Ivanov, Petrov, Smirnov, Kuznetsov, and Sokolov are Russian surnames. The same names appear in records from before and after the Soviet period, so the label describes a time and a state rather than a naming tradition.
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Useful distinctions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are common Russian last names?
Ivanov or Ivanova, Kuznetsov or Kuznetsova, Petrov or Petrova, Smirnov or Smirnova, Popov or Popova, and Sokolov or Sokolova are among the most common surnames in the Forebears Russia table. That table counts male and female forms separately.
What are some female Russian last names?
Ivanova, Petrova, Smirnova, Kuznetsova, Sokolova, Volkova, Morozova, and Pavlova are common feminine forms. Each one is paired with a masculine form such as Ivanov, Petrov, Smirnov, Kuznetsov, Sokolov, Volkov, Morozov, or Pavlov.
What are some male Russian last names?
Ivanov, Petrov, Smirnov, Kuznetsov, Sokolov, Volkov, Morozov, and Novikov are among the most common male forms in the Forebears Russia table. The paired feminine forms add -ova, -eva, -ina, or -skaya.
What is the difference between Ivanov and Ivanova?
Ivanov is the masculine form and Ivanova is the feminine form. Many Russian surnames follow this pattern where the ending changes to indicate gender. The ranking counts these forms separately.
Do Russian last names change for men and women?
Many Russian surnames have masculine and feminine forms. For example, Ivanov becomes Ivanova, Petrov becomes Petrova, and Sokolov becomes Sokolova. However, some surnames in this list are unchanged regardless of gender.
What do -ov/-ova, -ev/-eva, and -in/-ina endings indicate?
These endings indicate masculine and feminine forms of Russian surnames. The -ov/-ova pattern (like Ivanov/Ivanova), -ev/-eva pattern (like Medvedev/Medvedeva), and -in/-ina pattern (like Nikitin/Nikitina) are the most common gendered surname patterns in Russian.
Are Soviet last names different from Russian last names?
Not as a separate surname system. The Soviet Union included many language communities, so surnames used in the USSR came from Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Georgian, Armenian, Baltic, Central Asian, and other traditions. Ivanov, Petrov, Smirnov, and Kuznetsov are Russian surnames that were also used during the Soviet period.
Which Russian last names start with M?
Russian surnames starting with M include Mikhailov or Mikhailova, Makarov or Makarova, Morozov or Morozova, Matveyev or Matveyeva, Medvedev or Medvedeva, Maslov or Maslova, and the unchanged form Melnik.
What are Russian last names for male characters?
For many paired surnames, the masculine form is used in male contexts: Ivanov, Petrov, Sokolov, Kuznetsov, Smirnov, Morozov, and Medvedev are examples in the list.
What are female Russian last names or Russian last names for a girl character?
Many feminine forms add endings such as -ova, -eva, -ina, or -skaya. Examples include Ivanova, Petrova, Sokolova, Kuznetsova, Ilyina, and Morozova.
What does the Russian last name Sokolova mean?
Sokolova is the feminine form paired with Sokolov. The name comes from Russian сокол (sokol), which means falcon.
Are Russian surnames the same as patronymics?
No. A patronymic can appear between the given name and family name in Russian naming. This page lists family names, though many family names themselves come from given-name roots.