Romanian Last Names or Surnames are a significant indicator of a person’s family, tribe, or community and form an essential part of one’s identity. The use of surnames varies by culture and has been documented in early historical records, often influenced by occupation, father’s name, location, or physical traits. In Romanian tradition, surnames usually appear before a forename and are largely derived from Romanian, the official Eastern Romance language of Romania, along with other European languages. Many Romanian family names reflect occupations, locations, lineage, and Roman or Slavic heritage. Common suffixes such as –escu, meaning “son of,” and others like –anu, –aru, or –oiu help trace ancestry and ethnic origin.
Romanian family names remain the same regardless of the gender of the person. Surnames provide an enormous amount of information and are fundamental in family research. Hence, make sure that the meaning justifies your choice. Here is a rounded up of the most common Romanian last names and their meanings that will help to appreciate the Romanian family system and its unique heritage of surnames.
This English and Scottish surname means “son of Adam,” derived from the Hebrew name Adama, meaning “earth.” It links to the belief that the first humans were formed from earth.
Adrelean comes from the Romanian region of Ardeal, which is also known as Transylvania. It might have originated from erdo that means ‘forest’ in Hungarian.
Albescu comes from the Romanian root alb, meaning “white,” symbolizing purity, brightness, or fair appearance.
Alexandrescu comes from an ancient Greek name, “Alexandros,” a compound of alexin, which means ‘to defend.’ Andros, the genitive form of aner, means ‘a man,’ which together forms “defender of men.”
Baciu is a Romanian surname meaning “shepherd,” symbolizing care, guidance, and rural heritage.
Balan means “blond” and also refers to a historic town located in Romania.
The Romanian word for man is “bărbat.” This surname comes from Barba and means ‘bushy beard’ or “the bearded one.”
Bogdan is composed of Slavic words bogu, ‘god’ and dan, ‘given,’ which means ‘god-given’ or ‘gift of God.’
The Romanian name București comes from Bucur, a legendary shepherd and founder of Bucharest. Bucur also relates to bucurie, meaning “joy,” and bukur, meaning “beautiful.”
Carp is a Romanian surname meaning “carp fish.” It likely originated as a nickname or occupational name related to fishing.
This occupational surname is given to the shepherd community of Romania as Cioban means ‘shepherd.’
Derived from the word ‘cojoc’ meaning ‘sheepskin,’ this occupational surname is given to ‘someone who manufactured coats using sheepskin.’
A diminutive of the Medieval Latin personal name Constantine or Constantinus, this surname means “constant” or “steadfast.”
Derived from Medieval Latin name Constantine or Greek Konstantine, this surname means ‘son of Constantin.’
This Romanian form of Christian surname means “a Christian”, reflecting faith and religious identity.
Dabija is a Romanian surname of likely Slavic origin. It may have originated from a personal name or nickname used in medieval times.
Dalca is of uncertain origin and is believed to mean “lightning,” symbolizing power and sudden energy.
Daniel comes from the Biblical name, which means ‘God is my judge’ in Hebrew.
Dumitru comes from the Greek name Demetrios, derived from Demeter, the goddess of grain and harvest. It means “of Demeter” or “dedicated to Demeter.”
This Hebrew-origin surname means “comforter,” symbolizing compassion, reassurance, and gentle emotional support.
A variant of George or Greek Georgios and Gheorghe, meaning “farmer” or one who works the land.
This Romanian surname means “son of Grigore” and comes from the Greek word gregorian, meaning “watchful” or “awake.”
Ion is a Greek name after the mythical founder of the Ionians. The Romanian Ion is equivalent to the English name John found in the Hebrew Bible name Johanan.
Luca comes from the Latin name Lucas, meaning “bringer of light,” and is also linked to lucus, meaning “sacred wood.” It can also mean “man from Lucania” in Italy.
Lungu is a surname of the Lozi tribe, meaning ‘April,’ or ‘the water stands still.’ It comes from the cognate of Long that comes from Ireland. Some are of Scottish, English, and Norman descent.
Marcus is an ancient Roman and pre-Christian origin name derived from the Etruscan, marce or mar, which means ‘to harvest’ referring ‘to the god Mars.’
Matei is a variant of the English name Matthew and means “a gift.” It carries a sense of blessing and gratitude.
Munteanu is an ethnic name for someone from Wallachia or a mountain region. It comes from muntean, meaning “mountain dweller.”
This surname comes from the Romanian word popa, meaning “priest” or “clergyman.” It may also derive from the Slavic term pop.
A variant of the Romanian word ‘safir,’ Zamfir means ‘sapphire.’ The occupational surname refers to the traders in jewels or those who worked as jewelers.
Common Romanian last names or surnames reflect Romania’s history and family traditions. Many Romania family names are rooted in ancestry and heritage.
Albu is a Romanian surname from alb, meaning “white,” originally describing fair features or purity.
