Surname Popov - Meaning and Origin
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Popov: What does the surname Popov mean?
Popov is a Slavic surname derived from the popular trade name of ‘Pop’. The name is specific to Russia and other Slavic countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovakia, where it is usually used as a patronymic surname (a name derived from the father's name). The literal meaning of the word ‘Popov’ translates to ‘son of a churchman’, ‘son of a priest’, or simply ‘son of a man’.
The surname is quite common in Russia and throughout Slavic countries, with more than 800,000 people bearing the name of Popov. Over the years it has been adopted by people from various regions, which has caused the surname to gain popularity in different languages.
The surname is also known to have evolved from variation in spelling. In some countries, including Slovakia and Slovenia, the surname is spelled Popovic and Popović while in other countries, including Bulgaria, the surname is written as Popof.
There are several famous people with the surname of Popov, including Russian swimmers Alexander Popov and Nikolai Popov, British actor John Popovich, and Soviet Prime Minister Vyacheslav Popov.
In short, the Slavic surname of Popov is derived from the popular trade name of ‘Pop’ and means ‘son of a man’, ‘son of a priest’, or ‘son of a churchman’. It has been adopted by people from various countries and has become quite popular. Moreover, it has evolved to include different variations in its spelling.
Order DNA origin analysisPopov: Where does the name Popov come from?
The last name Popov is a common surname across Eastern Europe, especially in Russia and the former Soviet Union countries. In Russia, Popov is the sixth most common surname. It is also a top 100 surname in countries such as Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Depending on the language, it can be spelled different ways. For example, In Belarus it is Pamova, and in Ukraine it is Popova. Popov is an occupational name from the word "pop" meaning priest, so it was a name given to priests in the old days.
The name is also found in many parts of Europe where immigrants from the former Soviet Union have settled. Sweden, Finland, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands all have sizable populations of people with the last name Popov. It is also found in the United States and Canada, where many people of Eastern European descent have immigrated over the years.
Popov is also a popular surname in other countries around the world. It can be found in Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Nigeria, and many Asian countries. In India, it is the seventh most popular surnames in the Sikh community of Punjab, meaning that there is a sizable population of Popovs in that part of the world.
Variations of the surname Popov
Popov is a traditionally Russian surname that is believed to have originated with people from the populace, or the common masses. The term itself translates to “son of the common people.” It is a very common surname in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union.
The most common spelling of Popov is the one with the ending of “ov”. Other variant spellings are Popoff and Popow, among others. It can also be spelled with the Cyrillic alphabet, and therefore can also have alternate spellings such as Попов and Попович.
The Popov surname is also sometimes connected to a number of other surnames of the same origin, such as Popovskaya, Popovik, Popova, Popovna, Popenko, Popovets, Popovich, Popovchenko, Popovkin, Popovtsev, and Popovkin.
Almost all of the surnames from the same origin are based around the same prefix, Popov. For example, Popovskaya means “daughter of Popov” and Popovna means “niece of Popov”.
Most of these surnames originated from the Nobility of Russia, and all of them have gone on to be held by people both in and outside of Russia. It is quite a common name in Russia, and can be found in the United States and other countries as well.This could be because of immigrants that have left Russia in recent years to countries such as the United States looking for work and a better life.
Famous people with the name Popov
- Ivan Popov: Russian actor best known for his work in popular television series such as “Kollege” and his award winning work in theatre productions such as “Razvorotila Hetastu”.
- Vladimir Popov: Russian professional football player who has appeared in over 300 games for various teams in the Russian Professional Football League.
- Dmitri Popov: a Russian singer, songwriter and composer who has a successful musical career and has worked with numerous popular Russian bands such as Leningrad and Alyans.
- Aleksei Popov: Russian artistic gymnast who won the bronze medal in the men's individual all-around competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
- Yuri Popov: a Russian Olympic gold medalist in team épée fencing from 2004 and 2008.
- Sergei Popov: a Soviet-era Russian painter and graphic artist who has also created numerous porcelain bas-reliefs for the Bolshevik Porcelain Factory.
- Roman Popov: a Russian politician who is currently Speaker of the Duma of the Republic of Mordovia.
- Marina Popov: a Russian dance choreographer who has won several awards and prizes, including the Golden Mask in 2015 for her staging of the ballet “Cinderella”.
- Alexander Popov: a Russian biologist and molecular geneticist who is best known for his pioneering work on the genetic code.
- Ekaterina Popov: a Russian classical pianist who has won numerous awards and has performed in many countries throughout the world.