Surname Melnitschenko - Meaning and Origin
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Melnitschenko: What does the surname Melnitschenko mean?
The last name Melnitschenko is of Ukrainian origin, meaning “son of Melny”. The name Melny is derived from the root melny, which in Old Russian could mean "black" or “dark”. This term was used extensively for blacksmiths as they often worked with dark, soot-covered materials due to their craft. It is also possible the Melnitschenko's ancestor may have been involved in such an occupation, or adopted a name to suggest affiliation with the profession.
The Melnitschenko last name originally pertained to an entire family or clan. The earliest records of people bearing this last name were found in western Ukraine, specifically in the Ternopil region. This region has seen many ethnic groups throughout its history, including Ukrainians, Germans, Poles, and Jews. As a result, the history of the Melnitschenko surname is quite varied, with family members likely having a wide array of backgrounds.
Today, the Melnitschenko family is a prominent one in Ukraine and can be found throughout the country. Members of the family are proud of their Ukrainian heritage and have contributed greatly to the nation's culture, economy, and politics. A popular leader of the family is the politician Andriy Melnyk, who has made a name for himself in the Ukrainian Parliament, representing Kiev in the Verkhovna Rada. He is a member of the Servant of the People party, and is dedicated to protecting the rights of the Ukrainian people.
The Melnitschenko family is a long-standing one in Ukraine and retains its deep roots in the rich cultural heritage of the country. The dark-toned roots of the family's original name are an indication of the strength and perseverance of Melnitschenko's ancestors. For centuries, the family remained loyal to their Ukrainian homeland and has while continuing to this day.
Order DNA origin analysisMelnitschenko: Where does the name Melnitschenko come from?
The last name Melnitschenko is most commonly found today in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. This Slavic family name is derived from the word “melon”, which is a type of fruit - meaning that the Melnitschenko family name translates to “son of melon”.
The number of people who carry this surname in Ukraine is especially high. According to the most recent Kobziuk’s dictionary of Ukrainian surnames, Melnitschenko is the 57th most popular last name in Ukraine. Between the two regions of Ukraine, 29.4% of those who bear this name live in Donetsk and 22.2% in Luhansk.
Belarus follows closely behind Ukraine in regards to the presence of Melnitschenko. The country is home to almost 15 thousand people with this last name. 1990 census held that 13.2% of Belsarussians living in the city of Baranovichi bore the Melnitschenko family name.
The Russian Federation is home to almost 19 thousand people carrying this name. According to the 2002 Russian Census, the top 3 areas with the highest presence of Melnitschenko are Krasnodar (7.3%), Rostov (3.6%) and Volgograd (3.4%).
In conclusion, Melnitschenko is a popular family name that is well represented in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. In all of these countries, this last name is among the top 100 most common surnames, though Ukraine is the country with the highest concentration.
Variations of the surname Melnitschenko
The surname Melnitschenko is derived from a Slavic root meaning “millstone” or “millwright” and is associated with blacksmiths and metalworking. Common variants and spellings include Melnichenko, Melnychenko, Melnychok, Melnichuk, Malnychka, Melnyk, Melnichok, and Melnychuk.
In Ukraine, the surname is most popular in the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zhytomyr regions, and is considerably more frequent in the Eastern regions of the country than the Western regions.
In Russia, the name is typical in the southwest and is found in the Voronezh, Kursk, Tver, Moscow and St. Petersburg regions.
The surname is also common in Belarus, and is found in the Mogilev, Minsk and Grodno regions.
Due to immigration, the surname has also become common in the United States and Canada, where there are many Metropolitan-Melnychenkos (the Americanized variant of Melnitshenko).
Over time, as the name has moved around and been changed to fit different languages, numerous surnames derived from Melnitschenko have grown popular in various parts of the world. Some of these include the Belarusian Milinkiewicz, the Russian Melnichenko, Milchyk, Melnik, Melnikov, Melinikov, Melyanov, and Melikov. Furthermore, the Ukrainian Malinovsky, Malinovskyi, Mel’nichuk, Mel’nyk, and Mel’nychuk, are all derived from Melnitschenko as well.
Famous people with the name Melnitschenko
- Juri Melnitschenko: Ukrainian fencer and Olympic silver medalist
- Jasik Melnitschenko: Soviet long-distance runner
- Aleksandra Melnitschenko: Soviet fencer
- Annabelle Melnitschenko: British actor
- Emma Melnitschenko: English chess player
- Maxim Melnitschenko: Russian football player
- Alexander Melnitschenko: Ukrainian film director
- Oleksii Melnitschenko: Ukrainian boxer
- Victor Melnitschenko: American pastry chef
- Mariia Melnitschenko: Ukrainian Paralympic cyclist.