Aldea is a Romanian surname of occupational origin, linked to a village leader or community head.
Andrei is of Greek origin, derived from Andreas, meaning “manly” or “brave.” It is a popular Romanian name symbolizing strength and courage.
Ardelean is a Romanian surname meaning “from Ardeal (Transylvania).” It denotes regional origin and heritage.
Derived from barba meaning “beard,” this surname means “black beard,” symbolizing a distinctive appearance.
Botezatu means “baptized” and has religious origins. It often reflects Christian faith or baptismal tradition.
This Romanian surname means “betrayed.” It may have originated as a nickname reflecting a personal story or event.
Cazacu is a Romanian surname of Slavic origin, meaning “Cossack” or descendant of Cossack warriors.
Craioveanue is a Romanian surname meaning “from Craiova,” indicating regional origin and ancestry.
Cretu comes from the word ‘cret,’ meaning ‘curl.’ It refers ‘to someone with curly hair.’
Dan is a Hebrew-origin name meaning “judge,” symbolizing justice, wisdom, and leadership.
Dascalu comes from the word ‘dascal’ meaning ‘teacher,’ ‘schoolmaster,’ or an ‘instructor.’
Dragavei refers to ‘someone who lived close or had a field of Curly Dock plant.
This Basque surname means “handsome” and also connects to the Hebrew name meaning “flock.” Eder symbolizes God’s watchful care over His people.
Erner is a Romanian surname meaning “Serbian.” It was likely used to identify someone of Serbian origin or ancestry.
Fieraru is a Romanian occupational surname meaning “blacksmith,” derived from the Romanian word fier (iron).
This occupational surname refers to a fisherman’. It is also a topographical surname given to ‘someone who lives close to a fish weir on a river.’
This Romanian occupational surname means “ropemaker,” referring to someone skilled in rope-making work.
Gheata is a Romanian surname meaning “ice,” symbolizing coldness, strength, or resilience.
This Romanian surname means “thick, coarse, or bulky,” often describing physical build or strength.
This occupational surname signifies a “General,” representing leadership, authority, and military command.
This South German and Jewish topographic surname comes from Middle High German hof, meaning “farm” or “manor.” The suffix -er refers to someone who lived or worked there.
Iordanescu is a Romanian patronymic surname meaning “son of Jordan,” reflecting familial lineage.
This patronymic last name means “Ivan’s son,” indicating descent from an ancestor named Ivan.
Luminita is a Christian name common in Italian speaking countries that means ‘Little light.’
Lupei comes from the Romanian word lup, meaning “wolf,” symbolizing strength, courage, and resilience.
This surname comes from the Latin lupus, meaning “wolf.” It is related to forms like Lupo, French Loup, Spanish López, and Portuguese Lopes.
This German-origin surname is a variant of Meyer, related to the English “mayor.” Maier also carries meanings like “farmer,” “bright,” or “shining.”
This Greek-origin surname means “administrator,” symbolizing leadership, organization, and authority.
This German surname comes from “miller,” derived from the Middle High German mülnære or müller.
Derived from the Old Latin name Netus, Net means “superior” or “greater,” symbolizing excellence.
This Romanian surname means “son of Nicolae.” Nicolae is the Romanian form of Nicholas, meaning “victory of the people.”
This Romanian patronymic surname means “son of Olaru,” indicating family lineage and heritage.
Pacuraru in Romanian means “shepherd,” symbolizing pastoral life, care, and traditional rural heritage.
Pichler refers to someone who lives on or near a hill, from Tyrolean pichl meaning “hill.” It can also be a German nickname for a drinker.
Radu is a diminutive of Slavic names that begin with “rad” and means ‘happy’ or ‘willing.’
Rosu means ‘son of Roman.’ It may refer to ‘descendants of the Romans from the Roman Empire.’
This Romanian surname means “flower,” symbolizing beauty, growth, freshness, and natural elegance.
Roșu in Romanian means “red,” symbolizing passion, strength, vitality, and bold character.
Sala in Romanian means ‘hall,’ ‘chamber,’ or a ‘large house.’ It is an occupational surname given to ‘a worker at a manor house.’
Moldovan last names are largely similar to Romanian last names because both share the same language and cultural roots. Differences mainly appear due to regional spelling, historical influences, or administrative changes.
Traditionally, Romanian last names are inherited from the father. However, in modern times, families may choose to use the mother’s surname or a combination of both.
Yes, Romanian last names can change spelling over time due to migration, pronunciation differences, or official record variations. Historical reforms and transliteration into other languages have also influenced spelling changes.
Although Romanian given names appear before family names, official documents often invert the order for filing purposes, leading some Romanians to introduce themselves with their family names first. Regardless of tradition, choosing a surname—especially when exploring Moldovan last names—that flows well with the first name, spelling, and syllables helps create a unique and harmonious identity.
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