If you have ever come across a Romanian last name and wondered what it actually means, you are going to love this post.
Romanian surnames are fascinating. A lot of them come from nature, from old occupations, from physical traits, or from the names of villages and regions families called home centuries ago. Some have Slavic roots. Some are Latin. Some came in through Ottoman influence. And some are so uniquely Romanian that you will not find anything quite like them anywhere else in Europe.
Whether you are researching your own family history, looking for a surname to use as a first name, or just curious about where Romanian names come from, this list covers 83 of the most common ones with their full meanings.
Let’s get into it.
Romanian Surnames From Nature
A huge number of Romanian last names come straight from the natural world. Rivers, trees, animals, the land itself. Romanian people have always had a deep connection to their landscape and it shows up everywhere in the naming tradition.
- Lungu
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Long or tall Originally a nickname for someone unusually tall that became a permanent family name.
- Florescu
- Origin: Romanian, from floare
- Meaning: Flower One of the most beautiful Romanian surnames and surprisingly widespread across the country.
- Muntean
- Origin: Romanian, from munte
- Meaning: Mountain Given to families from the mountainous regions of Romania. One of the most common surnames in the country.
- Codreanu
- Origin: Romanian, from codru
- Meaning: Deep forest or dense woodland Carries a wild, ancient feeling. Codru refers specifically to old, untouched forest.
- Paduraru
- Origin: Romanian, from padure
- Meaning: Forest Someone who lived near or worked in the forest.
- Campanu
- Origin: Romanian, from camp
- Meaning: Field or open plain A family from the flatlands of Romania.
- Visan
- Origin: Romanian, from visin
- Meaning: Sour cherry tree
- Pietraru
- Origin: Romanian, from piatra
- Meaning: Stone or rock A stonecutter or someone who lived near rocky terrain.
- Prunaru
- Origin: Romanian, from prun
- Meaning: Plum tree Someone who tended or lived near a plum orchard.
- Lunca
- Origin: Romanian, from lunca
- Meaning: Meadow or riverside grassland
- Lacul
- Origin: Romanian, from lac
- Meaning: Lake
- Salca
- Origin: Romanian, from salcie
- Meaning: Willow tree
- Alba
- Origin: Romanian, from alb
- Meaning: White Often referred to a family from a place called Alba, or someone with a fair complexion.
- Stejar
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Oak tree Solid, rooted, and completely Romanian.
- Vaduva
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Widow Originally given to families headed by a widowed woman.
Romanian Surnames From Occupations
Just like across most of Europe, a lot of Romanian surnames started as job descriptions. The blacksmith, the shepherd, the miller, the tailor. These names tell you exactly what your ancestors did for a living.
- Ciobanu
- Origin: Romanian, from cioban
- Meaning: Shepherd One of the most common Romanian surnames, especially in rural areas. Romania has a very deep shepherding tradition.
- Moraru
- Origin: Romanian, from moara
- Meaning: Miller Someone who operated a grain mill.
- Cojocaru
- Origin: Romanian, from cojoc
- Meaning: Maker of sheepskin coats One of the most distinctly Romanian surnames there is. The cojoc is a traditional embroidered sheepskin coat still worn in villages today.
- Fieraru
- Origin: Romanian, from fier
- Meaning: Iron A blacksmith or ironworker.
- Croitoru
- Origin: Romanian, from croitor
- Meaning: Tailor
- Olaru
- Origin: Romanian, from oala
- Meaning: Potter Someone who made clay pots.
- Pescaru
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Fisherman
- Dulgherul
- Origin: Romanian, from dulghier
- Meaning: Carpenter or woodworker
- Vacaru
- Origin: Romanian, from vaca
- Meaning: Cowherd Someone who kept or tended cattle.
- Negustoru
- Origin: Romanian, from negustor
- Meaning: Merchant or trader
- Gradinariu
- Origin: Romanian, from gradina
- Meaning: Gardener
- Butaru
- Origin: Romanian, from butoi
- Meaning: Barrel maker
- Brumar
- Origin: Romanian, from brumarel
- Meaning: October, the month of frost Originally given to someone born in October or associated with the harvest season.
- Vapsar
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Dyer Someone who dyed fabrics using traditional plant-based methods.
- Draghici
- Origin: Slavic roots
- Meaning: Precious or dear Originally a term of endearment that gradually became a family surname.
Romanian Surnames From Physical Traits
Romanian nicknames based on appearance became family surnames more often than you might expect. These are some of the most vivid and descriptive last names in the entire tradition.
- Negru
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Black Given to someone with very dark hair or a dark complexion.
- Rosu
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Red Someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
- Albu
- Origin: Romanian, Latin roots
- Meaning: White or fair One of the most common Romanian surnames with clear Latin ancestry.
- Voinicu
- Origin: Romanian, from voinic
- Meaning: Strong young man or brave warrior One of the more flattering physical nicknames to end up as a family name.
- Frumosu
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Beautiful A lovely surname to carry through generations.
- Mic
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Small or little Originally a nickname for the shortest person in a village.
- Scurtu
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Short Similar to Mic but referring more specifically to height.
- Gras
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Fat or stout A blunt nickname that became a lasting family name.
- Batranu
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Old Originally given to an elder or someone who seemed older than their years.
- Chelu
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Bald A nickname that stuck around long enough to become a family name.
- Latu
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Wide or broad Someone of broad build.
- Tanaru
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Young Often used to distinguish a younger family member from an older one with the same first name.
