Surname Levtschenko - Meaning and Origin
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Levtschenko: What does the surname Levtschenko mean?
The last name Levtschenko is a patronymic name of Slavic origin; it derives from the personal name Lev, which is the short form of the males name Levko/Levkon. This name is derived from the Old Slavic terms “lew” or “lewo”, which means “lion” or “lion cub”. The name may have served as a cognomen for a powerful and courageous warrior, or simply referenced someone’s dearest wish for strength and power.
The first bearer of this name can be traced back to the early 17th century, when a certain Lev Tshenko was recorded as an inhabitant of the city of Kropyvnytskyi in Ukraine. Since then, the name has since appeared throughout Eastern Europe in documents of birth records, marriage certificates, voter rolls and military enlistments in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
Today, the surname Levtschenko is recorded to be most common in Ukraine, where it is estimated that over 20,000 people bear the name. It is also quite common in Russia, where it is estimated that more than 10,000 citizens bear the name.
In the English-speaking world, the surname has been Anglicised, although the original Slavic spelling is still the most commonly used rendering. Variations of the name include Levytsky, Levishchenko, Lewičenko, Lewishchenko and Lewyshchenko.
Order DNA origin analysisLevtschenko: Where does the name Levtschenko come from?
The last name Levtschenko is most commonly found in modern day Ukraine, where it is estimated that it is used by approximately 3,000 people. It is also widespread in Russia due to the historical ties between the two countries.
The name is most likely of Slavic origin, although it is not fully known what the origin of the name is. The first known bearer of the Levtschenko surname was Mikhail Federov Levtschenko, a court clerk who lived in the Russian city of Novgorod in the 19th century.
The name is also popular in other countries with large Ukrainian and Russian populations, such as the United States, Canada, Germany, and Israel. In the US, most Levtschenkos will be found in areas with large populations of Ukrainian immigrants, such as New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
Levtschenkos are quite likely to be either members of the Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern-rite Roman Catholics, due to the prevalence of the religions in Ukraine and Russia. The name is sometimes spelled differently, such as Lewtschenko, but its pronunciation is often the same.
Variations of the surname Levtschenko
The surname Levtschenko is historically found in regions of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. It is a patronymic surname derived from the Ukrainian male name Levyts, which is derived from the term ‘levyj’ meaning ‘lion’. It is also an occupational surname referring to an individual of low social rank or class.
Variants of Levtschenko include Levičenko, Levčenko, and Levyčenko. These are all Ukrainian spellings of the same patronymic surname.
Alternate spellings of Levtschenko include Levchchenko, Levchenko, Levtchenko, Levtsenco, Levchtshenko, and Levtzenko. These are all Russian spellings of the same surname.
Surnames with the same origin are Ljevčenko, Ljevtchenko, Ljevčenko, Levyčenko, Levitshenka, Levytchenko, Levitchenko, Lyevchko, Livchko, Navitschenko, and Lyevchenko. Most of these variations are found in Ukraine, while the last two are found in Belarus.
Levtschenko is also found in English-speaking countries, such as the United States and Canada, as the variant Levychenko or Levicheck. This variant is common in Canada, where there is a higher concentration of individuals with Ukrainian heritage.
In its original orthographical form, the surname Levtschenko is generally found in Eastern Europe. However, with various spellings and alternative surnames of the same origin, the surname is found in many countries worldwide.
Famous people with the name Levtschenko
- Yevgeny Anatolyevich Levchenko, Ukrainian wrestler
- Maria Levchenko, Russian figure skater
- Svetlana Levchenko, Russian Olympic gold medalist
- Dmitri Levchenko, Russian Paralympic swimmer
- Sergey Levchenko, Ukrainian General
- Maksim Levchenko, Ukrainian footballer
- Alexey Levchenko, Russian cosmonaut
- Volodymyr Levchenko, Ukrainian actor and director
- Olya Levchenko, Ukrainian model and TV presenter
- Alexander Levchenko, Russian classical ballet dancer