Surname Prokoff - Meaning and Origin
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Prokoff: What does the surname Prokoff mean?
The last name Prokoff is of Russian origin and it is derived from the personal name Prokhor, which is a pet form of Prokhoriy, which derives from the Hebrew name Prokopios ("he who progresses”). It is a patronymic surname, meaning it generally refers to one's father's first name. As such, it is likely that the Prokoff family ancestry stretches back to the Prokhor or Prokhoriy who first bore the name.
The Prokoff name is commonly associated with a number of villages in the Ukraine, primarily the villages of Lonhyn and Dzvenyhorod. It is believed the Prokoff family originated from here and they eventually migrated to parts of Eastern Europe, such as Belorussia and Lithuania. The Prokoff surname is also used in several regions of Russia, including the Pskov district and the Vologda district. It is possible that the Prokoff family originated in one these areas as well.
The Prokoff name is particularly associated with members of the Orthodox Christian faith. This is not surprising as the Prokoff name is derived from a Hebrew name, suggesting the Prokoff family could have had ties to Jews. However, it is likely that over time, the Prokoff family converted to Christianity, as is common in Eastern Europe.
The Prokoff name has come to represent a long heritage of courage, resilience and perseverance. Prokoff ancestors overcame many adversities, enduring difficult times and persecution in their path to establish the Prokoff family as we know it today. The Prokoff name is a symbol of strength that has been passed through generations, an inspiring reminder of the strong will of our forefathers.
Order DNA origin analysisProkoff: Where does the name Prokoff come from?
The last name Prokoff is most common in Russia and Ukraine today. It is believed to have originated in Belorussia and Ukraine, with an influence from neighboring Poland. As a result, it is also quite common in Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania.
The surname is believed to derive from the Old East Slavic word for the Yew tree, 'Проква' or 'Проёва'. It was often used as a toponymic name for people who were associated with or lived near yew trees, or to signify an occupation—the craft of making hunting arrows or bows from yew wood. The name may have also been associated with the ancient cult of the yew tree goddess, and may have been used to reignite a respect for the old religion.
The surname is relatively evenly distributed in Russia and Ukraine, with a larger presence in the areas near Belorussia and western Ukraine. There are also a handful of Prokoff families living in the United States, most likely due to the high rate of emigration from Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century. In the US, Prokoff can be found most frequently in the states of New York and Pennsylvania, which tend to have higher population concentrations of Russian and Eastern European immigrants.
Variations of the surname Prokoff
The surname Prokoff is derived from the Greek word “prokop”, meaning “to cut or cut off.” It is commonly found among families of Russian and Ukrainian origin. Variations of the name Prokoff include Prokop, Prockoff, Prokopov, Prokopenko, Prokopowicz, and Prokhorov.
In some cases, Prokoff can also be spelled as Procko or Prockov. This is because Russian, Ukrainian and other Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet which is slightly different from the Latin alphabet used to spell English words.
The main variation of the surnames Prokoff and Procko is the spelling of the ending vowel. In the Russian, Ukrainian, and other Slavic languages, the “o” sound is spelt differently, which results in spellings like Procko and Prockov.
In other cases, the surname Prokoff may be spelt Przykoff or Przykop, which is a Polish version of the same surname.
In some cases, the surname Prokoff may also be spelt with the last letter “f” becoming an “h”, making the surname Prokhov. This is because Slavic languages often replace the “f” with a hard “h” sound.
Surnames derived from Prokoff include Prokopchuk, Prokov, Prokhorenko and Prokhorov. These variants of the name are all derived from the Ukrainian word “prokop”.
In other cases, variations of the surname Prokoff include variants of the surname Prokhorov, such as Prokhorovich, Prokhorovna, Prokhorovits and Prokhorovskaya. These surnames are derived from the same root word as Prokoff.
Finally, Prokoff can also be derived from other surnames, such as Gurevich, Fedorov, and Petroff. These variants are derived from a combination of different Slavic and Russian words.
Famous people with the name Prokoff
- Vladimir Prokofiev: Russian composer who wrote symphonies, ballets, operas and other works of music.
- Kurt Prokop: former Austrian professional footballer.
- Aleksandr Prokofi: Soviet-era sprint canoer who won two Olympic bronze medals in 1976.
- Mikhail Prokofiev: Russian aircraft designer and test pilot, credited for developing the Yakovlev Yak-15, Yak-17 and Yak-23.
- Rostislav Prokofiev: Soviet-era swimmer and Olympian.
- Valentin Prokofiev: Russian-American composer and multi-instrumentalist.
- Serena Prokofieva: Ukrainian-American singer, songwriter and producer.
- Aleksandr Prokofiev: Soviet-era hockey player and three-time Olympic medalist.
- Vsevolod Prokofiev: German Olympic athlete and javelin thrower.
- Aleksei Prokofiev: Soviet-era basketball player who won two Olympic bronze medals.