Surname Petroff - Meaning and Origin
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Petroff: What does the surname Petroff mean?
The last name Petroff is a variant of the more common Russian patronymic surname Petrova (Петрова) which itself is derived from the male given name Pyotr - Peter in English - and the Slavic suffix "-ov" denoting possession or ownership. As such, Petroff is a surname that literally translates to "son of Peter" or, in some cases, "daughter of Peter," depending on the individual in question.
Through migration and immigration, Petroff can commonly be found in countries spread across the world and it is believed to be one of the more widespread surnames in Russia. In fact, it is estimated that Petroff is the 3rd most common last name in the country, with as many as thirteen variations.
In terms of etymology, the name Petroff is of patronymic origin, likely originating from Slavic times. During this period it was common for families to take the name of the father and pass it onto their offspring, leading to the establishment of popular patronymic surnames.
Many people who carry the Petroff last name today can point to a long and distinguished lineage that stems from ancestors born in Eastern Europe, most notably those who lived in parts of modern day Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. This surname may also be found among other ethnic groups such as Jews, who adopted it during their journey westward.
Order DNA origin analysisPetroff: Where does the name Petroff come from?
The last name Petroff can be found in many places around the world today. It is most commonly found in Eastern Europe, especially in Russia. It is believed to be derived from the personal name “Peter” , which is from the Greek word meaning “stone”. Petroff is one of the most common surnames in Russia with over 121,000 people bearing this name. It has a variety of spellings, such as Petrov, Petrovich, Petrovna, Petrushenko and Petropavlovskiy, as well as other regional variations.
Petroff is also found in countries within the former Soviet Union such as Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, suggesting that it was spread by Russians who moved to the surrounding countries during the Soviet Union years. It is reasonably common in other Slavic countries such as Serbia and Croatia, most likely due to their shared cultural heritage.
The Petroff surname can also be found in North America. Today there are many families bearing the Petroff name who are of Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and other Eastern European descent. It is especially prevalent in the United States, where the highest concentration is in Massachusetts and New York.
In Europe, Petroff is a fairly common surname. It can also be found in Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The spelling may slightly vary depending on the country, but it is still generally recognizable as Petroff.
In summary, the Petroff surname is still widely spread around the world today. It is particularly prominent in Russia, Eastern Europe, North America, and other parts of Europe.
Variations of the surname Petroff
The Petroff surname is a popular Eastern European and Russian name that has many variants and spellings, depending on the language. Some of the most common variants of Petroff are "Petrov" (Russian), "Petrove" (Czech), "Petrović" (Croatian and Serbian), and "Petrof" (German). In the Slavic languages, the genders of a word ending in an “ff” are usually masculine, and those ending in an “f” are usually feminine.
In Old Russian, the Petroff surname may have originally been "Petrova", but as the language changed, the "va" was changed to a "v" or “ff.”
In many countries, surnames derived from the same root are highly variable, depending on the region or town of origin. For example, in Jewish and Italian communities, surnames may be added with the patronymic “son (or daughter) of” or the name of the house where the family lived.
Therefore, some variants of the Petroff surname are: Petracco (Italian), Petrovic (SLavic), Petrakos (Greek), Petrakis (Greek), Petroki (Hungarian), Petros (Greek), Petreska (Bulgarian), Petrăscu (Romanian), Petre (Romanian), Piotrowski (Polish), Pirustovskiy (Russian).
In addition, some of these surnames may have later had prefixes or suffixes added to them such as "van" in Dutch, and "sen" in Scandinavian countries, to identify a person as coming from a particular place. For example, Petrov van Petrova would signify someone named Petroff from Petroff.
In short, the Petroff surname is a versatile name that has many variants and spellings in different languages. Depending on the region, the Petroff surname can take on many forms.
Famous people with the name Petroff
- Leonid Petroff: Russian ice hockey player
- Catherine Petroff: American film producer
- John Petroff: American politician
- Nicholas Petroff: Bulgarian film actor
- Vassili Petrov: Russian tennis player
- Kirill Petroff: Russian military officer
- Stanislav Petroff: Ukrainian historian
- Alexis Petroff: Russian ballet dancer
- George Petroff: Canadian diplomat
- Dimitri Petroff: Greek composer
- Cyril Petroff: British racecar driver
- Adam Petroff: American singer-songwriter
- Jan Petroff: American businessman
- André Petroff: French film director
- Michael Petroff: Swiss art collector