Romanian Surnames
Romanian names are used in the countries of Romania and Moldova in eastern Europe.
52 surnames in our directory
Romanian
52Albescu is a Romanian surname derived from the word alb, meaning "white" in Romanian. It is a patronymic surname, formed by adding the suffix -escu to the root name Albu, which itself originates from the same adjective a...
Albu is a Romanian surname derived from the Romanian word alb meaning "white". As a descriptive surname, it likely originated as a nickname for someone with pale skin, white hair, or a tendency to wear white clothing. It...
Alexandrescu is a Romanian surname meaning "son of Alexandru." It is a patronymic surname formed by adding the suffix -escu, meaning "descendant of,” to the given name Alexandru, the Romanian form of Alexander. Historica...
Anghelescu is a Romanian surname derived from a patronymic, meaning "son of Anghel." The root name Anghel is the Romanian form of Angelus (see Angel), which ultimately comes from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos), meaning...
Etymology and OriginAntonescu is a common Romanian surname of patronymic origin, meaning "son of Anton." The base name Anton ultimately derives from the Roman family name Antonius, of uncertain Etruscan etymology, which...
Ardelean is a Romanian surname that originates from the region of Ardeal, also known as Transylvania. The name Ardeal is possibly derived from Hungarian erdő, meaning "forest," reflecting the region's once heavily wooded...
Badea is a Romanian surname, possibly derived from the Romanian word bade, meaning "older brother" or "older man" — a term of respect or endearment used for an elder relative or a paternal figure. The name likely origina...
EtymologyBălan is a Romanian surname derived from the word balan, meaning "blond" or "fair-haired" in Romanian. The term likely originated as a descriptive nickname for a person with light-colored hair, eventually becomi...
Barbu is a Romanian surname, ultimately derived from the Romanian word barbă meaning "beard". This link to a physical characteristic (a beard) as a nickname is typical of many European surname traditions. Cognate forms i...
Ciobanu is a Romanian surname derived from the word cioban, meaning "shepherd", with the suffix -u forming a familial name. It is one of many occupational surnames in Romanian that reflect traditional rural livelihoods,...
Cojocaru is a Romanian occupational surname derived from the word cojoc, meaning "sheepskin coat." It originally referred to a maker or seller of traditional sheepskin jackets, a garment widely used in rural Romania due...
EtymologyComan is a surname of Romanian origin, derived from the nickname or ethnic name meaning "Cuman" or "from the Cumans." The Cumans were a Turkic nomadic people from the Eurasian Steppe who had a significant presen...
Constantinescu is a common Romanian surname meaning "son of Constantin." It is a patronymic name formed by adding the suffix -escu, which indicated lineage or descent, to the given name Constantin. The suffix -escu is a...
Cristea is a common patronymic surname of Romanian origin. It is derived from the given name Cristian, the Romanian form of Christian. The name Christian ultimately comes from the medieval Latin name Christianus, meaning...
Dalca is a Romanian surname with an uncertain meaning. The name may derive from Old Slavic or other regional linguistic influences, but no definitive etymology has been established. The surname Dalca is relatively rare a...
Dumitrescu is a Romanian surname meaning "son of Dumitru". The root name Dumitru is the Romanian form of Demetrius, which itself derives from the Greek Δημήτριος (Demetrios), meaning "follower of Demeter". Demeter was th...
Enache is a Romanian surname derived from the Greek name Giannakis, which is a patronymic form meaning "son of Giannis." Giannis itself is a modern Greek variant of Ioannes, ultimately from the Hebrew name John (Yoḥanan)...
Funar is a Romanian surname whose meaning derives from the word funie, meaning "rope," and the -ar agent suffix, making it an occupational name for a rope maker or ropemaker. Such surnames were common across Europe as po...
Grigorescu is a Romanian surname meaning "son of Grigore", the latter being the Romanian form of Gregory. The root Gregory derives from Late Greek Γρηγόριος (Gregorios), itself from γρήγορος (gregoros) meaning "watchful,...
Iliescu is a Romanian surname meaning "son of Ilie." The name Ilie itself is the Romanian form of Elias, which ultimately derives from the Hebrew name Elijah (אֱלִיָּהוּ), meaning "my God is Yahweh." Thus, the surname Il...
Ion is a Romanian surname derived from the given name Ion, which is itself the Romanian and Basque form of John. The name John ultimately traces back to the Hebrew name Yoḥanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious" (from the roo...
Ionesco is a Romanian surname, a variant spelling of Ionescu. It is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Ion", the Romanian form of John. The name John ultimately derives from the Hebrew Yoḥanan, meaning "Yahweh is graci...
Ionescu is a Romanian patronymic surname, meaning "son of Ion." The given name Ion is the Romanian form of John, which ultimately derives from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yoḥanan), meaning "Yahweh is gracious." John gained...
Iordache is a Romanian surname derived from the Greek name Georgakis, a patronymic form of Georgios. The name ultimately traces its roots to the Greek name Γεώργιος (Georgios), meaning "farmer" or "earthworker," composed...
OverviewLungu is a Romanian surname, a cognate of the Long surname found in English and other languages. It derives from the Romanian word lung meaning "long," typically used to describe a tall person or as a topographic...
