Interminable Romanian Surnames with Peculiar Origin and Form

Interminable Romanian Surnames with Peculiar Origin and Form.

Romanian Surnames: When considering surnames, you cannot possibly ignore Romanian Surnames. Just like it is with other typical societies, Romanian surnames have very special and unique features that make them stand out quite exceptionally from other names.

Amusing Romanian Surnames with Peculiar Origin and form

Interestingly, Romanian lasts names are formed in really awesome patterns. There’s is the predominant addition of suffixes to the main parts of the names to indicate a certain class. Suffixes such as -escu, -eanu, -anu, -an, -aru, and -atu.

Specifically, Romanian Surnames have these suffixes as their trademark and you will rarely hear or see last name in Romania not carrying one of these names. Romanian names mostly owe their origin to their history, religion, culture, occupation, and traditions.

Accordingly, many parents have opted to give these outstanding surnames to their children as first names. You can’t really have anything against this practice because these Romanian last names are simply great.

Admittedly, Some of us just love variety and coupled with the pleasant nature of these names, might just be musing over the thought of giving them to our kids. If you are in this category you can simply browse through the list below and make a choice.

Historical Romanian Surnames and Their Meanings

Historical Romanian Surnames and Their Meanings

1. Albescu – The root word for this Romanian surname is the word ‘alb’ that means ‘white’ in the Romanian language.

2. Albu – It is also derived from the word ‘alb,’ which stands for ‘white’ in Romanian.

3. Aldea – It originates from the Spanish word ‘Aldea,’ which means ‘village.’ The surname is likely a toponymic one.

4. Andrei – It is the Romanian form of the name ‘Andrew,’ which comes from the Greek name ‘Andreas.’ The name ‘Andreas’ means ‘manly’ or ‘masculine.’ The surname ‘Andrei’ has several spelling variants, and a few examples are Andre, Andrea, and Andri.

5. Ardelean – This surname is derived from the word ‘Ardeal,’ which is the Romanian name for the region of Transylvania. The word ‘Ardeal’ likely comes from ‘erdo’ – the Hungarian word for forest.

6. Baciu – It is derived from the Romanian word ‘baci’ meaning a ‘shepherd.’ The word ‘baci’ is also used to refer to the captain of a team in the game of Oina, which is a traditional sport of Romania.

7. Balan – It means ‘blond’ in Romanian. Balan is also a town in Romania, and thus the surname could be toponymic.

8. Barbaneagra – The literal translation of this Romanian last name is ‘black beard.’

9. Barbu  – This word in Romanian means ’bushy beard.’

10. Bogdan – The word means ‘god-given’ or ‘gift of God.’ The word is made of two Slavic language words, namely ‘bogu’ meaning ‘god’ and ‘dan’ meaning ‘given.’

11. Botezatu – This Romanian surname means ‘baptized.’

12. Bucinschi – its meaning is “wealth”.

13. Bucur – The name comes from the word ‘bucurie,’ which means ‘happiness’ ‘joy’ or ‘delight’ in Romanian. The name could also be a reference to the legend of Bucur, a shepherd who is said to have founded Bucharest – the capital of Romania.

14. Cazacu – It is a toponymic surname referring to someone who came from a region along the Cazacu river in Romania.

15. Cel Tradat – This Romanian surname means ‘the betrayed.’

16. Chirilov – it could mean “a thousand” or “a unit”.

17. Ciobanu – It is derived from the Romanian word ‘cioban’ meaning a ‘shepherd.’ It is an occupational surname given to the shepherd community of Romania.

18. Cojocaru – This surname is derived from the word ‘cojoc,’ which means ‘sheepskin’ in Romanian. This is likely an occupational surname given to people who manufactured coats using sheepskin.

19. Covaci – Diminutive term of Covadonga, the name of an old Spanish village.

20. Craioveanu – It means a ‘person of Craiova.’ Craiova is a Romanian city, and this surname is a toponymic one referring to someone with their origins in the city.

21. Creţu – It comes from the word ‘cret’ that means ‘curly’ in Romanian. The surname originally could have referred to those with curly hair.

22. Dalca – The name is of uncertain origin, and is probably derived from an old Romanian word ‘dalca’ meaning ‘lighting.’

23. Dan – The name is a variant of the word ‘Daniel,’ that comes from Hebrew and means ‘God is my judge.’ Other origins could be the Old Norse name ‘Danr’ or a reference to someone from the country of Denmark.

