Albanian surnames are those hereditary surnames used by people in Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo, as well as the Albanian diaspora in Switzerland, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom. Albanian surnames are often derived from a variety of sources, including occupations, places of origin, clan names, and even personal characteristics or nicknames of ancestors. Some common surnames reflect religious titles like "Hoxha" (meaning mullah) or "Prifti" (meaning priest).
History of Albanian surnamesHistory of Albanian surnames
Hereditary surnames were not used by Albanians until development of the first Venetian settlements in the coast back in the 15th century; those communities in the Ottoman Empire did not yet use them since according to Ottoman tradition, surnames were not used until the creation of the Turkish Republic in 1923.[1]
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
Albanian surnames naming conventionsAlbanian surnames naming conventions
In Albania, a full name typically consists of a given name (Albanian: emri), the given name of the individual's father (patronymic, Albanian: atësia), which is rarely used except in official documents, and a (most commonly patrilineal) family name or surname (Albanian: mbiemri). Many surnames also indicate regional or clan affiliations, particularly in the north and even more so, in Kosovo. Albanian surnames often follow patterns related to patronymics, place names, professions, or tribal affiliations, with the suffix "-aj" being common for patronymic surnames. Many surnames originated from Ottoman times, with some reflecting Muslim or Christian origins, though these are not always indicative of current religious affiliation due to secularization or intermarriage.
Types of Albanian surnamesTypes of Albanian surnames
Albanian surnames of toponymic originAlbanian surnames of toponymic origin
These surnames indicate an ancestral origin from a town, region, or landscape feature:
- Shkodra – from the city of Shkodër
- Dibra – from Dibër (Debar)
- Kukaj – from Kukës
- Kruja – from the town of Krujë
- Vlashi – from Vlorë (Vlora)
- Gjirokastra – from Gjirokastër
- Tropoja – from the northern town of Tropojë
- Berati – from Berat
- Korça – from the southeastern city of Korçë
- Hasani – from the Has region, or potentially patronymic
Albanian surnames of patronymic originAlbanian surnames of patronymic origin
These are the most common type of Albanian surnames, derived from the father's given name; they are often based on a father’s or ancestor’s personal name, especially common in Muslim and Christian Albanian communities:
- Ahmeti – “son of Ahmet”
- Ismaili – “son of Ismail”
- Hoxha – from “hoxha” (Islamic cleric), but also a personal name
- Murati – from “Murad”
- Aliu – from “Ali”
- Brahimi – from “Ibrahim”
- Nika – from “Nikolla” (Nicholas)
- Gjoka – from “Gjokë,” a northern Albanian name
- Marku – from “Mark”
- Lazëri – from “Lazar”
Albanian surnames of occupational originAlbanian surnames of occupational origin
.jpg)
These surnames derive from ancestral professions or clerical roles; many of these surnames developed particularly during Ottoman times:
- Hoxha – Islamic preacher or cleric
- Prifti – Christian priest (prift = priest in Albanian)
- Berberi – barber
- Bakalli – grocer or spice seller
- Mjeku – doctor or healer
- Zdrava – from Slavic zdrav, “healthy”; associated with healers
- Zogaj – “bird” (zog); may indicate a bird-keeper
- Kazazi – silkworm or silk trader
- Kovaçi – blacksmith (kovac in Slavic)
- Rroshi – tailor (rrobaqepës = tailor)
Albanian surnames of descriptive originAlbanian surnames of descriptive origin
These surnames reference physical appearance, personality traits, or moral qualities:
- Bardhi – “white,” “fair-skinned” or “blond”
- Kuqi – “red”
- Gjeli – “rooster,” possibly nickname for a bold person
- Trimi – “brave”
- Zeqo – from zekë (bright or sharp)
- Goxhaj – “large-mouthed” or “talkative”
- Topalli – “lame” or “limping” (from topall)
- Madhi – “the elder” or “great”
- Veshi – “ears” (could refer to a trait or nickname)
- Leka – from “Alex(ander),” also meaning brave/strong
Albanian surnames of foreign originAlbanian surnames of foreign origin
Given Albania’s long and diverse history, some surnames carry non-Albanian roots:
- Dervishi – from Turkish dervish (Sufi ascetic)
- Shehu – from Arabic shaykh (Islamic scholar or elder)
- Kamberi – Turkish or Persian origin
- Shkreli – from the tribe near Montenegro (with Slavic roots)
- Palushi – from Paul, also Slavicized
- Kristo – from “Christos” (Greek origin)
- Cani – from Turkish can (“soul,” “life”)
- Zefi – from Slavic Zef (Joseph)
- Thana – Greek root or possibly nature-related
- Dede – Turkish-Persian origin (“elder, grandfather”)
Albanian surnames of noble or aristocratic originAlbanian surnames of noble or aristocratic origin
These surnames are associated with old Albanian tribes (fis) or notable families:
- Kelmendi – from the Kelmendi tribe of northern Albania
- Shala – northern highland tribe
- Dukagjini – noble family from the Middle Ages
- Topulli – nationalist family (Bajo Topulli)
- Vrioni – influential Ottoman-era family
- Frashëri – birthplace of the famous Frashëri brothers
- Toptani – powerful family in Tirana
- Bushati – noble family in Shkodra
- Begolli – Ottoman-era aristocracy
- Vokshi – old northern Albanian clan
Most common Albanian surnamesMost common Albanian surnames
- Hoxha
- Çela
- Kurti
- Marku
- Muça
- Shehu
- Dervishi
- Kola
- Sula
- Elezi
Celebrities with Albanian surnamesCelebrities with Albanian surnames
.jpg)
- Jim Belushi - American actor; and comedian. his television roles include Saturday Night Live (1983–1985), According to Jim (2001–2009), and Good Girls Revolt (2015–2016).
- Drita Ziri - Albanian beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Earth 2023. She is the first Albanian to win the Miss Earth title and to win one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
- Adem Yze - Australian rules football coach and former player who has played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), and is senior coach of the Richmond Football Club. Yze has made the fourth–highest number of appearances in the history of the Melbourne Football Club
- Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Theresa - Roman Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, canonised in 2016 by the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
- Emina Cunmulaj - American fashion model who has worked for Stella McCartney, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Alberta Ferretti, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Hermès, and Jean Paul Gaultier
- Angelin Preljocaj - French dancer and choreographer of contemporary dance, recipient in 1995 of the Prix Benois de la Danse as choreographer
- William G. Gregory - Albanian American retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force lieutenant colonel; served as the STS-67 pilot on the seven-person astronomical research mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
- Ismail Kadare - Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 15 times
See alsoSee also
Explore more about Albanian surnamesExplore more about Albanian surnames
- Discover the origin of your last name at MyHeritage
- Research historical records from Albania at MyHeritage
- Drejtoria e Përgjithshme e Arkivave (General Directorate of Archives) (in Albanian)
- Albania - vital records on MyHeritage
References
- ↑ The Ottoman Empire. Page 10 – Birth of the Turkish Republic. New Zealand History