Surname Prokopets - Meaning and Origin

Prokopets: What does the surname Prokopets mean?

The last name Prokopets is a patronymic surname of Slavic origin, derived from the given name Prokop, meaning “progressive or advancing.” It is common in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and Slovakia and is believed to have been adopted at the time of Magyar invasion in the 9th century. The root of the name Prokop is the Old Slavonic word “prokop”, which means “advancement”.

The name Prokopets can then be taken to mean the descendant of one who is ‘progressing’, which gives it an inspiring and confident connotation. This idea of advancement, coupled with the fact that it is an ancient name, adds to its prestige as a surname.

In more modern times, Prokopets has expressed to adults and children alike a feeling of promise, a sense that no matter what life throws their way, they have the strength to carry on and improve their situation. It could be that the idea of the ‘progressive individual’ has become a part of the family identity, almost an unspoken but meaningful reminder for all generations to keep striving.

In a way, the Prokopets family line could be seen as a metaphor for success, encouraging anyone with the name to reach greater heights no matter how difficult the path ahead may seem.

Prokopets: Where does the name Prokopets come from?

The last name Prokopets is a Russian surname that is common throughout Russia and the former Soviet Union. It is also a popular surname in surrounding countries that were part of the former Yugoslavia. The majority of people with this surname are located in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Latvia.

Prokopets is believed to have originated from words meaning “village” or “town” in either Belarusian or Russian, likely referring to where families had initially lived and farmed. This hints that the name might have first been used with the intention of indicating an area of origin.

The prevalence of Prokopets in the Slavic regions may be attributed to the migration of people within Eastern Europe throughout the 19th century and the generalization of the surname. People from the same or similar family trees may have had the same surname, leading to the population of Prokopets within areas that were under Russian and Soviet rule.

In modern times, the surname Prokopets can be found in many countries, including the United States. It is estimated that there are over 2,700 people with the Prokopets surname living in the United States. While it is a common last name in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Latvia the total Prokopets population is small, with a mere 0.00020% of the world’s population using it.

Variations of the surname Prokopets

Prokopets is a Slavic surname of Ukrainian origin derived from the personal name Prokofiy or Prokop. Alternate spellings and variations of the name include Prokopec, Prokopenko, Prokopp, Prokopov, Prokopiv, Prokopsky, Prokopchuk, Prokopovych, Prokowicz, Prokofiev, Prokopová, Prokofyev, Prokopenko, Prokopovich, Prokosch, Prokoschenko, Prokofyeva, Prokopenki, Prokopecz, Prokopen, Prokopieva, Prokop, Porokhov, and Prorok.

The Prokopets family name is most likely derived from the Greek word 'prokopos', meaning 'advancement, progress'. It is believed by some to have been originally given to individuals who distinguished themselves by virtue of their outstanding work ethic and/or qualities. It is believed that the surname began to appear during the medieval period as a sign of nobility or military rank.

The most common modern variant, Prokopov, is found still in use in Ukraine today, particularly in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Western Ukraine regions. Prokopec, another common variation, is mainly used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, while Prokopenko is the dominant variant in Russia.

Prokopenko is thought to have been derived from the common personal name of the same spelling, which originated due to the admiration of St. Procopius, a 4th century Christian saint whose name is derived from the Greek prokopos, meaning 'advancement, progress'.

Prokopenko is also extremely common amongst those of Jewish descent. When Jews fled the Russian Empire in the late 19th century, they often changed their names, and thus the original Prokopets surname was changed to Prokopenko.

In various parts of the world, Prokopsky, Prokopchuk and Prokowicz are the most commonly encountered spellings. It is thought that the original Prokopets surname was adapted to Prokopetsky when it first became used as a surname in the Czech Republic.

In large Ukrainian urban centres such as Lviv, the Prokopets surname has undergone a range of metamorphoses over the centuries, most notably Porokhov, a variant of Prokopets which is now in use today.

Prokopets is a unique surname with a variety of alternative spellings and related surnames of Ukrainian origi, to a lesser degree in other Slavic countries such as Russia and the Czech Republic as well as amongst Jewish immigrants. All the spellings and variants of the surname are ultimately derived from the same Greek root word, prokopos, signifying growth and progress.

Famous people with the name Prokopets

• Nadia Prokopets: She is an actress from Ukraine who has appeared in television series and films such as Oplot Theatre (2020) and Provans (2016).
• Roman Prokopets: He is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for FC Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team. He has won the Ukrainian Cup twice in 2006 and 2014, and won the Ukrainian Premier League in 2017.
• Vitaliy Prokopets: He is a former Greco-Roman wrestler from Ukraine who competed in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. He won the silver medal at the 1999 World Wrestling Championships and was a 4-time Ukrainian National Champion.
• Vitaliy Prokopets: He is a Ukrainian politician, professor, doctor of law, and the president of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
• Valentin Prokopets: He is a Ukrainian professional football player who has played in the top Ukrainian leagues with Tavriya Simferopol and Dynamo Kyiv.
• Dmytro Prokopets: He is a Ukrainian football goalkeeper who won the Ukrainian Premier League in the 2008-2009 season with Shakhtar Donetsk.
• Uiy Prokopets: He is a Soviet footballer from Moldova who played in the USSR Top League with FC Zimbru Chișinău.
• Alexander Prokopets: He is a Soviet-born American composer, conductor and music producer, whose career spans over 30 years. He has composed, orchestrated, and produced music for films and television series such as Lost in Space (1998) and The X-Files (1998).
• Igor Prokopets: He is a Ukrainian professional football player who has played for FC Zirka Kropyvnytskyi since 2019. He has also represented Ukraine at the 2019 U-19 Euro Championship, where he helped the team win the Bronze medal.
• Oleksandr Prokopets: He is a Ukrainian football player who has played in the top Ukrainian leagues with FC Vorskla Poltava, FC Arsenal Kyiv and FC Chornomorets Odesa.

Other surnames

ProkopecProkopeckProkopekProkopenkoProkopetzProkopevProkopevaProkopez