Ukrainian surnames are an integral part of the cultural identity of millions of Americans and Canadians whose ancestors arrived from Ukraine during the 19th and 20th centuries. These names offer insights into professions, regions of origin, ancestry, and cultural traditions. Over time, Ukrainian surnames have undergone various transformations due to migration, assimilation, and bureaucratic transcription, especially in English- and French-speaking environments.
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Historical migration and name adaptation of Ukrainian American surnamesHistorical migration and name adaptation of Ukrainian American surnames
The Ukrainian diaspora in the New World is one of the largest outside Eurasia. Ukrainian presence in what is now the United States is believed to date back to the so-called "Petrine" emigration of the 18th century. Information about these early settlers is scarce, as many concealed their origins to avoid arrest or forced return to the Russian Empire. However, clearly Ukrainian names already appear in the first U.S. census of 1790.[1]
The first major wave of Ukrainian immigration to North America began in the 1880s, primarily from Galicia, Bukovina, and other parts of Western Ukraine under Austro-Hungarian rule. These migrants, mostly peasants, were driven by economic hardship and land scarcity. They settled in rural areas of Canada (particularly Alberta and Manitoba) and the American Midwest (especially Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois). Its estimated size ranges from 150,000 to 200,000 people, according to various researchers. With the beginning of the next immigration wave, which lasted from 1899 to 1914, between 250,000 and 300,000 Ukrainians arrived in the United States.
The third wave followed World War II, composed of political refugees and displaced persons escaping Stalinist repressions, collectivization, and war devastation. Many were highly educated professionals, veterans, and political activists, and they often settled in large urban centers like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Following World War II, between 1947 and 1955, approximately 80,000 Ukrainians arrived in the United States from displaced persons camps in Europe.[1] In the short span between 1980 and 1990, the Ukrainian community in the United States grew from 730,056 to 740,803 people. The 1990 U.S. Census recorded 740,803 individuals who identified as being of Ukrainian descent, accounting for approximately 0.3% of the total U.S. population.[2]
Upon arrival, many Ukrainian surnames were recorded phonetically by immigration officers unfamiliar with the Cyrillic alphabet. As a result, names were often transliterated inconsistently or mistaken for other ethnicities. In many cases, surnames were simplified or intentionally altered to better fit into American or Canadian society.
Categories and Structures of Ukrainian SurnamesCategories and Structures of Ukrainian Surnames
Ukrainian surnames typically fall into several linguistic and cultural categories:
Ukrainian American surnames of occupational originUkrainian American surnames of occupational origin
Ukrainian American surnames of patronymic originUkrainian American surnames of patronymic origin
Indicating lineage from a male ancestor. Common suffixes include -enko, -uk, -chuk, and -ko:
- Ivanenko – son of Ivan
- Dmytrenko – son of Dmytro
- Petryshyn -- son of Petr
- Mykhailiuk -- son of Mikhail
Ukrainian American surnames of toponymic originUkrainian American surnames of toponymic origin
Ukrainian American surnames of descriptive originUkrainian American surnames of descriptive origin
Ukrainian American surnames of noun-based originUkrainian American surnames of noun-based origin
These are literal words and often found in rural regions:
The common perception that most Ukrainian surnames end in -enko is somewhat exaggerated. In fact, this suffix is concentrated in certain regions—up to 30% in Chernihiv oblast—but accounts for less than 15% nationwide. In western regions like Lviv oblast, the frequency drops to just 4%. Other common suffixes include -uk, -chuk, -sky, -tsky, -vych, and -iv.
Misidentification and phonetic confusion of Ukrainian American surnamesMisidentification and phonetic confusion of Ukrainian American surnames
In the U.S. and Canada, Ukrainian surnames were often mistaken for Irish, Scottish, or French names due to similar phonetic structures. For example:
- Makohon, Makosiy, and Makoviy were frequently recorded as Irish surnames like MacMahon, MacO'Shea, or MacO'Vey by immigration clerks. The familiar prefix "Mak" or "Mak-" resembled the Gaelic Mac- (“son of”), and combinations like Mak-O led to frequent misclassification.
- Berehovyi, a Ukrainian surname meaning “of the riverbank,” was adapted in France as Pierre Bérégovoy, a name carried by a French Prime Minister of Ukrainian origin.
- Bilyi (meaning “white”) was sometimes Frenchified to Bellevue, despite Blanc being the direct translation.
Such transformations were not always intentional—phonetic assumptions, unfamiliarity with Slavic names, and bureaucratic simplification played significant roles. As a result, many Ukrainian Americans today bear names that no longer resemble their original Ukrainian forms.
Curious etymologies: The case of MaslyakCurious etymologies: The case of Maslyak
While Maslyak appears to be a typical Ukrainian surname (from maslo, “oil”), some researchers believe it may originate from the Arabic military commander Maslamak ibn Abd al-Malik, a caliph’s son who led campaigns in Eastern Europe during the 8th century. This theory remains speculative but illustrates the surprising complexity and deep roots of some Eastern European surnames.
Most common Ukrainian American surnamesMost common Ukrainian American surnames
While frequency can vary by region and country, the following surnames are among the most widely encountered among Ukrainians and their descendants in the U.S. and Canada:
- Melnyk / Melnik / Melnick
- Shevchenko
- Bondar
- Kravchuk
- Petrenko
- Dmytrenko
- Tkachenko
- Bilyk / Bilak
- Zayets
- Havryliuk / Havrylenko
These names appear frequently in immigration, census, military, and naturalization records from the 20th century onward.
Celebrities with Ukrainian American surnamesCelebrities with Ukrainian American surnames
- Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
- Mila Jovovich, actress, best known for the film franchise Resident Evil
- Keith Tkachuk, NHL player
- David Duchovny, actor, best known for The X-Files
- Vera Farmiga, actress, best known for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
- Alexei Filippenko, astrophysicisit
- Mila Kunis, actress, best known for the series That '70s Show
See alsoSee also
Explore more on Ukrainian American surnamesExplore more on Ukrainian American surnames
- Historical Records from Ukraine at MyHeritage
- New: Global Name Translation™ for DNA Matches at MyHeritage Blog
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Бабута Марина Николаевна. "История формирования украинской диаспоры в новом и новейшем свете (конец xix–xx вв. )" Известия Томского политехнического университета. Инжиниринг георесурсов, vol. 322, no. 6, 2013, pp. 142-148.
- ↑ Евтух В.Б., Каминский Е.Е., Ковальчук Е.А. Украинцы в дальнем зарубежье // Украинцы / отв. ред. Н.С. Полищук, А.П. Пономарев. – М.: Наука, 2000. – С. 81–94.