Bortnikov

Bortnikov is a Russian surname. It is derived from the occupational surname "Bortnik," referring to a person who tended beehives in the forest, particularly in tree hollows (a practice known as bortnictwo). The bortnik would collect honey and beeswax. The surname indicates ancestral involvement in this trade.

Individuals with the surname Bortnikov are likely of Eastern Slavic origin, with ties to regions where forest beekeeping was historically practiced. The surname is relatively uncommon but can be found among people of Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian descent. Historical records may reveal further details about the specific geographic origins and lineage of families bearing this name.