Each of us at least once in his life was interested in the origin or meaning of his surname. The history of the origin of the surname Volkov is curious and fascinating. Not only the name gives a person special features, but also the surname. This is one of the reasons why you need to know the origin and meaning of your family name. It is also believed that at the beginning and end of the twentieth century, 22nd place among the most popular was the name of Volkov. The origin and significance of it we will consider below.
Version number 1
There are several theories regarding the origin of this surname. Many are interested in the Wolves. We consider the origin of the surname in two versions. So, it consists of a subgroup formed from the names of animals. In many countries there are male names bearing the word "wolf" in their meaning. For example, in Germany there is the name Wolf, in Serbia - Wook. Do you think an accident? This is not so because the predator has been familiar to humans since ancient times. Our ancestors endowed the wolf with qualities such as rage, gluttony, greed and cruelty. Our ancestors also believed that the wolf is a mediator between the worlds of the living and the dead, magicians and ordinary people.
There is such a legend. The wolf dazzled the devil from clay or cut it out of wood, but failed to revive it. When God endowed this creature with life, the wolf rushed at the imp and grabbed his hoof. The Slavs especially believed in the magical capabilities of this animal, therefore, as a protection against various diseases, they wore the tail of a wolf. Also, the name of the predator itself acted as a talisman. Some documentary sources confirm that in the days of Ancient Russia, the Wolf could be called an unfriendly and lonely person. The surname Volkov first met researchers in documents of the 16th century. Analysis of the surname Volkov gave rise to the existence of another version.
Version number 2
The German lexicographer Max Fasmer in his Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language writes that the name of the animal - the wolf - comes from the verb "drag", and clarifies that this predator "drags" its prey or prey. But this version for onomastics (a section of the language that studies the origin of names and titles) sounds unconvincing, because not only this predator, but also many others are “dragging” its prey. Also, in the dictionary of Max Fasmer, the specific etymology of the verb “drag” is not specified. It turns out that the German "wolf" came from the Slavic "wolf".
The origin of the name of the predator is restored on the basis of the ancient and little-known Nakh language. “Wolf” consists of two onomatopoeic words “howl” - howl, and “lakh” - up. Putting together the Nakh words, we get "Volakh", which literally translates as "howling up." In this language, another meaning of the verb “lakh” was formed from the image of a wolf howling at the moon - to sing.
There are several more unreliable versions of the origin of the surname Volkov. But consider them no longer makes sense.
Rod Volkov: the origin of the surname
In the Russian Empire, about seventy noble families with such a surname were recorded. Among them, there are several ancient. The very first Volkovs believe that their family was founded by the noble Lithuanian Wolf Gregory, who came to Russia at the beginning of the XVI century. In subsequent centuries, the Volkovs were recorded in the ranks of governor, stolnik, ambassadors and clerks. Grandchildren-great-grandchildren of Gregory Wolf were awarded in 1618 lands (at that time they were called estates) in the Yaroslavl district. According to the handbook of the first volume, it is known that this branch of the Volkovs is one of the oldest. It came from Volkov Vasily Ivanovich, who was recorded in the sixth part of the genealogy books of Kostroma, Novgorod, Vologda and other provinces.
The great-grandson of Gregory Wolf - Ivan Fedorovich Volkov - was known among his contemporaries as a heroic person, was awarded the rank of major general, proved himself particularly during the assault on the Izmailovsky Fortress, for which he was awarded patrimonies in Mosalsky and Meshchovsky counties. This genus is recorded in the seventh part of the genealogy books of Simbirsk, Moscow, Novgorod, Khersones and Tambov.
The Volkovs are a noble family that belongs to the new and served nobility; they are included in the second and third part of the genealogical books of twenty-two provinces! By permission of His Imperial Highness, it was stated that the founder of the Russian theater, Fyodor Grigorievich Volkov (the origin of the surname has a common source), was also awarded the title of hereditary nobleman.
