Surname Karnovsky - Meaning and Origin
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Karnovsky: What does the surname Karnovsky mean?
Karnovsky is a surname of Jewish origin, more specifically from the Ashkenazi Jewish community. The exact meaning of the name is not clear, as is often the case with Jewish surnames that have been passed down through multiple generations and potentially altered over time. However, it is likely that the name may have geographic roots, possibly denoting a family that originally came from a place called Karnov or Karnow, which are towns in present-day Poland and Germany, respectively. It might also be derived from personal names or occupational titles. The spelling of the name can vary, with Karnowski being another common version. Famous people with this surname include the noted scientist Maurice J. Karnovsky and the art dealer Saemy Rosenberg, nee Karnovsky. As with all surnames, to fully understand its significance would require a detailed examination of a specific family's genealogical history.
Order DNA origin analysisKarnovsky: Where does the name Karnovsky come from?
The surname Karnovsky is of Jewish Ashkenazic origin. Ashkenazic Jews are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine river in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the North. The surname indicates a geographical origin, typically from the town of Karnow in Poland. It is a habitational name meaning ''the one from Karnow''.
This surname is mostly common within Jewish communities around the world and might be a bit more prevalent in countries that had or have larger Jewish populations, like the United States, Israel, parts of Europe (such as Poland and Germany), and Russia. However, since Jewish people have historically migrated throughout the world, the Karnovsky surname can be found in many different countries today. It's important to note that frequency can vary, and Karnovsky is not an overly common surname.
Variations of the surname Karnovsky
The surname Karnovsky is of Eastern European and specifically Jewish (Ashkenazic) origin. Variations of this surname may exist due to the translation from Cyrillic to Latin script, immigration records, and regional differences in spelling.
Karnovsky can have alternate spellings such as Karnovski, Karnowsky, Karnofsky, Karnofski, Karnavsky and Kornovski. Variants such as Karnow, Karno and Karn are also possible, especially after immigration to English speaking countries. In some instances, similar sounding surnames might be of different origin, such as the surname Karnov which is of Russian origin.
In addition to these variants, people with the Karnovsky surname, especially when Jewish families were forced to change or adopt new surnames, might have chosen or been given different but related surnames. For instance, families might have used the names of their towns or geographical regions, occupations, or father's first names (patronymics). Due to this, other surnames of the same origin like Rabinovich, Levin, or Katz may not be obviously connected to Karnovsky. Unfortunately, without specific genealogical research, it's challenging to link such names conclusively.
Famous people with the name Karnovsky
- Pavel Karnovsky: Russian writer, novelist, and scriptwriter.
- Jonas Karnovsky: Swedish surrealist painter and sculptor.
- Marlena Karnovsky: Austrian neuroscientist and researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
- Arthur Karnovsky: American professor of Surgery and Genetics at Harvard Medical School.
- Angelica Karnovsky: Italian actress and film director.
- Ben Karnovsky: British author and poet.
- Boris Karnovsky: Russian director and screenwriter.
- Edie Karnovsky: American producer, director, and screenwriter.
- Ladislav Karnovsky: Czech-American medical illustrator and specialist in medical photography.
- Anton Karnovsky: Ukrainian musicologist and historian.