Meaning & History
Danchev (feminine: Dancheva) is a Bulgarian patronymic surname, literally meaning “son of Dancho.” Dancho is a diminutive of Danail, the Bulgarian variant of Daniel. Thus, the surname traces its ultimate origin to the Hebrew name Daniel (דָּנִיֵּאל, Daniyyel), meaning “God is my judge,” from the roots din (“to judge”) and ʾel (“God”).
Etymology
The -ev suffix is a common Slavic patronymic ending, appearing most often in Bulgarian and other South Slavic surnames. Danchev is formed by adding this suffix to Dancho, indicating “son of Dancho.” The feminine form Dancheva follows the same pattern with the feminine suffix -a.
Notable Bearers
Notable individuals carrying the surname include Bulgarian poet and dissident Andrey Danchev; Dancho Danchev, Bulgarian footballer; Ivaylo Danchev, a tennis player who competed for Bulgaria; Maria Dancheva, Bulgarian journalist; Vladimir Danchev, sports shooter; and Yordan Danchev, Olympic rower.
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Danchev