Meaning & History
Valentinov is a patronymic surname of Slavic origin, used primarily in Bulgarian and Russian. It means "son of Valentin," a given name that traces back to the Latin name Valentinus. The root of this name is the Roman cognomen Valens, which means "strong, vigorous, healthy" in Latin.
The name Valentine has been associated with both a 3rd-century Christian martyr, Saint Valentine, and with love since the Middle Ages, as his feast day (February 14) coincided with the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia. In later use, in Shakespeare's ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' (1594), Saint Valentine appears as a character, contributing to the name's popularity in the English-speaking world. However, in Slavic contexts, the name was also common due to the veneration of saints with this name in the Orthodox tradition.
Notable bearers of the surname Valentinov include Ukrainian science and fantasy fiction writer Andriy Valentinov (pen name of Andrey Valentinovich Shmalko) and Russian socialist, journalist, philosopher, and economist Nikolai Valentinov. Geography also reflects the name: the village of Valentinovka in Russia, and the Croatian town of Valentinovo point to its lasting presence. Related patronymic and matronymic forms include Valentinova (Russian feminine variant) and cognates like Valenta (Czech) and Bálint (Hungarian).
- Meaning: "son of Valentin"
- Origin: Latin-derived patronymic
- Type: Surname
- Primary usage regions: Bulgaria, Russia
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Valentinov