Gogol
/ˈɡoʊɡəl/noun
Gogol is a surname best known from the Ukrainian-born Russian writer Nikolai Gogol.
Did you know?Nikolai Gogol’s surname is generally connected with Slavic words for the goldeneye duck, although the deeper origin of that bird-name is uncertain and may imitate its call.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-modern Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*gogolь
“A name associated with the goldeneye duck; the ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Medieval period
Polish
gągoł
“Goldeneye duck.”
Medieval period
Ukrainian
го́голь
“Goldeneye duck; also used as a personal or family name.”
18th Century
Russian
Гоголь
“The surname Gogol, used by the writer’s family.”
19th Century
English
Gogol
“The surname of Nikolai Gogol, whose fiction became influential in world literature.”