North Macedonian surnames reflect the country's multiethnic fabric, where Macedonian Slavs, Albanians, Gorani, Serbs, Turks, Roma, and Sephardic Jews have coexisted for generations, is reflected in the surnames of its citizens. Language, religion, empire, and migration all influenced the naming practices that each group brought with them.
History of North Macedonian surnamesHistory of North Macedonian surnames
Historically, North Macedonian surnames have included frequent suffixes such "-evski", "-ski", "-ev", and "-ov" for males and "-evska", "-ska", and "-eva" for females, which represent family origins, occupations, or personal traits. Slavic tribes that arrived in the area between the sixth and eighth centuries are the origin of these surnames.[1]
North Macedonian surnames naming conventionsNorth Macedonian surnames naming conventions
For ethnic Macedonians in particular, North Macedonian surnames usually consist of a personal name, a family name, and no middle name. There are often clear masculine and feminine ends in family names. While feminine versions frequently add -ova, -eva, -ska, or -evska, masculine ends include -ov, -ev, -ski, and -evski. A guy might be Aleksandar Tošev, for instance, and his wife or daughter might be Aleksandar Toševa.
Types of North Macedonian surnamesTypes of North Macedonian surnames
North Macedonian surnames of Macedonian originNorth Macedonian surnames of Macedonian origin
Ethnic Macedonians make up around two-thirds of the population of North Macedonia, which makes Macedonian surnames, of South Slavic origin and with a strong Christian base more common:
- Stojanovski - Patronymic, “son of Stojan”
- Petrovski - Patronymic, “son of Petar”
- Skopjevski - Toponymic, from the city of Skopje
- Crvenkovski - Descriptive, from crveno, “red” (possibly hair)
- Veselinov - Descriptive, derived from vesel, “cheerful”
- Pekevski - Occupational, from pekar, “baker”
- Iliev - Patronymic, “son of Ilija”
- Bogdanovski - Religious, “of Bogdan,” meaning “God-given”
- Ristovski - Religious, from Risto, diminutive of Christos
- Karadjov - Noble-linked, “the dark one,” once associated with nobility or leadership
North Macedonian surnames of Albanian originNorth Macedonian surnames of Albanian origin
Ethnic Albanians form around a quarter of the total North Macedonian population and their surnames can be found mostly in the Northern and Western regions of the country, closer to the borders with Albania and Kosovo. During former Yugoslavia, it was common to add -oski and -oska Slavic suffixes in North Macedonia to Albanians. many of which have reverted to the original form of their surname:
- Rexhepi - Patronymic, son of Rexhep”
- Shabani - Patronymic, from the Islamic name Shaban
- Berisha - Tribal, the name of a major northern Albanian tribe
- Gostivari - Toponymic, from Gostivar
- Berberi - Occupational, “barber”
- Bardhi - Descriptive, "white” or “fair”
- Aliu - Patronymic, from Ali
- Kërçovari - Toponymic, "from Kërçovë" (Kičevo)
- Frashëri - Aristrocratic, from the nationalist Frashëri family
- Hoxha - Occupational, from “preacher” or cleric
- Bajramoski - originally Bajrami, from the Turkish term for a religious holiday ("bayram")
North Macedonian surnames of Gorani originNorth Macedonian surnames of Gorani origin
Goranis, a Muslim Slavic community distinct from Bosnians, use surnames blend Slavic, Turkish, and Islamic elements:
- Rexhepić - Patronymic, an Islamized Slavic form of Rexhep
- Dervišić - From dervish (Sufi ascetic)
- Dragashi - Toponymic, from the town of Dragash
- Zulfikarov - Descriptive, from Zulfikar, "sword" in Arabic
- Imamović - Patronymic, “son of an imam”
- Hasanović - Patronymic, “son of Hasan”
- Bahtijarević - Patronymic, “son of Bahtijar” (a Turkic-Arabic name)
- Mustafić - Patronymic with a Turkish base, “Son of Mustafa”
- Šaćirović - Clan-based, “son of Shaqir”
- Redžepović - a Turkish Patronymic with a Slavic suffix
