Surname Gurevich - Meaning and Origin

Gurevich: What does the surname Gurevich mean?

Gurevich is a Jewish surname of Ashkenazi origin. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "Gur," meaning "cub" or "young one," and "-vich," an Eastern Slavic suffix indicating "son of." So, Gurevich can be loosely translated to mean "son of the young one." It is also said to be associated with the Yiddish term "Gurevits," denoting someone who originates from the town of Horowitz in Czech Republic. Furthermore, this surname is common among Jews from Belarus, Ukraine, and other parts of Eastern Europe. Notably, as is common with surnames, variants such as Gurvich, Gurwicz, and Hurevich exist. Today, people with this surname can be found worldwide, having disseminated due to Jewish diaspora. The people with the surname Gurevich may connect to various professions, from academia, arts, to science among others.

Gurevich: Where does the name Gurevich come from?

The surname Gurevich is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. It likely emerged in areas where Yiddish was the dominant language. The name is particularly common among Jews descending from Eastern Europe, especially within regions that comprise present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. It's a patronymic surname derived from the personal name Gur or Gurev, with the "vich" ending meaning "son of". Hence, Gurevich essentially translates to "son of Gur".

This surname started appearing around the late Middle Ages and started stabilizing as hereditary from father to son only in the early modern period.

Today, the name Gurevich is still quite popular among Ashkenazi Jewish populations worldwide. Many people with this surname are found in countries such as the United States, Israel, Russia, and Argentina. However, it’s important to note that many Gurevich families anglicized or changed their names upon immigration to English-speaking countries, making the name less prevalent than it once was.

Variations of the surname Gurevich

The surname Gurevich has several variants and spellings, primarily evoked due to geographical location and cultural differences. Some of these variants include Gurvich, Gurevitch, Gurwicz, and Gorovitz.

Moreover, the surname could have been revised to Gurivich or Gurewich, with a transition of the letters 'v' and 'w' in various locations, mainly in Western countries. In some cases, the spelling might also be shortened to Gurev, especially in countries like Russia and Ukraine.

These variants are primarily of Jewish (Ashkenazic) or Slavic origin, tracing roots to Eastern European countries like Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Ukraine, among others. The surname is patronymic, formed by adding the Slavic suffix '-vich,' which means 'son of', to a personal name, in this case, 'Gurev-'.

The Latin spelling of Gurevich may also occur, where the 'v' is replaced by a 'u', rendering it as Gureuich. Depending on the region and language, the pronunciation and resultant spelling may also change, hence creating further variants of the name.

Overall, there might be a numerous number of spellings for Gurevich, based on cultural and geographical differences.

Famous people with the name Gurevich

• Yuri Gurevich: A renowned computer scientist known for his work in the field of logic and theoretical computer science, particularly the Abstract State Machine theory.
• Mikhail Gurevich: He was half of the iconic design team Mikoyan-Gurevich, who developed military aircraft for the Soviet Union during World War II.
• Anatoly Gurevich: A famous spy for Soviet Union during World War II, known by his code name Kent.
• Maxim Gurevich: A notable figure in music production and songwriting, best known for his collaborations in the Eurovision Song Contest.
• Lev Gurevich: A Soviet scientist, who made significant contributions to unmanned space exploration projects.
• Oleg Gurevich: A well-respected Russian artist and illustrator.
• Benjamin Gurevich: An acclaimed Israeli classical violinist.
• Irina Gurevich: An American violinist recognized for her performances of baroque music.
• Julie Gurevich: An Australian figure skater who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics.
• Valentina Gurevich: A prominent Russian physiologist and academician.
• Boris Gurevich: An internationally recognized geophysicist.
• Harold Gurevich: An Argentine painter known for his modernist style.
• Dmitri Gurevich: A renowned American chess player.
• Vitaly Gurevich: A noted Belarusian sprint canoer.
• Mikhail Gurevich: An elite grandmaster in chess originally from Ukraine.

Other surnames

Gurevitz