Lupei is a Romanian surname, functioning as a variant of the more common surname Lupu. Both names derive from the Romanian word lup, meaning "wolf," originally serving as a nickname or an occupational byname symbolizing...
Lupu is a Romanian surname derived directly from the Romanian word lup meaning "wolf". As a common animal-associated surname, it follows the pattern of European surnames that originally served as nicknames or epithets, o...
Mocanu is a Romanian surname that originally referred to a member of the Mocani, a subgroup of Romanian shepherds from Transylvania. The name of this group is thought to derive from the Romanian word moacă, meaning "club...
Moldovan is a Romanian surname originally denoting someone from the historic principality of Moldova. The name is derived from the region's name combined with the suffix -an, which in Romanian indicates origin or belongi...
Munteanu (Romanian pronunciation: [munˈte̯anu]) is a Romanian surname that literally translates as "highlander" or "mountaineer," from Romanian muntean meaning "mountain dweller," ultimately derived from Latin mons (moun...
Negrescu is a Romanian patronymic surname derived from the Romanian word negru, meaning "black." It historically referred to someone with dark features, such as black hair or a dark complexion, or possibly to a person as...
Nicolescu is a Romanian surname meaning "son of Nicolae." The name follows the common Romanian patronymic pattern with the suffix -escu, indicating lineage. Nicolae itself is the Romanian form of Nicholas, derived from t...
Oprea is a Romanian surname derived from a medieval given name or nickname rooted in the verb opri, meaning "to stop" or "to halt". The name likely originated as a descriptive moniker, possibly referring to a person who...
Petre. As a patronymic, it originally denoted "son of Petre" or a descendant of someone named Petre. The surname reflects the widespread influence of the name Peter (from Greek Πέτρος meaning "stone"), which gained popul...
Petrescu is a patronymic surname common in Romania, meaning "son of Petre" in Romanian. Petre is the Romanian, Macedonian, and Georgian form of the name Peter, which itself derives from the Greek Πέτρος (Petros) meaning...
Pop is a Romanian surname, typically a variant of the more common Popa. Both surnames derive from the Romanian word popă, meaning "priest," which in turn originates from Old Church Slavic popŭ. Pop is among the most freq...
Popa is a Romanian surname derived from the Romanian word popă, meaning "priest". This occupational surname traces back to the Old Church Slavic popŭ (priest), reflecting the influence of Orthodox Christianity on naming...
Popescu is the second most common surname in Romania, a patronymic derived from the Romanian word popă meaning "priest". It is the Romanian equivalent of surnames like Popov in Russian or Popović in Serbian, all originat...
Rus is a Romanian surname derived from the Romanian word rus, meaning "Russian." This name reflects historical and cultural connections between Romania and its Slavic neighbors to the north and east, particularly through...
Rusu is a Romanian surname derived from rus, meaning “Russian.” It originates as an ethnic name for someone who was Russian or had associations with Russia. The word rus itself traces back to the Old East Slavic Русь (Ru...
Sala is an occupational surname found across several Romance-language regions, including Catalonia, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. It derives from the Late Latin word sala "hall, large room" (itself of Germanic ori...
Șerban is a common Romanian surname, also used as a given name, with a meaning rooted in ethnonymic history: it derives from a word meaning "a Serb" or "Serbian" in Romanian. The name reflects the shared historical and c...
Stan is a Romanian surname derived from the given name Stan 2. As a given name, Stan originated as a short form of names such as Stanisław or Stanislav, which in turn trace back to the Slavic elements stati meaning "stan...
Stanciu is a Romanian surname derived from the plural of the Romanian word stâncă, meaning "rock" or "cliff". The name likely originated as a topographic or habitational surname, referring to someone who lived near rocky...
Etymology and MeaningStoica is a Romanian surname derived from the Romanian word stoic, meaning "stoic" or "impassive." This term ultimately traces back to the philosophical school of Stoicism, which originated in ancien...
Toma is a Romanian surname derived from the given name Toma, itself a form of Thomas, originating from the Aramaic word teʾoma meaning "twin". The name Thomas is deeply rooted in Christian tradition as the name of the ap...
Tudor is a surname of both Romanian and Welsh origin. In Romanian, it is derived from the given name Tudor, which itself is a variant of Teodor. Teodor is a form of Theodore, from the Greek Theodoros, meaning “gift of go...
Ungur is a Romanian surname, derived as a variant of Ungureanu. Both surnames originate from the Romanian word ungur, meaning "Hungarian". The name thus likely referred to someone who was of Hungarian origin or who had s...
Ungureanu is a Romanian surname derived from the word ungur, meaning "Hungarian." The name serves as an ethnic surname, historically used to identify people of Hungarian origin or those associated with Hungary in some wa...
Văduva is a Romanian surname derived from the Romanian word văduvă, meaning "widow." The name likely originated as a nickname or occupational surname for a widow or someone associated with a widow, possibly denoting a pe...
EtymologyVasilescu is a Romanian surname meaning "son of Vasile." The masculine given name Vasile derives from Basil 1, ultimately from Greek Βασίλειος (Basileios), meaning "royal, kingly," from βασιλεύς (basileus, "king...
Vladimirescu is a Romanian surname, meaning "son of Vladimir". The name is part of a broader tradition in Romanian and other Slavic-influenced naming practices, where the suffix -escu indicates patrilineal descent.Etymol...