24. Dascălu – It comes from the word ‘dascal’ meaning ‘teacher,’ ‘schoolmaster’ or an ‘instructor.’ It is an occupational surname.

25. Dragavei – It is the Romanian name for the plant called Curly Dock. It probably referred to someone who lived close or had a field of the curly dock plant.

26. Dumitru – Romanian form of Demetrius; derived from the name of the Greek goddess Demeter.

27. Eder – The origin of the name is unknown. It could be the Basque word ‘Eder’ meaning ‘handsome’ or ‘beautiful.’ Another origin could be the Hebrew name ‘Eder’ that means ‘the flock.’

28. Enache – This one is both a name and a surname. The origin is believed to be the name Menachem, which means ‘comforter’ in Hebrew.

Great Romanian Surnames

29. Erner – Erner likely means ‘Serbian’ in Romanian.

30. Fieraru – Fieraru means ‘smith’ in Romanian. It is an occupational surname given to smiths – blacksmiths, coppersmiths, goldsmiths, etc.

31. Fischer – It is the German word for ‘fisherman.’ The occupational surname likely originated in Germany and later may have migrated to Romania.

32. Floarea – This surname means ‘flower’ in Romanian.

33. Florescu – It is derived from the name and word ‘Floarea.’

34. Funar – Funar means ‘rope maker,’ an occupational surname given to people who make ropes.

35. Gheata – Gheata is the Romanian word for ‘ice.’

36. Grosu – It originates from the Romanian word ‘gros’ that means ‘thick,’ ‘stout,’ ‘coarse’ or ‘bulky.’

37. Hatmanu – Hatmanu is an occupational surname. It was given to people who, in the medieval times, were equivalent to the military rank of a General.

38. Hofer – Hofer means ‘steward’ in Romanian and may be related to the Romanian word ‘Sofer’ that means ‘chauffer’ or ‘operator.’ Another origin could be the German name ‘Hofer’ meaning a ‘farm,’ ‘house,’ or ‘courtyard’ thus making it an occupational surname for a steward; a caretaker for the property.

39. Ilie – Romanian form of Elias or Elijah, which means “a God” in Hebrew.

40. Iordanescu – It means ‘son of Iordan.’ The name ‘Iordan’ is the Romanian version of the name ‘Jordan,’ which comes from Hebrew and means to ‘descent’ or ‘flow down.’

41. Ioveanu – This Romanian surname means ‘son of Ivan.’ The name Ivan is derived from the name ‘John’ that comes from Hebrew and means ‘God is gracious.’

42. Jurovschi – (Polish origin) Derived from the Polish word Żurowski.

43. Lazarescu – It means ‘son of Lazar.’ The name ‘Lazar’ comes from the Hebrew name ‘Eleazar’ meaning ‘my God has helped.’

44. Luca – It is the Romanian form of the name ‘Luke,’ which is derived from an ancient Greek name ‘Loucas’ meaning a ‘man from Loucania.’ The place Loucania, also spelled Lucania, was an ancient region in Italy.

45. Lungu – It comes from the Romanian word ‘lung,’ which means ‘long.’ It may have originally referred to someone who was tall or had long limbs.

46. Lupu – It is a cognate of the Romanian word ‘lup’ meaning a ‘wolf.’

47. Lupei – It is also derived from the word ‘lup’ meaning ‘wolf’ in Romanian.

Epic Romanian Surnames

48. Mahbed – (Roman origin) meaning “sacrifice” or “honesty”.

49. Maier – A Maier is a ‘farmer.’ The occupational surname could be a short form of the Romanian word ‘farmier’ meaning ‘farmer.’ Another origin could be the name ‘Meyer’ that comes from the Middle High German word ‘meier’ meaning an ‘administrator.’

50. Mayer – It is a variant of the name ‘Meyer’ that comes from Middle High German and means ‘administrator,’ ‘sheriff’ or an ‘officer.’

51. Mitrea – It is a cognate of the word ‘mitra,’ which is the Romanian word for ‘miter’ – a tall cap or headdress worn by bishops or senior priests.

52. Munteanu – It means ‘from the mountain’ in Romanian. It is either an occupational surname for a mountaineer or a toponymic surname for someone who lived in the mountains.

53. Muller – It is an occupational surname for a ‘miller’ – a person who mills.

54. Nectaria – It is derived from the word ‘nectar,’ which is the juicy and sweet secretion of flowers.

55. Net – It is derived from the Old Latin name ‘Netus’ meaning ‘superior’ or ‘greater.’

56. Nicolae – also Niculaie, it is the Romanian form of Nicholas; it means “victory of the people”.

57. Nicolescu – It means ‘son of Nicolae.’ The name ‘Nicolae’ is the Romanian variant of ‘Nicholas,’ which comes from Greek and means ‘victory of the people.’

