Patronymic

A patronymic is a component of a personal name formed from the given name of a father or paternal ancestor, with a meaning such as “son of” or “daughter of.” The term derives from Greek patēr (father) and onoma (name). In many cultures, a patronymic is not a fixed family surname but a name that changes with each generation.

In Russian, Ukrainian, and other Slavic languages, a patronymic is commonly used as part of a formal full name and as a middle name. It is formed from the father's given name with distinctive endings: for men, -ovich or -evich; for women, -ovna or -evna. Examples: Ivan Ivanovich, Maria Ivanovna. In Scandinavian naming traditions, patronymics such as Johansson or Andersson indicate “son of Johan” or “son of Anders” and historically functioned as surnames.

Iceland uses true patronymics (and occasionally matronymics) rather than fixed family surnames. A person is identified by their given name together with a patronymic or matronymic, e.g., Bjarni Thorlaksson (son of Thorlakr). These do not pass unchanged across generations, and official records may require additional identifiers.

In many Western societies, patronymics have evolved into or been replaced by inherited surnames, so Johnson or Johansson can function as family names rather than active patronymics. Patronymics illustrate how naming practices encode lineage and contrast with matronymics, which derive from the mother’s name.