Surname Ivanko - Meaning and Origin

Ivanko: What does the surname Ivanko mean?

The last name Ivanko is of Slavic origin and can be found in many countries, especially in Eastern European countries such as Ukraine and Russia. It is a diminutive form of the Slavic name Ivan and is derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan or Johanan, meaning “God is gracious”.

The most common spelling of the surname Ivanko is Иванко in Russian, and Іванко in Ukrainian. In both languages, it is pronounced ee-VAHNK-oh, and is derived from the given name Ivan (pronounced ee-VAHN). The initial 'I' is often softened into a 'Y' in both languages, giving rise to variants of the surname such as Yvanko and Yvancho.

Ivanko is found mainly in Eastern Europe, however, due to population shifts in the 20th century, it can also be found in North America, as well as other parts of the world. A notable bearer of the name was Ukrainian-born American weightlifter Vasyl Ivanko (1943-1987), who won the gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal with a world record weightlift.

Overall the surname Ivanko is a popular name in many countries, and it carries a lot of cultural significance. Its meaning of “God is gracious” reflects the faith and beliefs of those who bear the name, further adding to its significance.

Ivanko: Where does the name Ivanko come from?

The last name Ivanko is most commonly found in eastern and central Europe today. It is particularly widespread in Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland, where it is among the 50 most common surnames. It is also found in Russia and Romania, as well as in other parts of Europe, particularly in former Soviet republics.

The origin of the name Ivanko is unclear, but it is believed to be derived from the Slavic personal name Ivan, which means "God is gracious." Some scholars believe it could also be from the Middle Polish diminutive Ivanek, derived from Ivan.

In the United States, the last name Ivanko is particularly common among people of Ukrainian and Russian heritage, although it is not one of the top 100 American surnames. The number of people with this surname is likely to grow in the U.S. as more immigrants from eastern and central European countries, many of whom will be likely to have this last name, enter the country.

Ivanko can also be found in parts of South America, primarily Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, where immigrants from Europe have made their homes. There are also some individuals with this name living in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname Ivanko

The Ivanko surname has many variations, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Depending on the region of origin and the dialect spoken, the name Ivanko can be spelt and pronounced differently.

In Ukraine, hailing from the western and southern regions, the surname is typically spelt as Ivanko as we know it. During the time of Polish or Austro-Hungarian rule, the name is sometimes spelt Iwanko, as those lands would have used the Latin alphabet.

In the lands further east (e.g. Belarus, Lithuania), the name can be spelt Ivankov, Iwankov, or Iwankovich. Here, a patronymic form was more common, so the suffix "-ov" or "-ovich" was usually added after the father's given name.

The German-speaking lands would pronounce the surname Iwanko as Evanko or Evankovich, and the Celtic lands could spell it as Iwantka. The Slavonic adaptation of the latter spelling could be Yawontka.

The Greek-speaking lands would usually pronounce it as Evanko, and the Dupont spelling is a Slavic-Gallic mashup that would make it Evanco.

In Romania and Moldova, the name is sometimes spelt as Ianco.

Lastly, Ivanko can also be found as a Jewish name, made more recognizable by adding the typical Jewish suffix "-witz".

While Ivanko is a Slavic name, there are many other Slavonic names of the same origin, such as Ioannik, Ioannenko, Ionanuk, Ianko, and Yanko. Some of these could have even been adopted as surnames in place of Ivanko.

Famous people with the name Ivanko

• Larisa Ivanko, Ukrainian historian
• Evhen Ivanko, Ukrainian poet
• Pelageya Ivanova-Ivanko, Russian archaeologist
• Stanislav Ivanko, Ukrainean classical composer
• Tariel Ivanko, Russian entrepreneur
• Viktor Ivanko, Ukrainian theatre director
• Bosnia Ivanko, Russian actress
• Ivan Ivanov-Ivanko, Russian sculptor
• Ghia Ivanko, Ukrainian architect
• Sergej Ivanko, Azerbaijani soprano
• Vladimir Ivanko, Russian television presenter
• Lizy Ivanko, Ukrainian female wrestler

Other surnames

Ivankovic