100 Cool Slavic Last Names
Slavic last names carry a rich history, culture, and meaning over centuries and hundreds and thousands of miles.
They tell us interesting stories about family origins, jobs and occupations, places, and traits from how they sound, their endings and beginnings, and what they mean.
If you are interesting about knowing your own heritage or have a love for the stories behind names, exploring Slavic names opens up a glimpse to the complicated and fascinating traditions of Eastern Europe.
Learn with us as we explore the history and meaning of the names that make unique identities today.
slavic last names
Ivanov – Son of Ivan (John)
Kovalenko – Descendant of a blacksmith
Novak – Newcomer, newcomer to a village
Petrov – Son of Peter
Horvat – Croatian (ethnic designation)
Dmitriev – Son of Dmitry
Sokolov – Falcon (symbol of bravery)
Vasiliev – Son of Vasily
Mazur – From Masuria region
Borisov – Son of Boris
Kowalski – Blacksmith (Polish origin)
Stanković – Son of Stanko
Miloslav – Dear glory (from given name)
Rybak – Fisherman
Zelenka – Green (possibly linked to nature or youth)
Popov – Son of a priest
Janković – Son of Janko
Slavik – Glorious, related to “Slav”
Maly – Small, little one
Horváth – Croat (Hungarian spelling)
Dubrovsky – From “dub” (oak tree)
Kaczmarek – Innkeeper (Polish)
Bogdanov – Son of Bogdan (given name meaning “God-given”)
Zaytsev – Hare (animal nickname)
Kovács – Blacksmith (Hungarian/Slavic region)
Radek – Happy, joyful (from given name)
Tkach – Weaver
Bakalov – Merchant
Kozlov – Goat (animal nickname)
Novikov – Newcomer, new man
Chernov – Black, dark-haired
Belyaev – White, fair-haired
Pavlov – Son of Pavel (Paul)
Gorodetsky – From “gorod” (town)
Blagojevic – Son of Blagoje (meaning “good”)
Grigoriev – Son of Grigory
Dragović – Son of Drago (precious, dear)
Marek – From the given name Mark
Krupka – Grain (symbolic or occupational)
Zhukov – Beetle (nickname)
Leskov – From “les” (forest)
Orlov – Eagle
Petrenko – Son of Peter (Ukrainian)
Svetlakov – Light, bright
Tkachenko – Weaver’s son
Nikiforov – Son of Nikifor
Lazarev – Son of Lazar (Biblical name)
Malinowski – From “malina” (raspberry) or place name
Radovan – Joyful, happy
Vuković – Son of Vuk (wolf)
Chernyshov – Black, dark
Novotny – Newcomer (Czech/Slovak)
Stoyanov – Son of Stoyan (meaning “to stand, remain”)
Kalinic – Son of Kalina (meaning “viburnum,” a plant)
Baranov – Ram (animal nickname)
Andreev – Son of Andrei (Andrew)
Chmielowski – From “chmiel” (hops plant)
Fedorenko – Son of Fedor (Theodore)
Zhuk – Beetle
Rakov – Crab (animal nickname)
Novik – Newcomer
Skvortsov – Starling (bird)
Stepanov – Son of Stepan (Stephen)
Kostin – Son of Kostya (diminutive of Konstantin)
Gribov – Mushroom (nickname)
Kral – King (title/nickname)
Volkov – Wolf
Mareković – Son of Marek (Mark)
Pavlenko – Son of Pavel (Paul)
Golubev – Dove (symbol of peace)
Simeonov – Son of Simeon
Cherkasov – From Cherkasy region
Beliakov – White, fair
Ostrovsky – From “ostrov” (island)
Lukyanov – Son of Lukyan (Luke)
Sokolov – Falcon
Smirnov – Quiet, gentle
Mironov – Son of Miron (peace)
Konovalov – Son of a veterinarian (konoval = old term for vet)
Lysenko – Son of Lys (bald)
Makarenko – Son of Makary (blessed)
Cherny – Black
Bojanov – Son of Bojan (fighter)
Strelkov – Shooter
Ivankov – Son of Ivan (John)
Orlovsky – Of the eagle, or from a place named Orlov
Timoshenko – Son of Timosh (honoring God)
Polanski – From “pole” (field)
Zaitsev – Hare
Radic – Little happy one
Gavrilov – Son of Gavril (Gabriel)
Ponomarev – Son of a sexton/priest’s assistant
Kulikov – From “kulik” (a type of bird, curlew)
Shapoval – Furrier (occupational)
Voronov – Raven
Chudakov – Strange, odd person
Bogatyrev – Wealthy
Chernysh – Dark-haired or black
Golovko – Head, leader
Zinchenko – Son of Zinchen (diminutive of Zina)
