Surname Mackevich - Meaning and Origin

Mackevich: What does the surname Mackevich mean?

The last name Mackevich originates from the Jewish patronymic name Makovski, which is derived from the Slavic given name Makov, itself derived from the Biblical name Maccabee. The Maccabees were a Jewish family, living in the Land of Israel, who waged a successful revolt against the Seleucid Dynasty of the 2nd century BCE to safeguard the practice of their religion.

The surname Mackevich has multiple variations, such as Mackenis, Mackiewicz, and Mackofsky. It is a common Jewish surname among those of eastern, central, and northern European Ashkenazi descent.

Mackevich generally refers to someone who is hardworking, resourceful, and loyal, likely stemming from the Maccabees' remarkable bravery and dedication to their cause. This last name is associated in particular with learning and intelligence.

Though the Greek spelling ‘Machevios’ suggests they may have once been Greek Orthodox Christians, Jews of the Mackevich family likely assume the name to be like the majority of other Jewish surnames, as a result of a shift in 1787 when the Russian Empire repealed its ban on Jews taking surnames.

Historically, Mackevich families have inhabited various locations in Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, and Poland. This highly dispersed population is likely linked to the Russian Empire's 19th-century policy of resettling Jewish families away from large cities.

In the 21st century, many variants of the Mackevich surname can be found across the entire world, likely as a result of the large population of Jews who diaspora from Eastern Europe in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Mackevich: Where does the name Mackevich come from?

The last name Mackevich is a relatively rare surname today. It is most commonly found among populations of Eastern European descent, such as those from the Ukraine and Belarus. According to a 2013 study by the genealogy and family history website Forebears, the surname is most common in Lithuania, where it is ranked 143rd. In Belarus, it is ranked at 143rd place, and in the Ukraine it is ranked at 888th place.

In the United States, Mackevich is most commonly found among those descended from Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian immigrants who settled in the country in the early 20th century, especially those who have their origins in the states of Pennsylvania and New York. An analysis of the 2020 US Census data shows that there are an estimated 894 people living in the United States with the Mackevich surname. The states with the highest concentration of Mackevich families are Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Mackevich is also a rather common surname in Canada. A 2018 survey of Canadian census data shows that there are an estimated 841 individuals living in the country with the Mackevich surname, and the provinces with the highest concentration of Mackevich families are Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Overall, the Mackevich surname is most common in Eastern European countries, with a smaller percentage found in the United States and Canada.

Variations of the surname Mackevich

The surname Mackevich is a patronymic name derived from a Slavic given name, Macko, meaning 'son of Macko'. It is most commonly seen in Belarusian and Russian communities, and is also sometimes found in Poland.

The primary spelling of the surname Mackevich is with an 'e', like Mackiewicz and Mackievič. However, there are a number of other spelling variations seen, including Makkevich, Makievich, Makievič, Maksievich, Mackiewicz, Makkevich, Makiewich, Makievich, Makskevich and Makysievich.

Variants of the surname Mackevich include Makkevicz, Makowycz, Makenvich, Maksyvich, Macksievich, Maksovich and Mackevic. Among Polish speakers, the variant Makkovicz is sometimes seen.

In some cases, the Mackevich surname has been anglicized to Mackiewicz, Mackovitch and Maketh. It may also have been shortened, like Mackov where Mackovitch is the full version, or even contracted, like putting together Maksym and Mackiewicz to form Maksymiewicz.

There are also a variety of shortened surnames derived from Mackevich, such as Makas, Mac and Mak. These shortened versions may have derived from short-form nicknames for Macko, like Mac or Mak.

Finally, Mackevich may also exist as a patronymic surname, with other surnames derived from it, including Mackovich, Makovets, and Makovetsky. All of these surnames can be traced back to the given name of Macko.

Famous people with the name Mackevich

• Sergey Makarevich: Russian singer-songwriter from the band “Mashina Vremeni” (Time Machine).
• Konstantin Makarevich: a Russian painter, architect, and sculptor.
• Yuri Makarevich: Soviet painter, graphic artist, and illustrator.
• Boris Makarevich: Russian poet and screenwriter.
• Valery Makarevich: Soviet artist and teacher.
• Andrei Makarevich: a Russian geneticist and evolutionary biologist.
• Vladimir Makarevich: a Soviet actor and theater director.
• Dmitri Makarevich: a Russian speed skater.
• Alexandra Makarevich: a Russian figure skater.
• Aleksandrina Makarevich: a Soviet and Russian actress.
• Anatoly Makarevich: a Soviet diplomat.
• Artem Makarevich: a Russian modern painter and sculptor.
• Ilya Makarevich: a Soviet and Russian writer.
• Oleg Makarevich: a Soviet soldier and Hero of the Soviet Union.
• Pavel Makarevich: a Russian musicologist.

Other surnames

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