Surname Poljakoff - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'P'
Poljakoff: What does the surname Poljakoff mean?
The last name Poljakoff is a Russian surname which is derived from the word поляков meaning "Pole". It is a patronymic name, or a surname created from the father's name, and was originally used as an identifier of families of Polish ancestry. Traditionally, the surname was used in areas of Russia that had a strong presence of Polish immigrants and settlers.
The root word поляков is related to the pre-Christian Slavic god of the Poles, Poles, and it is believed that the last name Poljakoff was originally derived from people of the same realm. The surname is usually passed from one generation to the next, although the individual ancestors may be well-forgotten.
Today, the Poljakoff family can be found primarily in eastern Europe, with the largest concentrations being in Russia, Belarus, Poland, and the Ukraine. The family legacy is strong even if its roots are barely remembered, and it is a reminder of the Polish ties and culture that are still retained in countries that have been part of the Russian Empire for centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisPoljakoff: Where does the name Poljakoff come from?
The last name Poljakoff is a relatively uncommon name today. In its native Eastern Europe, where there were many different country borders in the past, the surname can be found in many different countries today.
In Russia, this surname is likely derived from the word "poljak", which means "field man", and is a patronymic surname given to a rural inhabitant. Census records from the past hundred years in Russia indicate that the Poljakoff surname is mainly centered in the Krasnodar region, particularly in the cities of Novorossiysk, Cherkessk, Tuapse, Sochi, and Temryuk.
In other parts of Eastern Europe, the surname Poljakoff can be found in Serbia, Croatia, and Bulgaria. Records from local archives indicate that the family had a presence in these countries since the 19th century, likely originating from people moving between the different countries in the area.
In Serbia, the Poljakoff surname appears mainly in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and other cities in the Vojvodina region. In Croatia, the surname is most common in the Zagreb area. In Bulgaria, census records show the presence of Poljakoff in the cities of Plovdiv and Smolyan, as well as near the border with Turkey.
Outside of Europe, the surname is also quite common in North and South America, where it can be traced back to the early 20th century. There are records of people with the Poljakoff surname in the United States, Canada, Argentina, and Brazil, likely descended from immigrants coming from Europe during the first half of the 1900s.
Variations of the surname Poljakoff
Poljakoff is a Russian surname which is derived from the ancient Slavonic language and is part of the broader group within the Russian language. This surname is also commonly seen in the USA as Pollackoff and in other Slavic countries as Polejackoff, all with the same meaning.
The surname is commonly translated as "son of the Pole," linked to a person from a Slavic region. The surname is known to have roots in places such as Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, and other regions of Eastern Europe that all speak one of the languages of the Slavic languages.
Variations of the surname Poljakoff include Pollakoff, Polejackoff, Polakoff, Poliakoff, Poliakov, Poljakov, Poliakovskaya, Poljakovskiy, Poljakova, and Polejaevskaya. As common amongst many surnames, over time there have been notable variations in spelling. This has most likely been down to the numerous languages or dialects throughout Eastern Europe that would have an influence on the translation of the name as well as the numerous transliterations of the original name into different languages and dialects.
In the USA, the surname Poljakoff is most often seen in the variations of Polakoff, Pollackoff, and Pollokoff. These surnames actually took their origin from other parts of the region such as Polish, Koch, and Czech forms. The Pollackoff variation is an Americanized version of the Russian or Slavic versions.
The Poljakoff surname is a historically significant name that has ancestral roots dating back to many centuries. It is an ancient name, which has continued to spread and evolve over the ages, creating its own variations in multiple languages and dialects while maintaining its original core meaning.
Famous people with the name Poljakoff
- Alexander Poljakoff: Russian art patron, philanthropist, and founder of the Alexander Poljakoff Foundation.
- Natalia Poljakoff: contemporary painter, daughter of Alexander.
- Ivan Poljakoff: Russian avant-garde painter and teacher, brother of Alexander.
- Marcel Poljakoff: French modernist sculptor, son of Alexander.
- Brigitte Poljakoff: French cabaret singer, wife of Marcel.
- Robert Poljakoff: French artist and sculptor, son of Marcel and Brigitte.
- Gersh Poljakoff: Russian-Ukrainian-Jewish dramatist, novelist, screenwriter and director.
- Demitri Poljakoff: Russian architect and sculptor, great-grandson of Alexander.
- David Poljakoff: British-Russian primatologist and explorer, great-grandson of Alexander.
- Leonidas Poljakoff: Russian banker and businessman, great-grandson of Alexander.