Luk’ianchenko Olha is buying a plane ticket to Munich. The booking system turns her surname into LUKIANCHENKO - no apostrophe. Her passport reads LUK’IANCHENKO - with an apostrophe. At the airport check-in counter, the agent looks at the ticket, then at the passport, and says: “The names don’t match.” A whole discussion starts, the line behind her is getting impatient, the flight leaves in an hour.
This isn’t a rare edge case. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have surnames with an apostrophe: D’iachenko, Stef’iuk, Luk’ianenko, P’iatakov, M’iasoid, Kam’ianets. And every one of them will eventually run into the same problem - foreign databases, airlines, banks, and immigration authorities don’t know what to do with this character.
What the apostrophe is in Ukrainian and why it causes problems¶
In Ukrainian, the apostrophe isn’t punctuation or decoration. It’s a full orthographic element that signals the preceding consonant stays hard before a soft vowel. Compare: “буря” (burya - storm) vs “бур’ян” (bur’ian - weeds) - the apostrophe separates sounds and changes pronunciation.
Surnames with apostrophes are common: D’iachenko, Luk’ianchuk, Stef’iuk, P’iatakov, M’iakota, V’iunnyk, Kam’ianets. By various estimates, 5% to 8% of Ukrainian surnames contain an apostrophe.
The problem starts when these surnames enter foreign systems. Most databases abroad are built for the 26-letter Latin alphabet. An apostrophe is either a special character that needs escaping, or simply an input error.
As Ukraine’s State Migration Service explains:
The soft sign and apostrophe are not reproduced in Latin characters.
So the official position is that the apostrophe simply vanishes in Latin transliteration. But in practice, it’s more complicated.
How the apostrophe is handled in transliteration: official rules¶
Transliteration of Ukrainian names is governed by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 55 of January 27, 2010. This is the sole official standard used for passports, ID cards, and other documents.
Under this resolution, the apostrophe is not reproduced in Latin transliteration:
| Ukrainian surname | Transliteration (CMU No. 55) | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Д’яченко | Diachenko | Apostrophe dropped |
| Лук’янченко | Lukianchenko | Apostrophe dropped |
| Стеф’юк | Stefiuk | Apostrophe dropped |
| П’ятаков | Piatakov | Apostrophe dropped |
| М’ясоїд | Miasoid | Apostrophe dropped |
| В’юнник | Viunnik | Apostrophe dropped |
Seems simple - if the apostrophe just disappears, what’s the problem? There are several.
Problem 1: Old passports with the apostrophe¶
Before 2010 (and often after), transliteration was done using various systems. Some of them kept the apostrophe:
- V’iacheslav (with apostrophe)
- Viacheslav (without apostrophe)
- Wjatscheslaw (German transcription)
If someone got their passport before 2010 and it includes an apostrophe - but their new passport doesn’t - the documents “don’t match.”
Problem 2: Different databases, different rules¶
Even today, not all systems handle the apostrophe the same way. Some keep it as part of the name, some strip it, some replace it with a space or hyphen:
- Passport: LUK’IANCHENKO or LUKIANCHENKO
- Airline ticket: LUKIANCHENKO
- Banking system: LUK IANCHENKO (with a space)
- Visa center database: LUKIANCHENKO
- Hotel booking system: LUK’IANCHENKO
Result - one person with five different spellings of their surname.
Problem 3: Translations vs transliteration¶
There’s a separate issue with document translations (not passport transliteration). A translator might:
- Keep the apostrophe: D’iachenko
- Drop it: Diachenko
- Apply different language rules: Djatschenko (German)
All three variants are technically correct - but they create three different “people” in one immigration file.
Where problems actually happen: real situations¶
Airline tickets and bookings¶
Airline booking systems (GDS - Global Distribution Systems: Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo) don’t support apostrophes as part of a name. As TSA (USA) explains:
If your name contains a special character such as a hyphen or an apostrophe, enter your name without the special character.
So a passenger named Luk’ianchenko should enter LUKIANCHENKO when booking. But if the passport reads LUK’IANCHENKO (with an apostrophe in the machine-readable zone) - that’s potentially a mismatch.
In practice, airlines are used to this and usually let it pass. But “usually” isn’t “always,” and it always costs you some nerves.
