Surname Popescu - Meaning and Origin

Popescu: What does the surname Popescu mean?

The surname Popescu is derived from the Romanian word for priest—popa. The Popescus were most likely descended from priests who chose to take the surname to differentiate themselves from other members of the clergy. It is a fairly common name among Romanians and can be found throughout Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Moldova, and Bulgaria.

In the past, the Popescu family was influential in the Orthodox Church, with many prominent church figures bearing the name. The Popescu surname was also granted to those who achieved King's Honors or had made some notable social distinction. The most famous bearer of the name is likely former Romanian President, Ion Iliescu, who served between 1989–1996 and 2000–2004.

The Popescus are more than just an Orthodox family, however. Many of the Popescus in modern-day Romania have become successful academics, politicians, artists, and entrepreneurs. The story of the Popescu family is one that is filled with both trials and successes, and it highlights how an influential family can continue to have a lasting impact over generations.

Popescu: Where does the name Popescu come from?

The last name Popescu is most commonly found in Romania, especially in Transylvania. It is highly likely that those with the Popescu surname are of Romanian descent, and may trace their origins back to a long line of ancestors dating to before the Middle Ages. It is also common in the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, and Bulgaria. The surname is also found in such countries as Hungary, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia. It is even encountered in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Israel, although relatively uncommon in these areas.

Popescu is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the first name of the bearer’s father. The suffix ‘escu’ is the Romanian version of the Latin ‘-is’, denoting ‘son of' . The ancestor of those with the Popescu surname was someone named Popa, which comes from the Latin word for ‘priest'. Accordingly, the surname was originally derived from a nickname for the son of a priest. It gradually became a hereditary surname and passed from father to son.

The surname is today typically associated with those of Orthodox religion, though there are both Christian and non-religious bearers of the surname. The Popescu family, regardless of their models of beliefs and cultures, have expanded from the Balkans to the every corner of the world.

Variations of the surname Popescu

Popescu is a Romanian surname, deriving from the Latin word “papa” (meaning “pope” or “father”). It is one of the most common and widespread surnames in the country. It can also be spelled “Popescience” or “Popeșchi”.

Variants of Popescu in different countries include: Papesch in Germany; Popescu in Turkey; Popeskij in Russia; Popesco in Italy; Popescó in Hungary; Popescu in Serbia; Papescou in Greece; Papescu in Moldova; Popescu in Ukraine; Popăscu in Romania; Puopu in Estonia, and Poupoudis in Greece.

There are a number of surnames of similar origin that derive from the Romanian Popescu, such as Popa, Popovici, Popescu, Popescul, Popescoiu, Popisteanu, Popoviciu, Pop Cageom, Poparadu, Popovicci, Poparasu, Popirica, Popovu, Popović, Pop .

Popescu is a patronymic surname, which means that it is derived from the defined name of a parent or ancestor, and indicates that it is a form of hereditary surname. Similarly, a number of other common surnames in Romania also belong to the patronymic group, including Neacșu, which can also be spelled Nicu, Nichi, Năstasescu, Ștefănescu, Voinea, and Brăileanu.

Famous people with the name Popescu

• Oana Popescu: Romanian singer, TV host and Ambassador of the "Unesco Artists for Peace".
• Dumitru Popescu: Romanian TV producer, former president of PRO TV Romania.
• Vicente Popescu: Spanish composer, conductor and pianist.
• Anton Popescu: Romanian Olympic athlete and politician who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics.
• Mihai Popescu: Romanian actor, TV host and former journalist.
• Ion Popescu: Romanian basketball player, competed in the European Basketball Championship.
• George Popescu: Romanian wheelchair athlete, winning gold medals in two consecutive Paralympic games
• Doina Popescu: Romanian doctor and researcher.
• Raluca Popescu: Romanian journalist and TV presenter, former news anchor for the Realitatea-Cațavencu TV station.
• Nicoleta Popescu: Romanian PhD in Computer Science and Software Engineering, president of the Romanian Data Protection Council.

Other surnames

Popesku