# Romanian Surnames



## dodgeydude24

Hi one and all.

I am writing a historical novel, and would really appreciate some help. I have tried researching 15th century Romanian names, but the only ones that come up are royal nobles, and voivodes. I am looking for a Romanian surname that would have been used in the 15th century in Targoviste, Wallachia.

I realise that I am really reaching out here, but if anyone could help, I would be grateful.


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## Reef Archer

Hello again, DodgeyDude24!

Male or female surnames?

Here are a few links - but, if you did find those voivodes' names, you noticed they had surnames. Radu, Mircea, Neagoe, Vlad to name but a few boys - Ruxandra, Clara, Elena, Chiajna to mention a few girls.

List of rulers of Wallachia

Romanian Surnames

More Romanian Surnames

Even more


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## dodgeydude24

Thanks Reef Archer.

I did see those names, but I took them to be first names and not their last names. I am looking for a female last name. Most last names that I have seen on
all other websites are mostly male names, there are very few female last names.


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## Reef Archer

My bad. I got confused between first names and surnames.
Obviously, there is no distinction between male and female when it comes to last names.

Here are the surname lists.

Here's how some „family names” came into being in Romania. So, if you have a certain characteristic feature you would like to attach to your character, we can turn that into an old Romanian surname.


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## farscape

dodgeydude24 said:


> ?..
> I have tried researching 15th century Romanian names, but the only ones that come up are royal nobles, and voivodes. I am looking for a Romanian surname that would have been used in the 15th century in Targoviste, Wallachia...



"Maria Boldur" sounds like a plausible name from that era and that region, however, in those times I think women were identified more by their relation to an important man in their life (father, husband, brother) and social status (obtained by marriage).

Here are some examples:

Maria fata lui Ion Boldur din Târgoviște -> Maria (Mary), the daughter of Ion (John) Boldur from Târgoviște. Now given the fact that Târgoviște was an important city Ion Boldur would have been identified either by status/rank or by "address": neighborhood or street.
- Ion Boldur spătarul (think army commander) or fata spătarului Boldur
- fata lui Ion Boldur măcelarul (butcher)
- fata lui Ion Boldur de pe ulița Crivățului (from the Crivăț street)
- fata lui Ion Boldur din mahalaua Câmpului (from the Câmpului neighborhood)
Note: you can replace fata with nevasta (wife) or văduva (widow)

My suggestion is to open a map of Romania and pick a name of a place near Târgoviște that you like and come back here to see how we can turn it into a family name: often people's name were a reflection of their place of birth or living.

Good luck with your novel!


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## dodgeydude24

Thank you very much Farscape. Some great advice.
How does this name sound or look to you, Ecaterina văduva lui Wladislaus Dragwlya.


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## farscape

Spelling: There is no w in the Romanian alphabet (w is pronounced as v); the man's name should be spelled Vladislaus Drăgulea.

The man's first name doesn't sound Romanian to me, more like a "latinised" Slavic one: Vladislav
Names which most likely were common during that time (still popular today): Ion (John), Vasile (Basil?) Gheorghe (George). So how about Gheorghe Drăgulea or even better Vasile Ulmu or Ulmi (Ulm -> Elm tree). Ulmi is the name of a town near Târgovişte. 

Ecaterina, while relatively popular in the past (Ecaterina Teodoroiu WWI hero) probably wasn't well established in Romanian at that time, but the modifed form Catrina probably will do. You won't go wrong with the standards: Ioana, Maria, Ana, Constantina. Marghioala (dim. Marghioliţa), Călina (of Romanian orgin but I don't know how popular), Aspazia could also work.

Let's see what you like 

Later,

.


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## dodgeydude24

Thanks for the advice. 

I found that Wladislaus Dragwlya, is how Vlad III signed his name, otherwise known as Vlad Dracula, or Vlad Tepes.
I basically want my female character to be Vlad's first wife, as very little is known about her. W is not in the modern Romanian alphabet, but it was
once, long ago.


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## farscape

I'm 99% that W was not in the Romanian alphabet. From what I know W is used for V at the beginning of a word in the Germanic languages and in Polish - it's not encountered in other Slavic languages which use the Cyrillic alphabet. 

The name Wladislaus (from the original Slavic Vladislav) is the "latinised" name used in the Austro-Hungarian empire: Latin was the language used in the "offices" - if I can use this term - at that time.

Vlad is coming from the family of Drăculeşti and his name was Vlad Drăculea and not Drăgulea which your spelling indicates. The 'Y" is another letter missing from the Romanian alphabet and I honestly doubt that Vlad used it to sign his name.

In any case, if you want an authentic - even for that time - Romanian name and spelling you should use Vlad(islav) Drăculea and not the westernised and latinised spelling that you seem to favour. As an FYI, Drăculea is related to Dracul which means the devil. Vlad was know as Vlad Dracul probably before it became Ţepeş (the Impaler).

Best,

.


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## browser2

Hi all,

I also have some (geneologic) questions on Romanian surnames:

1. does anyone know more about the origin/meaning of the Romanian surname *Prața ?
*2. does anyone know more about the origin/meaning of the Romanian surname Canciu?
3. Does anyone have a reference to a website that displays the spread of Romanian surnames?

All help is appreciated!

H
*
*


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