Surname Popow - Meaning and Origin
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Popow: What does the surname Popow mean?
The last name Popow is derived from a Slavic root and is of East European origin. It is typically a patronymic surname that originated when an already established family adopted a new surname to distinguish themselves from other families. In some cases, the surname was derived from the profession or trade of the family.
In Hungary, the surname Popow is believed to be derived from the Popkó family, who were a noble house throughout the Middle Ages. In Slovakia, the surname is derived from the Slovak word for priest – "pop", thus meaning the literal translation of "son of a priest". In Poland, it is thought that the Popow family were prominent members of an early tribe before Christianity and the adoption of Slavic family names.
Popow is considered to be a rare surname and is most commonly found in Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine. Most of the time it is spelled Popov, with the two versions being found in different countries and thus having their roots in different origins.
Popow remains a rare and unique surname, the meaning of which is often not fully understood by those who possess it. It is thought to be derived from a profession, a noble house, or a tribal origin, aiding in its unique and captivating history.
Order DNA origin analysisPopow: Where does the name Popow come from?
The last name Popow is found throughout Eastern Europe, in countries such as Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. It is also found in some regions of Russia, with its roots originating in the region of Slavic Europe.
Popow is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from a given name. The original form of the surname is Popovich, which itself is a derived from the given name “Pop”, which comes from the Slavic term “Papa”, meaning father or priest.
Today, Popow is a fairly common last name across Eastern Europe. It is commonplace in countries such as Belarus, with 103,720 people bearing the surname, as well as in Ukraine, where the Slavic element is strong, with 77,974 people owning the last name. It is also quite common in Poland, with roughly 50,000 people bearing the surname.
In terms of outside of Eastern Europe, Popow is a not unheard of, though still rare, sight in the United Kingdom. In the United States, there are barely 1500 families bearing the name, making it a rare sight indeed in the US. It is not unheard of in Canada either, though with only 847 people taking the last name, it is considerably rarer.
In summary, The last name Popow is most commonly found in Eastern Europe, with some presence in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. Its Slavic origins and patronymic structure make it a classic example of Eastern European surnames.
Variations of the surname Popow
The surname Popow is of Slavic origin and is derived from the personal name Pyotr, which is the Russian version of the Christian name Peter. It is found both in its original language and in the form of other variants.
The original variant of Popow is pronounced with an emphasis on the second syllable: "po-POW". Other related variants include Popov, Popoff, Popovich and Popowich. The spelling of Popow is sometimes seen as Popoff, Popovv, Popoff, Popuff and Popuf.
In addition, other spellings of the surname include Popowicz, Popowicz, Popowicz, Popowiczys, Popowczyk, Popowiczki, Popovich, Popovski, Popowiecki and Popovsky. Surnames of similar origin to Popow include Popovic, Popovici, Popoviciuc and Popovics.
A number of versions of the surname have developed through the centuries, the most common being Popovski or Popovitzki, which translate to the son of Peter. It is not uncommon to see the variant Popoff among individuals who are Jewish and living near Russia.
Many versions of the surname can be found around the world, as many members of the Popow family settled abroad. In English-speaking countries the surname is generally spelled Popov, while Popoff and Popoff are more frequent in German-speaking countries due to tourism of Russian members of the Popow family.
Whichever version of the surname is used, it is consistently associated with Pyotr, the son of Peter, and is an indication of the strong tradition of Slavic ancestry.
Famous people with the name Popow
- Dimitri Popow: Canadian freestyle skier and two-time Olympian.
- Filip Popow: Serbian professional basketball player.
- Benjamin Popow: German archer; represented his country at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
- Judita Popow: Serbian figure skater; was the national champion in 2015.
- Oleg Popow: San Marino triple jumper; competed in the 2004 Olympic Games.
- Mitja Popow: Slovenian-Czech chess Grandmaster.
- Assen Popow: Bulgarian athlete; competed mainly in the shot put and discus throw.
- Nikolay Popow: Russian volleyball player; part of the gold-winning team in the 2020 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nation League.
- Max Popow: Austrian table tennis player; competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. 10.Djordje Popow: Australian swimmer; represented his country at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.