Surname Jankunas - Meaning and Origin

Jankunas: What does the surname Jankunas mean?

The last name Jankunas is a Lithuanian surname derived from the personal name Jankun. In Lithuanian, Jankunas is a combination of two words – "Jan" meaning “John” and “Kunas” meaning “son” or “descendant”. It's important to note that “Jan” can also refer to a personal female name, so Jankunas can be used to signify the descent of a John or a Jane.

The surname Jankunas has been used since at least the 16th century and was popular during the 19th century in Lithuanian villages, but is now found in many countries around the world. It’s not particularly common, but is still one of the most popular in Lithuania according to the 2010 Lithuanian census.

Jankunas can also be seen in some other forms, including Jankauskas and Jankuvėlė. The fact that Lithuanian names often change form depending on the region or time period may explain why some people carry a variation of Jankunas’s original form.

Regardless of its current form - whether it be Jankunas, Jankauskas, or Jankuvėlė - this Lithuanian surname carries the meaning of descent and was used to signify the direct lineage of a “John” or “Jane”. Today, this surname continues to be kept alive as a reminder of our shared history.

Jankunas: Where does the name Jankunas come from?

The last name Jankunas is most commonly associated with Lithuania today. In fact, it is the twentieth most common last name in Lithuania according to the Lithuanian Department of Statistics. It is believed that the name has been present in the country for centuries, and is believed to be of a Slavic origin. A number of popular Lithuanian celebrities have the last name, including Povilas Jankunas, a former basketball player, and Jurgis Jankunas, an acclaimed Lithuanian film director.

The last name is not as common elsewhere, but there are some pockets of people with the name scattered throughout the world. In the United States, there appears to be a larger concentration of Jankunas families in Idaho, Texas, and California. There are also a few families living in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Jankunas is also quite common in other parts of eastern Europe, including Belarus, Poland, and Latvia.

Overall, Jankunas is a last name that can be traced back to Lithuania, although it is scattered throughout certain parts of the world, as well as certain regions of eastern Europe. Despite its global spread, the name remains quite common in its native Lithuania.

Variations of the surname Jankunas

The surname Jankunas has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. One of the most common variants is Jankauskas. This variant is a derivation of the original name. Other variants include Jankenas, Jankevičius, Jankenis, and Jankonis.

The spelling Jankūnas is also a common form of the name. This is the Lithuanian version of the name, which is largely uncommon outside of Lithuania.

A rare variation of Jankunas is Jankūnienė. This is the feminine version of the name.

The surname Jankunas is also often spelled as Jankevičius, Jankonis, and Jankenon. These forms are mainly used in countries with a high population of Lithuanian-speaking people.

The different spellings of the surname Jankunas have all the same meaning: son of Jan or John. This surname is a common one, especially in the Baltic countries.

In Poland, the suffix ‘-ski’ is commonly added to surnames. Therefore, the surname Jankunas can have a surname form of Jankunas-ski, which is an equivalent to an English surname ending in ‘-son’.

In countries that speak Ukrainian, such as Belarus and Ukraine, the surname Jankunas can have a suffix of ‘-iv’, becoming Jankunasiv. This is the equivalent of an English surname ending in '-son'.

Variations of the surname Jankunas can be used to identify family lines, as different spellings are mainly used in certain countries. Different variants of the name allow families to trace their heritage back to the origin of the name.

Famous people with the name Jankunas

• Romas Jankunas: former professional basketball player for the Lithuanian basketball team, originally from Kaunas, Lithuania.
• Saulius Jankunas: highly respected cardiologist, chair of the Lithuanian Cardiology Association, and one of the founders of modern cardiology in Lithuania.
• Vytautas Jankunas: Lithuanian football player and coach, currently the coach of Prisijunga Vilnius, a professional Lithuanian football club.
• Tomas Jankunas: film director and screenwriter, well known for his 2012 film “The Half of the World”.
• Gerda Jankunas: opera singer, has been hailed as one of the great sopranos of our time.
• Viktoras Jankunas: actor, known for his role as “Eduardo” in the 2014 Lithuanian/Italian film “The Celebration”.
• Goda Jankunas: fashion designer, known for her unique use of mixed materials and intricate details.
• Dalia Jankunas: poet and writer, has had several short stories and poems published in Lithuanian literary magazines.
• Greitai-SV Jankunas: Lithuanian punk-rock band formed in 1996, have released several albums and are known for their energetic performance style.
• Jonas Jankunas: former member of the Lithuanian Parliament and an advocate of Lithuanian human rights reform.

Other surnames

Jankun