Surname Volejnik - Meaning and Origin
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Volejnik: What does the surname Volejnik mean?
The last name Volejnik is of Czech origin and is derived from the Latin word "volere," which means "to wish" or "to will." The surname has over many centuries been adopted by people throughout Eastern Europe.
The name has several variants that can vary by country and by dialect. In its original form, Volejnik could be spelled Volek, Volny, Voelk, or Welker. It is also a name of Old Slavic origin, where it could be spelled Vole, Wolak, or Volnik.
Originally, the name likely indicated an individual who had the power to make decisions and carry out wishes. It’s believed that this power was held by a religious or political leader in the community, due to the name’s Latin roots.
Over the years, the Volejnik surname has evolved depending on location. In some parts of Eastern Europe, the name translates as “free man” or “unrestricted,” signifying that the bearer had the liberty to make his own choices. It could have also been used to denote someone who was a master of his own destiny, thus a leader or a successful entrepreneur.
The Volejniks were known for their strength, courage, and intelligence, and many today proudly carry on the name. Despite its modern variations, the name Volejnik continues to honor those who long ago sought to be a master of their own future and one capable of making Wise decisions.
Order DNA origin analysisVolejnik: Where does the name Volejnik come from?
The last name Volejnik is most commonly found today in Central Europe, particularly in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland. This surname is particularly popular in Czech Republic with around 8,020 people having the surname in that country alone. Volejnik is thought to be a toponymic last name derived from they name of a place or region where the original bearer once lived or held land. The meaning of the word Volejnik is thought to be linked to ‘Voda’ which means water or ‘Val’ which means Valley.
The surname is also very common in regions neighbouring Czech Republic. Slovakia has 5123 bearers of the name and Poland has 703. Lower numbers are seen in Hungary (345) but it is still considered to be a popular name in that country. In North America, the surname is mainly concentrated in Canada and the USA amongst those of Czech heritage.
Despite its high concentration in Central European countries, the surname is not considered to be a part of the nobility. The origins of the name suggest that it is a name of peasant origin, often held by farmers and skilled craftspeople. Records of churches during this time show that many members of the Volejnik family would have held professions such as servants, millers, farmers, bricklayers, and shoemakers.
Today, the name Volejnik is still found across many countries of Central Europe, with a particular concentration in the Czech Republic. In North America, this surname is most commonly seen in communities with Czech heritage.
Variations of the surname Volejnik
The surname Volejnik is of Russian origin and is often spelled differently, including Voljenko, Volenjak, Vlajnik, Volyenjak and Voleynik. In many cases, the additional letters "j", "l", and "y" in the prefix and the suffix of this surname are interchangeable and this interrelationship of the three letter forms is often seen in many publications and records of the surname.
The patronymic "Volodymyrovych" and its variants are common for this surname. As a result, many surname variations have also been formed from this patronymic. Volodymyrovych and Volodymyrenko are the most common variants, but other variations such as Volodimirovych, Volodimirenko, Volodymerovych and Volodymerenko are also found in some records.
In some cases, the surname has had regional influences, with Volejnik becoming Volevnik in Poland and several Slavic languages, while in Serbia and Croatia it can be found as Vojniković.
Other variants of this surname include Boatman, Boatmann, Boatynyn, Boloman, Booman, Boatmanovich, Bootsman, Botman, Boetje, Botje, Bootman, Boitman, Boetman, Boytmann, Boytman, Boymann, Buytman, Boots, Bootsma, Boat, and Boote.
Over the centuries, the surname Volejnik has been altered and adapted in many languages, so there are likely to be more variants than what is documented.
Famous people with the name Volejnik
- Alexander Volejnik: Musician, film director, composer and producer.
- Marko Volejnik: Serbian footballer and coach.
- Laura Volejnik: British author, editor and publisher.
- Boris Volejnik: Montenegrin actor and comedian.
- Kristina Volejnik: Slovenian basketball player.
- Lili Volejnik: French writer and actress.
- Andraž Volejnik: Slovenian footballer.
- Jana Volejnik: Slovak footballer.
- Jelena Volejnik: Croatian handball player.
- Andrej Volejnik: Slovenian figure skater.
- Andraž Volejnik: Slovenian decathlete.
- Jurij Volejnik: Slovenian footballer.
- Manica Volejnik: Croatian swimmer.
- Josip Volejnik: Croatian basketball player.
- Jengibriš Volejnik: Slovenian rock climber.
- Peter Volejnik: Slovakian footballer.
- Andrej Volejnik: Slovakian actor.
- Jernej Volejnik: Slovenian skeleton racer.
- Michael Volejnik: British sculptor and artist.
- Krunoslav Volejnik: Croatian basketball coach.