Mitrofanov(a)
I knew a girl with this surname and was wondering if it was a patronymic surname like Ivanov, except for the name Mitrofan? The girl was Ukrainian.
When everyone goes home, you're stuck with yourself - Layne Staley
When everyone goes home, you're stuck with yourself - Layne Staley
Replies
A patronymic, as you suggest, from a forename of Greek origin. Russians were discouraged by the Orthodox clergy from giving their children Slavic names, Greek names being preferred. I think that this surname could be Russian in origin rather than Ukrainian, but that's just an opinion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitrofan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitrofan
That is possible, I said she was Ukrainian but there seems to be a lot of Russian people with surnames ending in ko, which are always Ukrainian.
Ukrainian nationality and Russian ethnicity is a common combination. The Ukrainian equivalent of the Russian -ov surname ending is -iv. But, as you point out, -ko is a common ending, particularly in the form -enko, which is very common. -chuk is another common Ukrainian surname ending.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitrofan