Surname Prokofieva - Meaning and Origin
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Prokofieva: What does the surname Prokofieva mean?
The last name Prokofieva is a patronymic derived from the given name Prokofiy (Procopius). In its modified form, the name is widely spread throughout Eastern Europe, and is believed to be of Russian origin.
The name Prokofiy is of Latin origin, and is taken from the Greek word “prokope,” meaning “progressing” or “to go forward.” As well as being a popular male given name, its derivative Prokofieva is a fairly common Russian female name, meaning “prokopyevna”, or the daughter of Prokofiy.
Those bearing this name, such as Russian architect and painter Maria Prokofieva, demonstrate qualities associated with the Latin and Greek meaning - namely, courage, vitality, strength and dedication.
The Prokofieva family name has become an increasingly popular choice among Russian families who admire the strength, resilience and progressiveness associated with it. The name carries a long and proud history with it, and those bearing this name are likely born into a long and proud line of other Prokofievs preceding them.
Overall, the last name Prokofieva is a strong and powerful patronymic whose origin carries strong connotations of progressiveness, resilience and strength of character. Those born with this name are sure to gain the admiration of those around them, in addition to the pride that living with a strong legacy can bring.
Order DNA origin analysisProkofieva: Where does the name Prokofieva come from?
The last name Prokofieva is quite common in Russia today. It is an ancient, pre-Christian family name derived from the Proto-Slavic root words prȍko (prominent/foremost) and Fieff/Fief (peace/quiet).
PrȍkoFieff is believed to be the oldest recorded Slavic use of the Pro- prefix, appearing in a variety of Slavic languages first in the 9th century as the region transitioned to Christianity. The Prokofieva surname carries with it a sense of nobility and high social standing, and was most often associated with skilled tradesmen.
Today, the Prokofieva surname is generally distributed throughout the Slavic regions with higher concentrations in Russia. It is particularly popular in central Russia, with the city of Moscow having the highest concentration of people with the last name. Elsewhere, it also appears in Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania, and other countries in Eastern Europe.
Outside of its Slavic homeland, the Prokofieva surname is found mainly in Russia’s neighbouring countries, especially Armenia and Azerbaijan, due to the migration patterns of the region’s citizens throughout the centuries. The name is also popping up more frequently in other parts of the world as people with Slavic heritage move abroad.
Variations of the surname Prokofieva
The surname Prokofieva is derived from the Russian masculine name Prokofi, a diminutive of Prokop (Procopius in Latin), meaning a ‘forward-marching’ or ‘advancing’ person, and the suffix -ieva, which denotes 'daughter of. Thus, the surname Prokofieva generally signifies ‘daughter of Prokop’.
Variants of the surname Prokofieva include Prokofyeva, Prokofiyeva, and Prokof'eva. These variants are all derived from the same Russian root, though some variations developed independently in different countries as a result of spelling errors or other linguistic variations.
Surnames with similar origin and meaning to Prokofieva, include Prokopa, Prokopova, Prokopchuk, Prokopkin, Prokopiev, and Prokopienko.
In addition to the standard Prokofieva spelling, Prokofiyeva is also used in Israel, as well as by ethnic Ukrainians living in Canada and the United States.
An interesting variant of the Prokofieva surname is Prokhorova, which is found in Russia and other former Soviet republics. This version is derived from the name Prokhor, a variation of Prokop (Procopius) and hence also means ‘daughter of Prokop’, though it has developed independently of the Prokofieva family.
The surname Prokofieva has also been extensively documented in various spellings across most of Eastern Europe, including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. In some cases, the original Prokofieva spelling has been transliterated into Latin and other languages, resulting in variants such as Prokopowicz, Prokopovych, and Prokofievsky.
In some cases, Prokofieva may also appear as Povkofiyeva or Provkofiyeva, due to the practice of dropping the initial ‘P’ or ‘Pr’ when writing the name in Russian.
Nonetheless, in all cases, the origin and meaning remains the same.
Famous people with the name Prokofieva
1.Galina Ustvolskaya: Russian composer and student of Dmitry Shostakovich. 2.Vera Prokofieva: Russian poet, playwright and actress. 3.Victoria Prokofieva: Russian poet, playwright and actress. 4.Anna Prokofieva: Ukrainian film director and screenwriter. 5.Oksana Prokofieva: Russian singer-songwriter and actress. 6.Natala Prokofieva: Russian actress and television presenter. 7.Nina Prokofieva: Russian actress and television presenter. 8.Anastasia Prokofieva: Russian contemporary classical composer. 9.Andrei Prokofiev: Russian pianist; son of composer Sergei Prokofiev. 10.Nikita Prokofiev: Ballet dancer; son of composer Sergei Prokofiev.