Zhivko is an ancient Slavic name that has been recorded among Ukrainians since the 15th century. For example, a form Żywko is mentioned in 1411. A surname derived from this name can also be found in a document from 1565: Michno Żivko, and the patronymic Żywkowicz dates back to 1536. In Bulgaria, it is still used as a protective name. The name is derived from the adjective "living," meaning 'lively,' 'vital,' using the suffix -ko. The name Zhivko has many related variants among Bulgarians, Serbs, and Croats, with the main ones being Zhivan, Zhivislav, and Zhivomir. During the 16th to 17th centuries, names and nicknames such as Zhivalъ, Zhivan, and Zhivchak were also used in the Carpathians. Additionally, it is worth mentioning the derived name of a Cossack from the Poltava regiment, Yakov Zhivchenko, which dates back to 1649.
