User-submitted Reference

Surname Ivanov / Ivanova - a beautiful old primordially Russian surname. According to the main version, the surname Ivanov comes from the baptismal male name Ivan. The name Ivan is the Russian form of the canonical masculine name John, which from Hebrew means 'the mercy of God.'

The name Ivan in the period from the XVI to the XIX century was considered the most common among Russian people. The name was also common among Ukrainians, Belarusians, Croats, Serbs, Dotans, Bulgarians and Macedonians.

The name Ivan so stuck to the ancestor that Ivan's family and household were known as 'Ivan's wife', 'Ivan's son', 'Ivan's daughter', 'Ivanov's grandchildren'. Over time, the terms that indicated the degree of kinship disappeared, and the descendants were assigned the hereditary surname - Ivanov.

Probably, the founder of the Ivanov clan was a deeply respected man. The neighbors did not call the ancestor of the surname by nickname or profession, but respectfully called the full name of Ivan. Most likely, Ivan's family and the ancestor of the surname enjoyed great authority among their neighbors and fellow villagers.

It is also possible that the surname Ivanov preserves the memory of the 'small homeland' of the ancestors. In the center of Russia, the city of Ivanovo, the City of Brides, is known. Settlements with the name Ivanovo are found in Bulgaria, Belarus, in the Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Vladimir, Leningrad, Moscow, Pskov, Smolensk, Tver, Tula and Tyumen regions.

For their neighbors, the inhabitants, immigrants and people from these places could be 'Ivanovs'. The geographic nickname could turn into a hereditary surname that descendants spread throughout Russia. For the first time, the name Ivanov was documented in the 16th century.

Representatives of the surname Ivanov / Ivanova can be proud of their surname. Written sources of the past centuries indicate that the surname Ivanov was found in different classes, especially among the nobility.

About thirty noble families of Ivanovs are mentioned in the 'General Tomb of the Noble Clans of the All-Russian Empire'. Each noble family of Ivanovs has its own coat of arms. Many nobles in their surnames Ivanov put the emphasis on the letter 'a' and, thus, emphasized their noble origin - Ivanov.

Among the most famous noble families of the Ivanovs is a family that originates from Ivanov, Peter Danilovich. Pyotr Danilovich was in the noble regiment in 1810 in connection with obtaining the rank of ensign. In 1812, having the rank of retired captain of the 1st Moscow regiment, he took part in the Patriotic War.

Ivanov Pyotr Danilovich had three sons and a daughter, Nadezhda. The first son, Sergei Ivanov, became a famous Tula architect. The second son, Konstantin Ivanov, received the rank of Major General of Artillery, participated in the Bulgarian-Turkish War (1877-1878) as commander of an artillery brigade, was a hero of Plevna. The third son, Alexander Ivanov, worked with Leo Tolstoy as a scribe.

Over the long centuries of our eventful history, much has been forgotten, the language has changed, ancient customs and traditions have receded into the past. It is all the more interesting and important for posterity to preserve the memory of the reasons for the origin of their last name, a precious monument of centuries-old Russian history.

This surname means 'son of an Ivan', which is equivalent to the English, John. They both mean 'God is gracious'.