Surname Alexeew - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'A'
Alexeew: What does the surname Alexeew mean?
The last name Alexeew is an austere surname common to Russia and multiple other Slavic nations. It has a prevalence in Orthodox Christianity, and though much of its origin and origin story are unclear, the name is thought to have come from the ancient language of Greek.
There are several theories as to what this surname could mean. The most prominent of these is that it is derived from the Greek ‘Alexios’ which originates from the masculine given name ‘Alex’, meaning to ‘defend’ or ‘protect’. It is believed that this name was adopted by the early Russian people as a result of their tendency to defend their homes and families, or more generally, as a reflection of their desire to protect others.
This small yet powerful surname is far and wide known for its association with strength and bravery. It is no surprise then that it has been adapted in varying forms across Europe, including Alissa, Alexey, Aleksiy, Alois and Aleksander.
Whilst the original meaning of the surname Alexeew may be lost to time, one thing that has been echoed by generations since is its association of strength and the deep-rooted protection of others.
Order DNA origin analysisAlexeew: Where does the name Alexeew come from?
The last name Alexeew is primarily found in Russia today. It is believed to be a patronymic surname, being derived from the personal name Alexey. This suggests that the original bearer of the name was the son of a man called Alexey. In Russian, surnames ending in '-ew' usually indicate a connection to a place with the same root word as the surname. In this case, there is a region in Southern Russia called Alexeyevsky. It is likely that the family originated here, although other theories state that the name may have originated from Poland or Germany.
Today, the Alexeew surname is quite common in Russia. According to data from Forebears (a genealogical database), there were over 2,000 individuals with the Alexeew surname living in Russia in 2020. Additionally, it is believed that over 700 of these individuals live in Moscow alone.
Generally, Alexeews share the same Orthodox Christian faith as the majority of the population in Russia. Furthermore, many families with the Alexeew surname often use a variant spelling such as Alexev, Alexeev or Alexeiev to separate themselves from other families that also bear the same name.
Variations of the surname Alexeew
The surname Alexeew (or Alexeev, as it is sometimes spelt) is an ancient Slavic-Russian surname derived from the given name Alexei. Its origin is believed to be Old Russian, allowing for such regional variants in spelling, including Alexyev, Oleksiienko, Oleksiyev, Oleksyev, Alexijevic, Oleksiienko and Oleksiyenko.
In Poland, which was once home to many ethnic Russians, the surname can also appear as Oleksiew. The French version of the name is Alexiev, while in the English language it is usually written with the spelling Alexeev.
In Ukraine, it is also a relatively common name with slight variations, such as Oleksiienko, Oleksiyenko, Oleksyev, Oleksienko, Alexiyev and Alexiyenko.
Some variations also appear in Russia, such as Oleksiyev, Alexeevich, Alekseev, Alekseyev, Aleksieev and Alekseevich. Other variations appear in the Czech Republic as Oleksijenko and Alexijevich, and in the western world as Alexyev and Alexi.
It should be noted that Alexeew is just the Russian version of the surname, and that many other countries have their own interpretations of the name Alexeew, often in a range of spellings. This includes the translations of Alexeew to Aleskijuskas and Oleksijevich in Lithuania, Olkovic in Croatia, Oleksiikov in Slovakia, and Alksymov in Belarus.
Famous people with the name Alexeew
- Alexeew Pavlov- a popular Russian professional tennis player
- Alexeew Tkachenko- a Russian Grandmaster of chess
- Alexeew Kuznetsov- a Russian artist who specializes in painting of icons and frescos
- Alexeew Romanov- the last Tsar of Russia
- Alexeew Bortnikov- the current Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation
- Alexeew Kalashnikov- the designer of the famous AK-47 assault rifle
- Alexeew Abramov- a Russian soccer coach
- Alexeew Zhamnov- a retired Russian professional ice hockey player
- Alexeew Vasilyev- a Russian cinematographer
- Alexeew Skarlato- a contemporary Russian composer and pianist