Romanian Surnames From Place Names
A large portion of Romanian surnames come from the towns, villages, and regions families originally came from. These are geographic surnames that carry a whole history inside them.
- Moldovan
- Origin: Romanian, from Moldova
- Meaning: Someone from the Moldova region One of the most common Romanian surnames of all time.
- Ardelean
- Origin: Romanian, from Ardeal
- Meaning: Someone from Transylvania Ardeal is the Romanian name for Transylvania.
- Olteanu
- Origin: Romanian, from Oltenia
- Meaning: Someone from the southwestern region of Romania
- Dobrogean
- Origin: Romanian, from Dobrogea
- Meaning: Someone from the region between the Danube and the Black Sea
- Banatean
- Origin: Romanian, from Banat
- Meaning: Someone from western Romania, bordering Hungary and Serbia
- Crisan
- Origin: Romanian, from the Cris river
- Meaning: Someone from the Cris river region of western Romania
- Ungureanu
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Hungarian Given to families of Hungarian origin or those who came from Hungarian territories.
- Bucurescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Bucuresti
- Meaning: Someone from Bucharest
- Somesan
- Origin: Romanian, from the Somes river
- Meaning: Someone from the Somes river valley in northern Romania
- Prahovean
- Origin: Romanian, from Prahova
- Meaning: Someone from the Prahova valley region
Romanian Surnames From Religion And Personal Names
Some Romanian surnames developed from first names, biblical figures, or the Orthodox religious tradition that has always been central to Romanian identity.
- Ionescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Ion
- Meaning: Son of Ion, the Romanian form of John One of the most common Romanian surnames of all time.
- Popescu
- Origin: Romanian, from popa
- Meaning: Connected to a priest Popa means Orthodox priest. Extremely common across Romania.
- Dumitrescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Dumitru
- Meaning: Son of Dumitru, the Romanian form of Demetrius
- Popa
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Priest Simply means Orthodox priest. One of the most common surnames in the entire country.
- Petrescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Petru
- Meaning: Son of Petru, the Romanian form of Peter
- Gheorghescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Gheorghe
- Meaning: Son of Gheorghe, the Romanian form of George
- Apostol
- Origin: Romanian, from Greek apostolos
- Meaning: Apostle A deeply religious surname with Greek roots.
- Cristescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Cristea
- Meaning: Connected to Christ or the name Christian
- Nicolescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Nicolae
- Meaning: Son of Nicolae, the Romanian form of Nicholas
- Diaconescu
- Origin: Romanian, from diacon
- Meaning: Connected to a deacon A deacon is a church official ranking just below a priest in the Orthodox tradition.
- Alexandrescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Alexandru
- Meaning: Son of Alexandru, the Romanian form of Alexander
- Sfantul
- Origin: Romanian, from sfant
- Meaning: Saint or holy A surname of clear religious origin.
Rare And Unusual Romanian Surnames Worth Knowing
These are the Romanian last names that show up less often but are some of the most interesting in terms of what they mean and where they come from.
- Dracul
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Dragon or devil Made famous by Vlad Dracul, father of Vlad the Impaler. The name originally referred to the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order he belonged to.
- Haiduc
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Outlaw or freedom fighter The haiduc was a Romanian Robin Hood figure who lived in the forests and fought against oppressors. A name loaded with history.
- Vrabie
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Sparrow A small bird name that became a family name.
- Balaur
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Dragon or mythical serpent From deep Romanian folklore. Ancient and striking as a surname.
- Flutur
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Butterfly Completely unexpected as a surname but genuinely beautiful.
- Barbu
- Origin: Romanian, from barba
- Meaning: Beard Originally a nickname for a bearded man.
- Trifan
- Origin: Romanian, from Trifon
- Meaning: Connected to the patron saint of vineyards in the Orthodox tradition A name with wine and celebration in its roots.
- Morosan
- Origin: Romanian, from Maramures
- Meaning: Someone from the mountainous northern region of Maramures Known for its ancient wooden churches and deeply preserved traditions.
- Zavoianu
- Origin: Romanian, from zavoi
- Meaning: Dense thicket or grove of trees near a river
- Ursu
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Bear A powerful animal nickname that became one of the more memorable Romanian surnames.
- Lupescu
- Origin: Romanian, from lup
- Meaning: Wolf Lup means wolf in Romanian. A name that carries real strength.
- Vulpe
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Fox An animal nickname given for cunning or quick-wittedness.
- Pasare
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Bird A simple but poetic surname.
- Porumb
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Dove or pigeon A peaceful and gentle animal name.
- Iepure
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Rabbit An animal nickname that became a family name.
- Ciocan
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Hammer Originally a nickname for a blacksmith or someone with a heavy hand.
- Buzatu
- Origin: Romanian, from Buzau
- Meaning: Someone from the Buzau region of eastern Romania
- Mateescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Matei
- Meaning: Son of Matei, the Romanian form of Matthew
- Enescu
- Origin: Romanian, from Ene
- Meaning: Connected to the name Ene, a Romanian diminutive Made famous by George Enescu, Romania’s greatest classical composer.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it, 83 common Romanian surnames with their full meanings and origins.
From the forest names like Codreanu and Paduraru, to the occupation names like Ciobanu and Cojocaru, to the vivid nickname surnames like Negru and Frumosu, and the great regional names like Moldovan and Ardelean — every last name on this list tells a story about who these families were and where they came from.
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