Zaevs

Zaevs is a surname of South Slavic origin, used in North Macedonia and surrounding regions. In English usage, Zaevs can refer collectively to people bearing the surname Zaev, or to the Zaev family as a group.

The root Zaev is derived from a patronymic naming pattern common to South Slavic traditions, with the -ev suffix indicating lineage or belonging. The surname is found in North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, and among diaspora communities.

Notable people bearing the surname include Zoran Zaev (born 1963), a Macedonian politician who served as Prime Minister of North Macedonia from 2017 to 2022, and who has led the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM). His tenure included work toward European Union accession and the 2018 Prespa Agreement with Greece to resolve the name dispute. The use of Zaevs is largely regional, and in global contexts it is most often encountered in reference to Zoran Zaev and related figures within Macedonian politics.