Ivanko

Ivanko is a surname of Slavic origin, predominantly found in Eastern Europe. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the given name "Ivan," a Slavic form of the name "John." The suffix "-ko" is a common diminutive suffix in Slavic languages, often indicating "son of" or "little." Thus, Ivanko essentially means "son of Ivan" or "little Ivan."

The name and its variations are common in countries such as Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Croatia, and Serbia. It can also be found in other countries with historical Slavic populations.

The surname, like many surnames, likely originated as a way to identify individuals within a community by referencing their father's name. Over time, these identifiers became hereditary surnames passed down through generations. Variations in spelling may occur depending on the country or transliteration from Cyrillic alphabets.