Asparuhov

Asparuhov is a Bulgarian surname (Bulgarian: Аспарухов) derived from the given name Asparuh (Asparukh), the name of a 7th-century Bulgar ruler who founded the First Bulgarian Empire in 681. The suffix -ov is a Slavic patronymic, indicating “son of Asparuh” or “belonging to Asparuh.” The surname is common in Bulgaria and among Bulgarian communities abroad, and may be transliterated as Asparuhov.

Notable individuals with the surname include Georgi Asparuhov (1943–1971), a prominent Bulgarian footballer regarded as one of the country’s greatest players. He played as a forward for Levski Sofia and for the Bulgaria national team during the 1960s and early 1970s. His career and untimely death in 1971 are significant in Bulgarian sports history. Beyond Georgi, the name appears among other people in Bulgaria, reflecting its patronymic origin and historical resonance with the early Bulgarian state.