58. Oncea – its meaning could be “a pioneer”.

59. Popa – It means a ‘priest,’ ‘pastor’ or ‘clergyman.’ A variant of the surname is ‘Popescu’ that means ‘son of a Priest.’

60. Pichler – It is a toponymic surname for someone who ‘lives on or by a hill.’

61. Radu – It comes from the Old Slavic word ‘rad’ meaning ‘happy.’

62. Reiter – It is derived from the name ‘Reuter,’ which comes from the Middle High German word ‘riute’ meaning a ‘cleared land.’ The name may have been a toponymic one referring to someone who lived on a piece of cleared land.

63. Romanescu – It means ‘son of Roman.’ It may have been a name for the people who were descendants of the Romans from the Roman Empire.

64. Roşu – It means the color ‘red’ in Romanian.

65. Rusu – It means ‘Russian’ in Romanian. It originally may have referred to people of Russian origin.

SUGGESTED:

66. Sala  – occupational name for a worker at a manor house, from the romance word sala meaning “hall, large room”, of germanic origin.

67. Sandu – It is the short form of ‘Alexandru’ – the Romanian version of the name Alexander, which comes from Greek and means ‘defender of humanity.’

68. Schmidt – It is derived from the Middle High German word ‘smit’ that means a ‘smith.’ It is an occupational surname for someone who worked as a smith, for example, a blacksmith or goldsmith.

69. Segarceanu -It means someone who has their origins in Segarcea, a town in the Romanian county of Dolj that lies on Romania’s border with Bulgaria.

70. Skutnik – It is derived from the Romanian word ‘scuti’ meaning ‘exempted.’ The name may have been associated with farmers or peasants or a section of the population who were officially exempted from certain taxes.

71. Stan – It is a short form of the name ‘Stanislav,’ which is a combination of Slavic words ‘stani’ meaning ‘stand,’ ‘become,’ or ‘attain’ and ‘slava’ meaning ‘glory.’

72. Stanislav –  means “to become glorious”.

73. Stefan – It is the Romanian variant of the name ‘Stephen,’ which comes from the Greek name ‘Stephanos’ meaning ‘crown.’

74. Stoian – It is a variant of the name ‘Stoyan,’ which comes from Bulgaria. ‘Stoyan’ originates from the Bulgarian word ‘stoya’ meaning ‘to stand.’

75. Stoica – The surname is of unknown origin, but likely to be related to ‘Stoain.’ Another source could be the Romanian word ‘stoic,’ which is same as the English word stoic meaning someone who is aloof and detached”.

76. Suta – Suta means ‘left-handed’ in Romanian and was given to people who used their left hands for work.

77. Tarniceriu – It is an occupational Romanian last name for a ‘saddler,’ a person who makes and repairs saddles.

78. Tecuceanu – It means ‘from Tecuci.’ It is a toponymic surname referring to someone from the city of Tecuci in Romania.

79. Ungureanu – It is the Romanian word for ‘Hungarian.’ The toponymic surname refers to people with their origins in the country of Hungary.

80. Vacarescu – It means ‘son of cowherd’ or ‘descendant of a cowherd.’ It is an occupational surname used to refer those who reared cows or were in the cattle business.

81. Vasile – another form of Basil; it means “kingly”.

82. Vlad – It is the diminutive form of the Slavic name ‘Vladislav’ that means ‘one who rules by glory’ or ‘one who is glorious.’ A famous bearer of the name was the 15th-century ruler Vlad III, who is often regarded as a national hero in Romania.

83. Vulpe – It is the Romanian word for ‘fox.’

84. Weber – This occupational surname is of German origin and means a ‘weaver.’

85. Zamfir – It is a variant of the Romanian word ‘safir’ that means ‘sapphire.’ The occupational surname refers to those who traded in jewels or worked as jewelers.

86. Zugravescu – It is derived from the Romanian word ‘zugravi’ that means to ‘portray,’ ‘depict’ or ‘describe.’ The surname ‘Zugravescu’ means ‘son of the one who describes or portrays the past.’

Truly, you won’t be making a bad choice if have decided to bless your kid with one of these surnames as first names. Those last names above are just a proper picture of how Romanian Surnames are coined and what they mean.

Did u learn from this article? You can ahead to share with friends and loved ones.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply