Where does the surname Rudenko come from: where is it common in Ukraine?

Surnames based on a certain person's peculiarity constitute a separate group of words of this type. As an example, we can take the surname Rudenko.

OBOZ.UA analyzed how it appeared. And also tells about its distribution and meaning.

What does the surname Rudenko mean?

The basis of this patronymic is the adjective "red". And the suffix -enko indicates that this was the name given to children of a person with red hair.

Traditionally, in Ukraine, red hair was considered more of a disadvantage and was given special attention. Nowadays, this approach is considered a harmful stereotype, but it has left its mark on onomastics (the branch of linguistics that studies proper names).

The prevalence of the surname

Despite this stereotype, the Rudenko surname, according to the Ridni genealogical society, has become very common in Ukraine. As of 2013, there were 43,954 people with this name. It ranked as high as 18th in the list of the most common surnames.

In general, most often its bearers can be found in the Prydniprovia region. In terms of settlements, most Rudenkos live in:

• Kyiv - 3,838 people;
• Kharkiv - 1,395 people;
• Dnipro - 1,357 people;
• Zaporizhzhia - 1,000 people;
• Kryvyi Rih - 883 people.

There are also many cognate surnames also derived from the word "red": Rudyi, Rudchenko, Rudov, Rudych, Rudskyi, Rudia, Rudyk, Rudanskyi, Rud, etc. A related family name is Ryzhenko, Ryzhov. They are formed from the colloquial word for a red-haired person - "redhead".

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told about the origin of the surname Durnev and similar ones formed from the adjective "stupid".

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