Surname Grigorenko - Meaning and Origin
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Grigorenko: What does the surname Grigorenko mean?
Grigorenko is a popular Russian last name. It is derived from the word "grigora," which means cliff or rock in Old East Slavic languages. The literal translation of Grigorenko is "son of Grigor." It is usually formed by combining the patronymic "enko" with the given name "Grigor."
Grigorenko is thought to be associated with a hill or rock formation, likely one found near the many steppes of the Soviet Union in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Those surnames ending in -enko were given to families who had been relocated or settled on lands that their families farmed and maintained.
Grigorenko is a popular name in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, though most people with this last name in North America have immigrated from those countries. It is often confused with the similar sounding surname of Grigorov, which is derived from the name Grigory and is much more common in the Russian-speaking world.
The etymology of Grigorenko is steeped in the ancient culture of the eastern Slavic people who have spread across Eurasia throughout the centuries. In today's world, this last name has been used to represent the resilience and strength of the Russian character in many parts of the world.
Order DNA origin analysisGrigorenko: Where does the name Grigorenko come from?
The last name Grigorenko is most common in Russia and Ukraine today. It is particularly prevalent in those countries’ eastern regions. The name is derived from the word “grigor,” which is a Slavic diminutive of the name Gregory.
The surname is also common in Belarus and Lithuania, though to a lesser extent. It is recorded in numerous censuses throughout Eastern Europe that date back to the late 18th century in Vislevskaya, Novgorod and Tver gubernias.
Grigorenko is also found in other countries around the world, most notably in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Immigrants from Eastern Europe brought the name to those countries in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
In the United States, the name is especially prevalent in urban areas such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia. There are more than 5,000 Americans with the surname Grigorenko in the United States, according to the 2000 US Census.
The name Grigorenko is also found in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Ecuador. While the name is not as common in those countries as it is in Eastern Europe, it is still present in their populations.
Overall, the name Grigorenko is most common in Eastern Europe today. However, it is also found in other countries around the world, though to a lesser extent.
Variations of the surname Grigorenko
Grigorenko is a Russian and Ukrainian surname with many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common alternate spelling is ‘Grygorenko’. Alternate variant spellings of Grigorenko include ‘Grigorenka’, ‘Griogorenko’, ‘Grigorienko’ and ‘Grygorienko’. Other surnames of the same origin include ‘Hryhorienko’, ‘Hrygorenko’, ‘Grygoreyko’, ‘Hryhoriyenko’, ‘Hryhorovych’, ‘Grygoriyenko’ and ‘Grygoriyovych’.
The surname Grigorenko has its roots in various Slavic language countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland and is derived from the Old East Slavic personal name ‘Grigoriy’, which is a variant of ‘Gregory’ in English. The suffix ‘enko’ is a patronymic ending commonly used to form surnames in the East Slavonic countries. It’s a form of the Russian diminutive ‘enko’ and is quite popular with Russian and Ukrainian surnames.
The surname ‘Grigorenko’ has been used by several notable people all throughout history, including the prominent Russian geographer and ethnographer Vladimir Grigorenko, and the Soviet orchestral conductor and composer Kirill Grigorenko. The surname is also quite popular in the Ukrainian diaspora, with a number of prominent Ukrainian-Americans having the surname, such as soccer player Andriy Grigorenko and psychotherapist Tatyana Grigorenko.
Famous people with the name Grigorenko
- Valeri Grigorenko: Ukrainian professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for HC Lev Praha in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
- Ilya Grigorenko: Russian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for Dynamo Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
- Kseniia Grigorenko: Belarusian figure skater who is best known for placing 4th in the 2018 European Championships.
- Galina Grigorenko: Ukrainian hurdler who won the silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles event at the 2015 European U23 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia.
- Maria Grigorenko: retired Ukrainian figure skater who competed in ladies' singles. She is best known for her 7th place finish at the 2012 World Figure Skating Championships.
- Filipp Grigorenko: Russian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
- Dimitry Grigorenko: Ukrainian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for the Chelmet Chelyabinsk of the Supreme Hockey League (VHL).
- Aleksei Grigorenko: Soviet and Russian film and stage actor, best known for his roles in the films Mama (1997) and Papai (2009).
- Yevgeni Grigorenko: retired Soviet sprinter who won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
- Peter Grigorenko: Ukrainian-born Russian football coach and former player who is the manager of MFC Mykolaiv in the Ukrainian First League.