Thread: What’s the difference between Popov and Popkov?

What’s the difference between Popov and Popkov?

Just two different last names.

Would Popov and Popkov be similar to Wagner and Wagoner?

Are the meanings and origins EXACTLY the same? Or is there a slight difference in meaning and origin? Does one sound more foreign, weird, and/or beautiful to a Russian?

Both originally derive from the word 'pop', which means a low rank priest. But Popov is much more common and its origins are clear, while more rare Popkov at the first glance seems to derive from 'popka' (buttocks). So.. It sounds more colloquial and a little less dignified. :"":

Originally Posted by thelaxu

Are the meanings and origins EXACTLY the same? Or is there a slight difference in meaning and origin?

Surnames don't actually have meanings in Russian. They're just surnames; nobody thinks about their origins, usually. The '-ov' (or other surname ending) itself makes surnames not just words with some meanings, but EXACTLY surnames. Usually nothing more.

Don`t agree. Every surname means anything. Popov means, that somebody in your kin was a priest. The word "pop" was widespread throu all Russia. That`s why there are a lot of Popovs in Russia.
Surname Popkov was born of a sobriquet name Popko. In most Russian regions derisive or affectionate diminutive form of "POP" are "pOpik" and "popEts" (mostly for sextons), so surnames must be "Popikov" and "Poptsov". IMHO the form "Popko" is tipicle only for some dialects. If anybody put this question to scrutiny, he can find the place, where from his ancestors are.

Originally Posted by enge

Don`t agree. Every surname means anything.

Of course, every surname means something. Historically. What I meant was that in English, you can have a surname Fox, or Wolf, and it has an exact meaning in the language, it is a noun as well as a surname. But in Russian, your surname would be Волков (not Волк), and grammatically it does not mean anything as it is, except that it's a surname. It's not a noun, or anything else. Only a surname. In the Волков case the root is obvious, but there are a lot of names which don't mean anything from a regular (not historical or linguistic) point of view.

Попов and Попков are different.
http://www.luck.ru/fam/fam.php?ID=9715& ... 2&s=%EF%2A
http://znachenie-fio.ru/znachenie_familii/id/Popkov

Originally Posted by Wowik

Попов and Попков are different.
http://www.luck.ru/fam/fam.php?ID=9715& ... 2&s=%EF%2A
http://znachenie-fio.ru/znachenie_familii/id/Popkov

Thanks for your information.

I know that Popov is a very common and widely distributed surname in Russia. It originates from the term pop, a Russian Orthodox "priest". English spelling variants include: Popoff, Popove, Papove, Papov, Papoff, Popow.

Popkov, this surname originates from the dialect term popko, meaning a Russian Orthodox "priest". Among the Molokans, this surname occurred only in Russia.