Surname Iwanitz - Meaning and Origin
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Iwanitz: What does the surname Iwanitz mean?
Iwanitz is a surname of Slavic origin. The name derives from the Slavonic word "ivan," meaning "God's grace." It was likely originally used as a given name, and later became a surname. Historically, it has been used as a masculine given name, although it is now rare. It can also be written as Iwanic, Iwanicza, or Iwanić.
The familial roots of Iwanitz can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and may first have been associated with Ukrainian or Belarusian origins. In some cases, the surname is believed to be derived from the personal name "Ivan." As an old Slavonic root, some believe it relates to John, and in many areas, the name became a diminutive Ivanic or Yvanic.
Families using the Iwanitz surname mostly inhabited lands that formed part of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. During the 20th century, many of these families relocated to countries in Europe, Asia, and America. On a cultural level, the Iwanitz surname is often associated with Eastern European countries such as Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Today, the Iwanitz surname continues to be in use by families across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Many of the Iwanitz descendants may not be aware of their shared heritage, but the meaning of their surname provides a rich connection to their distant past.
Order DNA origin analysisIwanitz: Where does the name Iwanitz come from?
The last name Iwanitz is most commonly found today in Eastern Europe. It is most commonly spelled in the Slavic form of Iwanitz, though phonetic variations like Iwanich and Iwanitsch can also be found. The name is derived from the Slavic personal name Ivan, which is found in many countries and therefore has many regional variants. For example, in Russia, the "z" ending is replaced with a "ch" ending.
The name Iwanitz is believed to have originated from the Czech Republic, and spread to many other countries in the region, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. It is also possible the name spread to other countries such as Croatia and Serbia.
The Iwanitz surname has been found in many areas of Eastern Europe since the mid-1800s. The earliest records of the name can be found in Bohemia near Prague from the mid-1700s. Records have been found in the Austrian Empire and Germany during the early 19th century, and in Poland and Ukraine by the late 1800s.
As the name spread during the 19th century, it had several variations, such as Iwanitz, Ivanich, Jwanits, and Ivancheff. It is likely that some of the Iwanitz descendants changed their name when they emigrated and that their descendants have carried a modified version of the name.
The Iwanitz surname can be found in current records across Central and Eastern Europe today, especially in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Variations of the surname Iwanitz
Iwanitz is a Polish surname derived from the Polish given name Jan, which corresponds to John in English. Other variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include: Iwanice, Iwanitzi, and Yvanits, as well as the more rare Iwaneczka and Iwanicki.
In the United States, many Iwanitz-origin families have changed their name to more anglicized versions. Variants like Yancey, Ywanick, Wade, and Yeanish are more common in American records. Samuel Ywanick, born in 1803 in Prussia, was a distant ancestor of mine.
Iwanitz is also a common Jewish surname, usually found in northeastern Poland and parts of Belarus. Spellings vary widely in Jewish records, with Iwanick, Ivanitz, and even Wons appearing. Some families may have shortened their surname to Yvan.
The spelling Iowanitz is sometimes seen in records, although it is not consistent with the original Polish version of the name. Iowanitz is likely a phonetic misspelling of Iwanitz.
Variants of Iwanitz are still fairly widely distributed both in Poland and North America. It is not a very common name, but can be found scattered throughout Eastern Europe and the US.
Famous people with the name Iwanitz
- Mark Iwanitz: Football kicker from the University of Nebraska-Kearney; played for the Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks in 2010.
- Vitaliy Iwanitz: former Ukrainian ice hockey player and coach; served as head coach of Sibir Novosibirsk in the Kontinental Hockey League from 2011 to 2014.
- Russell Iwanitz: American actor who has had roles in films such as 2012's The Expendables 2 and 2001's The Princess Diaries.
- Adam Iwanitz: Polish basketball player who played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
- Joe Iwanitz: American actor who has appeared in films such as 2003's S.W.A.T., 2013's Lethal Pilot and 1994's Menace II Society.
- Oleg Iwanitz: Belarusian footballer who played for Metallurg Zheltye Vody.
- Stanislav Iwanitz: Ukrainian footballer who currently plays for Avanhard Kramatorsk.
- Leonid Iwanitz: Belarusian footballer who played for Slavia Mozyr, Dnepr Mogilev and FC Minsk.
- Katerina Iwanitz: Russian figure skater who was a two-time National Champion and competed at the 2009 World Championships.
- Svetlana Iwanitz: Russian rhythmic gymnast who participated at the 2009 Mediterranean Games.