Surname Velikotsky - Meaning and Origin
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Velikotsky: What does the surname Velikotsky mean?
The last name Velikotsky is a Slavic surname that originated in Eastern Europe, specifically Belarus and Ukraine. The name derives from the Russian word velikii which means “great.”
In some cases, Velikotsky can refer to someone from the city of Velikie Luki, located in the Pskov region in Russia. It’s also a common surname in the Jewish communities of Belarus, Ukraine and other areas of Eastern Europe.
The Velikotsky surname is sometimes shortened to Veliko or Velik. It is a patronymic name, meaning that it is derived from a parent's given name. Some members of the Velikotsky family dramatically altered the spelling of their name when they emigrated, which resulted in many spelling variations. Velikovski is the spelling used most commonly today in Eastern Europe.
The members of the Velikotsky family that emigrated usually left due to anti-Semitism or religious persecution. Most of them immigrated to the United States and followed Jewish traditions and customs in their new homes. A great many of the original migrants initially lived in New York City and Chicago before migrating to other parts of the country.
To this day, the Velikotsky surname is still borne by members of the Jewish faith who trace their roots to Eastern European countries such as Belarus and Ukraine.
Order DNA origin analysisVelikotsky: Where does the name Velikotsky come from?
The surname Velikotsky is a common Ukrainian name, with the root meaning of “big kettle”. It is a fairly common surname today, and is found in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova and other former Soviet republics. It is also found in the United States, Israel, Argentina, Canada, Uzbekistan and other countries where people with Ukrainian heritage have settled.
Velikotsky is the ninth most common surname in Ukraine. It holds a historic significance as it was the name of an ancient aristocracy that included some of the most influential people in Ukrainian history. Some of them were princes and rulers, while others were painters, writers and poets.
Velikotsky is also a popular name in Russia, where it is the 180th most common surname. It is not as common as in Ukraine, but it is not rare either. It is found in both European Russia and in Siberia, as well as in the former Soviet republics that are now independent nations.
In the United States, Velikotsky is found throughout the country, with the highest concentrations being in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and California. These states have the largest Ukrainian populations outside of Ukraine and the former Soviet Union.
Velikotsky is also common in Israel, Canada, Argentina and other countries where people with Ukrainian heritage have settled. It is quite possible that the name may soon become more popular even outside of Ukraine and the former Soviet Union, due to increased migration of people with Ukrainian ancestry.
Variations of the surname Velikotsky
The surnames Velikotsky, Velykotsky, Welykotsky, Velickowsky, Welykowsky, Velocity, and Velikovsky are all variants or spellings of one another. These distinctions in spelling, usually due to either the regional origin or an intentional change conducted by an ancestor, all refer to the same origin, that of the surname Velikotsky.
The surname Velikotsky is derived from the Slavic language and is most commonly associated with the Ukrainian and Belarusian Volynsk regions. It is believed to have originated in the Velikia Chattia, a highly regarded area in Kiev that was owned by various noble families. The name itself is derived from the words “veliki” which means great or grand, and “otsky” which translates to of father. Thus, the surname roughly translates to “of the great father”; a reference to the renowned nobility of the Velikia Chattia.
The surname’s many variants stem from the gradual evolution of spelling conventions in the various regions where it is used. There are the standard adjustments due to regionalism, such as the differences between the traditional Russian pronunciations of “v” and “w”, as well as intentional changes which some ancestors adopted in order to distill their identity from that of their neighbors. Additional modifications of spelling have arisen from transliteration from Cyrillic script into Latin characters.
Overall, however, all of these variants, spellings, and surnames are rooted in the same origin of the name Velikotsky and can be linked back to the esteemed Velikia Chattia in the Ukraine or Belarusian Volynsk.
Famous people with the name Velikotsky
- Alexander Vvedensky: an early-20th century Russian poet, and one of the classical figures of the Russian formalist school of literary criticism.
- Lev Vygotsky: a Soviet psychologist and founder of the influential Vygotsky school of thought in the psychology of moral development.
- Sergei Velikovsky: a famous Russian-American philosopher, historian and writer, whose works focus on catastrophism and ancient civilizations.
- Igor Velikovsky: a 20th century sculptor, painter and graphic artist born in Russia.
- G.A. Velikovsky: a professor of Polish literature and renowned literary critic, who wrote extensively on the subject of Russian literature and culture.
- Alexander Velikovsky: a Russian History professor at the University of Illinois, who wrote extensively on Soviet and Russian governance and politics.
- Genrikh Velikovsky: a Soviet economist and statistician, who wrote extensively on the topic of Soviet and Russian economics.
- Ivan Velikovsky: a Russian artist who specialized in painting portraits and landscapes.
- Yulia Velikovskaya: a contemporary pianist and composer who is internationally acclaimed for her work.
- Vadim Velikovsky: a Russian-born American lawyer who practices in the litigation and corporate departments.