What surnames were given to Ukrainians related to military service: a list

Military service played a significant role in the lives of Ukrainians, so it is not surprising that many Ukrainian surnames derive from words related to it.

Many family names derive from the names of military positions, ranks, types of weapons, and the characteristics required of a soldier. This was explained in more detail at the A.A. Potebnya Institute of Linguistics.

Surnames reflecting the organization of the Ukrainian Cossack troops

Hetmanchuk, Hetmanshchuk, and Hetmaniuk - from the title of Hetman.

Kozachok, Kozachenko, Kozachuk, Kozakevych, Kozachyshyn, Kozachynskyi, Kozachkovskyi - Cossack.

Cossack was a synonym for the word knight, so the surname Rytsar is also found in Ukraine.

You can also meet people with the name of the Zaporozhets or Zaporozhchenko family.

Surnames derived from types of Cossack weapons and life

Garmatiy, Garmash - a cannon.

Pushkar, Pushkarenko, Pushkorovych - a cannon.

Also, Plastun, Kompaniets, Serdiuk, Dovbysh, Dovbush, Dovbushchak, Dovbyshov, Bubniy, Surmach, Surmiy, Trubiy, Trembach, Trembach, Trembachevsky, and Trembetsky.

Surnames derived from the names of Cossack military officers

Atamanenko, Atamanchuk, Atamaniuk, Vatamaniuk, Atamanets, Koshevyi Atamashko - Cossack ataman.

Asauluk, Osaulko - asaul.

Sotnyk, Sotnychenko - a centurion.

Horuzhiy, Horunzhiy, Horunzhykevych, and Horunzhynsky - a khorunzhiy.

Chura, Tsyura - jura.

Surnames associated with service in the Polish and Turkish armies

Pospolitak- this surname is probably connected with the Polish general militia (pospolitym ruszeniem).

Ritarowski - Polish reytars (hired cavalry).

Chavs, Chaus - means a messenger or a servant of the sultan.

Yancharenko - a janissary (yani ceri or new troops).

Arnaut - a representative of a separate type of troops in Turkey. This word was also used as a swear word.

Zhovnir, Zhovnirovych Zhovnirchuk - a soldier.

Forys, Forysiak - forys (an officer's servant).

Surnames associated with service in various branches of the Russian and Austrian armies

Reiter or Reitman - reiterei (cavalry in the Austrian army).

Grenadier, Gusar, Gusarets, Gusarevich, and Guzarsky are grenadiers.

Pihura, Pyshak, Pihur - a former infantryman.

Oberleitner , Kapitanets and Kapitanchuk are oberleutenants (senior lieutenant, captain).