Surname Varshavsky - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'V'
Varshavsky: What does the surname Varshavsky mean?
The surname Varshavsky is of Jewish (Ashkenazic) origin, deriving from the Yiddish name for the Polish city of Warsaw, known as Varshave in Yiddish. This means Varshavsky could have been a geographic surname given to people who immigrated from Warsaw or its surrounding regions, as a way to identify their place of origin. It may also indicate that the family originally came from Warsaw. Surnames based on geographic locations were quite common among Ashkenazic Jews. Keep in mind that this is generally true not only for the Varshavsky surname but also for variants such as Varshevsky, Varshevski, Warshawsky, and others. However, individual cases may vary, and the surname's meaning may differ based on family history and origin. The surname does not have a specific meaning in English or Polish besides its geographic reference. In some scenarios, the surname could also be adopted for other reasons known only to the person or family who first used it.
Order DNA origin analysisVarshavsky: Where does the name Varshavsky come from?
The last name Varshavsky is most commonly found today in Russia and the former Soviet republics. The name was borne by a distinguished Russian Jewish family and was popular in the areas of Poltava and the Pale of Settlement during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today, the most prominent bearer of this last name is Yana Varshavskaya (Яна Варшавская), a Russian actor, model and socialite, born in 1992 in Moscow. The surname has also been borne by several other prominent people, including chess player Evgeny Varshavsky (Евгений Варшавский) and the Soviet writer Yehoshua Varshavsky (Евгений Яшуа Варшавский).
The name Varshavsky is still relatively common in these regions today, though the popularity of the name has dropped from previous centuries. Though a few examples of the name can still be found in cities across Russia, the surname carries less significance than it did in the past, as fewer families carry on the name or a variation of it.
Variations of the surname Varshavsky
The surname Varshavsky is derived from the place of origin of the bearer which is the Russian city of Varshavs. This surname is usually known by different spellings or modified versions, depending on where the family originated. In some cases, it is changed to the Ashkenazi Jewish form of Varshovski. In Russian, the -sky ending is often replaced by -skyy, this being the case of Varshavskyy.
One of the variants is Warshawsky, which differs from the original due to the Russian spelling of V fading out and replaced by the more common and easier W pronunciation. Some Jewish immigrants have adopted this spelling of the surname and eventually spread around countries like United States or Canada, particularly to those with low immigration rates around the 1900s.
The surname may also be found as Varshavskaya or Varshovsky in some eastern European countries, with slight differences in spelling that vary depending on geographic area.
In addition, in some cases the original surnname can be changed to Waldowski due to various political, geographical or other reasons. This is usually found amongst those who have gone to more isles regions, like Galicia and other neighbouring territories.
Lastly, the surname Varshavsky can be found in a modernized version containing a bit more of the original Russian origin – Warszawski.
Famous people with the name Varshavsky
- Alexander Varshavsky: Nobel Prize-winning American cellular biologist.
- Boris Varshavsky: Russian-born American medical doctor and researcher in endocrinology.
- Andrei Varshavsky: Ukrainian contemporary artist, formerly of Dagestan.
- Ilya Varshavsky: Russian operatic tenor.
- Atara Varshavsky: Israeli former rhythmic gymnast.
- Vadim Varshavsky: Russian broker and financial economist.
- Dan Varshavsky: Israeli singer, musician, composer and producer.
- Miroslav Varshavsky: Ukrainian artist, professor and member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.
- Mark Varshavsky: Russian-born American baritone.
- Vladislav Varshavsky: Russian actor and theater director.