What is the origin of the last name "Muskovich"?

Question:

What is the origin of the last name "Muskovich"?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: There are two derivations that I can think of. First, all Russian middle names end in "ovich", based on your father's name, e.g. I'm Steve, my Dad's name is John, so in Russian I'd be Stepan Ivanovich Lensky (to pick a surname at random). Muskovich or Moskovich would be someone's middle name if their father's name is Moskov, e.g. Stepan Moskovich Lensky. BUT more likely, it is a Russian Jewish surname. Jewish people used not to have surnames until European governments ordered them to do so about 300 years ago, and many created their surname by converting their father's first name to the nearest sounding Russian name or place name. So, someone named Moses would change his name to Moskovich (from Moscow). We have that in England, with plenty of the Benjamins, Benrubis, Bendavids etc changing their name to Bennett (or Barnet, after the area of North London). The Polish Jewish surname Moskovitz is also derived from Moses. If you have any Jewish friends name Moss or Murray, you now know why!