Surname Mihailescu - Meaning and Origin
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Mihailescu: What does the surname Mihailescu mean?
The last name Mihailescu is a Romanian surname originating from the Roman-Latin personal name "Michael". It is fairly common in Romania and Moldova. The name Mihailescu was likely created in the 18th century, when surnames became mandatory. The name reflects patriarchal heritage, as it often formed with 'escu' being added to an existing father's name as a suffix.
The meaning of Mihailescu can be broken into two parts. The first part is “Mihai” which is a common Romanian variant of Michael. The second half “escu” is the diminutive form of the Roman-Latin word “scu” meaning “son” or “child”, as it is used in traditional Romanian names. Therefore, the name Mihailescu can be interpreted as meaning “son or child of Michael”.
The variants of Mihailescu in different languages or dialects are also quite common. It can be spelled "Mihailesku" in some areas of Romania, and "Mihailescu" in Slovakia, for example.
In recent years, Mihailescu has become less common and is slowly becoming obsolete as a surname in Romania. There are still many families who proudly bear this name, however, and will continue to carry on this family heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisMihailescu: Where does the name Mihailescu come from?
The last name Mihailescu is most commonly found in Romania and Moldova today. In Romania, it is an extremely popular last name and is found in almost all regions, particularly in traditional autochthonous Romanian regions, such as Moldavia, Muntenia, and Oltenia. It is the 42nd most common name in Romania. In Moldova, Mihailescu is the 93rd most common name.
Outside of Romania and Moldova, Mihailescu can be found in the eastern European countries of Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Slovakia, as well as in former Yugoslavian countries, such as Serbia and Croatia. Mihailescu is also found in regions that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, such as Romania and Austria. In addition, this surname can be found in countries all over the world, where members of the diaspora live, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and Australia.
The etymology of the name Mihailescu is inextricably linked to the former ruling family of Romania - the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Mihailescu is derived from the Romanian language name Mihai, which itself is derived from the Greek name Michael, or "Who is like God". It is possible that the Mihailescu surname began as nicknames assigned to people within the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Over time, it became a family name in its own right and spread throughout Romania and beyond.
Variations of the surname Mihailescu
The surname Mihailescu comes from the Romanian word for Michael and is one of the oldest surnames in the country. It can be spelled in many different ways and has different variants and surnames of the same origin.
Mihăilescu is the most common spelling in Romania, while other variants include Mihailovici, Mihăilescu, Mihăilășescu, Mihăileschi and Mihăilescuș. The surnames Mihăilescu, Mihăilășescu and Mihăileschi are derived from the Romanian preposition ‘mihăi’, meaning ‘old’. Mihăilescuș is the diminutive form, with ‘escu’ translating to ‘son of’, while Mihailovici is a patronymic derived from the name Mihailo. In some instances, the surname Mihailescu has been changed to be spelled as Mihăilesc and is used interchangeably, although the spelling remains the same.
Other related surnames of Mihailescu include Mihăiță, Mihăilesc, Mihăilă, Mihăilău, Mihalache, Mihalovici and Mihai. For those surnamed Mihăiță, it can be translated to ‘Mihai’s son’, and is the son of a man named Mihai, while Mihai is the shortened variant of Mihailescu. Other related surnames include Mihalache and Mihalovici, which are derived from the patronymic Mihalu. Mihăilă and Mihăilău are derived from the diminutive of Mihai.
As with many surnames, there can be multiple spellings and variants of the same origin. The surnames Mihailescu, Mihăilescu, Mihăilășescu, Mihăileschi, Mihăilescuș, Mihăiță, Mihalache, Mihalovici, Mihăilă and Mihăilău, all can be considered part of the same origin and each have their own unique spelling or derivations.
Famous people with the name Mihailescu
- Andrei Mihailescu: Romanian conductor, composer, and orchestrator
- Alfonso Mihailescu: Venezuelan amateur boxer and political activist
- Claudiu Mihailescu: Romanian footballer
- Constantin Mihailescu: Romanian jurist, professor, and politician
- Eugen Mihailescu: Romanian cross-country skier
- Eva Mihailescu: Romanian bronze medalist in badminton at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Eugeniu Mihailescu: Romanian former football striker
- Ilie Mihailescu: Romanian former footballer
- Ion Mihailescu: Romanian former footballer
- Mihai Mihailescu: Romanian engineer and professor
- Mihail Mihailescu: Romanian sculptor
- Mihail Mihailescu: Romanian painting professor and theorist
- Mioara Mihailescu: Romanian painter
- Petre Mihailescu: Romanian former footballer
- Ruxandra Mihailescu: Romanian former journalist
- Vlad Mihailescu: Romanian swimmer and bronze medalist in the 1996 Summer Olympics