Surname Koshelev - Meaning and Origin
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Koshelev: What does the surname Koshelev mean?
The last name Koshelev is believed to be of Slavic origin, and it refers to a person from the town of Kosheli in Ukraine. The town itself is located in the Sambir district of the Lviv Oblast and is believed to have been founded in the 13th century. The name Koshelev itself is derived from the words “kosha” and “lev” which means “deer hill” in the Old East Slavic language. It is assumed that the town was named after the abundance of deer in the area during the Middle Ages.
The Koshelev family name first appears in records from Belarus and Lviv from around the 16th century. During this time the area was divided and controlled by Poland, Lithuania, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the 17th century, members of the Koshelev family moved to the Opportunity Province of the Russian Empire, established in the early 18th century. It is commonplace for family names to be altered and anglicised to facilitate easier Americanisation during the 19th century, and this is how the name Koshelev may have entered the various records of the American immigrants.
Today, the Koshelev family name can be found in various parts of the United States, Russia, and Ukraine. It is a reminder of the ethnicity and culture of the Slavic people, and a tribute to the important contribution they have made to the history of North America.
Order DNA origin analysisKoshelev: Where does the name Koshelev come from?
The last name Koshelev is a patronymic derived from the Russian given name Kozma. It is most common in Russia and Ukraine. It is also found in other countries including Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan, and The United States.
In Russia, the surname is more frequently found in the central and southwestern parts where it is especially popular in the Kursk, Oryol, Voronezh, Tambov, and Voronezh oblasts. It is also common in the capital Moscow, and Saint Petersburg.
In Ukraine, the surname Koshelev is most common in the westernmost oblast, Zakarpatia. It is also popular in the Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, and Lviv oblasts.
In Belarus, it is most common in the Belarusi Southwestern region, mainly in the Grodno and Vitebsk oblasts.
In The United States, the surname has been borne by American immigrants of Russian origin. There is currently a high concentration in the state of New York, especially in the New York City area.
The Koshelev family is believed to have descended from Grand Duke Vsevolod I of Kiev, son of Princess Maria Mstislavna, granddaughter of king Mstislav I of Kiev. It is unclear when exactly the surname was adopted, but it has been used in Russia since the 17th century.
Variations of the surname Koshelev
Koshelev is a Russian surname that originated from the masculine given name Koshka, which meant "cat". Variations, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Koshelov, Kosheloff, Kochelev, Kocheleva, Kochemasov, Koshemasov, and Kotschelev. It is possible that some of these variations may have come about due to Rusian patronymic name formation, which involves adding -ov/-ev/-in/-yev/-sky/-enko/-uk to the end of a first name to form a patronymic or surname.
Koshelev is an old Slavic name, centuries-old, appearing as early as the late 1700s in records of nobility in the Russian Empire. This suggests that the surname was adopted by the family of a prestigious ancestor, which helped maintain its presence in records. Over the following centuries, it branched into many different spellings. This can happen due to regional dialects, census takers not understanding certain accents, or for other cultural reasons.
Today, the most common variations of Koshelev are Koshelov, Koshelova, and Kochemasov, which are found most often in Russia and former Soviet Bloc countries. Koshelev is also relatively common in Israel and other Middle Eastern countries where people of Russian origin have settled. It may have been changed or adapted to the local language or customs.
In the United States, more people search for the spelling Koshelev than any other variation, although Koshelov, Kochemasov, and Koshelova are all popular among genealogists and in search engine results. This is likely due to more Americans of Russian heritage tracing their ancestry back to immigrant ancestors who adopted the spellings that were most common in the country they left.
Famous people with the name Koshelev
- Alexey Koshelev, a Russian Paralympic skier
- Ekaterina Kosheleva, a Russian beach volleyball player
- Dmitry Koshelev, a Russian football player
- Roman Koshelev, a Russian-born American figure skater
- Vasily Koshelev, a Russian mathematician and physicist
- Veniamin Koshelev, a Soviet bobsledder
- Valentin Koshelev, a Soviet sprint canoer
- Alexander Koshelev, a Russian volleyball player
- Ivan Koshelev, a Russian amateur boxer
- Anna Kosheleva, a Russian rhythmic gymnast