Thread: Anyone want to help with my last name?

My last name is RADIVONYK (rad i(as in lick) von ick). I have relatives who still live in Belarus and my great-grandparents were from there (well, they were under Lithuanian rule at the time, but that's not important). Just wondering what the correct way to spell it is (in Russian), or if anyone has heard that name before. Here in the US, there are only a dozen or so people with my last name and we are ALL related. I assume the name was transliterized to the current English spelling, but I imagine the pronunciation is the same or close to the same in Russian. If I were to spell it in Russian, this is how I THINK it would be spelled-- Радивонук Any ideas???

may be it`s Радивоник...google can find some people with this last name...
http://www.google.com/search?client=ope ... 8&oe=utf-8

Радивонюк

Результаты 1 - 5 из примерно 6 для Радивонюк. (0,14 секунд)
Результаты 1 - 10 из примерно 106 для Радивоник. (0,07 секунд)

"Радивонюк" по вполне понятным причинам лучше не использовать

Interesting. The first response seems to give a lot more results through google, many of which are in Minsk. I wish there were some actual family members over here I could ask, but my dad doesn't really know. All he knows is that one of my cousins is going to college over here in Maryland, but can't remember his name so I can contact him!

Hmmm...interesting last name Unfortunately, I don't know much about it except for this: Rad is the Russian (and Slavic in general) word for happy.

I would say that рад refers to joy:

радость ж. - gladness, joy
радость жизни — the joy of life
не помнить себя от радости — be overjoyed, be beside oneself with joy
плакать от радости — cry / weep* for / with joy
с радостью — with joy
его ждала радость — joy was awaiting him
какая радость! — what joy / delight!
на радостях — in one's joy
моя радость, радость моя — my dear, my darling

радостный - glad, joyous, joyful cry
радостное известие — glad / happy news; glad / happy news; glad / happy tidings pl.

рад предик. (что, + инф., кому-л.) - am, is etc., glad (that, + to inf., to see smb.)
он рад, они рады и т. д. чему-л. — he is glad, they are glad, etc., because of smth.; smth. makes him, them, etc., glad
(я) рад вас видеть, (я) рад вам — (I am) glad to see you
они рады гостю — they are glad to have a visitor
очень рад познакомиться с вами! — very pleased to meet you!
рад не рад — willy-nilly, like it or not
и не рад, сам не рад — I, etc., regret it; I, etc., am sorry
рад-радёшенек разг. — pleased as Punch

Originally Posted by ST

Результаты 1 - 5 из примерно 6 для Радивонюк. (0,14 секунд)
Результаты 1 - 10 из примерно 106 для Радивоник. (0,07 секунд)

Радивонюк - это звучит по-украински

Радивоник - это хоть по-украински (Радивонік) хоть по-русски, хоть по-белорусски.

Originally Posted by RusskiSlav

Hmmm...interesting last name Unfortunately, I don't know much about it except for this: Rad is the Russian (and Slavic in general) word for happy.

Yes it IS a very interesting last name. I was talking with my dad the other night on the phone about it. He wants me to keep looking into it. Every single "Radivonyk" in the US is a direct relative of me (uncle, great-uncle, cousin or 2nd cousin at most). And there are only about 15-20 of us-- TOTAL. That's including my dad and 2 sisters. I really wish I could find more but I honestly don't know where else to look.

А кстати, какова белорусская версия имени Родион? Не Радивон, случайно?

Originally Posted by wanja

А кстати, какова белорусская версия имени Родион? Не Радивон, случайно?

да. Радивоник

Originally Posted by cradivonyk

Originally Posted by wanja

А кстати, какова белорусская версия имени Родион? Не Радивон, случайно?

да. Радивоник

И украинская версия тоже - http://www.roditeli.com.ua/view/nmr4
Радивон/Радівон.

Вот еще про фамилии от "Родион"а:
http://genealogy.org.ru/people/name....E2%EE%ED%EE%E2