Surname Nikolaev - Meaning and Origin
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Nikolaev: What does the surname Nikolaev mean?
The last name Nikolaev is derived from a Slavic personal name, which is composed of two elements: Nikolai and Ova, meaning “son of Nikolai”. The personal name Nikolai is derived from the Greek name Nicholas, meaning “victory of the people” or “the people’s champion”.
Nikolaev is a patronymic surname, meaning a name derived from the given name of a father or grandparent. This type of surname is very common in Slavic countries, as it was a way to distinguish different branches of the same family. Nikolaev is most associated with Russia, where it is one of the most common last names. It is also found in other Slavic countries such as Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, and Poland, and among people of Slavic descent in other countries.
Nikolaev means “son of Nikolai” or “victory of the people”, and people with this surname are likely proud to carry a name that symbolizes success and honor. While some people with the last name Nikolaev may have a strong sense of family tradition and loyalty, others may embrace its origins and view themselves as the people’s champion.
Order DNA origin analysisNikolaev: Where does the name Nikolaev come from?
The last name Nikolaev is most commonly found in Russia and some of the former Soviet Republics, including Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. It is also found in other Eastern European countries, such as Lithuania, Latvia and Moldova.
The origin of the name Nikolaev is most commonly traced to Saint Nicholas of Myra, the patron saint of sailors. As such, many Russian seafarers adopted the name Nikolaev. It is believed that by the 18th century, more than half of all Russian shipping captains assumed the name “Nikolaev” as their last name.
The name is still relatively common amongst the Russian population and its diaspora, with the surname reportedly being adopted by one out of every 600 Russian males and one out of every 4,000 Russian females.
In recent years, the name has spread further afield to countries such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, and elsewhere in the Americas. However, it is still most commonly encountered in Eastern Europe, Russia, and its former Soviet Republics.
Variations of the surname Nikolaev
The surname Nikolaev is an East Slavic patronymic surname of the Russian origin originating from the given name Nikolai, which is a Russian form of the Greek given name Nicholas. Spellings and other variants for the surname Nikolaev include Nikitin, Nikitenko, Nikitchenko, Nikolenko, Nikolyuk, Nikolashkin, Nikolsky, Nikolchik, and Nikolaenko.
Nikitin is another East Slavic derived derivative of the given name Nikolai. It is thought to have originally referred to people from the southern Russian city of Tula. It can also be spelled Nikitenko and Nikitchenko.
Nikolenko is the Ukrainian variation of Nikolaev, meaning “son of Nikolenko”, derived from the popular Ukrainian given name Nikolai and the patronymic suffix -enko.
Nikolyuk is another Russian variant of the surname Nikolaev, which contains the same letters as Nikolai and is thought to have come from the name Nikolishko, a diminutive of Nikolai.
Nikolsky is a Hebrew derived alternative of Nikolaev, derived from the Hebrew given name Николах. This name contains the same letters as Nikolaev and is thought to have entered Russia during the migration of Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants.
Nikolchik, Nikolaenko and Nikolashkin are other variants of the Russian Nikolaev. Nikolchik is a diminutive of Nikolaev, containing the same letters as Nikolai plus a diminutive suffix. Nikolaenko contains the Russian patronymic suffix -enko and the given name of Nikolai. Nikolashkin is derived from the given name of Nikolasha, a variation of the given name of Nikolai.
Famous people with the name Nikolaev
- Sergei Nikolaev:Former Russian Footballer
- Vitali Nikolaev:Soviet-born Kazakhstani Wrestler
- Valentin Nikolaev:Soviet Sprint Canoeist
- Dmytro Nikolaev:Ukrainian Short Track Skater
- Alexander Nikolaev:Russian Fencing Master
- Aleksandr Nikolaev:Soviet-born Kazakhstani Sprint Canoeist
- Dmitry Nikolaev:Russian Weightlifter
- Ivan Nikolaev:Russian Footballer
- Oleg Nikolaev:Russian Pole Vaulter
- Viktor Nikolaev:Russian Footballer