The -enko ending
The signature of Ukrainian surnames is -enko, a patronymic diminutive meaning roughly “son of” or “little/descendant of.” Shevchenko is “son of the shoemaker,” Kovalenko “son of the smith,” Petrenko “son of Petro.” Other common endings include -uk / -chuk (Kovalchuk) and -ko.
Trades, nicknames and nature
Most Ukrainian surnames come from a trade (Melnyk “miller,” Bondarenko “son of the cooper”), a nickname (Rudenko “son of the red-haired one,” Moroz “frost”) or a father’s name.