Surname Vrana - Meaning and Origin
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Vrana: What does the surname Vrana mean?
The last name Vrana is of Slavic origin and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "vrana", which translates to raven or crow. It may have been used as a nickname for someone with some connection to the bird, such as a special affinity or gift for hunting them. Alternatively, the name may have been adopted as an occupational name for a carriage driver, as the Czech "vran" was used in the past to describe a type of wooden cart horse.
The name is found all over the world due to migration and emigration from Slavic countries of origin, such as Czechoslovakia, Slovenia and Croatia. As such, it could have been adopted into other cultures as an occupational name, such as a cart driver or blacksmith. The surname is still found in large numbers in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Austria and Germany.
It is possible that the name may have borne a symbolic meaning and been taken on as an indicator of strength, wisdom and intelligence. In mythology, the raven was regarded as a symbol of strength and courage, and also embodied the power of intuition and wisdom.
In modern times, the surname Vrana is most likely used as a surname indicating one's ethnic origin. It carries with it a hint of history and tradition, as well as a reminder of a long-held connection to the land and culture of the Slavic people.
Order DNA origin analysisVrana: Where does the name Vrana come from?
Vrana is a surname originally from the Czech Republic and Bosnia & Herzogovina, though today it is found throughout Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and even Australia. Where it is most common, however, is in the United States. In the United States, the Vrana surname is most commonly found in Texas, New York, and California and other states with large populations of Czech or Bosnian ancestry. Though Vrana is a relatively uncommon surname in the US, it is still quite prominent in the Czech Republic, with the surname ranked at 143rd for frequency of occurrence based on data from the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.
The rarity of Vrana in the United States is in contrast to its popularity in Europe. Vrana is quite common in both the Czech Republic and Bosnia & Herzogovina. In the Czech Republic, for example, Vrana is the 143rd most common surname and there are currently over 22,000 people bearing the surname. In Bosnia & Herzogovina, Vrana puts in at 77th place in terms of popularity.
Overall, Vrana is most common in the United States, though there is still a sizeable concentration of people bearing the surname in Europe. The United States, however, has much larger populations of people with Czech and Bosnian ancestry. Because of this, the Vrana surname is widely spread across the country with the majority located in New York, Texas, and California.
Variations of the surname Vrana
The surname Vrana is a common surname which hails from several countries and cultures. It may be spelled as Vrána in its native Czech, inner-Slavic language, and in Polish it is written as Wrona. It is also spelled as Vranes, Vranec, Vranešić or Vraneš, in the Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian languages, respectively. In Ukrainian and Belarusian, it is spelled as Vraniv.
In the United States, the Latinized spelling is Verano and in France telephonic directories have the spelling Vrano. In Italian, it is written as Verrana and its variant Verrani is also seen. In some cases, it has also been written as Weran.
Vrana is an occupational surname, derived from a Slavic word for ‘raven’. Originally, the surname likely indicated a person who kept and bred crows. In some cases, the surname has also signified trades that associated with ravens such as falconry or hunting. It may also refer to people with a black complexion or black hair, likened with the raven’s color.
The variants of Vrana may come in different forms but they all point to the same origin, a name for a person who was associated with the raven.
Famous people with the name Vrana
- Martin Vrana: Czech ice hockey player who represented the Czech Republic at multiple World Championships
- Jacob Vrana: professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL)
- Kurt Vrana: winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Frank Vrana: former Czechoslovakian cross country skier who competed in the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympic Games
- Robert Vrana: Slovak track and field athlete who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics
- Jim Vrana: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for his debut single “Who’s Gonna Love You Now”
- Christopher Vrana: American musician best known as a founding member of the Indie rock band Modest Mouse
- Pavel Vrana: Czech experimental music composer
- Ludmila Vránová: Czech painter and printmaker
- Jan Vrana: Czech sculptor and theatre designer