Golovin (surname)

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Golovin is a Russian noble surname. The Golovin family is very old and has Byzantine roots. They were Counts in the Russian Empire. The Golovins descended from the Khovrin Boyar family and first used the name Golovin in the 16th century. Both the Khovrin and Golovin families claimed descent from the Gabras, an ancient Byzantine noble family that once ruled Theodoro (Gothia) in the southwestern Crimea. The Gabras of Theodoro mentioned in Russian records include Stephen of Theodoro (Stepan Vasilyevich Khovra), a Prince of Gothia who moved to Moscow around 1391–1402 with his son Gregory. They later became monks; Gregory founded the Simonov Monastery. This Gabras branch is often identified with the Khovra family in Russian sources. Stepan’s granddaughter Maria of Gothia married David of Trebizond in 1426; he would become the last Emperor of Trebizond. Golovin (Golovina for women) is a Russian surname derived from golova, meaning “head,” likely referring to the head of a household or village.