Surname Sokoloff - Meaning and Origin
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Sokoloff: What does the surname Sokoloff mean?
The last name Sokoloff is of Russian-Slavic origin, meaning "falconer". This surname is thought to have been originally used as an occupational title, representing someone who kept and trained large hunting birds like falcons, eagles, and hawks. There are a number of alternate spellings for this surname, including Sokolof, Sokolov, Sokolowsky, Sokolovitch, and even Sokolovsky.
The Sokoloff name has spread far and wide in one way or another. Immigrants with Sokoloff roots have been found throughout the United States, Canada, France, Western Europe, Israel, and even the Pacific Islands. However, a large percentage of the Sokoloff family remains in Russian, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Within the Slavic culture, the surname Sokoloff is associated with a great deal of prestige and accomplishment. In particular, several members of the Sokoloff family have distinguished themselves as Olympic athletes, producers, and writers. In the 1940s, the first feature-length American film was written by one Valery Sokoloff. Recently, movies like The Hunger Games and X-Men have featured Sokoloff family members as both actors and producers.
Thus, the last name Sokoloff may represent a deep and varied family history. Nonetheless, its origins point to an ancient and meaningful bond between man and bird-- a reverence for another creature that has been passed down through generations of the Sokoloff family.
Order DNA origin analysisSokoloff: Where does the name Sokoloff come from?
The last name Sokoloff is most commonly found in Russia and in other Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Belarus, and the Ukraine, as well as various parts of the former Soviet Union. It is also found in some of the countries that experienced significant Jewish emigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including the United States, Canada, Argentina, and Israel.
The surname is of Slavic origin and is related to the Russian word 'sokol', which means 'falcon'. It is also sometimes spelled as Sokolov or Sokoloff. As of the 2010 US Census, there were over 2800 individuals with the last name Sokoloff in the United States. It ranked 12,721st in terms of frequency. But in some of the areas where it is found with more frequency, Sokoloff is one of the top 10 surnames.
In Russia, the surname is especially common in the Belgorod region, which is close to the Ukrainian border. It is also fairly common in other parts of southern Russia, including Voronezh, Tambov, Lipetsk, Saratov, and Oryol.
In Israel, Sokoloff is still a fairly common surname, especially in the coastal cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa, where there is a large population of Jews from Russia and Eastern Europe. Overall, it seems that the surname is most prominently found in the countries and regions where Eastern European Jews have migrated and settled, although it appears to be slowly spreading across different parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Sokoloff
Sokoloff is a surname, traditionally having East European origins and especially popular among Russian and Ukranian speaking countries. Variations of the name include Sokolov, Sokolovsky, Sokolev, Sokolenka, Sokolova, Sokolova, Sokolovskya, Sokol, Sokolik, Sokolenko, Sokolnik, Sokolenko, Sokoluk, Sokolski, Sokolich, and Sokolovska.
The spelling and pronunciation of Sokoloff can also be different depending on the dialect of the language it’s used in. For example, in countries where Russian is spoken, the spelling would be Со́колов. In Ukrainian, the spelling includes an apostrophe—Со́коло́в. In Polish, the spelling is written as Sokolow, and in Bulgarian as Соколов.
Given the widespread variations of the Sokoloff surname, the origins of the name might be traced to multiple places. The name is thought to be derived from the Old Slavic word “sokol”, which means hawk or falcon. However, the exact origin of the name has not been confirmed.
Sokoloff is also related to the Jewish surname Sokolnik, derived from the Hebrew word “sokol” which also means hawk or falcon. A related variant Sokolovicz is a Jewish habitational name from a place in the same region.
In sum, the surname Sokoloff has a plethora of variants and is most commonly seen among East European countries having its roots in the Slavic language. It is also related to the surname “Sokolnik”, which has Jewish origins.
Famous people with the name Sokoloff
- Gillian Sokoloff: an American actor, known for her work in projects such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 7th Heaven, Malcolm in the Middle, and several films
- Miriam A. Sokoloff: a prominent American psychologist research with a wealth of studies on topics including memory, language, and human development
- Maida F. Sokoloff: a renowned American chemist and professor known for her work on solving various environmental issues
- Naomi Sokoloff: a professor of Hebrew Bible and Northwest Semitic languages at University of Washington and the author of several books
- Nick Sokoloff: an American entrepreneur, active in the technology industry
- Vitaly Sokoloff: a prominent Russian literary historian, literary critic, and playwright
- Linda L. Sokoloff: a molecular biologist and professor at the University of Hawaii
- Jessica Sokoloff: an award-winning American actor and producer, best known for her work in the television series Days of Our Lives
- Lev Sokoloff: a noteworthy Russian a artist, noted for his landscapes and portraits
- Larisa Sokoloff: an Argentinian actress, known for roles such movies as The Motorcycle Diaries, Moebius, and Intimate Stories