Surname Jowanowitsch - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'J'
Jowanowitsch: What does the surname Jowanowitsch mean?
The last name Jowanowitsch is a patronymic surname originating from Slavic countries such as Slovakia, Russia, and Ukraine. The name itself is derived from the Slavic personal name Ivane (John) or Ivan and the suffix “-ovitsch” which indicates descent from the male named ancestor. It is essentially the equivalent of adding “son of” or”son of John” to the end of a family name. Though the origins of the name are difficult to trace further due to its emergence relatively recently in the 17th century, its spread and use in areas of Central Europe where Slavic cultures are prominent is likely indicative of an Eastern European origin.
The family name Jowanowitsch is a noble one, indicating status and lineage. Historically, one bearing this name might have served as a vassal or lord for a local prince, or expanded their influence by serving as a knighted member of a court or army.
Today, the surname Jowanowitsch is still relatively common in Eastern Europe, and carries an old-world heritage reminiscent of a shared heritage of nations, languages, and cultures. An American citizen of Central European origin may still bear such a name, and the genus of the Jowanowitsch family lives on.
Order DNA origin analysisJowanowitsch: Where does the name Jowanowitsch come from?
The surname Jowanowitsch is a distinctive Slavic name typically found among German-speaking, Russian, Polish, and Czech populations in Central and Eastern Europe. In modern times, this name is most commonly found in countries such as Germany, Austria, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The origin of the name is disputed; however, the most commonly accepted translation is “jew of Novgorod,” a town in Russia.
In Germany, Jowanowitsch is considered a fairly uncommon surname but is generally found within the population of Saxony, Brandenburg, and Silesia, where the name is most frequently concentrated. Austrians with the name Jowanowitsch can mainly be found in the eastern part of the country, namely the states of Lower Austria and Burgenland.
In Central and Eastern Europe, Belarus and Russia have the highest concentrations of people with the Jowanowitsch surname. In Russia, Jowanowitsch is considered to be a rare name and can be found mainly in cities such as Kaliningrad, Arkhangelsk, and St. Petersburg, as well as in key Russian historical sites such as Novgorod. Meanwhile, the Jowanowitsch surname is much more common in Belarus, where it can be found mainly in Vitebsk, Grodno, and Minsk.
Finally, Jowanowitsch is also considered a fairly common name among Poles and Czechs, with the highest concentrations being found in areas such as Warsaw, Poznan, Krakow, Prague, and Brno.
Variations of the surname Jowanowitsch
Jowanowitsch is a Polish and Russian surname with a range of variants, spellings, and other surnames of the same origin.
The most common spelling of Jowanowitsch found in Poland is Jawnowitsch. Other variations on this spelling include Janowiec, Jankowo, Janowice, Jankowka and Jankoviak.
In Russia, Jowanowitsch is spelled Ivanovich or Iwanowitsch. Other variations of Ivanovich are Ivanov, Iwanowicz, Ivanowicz, Iwanowsky, Ivanofsky, and Ivanovski.
In the United States, the surname Jowanowitsch is most commonly written as Johnson. Variants of Johnson include Johnston, Janssen, Jansson, Jonson and Johannsen. This is because of English-speaking immigrants who changed the spelling of the name to something that would be more easily pronounced and recognized in their new home.
Other surnames related to Jowanowitsch are Isakowicz, Yacenko, Yanovskiy, and Jakowski.
All of these surnames have one thing in common, they are derived from the Slavic personal name Ivan or Jan. This root word influences the wide range of surnames all around the world that are related to the origin of Jowanowitsch.
Famous people with the name Jowanowitsch
- Nikolai Jowanowitsch Kutschera, Austrian alpine skier and World Cup champion
- Violetta Jowanowitsch, Austrian-German ice dancer
- Boris Jowanowitsch Grakov, Russian art critic
- Iwan Jowanowitsch Pullman, Russian painter and graphic artist
- Dmitri Jowanowitsch Medvedev, Russian Prime Minister
- Konstantin Jowanowitsch Tsiolkovsky, Russian rocket scientist
- Alexandra Jowanowitsch Brichacek, Brazilian-Austrian actress
- Gennadi Jowanowitsch Starovojtov, Soviet Olympic synchronized swimmer
- Jelena Jowanowitsch, Australian synchronized swimmer
- Frank Jowanowitsch, German composer and live electronic musician
- Nicolas Jowanowitsch, French actor
- Egon Jowanowitsch, Austrian Olympic skier