Surname Petrovitsch - Meaning and Origin

Petrovitsch: What does the surname Petrovitsch mean?

The last name Petrovitsch is of Slavic origin and is derived from the name Petar, which is the Slavic version of Peter. Meaning "stone" or "rock," Petar was an ancient Christian name often given to boys born on a Saturday. As a result, Petrovitsch has come to be associated with strength, stability, and unwavering faith.

In many Slavic countries, it is customary to add a suffix to the father’s or family’s last name to identify the descendants. “Vitch” or “Vich” is an extremely popular suffix among these countries, which is the reason the last name Petrovitsch has become so widely used. Those bearing the surname would have been, or still are, descendants of Petar.

Due to its origin, the name Petrovitsch is often included in family crests, logos, and village imagery. It has become a symbol of a proud, long-standing tradition and has been an important family identity marker for centuries.

In recent times many descendants have adopted different forms of the Petar surname. Petrovitsch has become Petrovic, Petrovski, or Petroff, among many other variations. Nevertheless, these surnames all originate from the ancient Slavic word for “rock.”

Petrovitsch: Where does the name Petrovitsch come from?

The last name Petrovitsch is most commonly found today in Eastern Europe, especially Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. The Petrovitsch surname is derived from the Slavic "petro," meaning "rock," and "vic," meaning "son of." This likely indicates that the surname is of a patronymic origin, meaning that it was originally taken from the father's name.

The name is relatively widespread across the region, and it appears to have been present since the early days of Slavic settlement in the area. Petrovitsch is a popular surname among Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian families, although it has also been found among other ethnic groups in the region, such as Poles and Germans.

There are also quite a few Petrovitsch families living in Germany, Austria, and the United States, primarily due to immigration from Eastern Europe. Furthermore, the name is also believed to have spread to other territories in western Europe, such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Sweden, and Spain.

The last name Petrovitsch is also common in the former Yugoslav republics, especially Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Serbia. It has also been found in western Asia, especially in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan. All in all, the Petrovitsch surname is quite widespread and can be found throughout a large region of Eastern Europe and beyond.

Variations of the surname Petrovitsch

The surname Petrovitsch (also known as Petrovich, Petróvicy, Petrovic) is derived from the given name Petro. Petrovitsch is a patronymic surname meaning “son of Petro.” It is a relatively common name in Slavic countries, such as Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

Common misspellings of Petrovitsch are Petrovitsh, Petrovish, Petrowitsch, and Petrowitsh. Other variations of the surname include Petrovic, Piotrowicz, Petrunya, Petrovski, Petroff, Petrenko, Petukhov, and Petuchov.

Petrovitsch is also adopted as a surname in countries other than those mentioned above. For example, in Austria, it can be spelled as Petrowsky or Petrovitsky, in Belarus as Petrus, in Germany as Petruschka, in Hungary as Petritsch, and in Lithuania as Federowicz. In Spain, Portugal, and Italy, the surname got adopted as Petrović, Petróvich, and Petri.

Similar surnames derived from the given name Petro include Petrovych, Petrenko, Petrenko, Petrushka, Petrovats, Petruk, Petrunin, Petrovna, Petrukhin, and Petrash.

The surname is also found in various spellings and form such as Peitrovitsch, Petrovits, Petrovik, Petrovka, Petrovskaya, Petrovets, Petrovska, Petrowitsch, Petrovskoy, Petrowitsch, Petrovskio, Petrosky, Petrushki, Pepitrovich, Petrăvase, Petrausevich, and Petrych.

Famous people with the name Petrovitsch

• Artem Petrovych, Ukrainian midfielder
• August Petrovitsch, Austrian composer and violinist
• David Petrovitsch, German-based American violinist
• Ellen Petrovitsch, American film maker
• Evgeni Petrovitsch, Russian painter
• Friedrich Petrovitsch, Russian sculptor
• Ilya Petrovitsch, Russian actor
• Jakub Petrovitsch, Ukrainian football player
• Joe Petrovitsch, American basketball player
• Julia Petrovitsch, Russian fashion designer
• Katerin Petrovitsch, Russian-born American writer
• Lev Petrovitsch, Soviet statesman
• Maria Petrovitsch, Austrian art teacher
• Oleg Petrovitsch, Russian author
• Paria Petrovitsch, Iranian-born Greek sculptor
• Petr Petrovitsch, Serbian-born Russian poet and novelist
• Roman Petrovitsch, Russian journalist
• Sergei Petrovitsch, Russian general and naval officer
• Stefan Petrovitsch, Austrian cellist
• Vladimir Petrovitsch, Russian zoologist

Other surnames

Petrovits