North Macedonian surnames of Sephardic Jewish originNorth Macedonian surnames of Sephardic Jewish origin
Sephardic Jews arrived in what today is North Macedonia after the Alhambra Edict, outnumbering the small Romaniote Jewish community; before World War I, the total Jewish population of the country reached between around 11,000 or between 4% and 5%, mostly found in cities like Monastir (today Bitola) as well as Skopje and Stip. While most were exterminated in the Holocaust and only around 300 Jews remain in North Macedonia, there is a small diasporic community, mostly located in the USA, Serbia and Israel:
- Navarro - Toponymic, “from Navarre”
- Abudara - Religious - possibly from Av Beit Din (court head)
- Benmeleh - Hebrew, meaning “son of a king” (Hebrew: ben-melekh)
- Cohen - Priestly, descendant of the Priesthood line
- Levi - Priestly, descendant of the Levite tribe
- Alhadeff - Andalusian, from al-hadif, “sharp, perceptive”
- Kolonomos - Romaniote origin, meaning "beautiful name" in Greek and a variant of Kalonymos
- Misrahi - Toponymic, meaning “Eastern,” in Hebrew
- Perahia - Iberian, derived possibly from the Spanish Peralta
- Kapon - Ottoman origin, could reflect kaplan (“priest” in Turkish) or Italian roots
North Macedonian surnames of Serbian originNorth Macedonian surnames of Serbian origin
Ethnic Serbians are around 3% of the total North Macedonian population and their surnames are more commonly found in the North and East of the country:
- Stojković - Patronymic, “son of Stojko”
- Jovanović - Patronymic, “son of Jovan” (John)
- Niškanović - Toponymic, “from Niš”
- Crnčević - Descriptive, "black-haired”
- Đorđević - Religious, “son of George”
- Obradović, Aristocratic, "son of Obrad” (joyful)
- Popović - Occupational, “son of a priest”
- Milićević - Patronymic, “son of Milić”
- Simić - Descriptive, diminutive of Sima
- Vranješević - Toponymic, "from Vranje area"
Most common surnames in North MacedoniaMost common surnames in North Macedonia
Celebrities with North Macedonian surnamesCelebrities with North Macedonian surnames
- Alexander Volkanovski - Australian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current and two-time UFC Featherweight Champion
- Steve Atanas Stavro, born Manoli Stavrov - Canadian businessman, founder of Knob Hill Farms, owner of Toronto Maple Leafs, director of Liquor Control Board of Ontario
- Olivera Nakovska-Bikova - Macedonian paralympian and sports shooter who won the gold medal in the women's 10 metre air pistol SH1 at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London
- Shaban Trstena - Yugoslav former freestyle wrestler from North Macedonia, who won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and also won the silver medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul
- Karolina Gočeva - North Macedonian singer that represented Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contests 2002 and 2007
- Admir Mehmedi, former Swiss footballer who has played for Bayer Leverkusen, FC Zürich, Antalyaspor, VfL Wolfsburg, Dinamo Kyiv as well as SC Freiburg, and has been the sporting director of FC Schaffhausen.
- Slavko Janevski - Macedonian poet, prose and script writer, author of the first novel to be written in Macedonian, Seloto zad sedumte jaseni.
- Pero Antić - Macedonian basketball executive and former professional player who played for Rabotnički Skopje, AEK Athens, Crvena zvezda, Academic Sofia, Lokomotiv Kuban, Spartak St. Petersburg, Olympiacos and the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA.
See alsoSee also
Explore more about North Macedonian surnamesExplore more about North Macedonian surnames
- Discover the origin of your North Macedonian last name at MyHeritage
- Research records from North Macedonia at MyHeritage
- Macedonian Surnames. Behind the Name
- Full list of Macedonian surnames in the USA.
References
- ↑ Naming. Macedonian Culture. SBS Cultural Altas
- ↑ Most Common Last Names In North Macedonia. Forebears.io