Banking systems¶
Opening an account abroad is another risk zone. Banking IT systems often have strict character validation. The apostrophe might:
- Be rejected as an “invalid character”
- Be saved, but not match the passport on the next verification check
- Be replaced with another character (space, hyphen, underscore)
Even in Ukraine this is a problem. As BUKHHALTER.UA reported, employees with an apostrophe in their surname had issues processing electronic sick leave - the Social Insurance Fund system simply couldn’t handle the character correctly.
Immigration systems¶
This is the most serious one. When applying for a visa, residence permit, or citizenship, ALL documents are checked - from birth certificates to bank statements. If the surname is spelled differently across documents, it can:
- Delay the case for weeks or months
- Require additional documents (affidavit of name discrepancy)
- In extreme cases - become a formal ground for rejection
Different authorities are more or less strict:
| Country/authority | How they react to discrepancies |
|---|---|
| USCIS (USA) | Require an affidavit for any name discrepancy |
| IRCC (Canada) | May return the application for correction |
| Auslanderbehorde (Germany) | May require notarized confirmation of identity |
| UKVI (UK) | Usually accept with an explanation, but cause delays |
Electronic registries and government databases¶
Even if you live abroad and aren’t planning immigration - the apostrophe can cause trouble when:
- Registering your address (Anmeldung in Germany)
- Getting insurance
- Registering with tax authorities (Finanzamt)
- Enrolling children in school
Each system handles the apostrophe differently, and each creates yet another version of your surname.
Why this is a problem specifically for Ukrainians (not for O’Brien and O’Connor)¶
A fair question - there are millions of people in English-speaking countries with surnames like O’Brien, O’Connor, O’Malley. Why isn’t the apostrophe a problem for them, but it is for Ukrainians?
The answer is simple: Irish surnames with apostrophes are native Latin script. Database systems in English-speaking countries were built to accommodate these names. The “Last Name” field in an American or British database can store an apostrophe because it’s needed for their own citizens.
The problem arises when:
- A Ukrainian surname is transliterated WITH an apostrophe in SOME documents, WITHOUT it in OTHERS
- Different systems handle the apostrophe differently (keep / strip / replace)
- Name comparison happens automatically, and “LUK’IANCHENKO” ≠ “LUKIANCHENKO” for a computer
With O’Brien, the apostrophe is there ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE, consistently. With Ukrainian surnames, it’s there sometimes, gone other times, replaced with something else elsewhere.
Another 34 thousand problems: old passports with different transliteration¶
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, as of 2023 about 34 thousand citizens had passports with different transliterations (the ID card and the foreign passport spelled the surname differently).
For people with an apostrophe in their surname, this is a double problem:
- Old transliteration may have kept the apostrophe (V’iacheslav)
- New transliteration under CMU No. 55 drops it (Viacheslav)
- But the old passport remains valid until its expiration date
The Ministry clarified that passports with different transliteration will be considered invalid only after the person applies for a new document or exchange. So someone could carry two documents with different surname spellings for years - and both are formally valid.
Now add translations of birth certificates, diplomas, and criminal background checks done by different translators in different years - and you get complete chaos with 4-5 variants of a single surname.
What to do if your surname has an apostrophe: practical steps¶
1. Check your transliteration¶
Go to the official DMS service and enter your surname and first name. The result is the correct spelling under CMU No. 55. Write it down and compare it against all your documents.
2. Standardize the spelling in all new documents¶
When ordering new translations (birth certificate, diploma, certificates) - ALWAYS tell the translator exactly how the surname should be spelled. Show them your passport and say: “The surname must be spelled exactly like this.” This prevents one translator writing D’iachenko and another writing Diachenko.
3. Prepare an explanatory document¶
If your documents already have discrepancies - prepare an affidavit of name discrepancy. It’s a document where you explain that LUK’IANCHENKO and LUKIANCHENKO are the same person, and the difference is due to how Ukrainian apostrophes are handled in transliteration.
Some countries (especially the USA and Canada) require such a document if there are any name discrepancies across documents.
More on this in the article Affidavit of Name Discrepancy: How to Write and Translate.
4. When booking tickets and filling out forms¶
If the system doesn’t accept an apostrophe - just skip it. LUKIANCHENKO instead of LUK’IANCHENKO. Don’t replace the apostrophe with a hyphen, space, or any other character - that creates yet another “version” of your surname.
5. Keep copies of all documents with different spellings¶
If you have documents where your surname is spelled differently - gather them in one file/folder. When applying for a visa or residence permit, you can immediately show the official everything and explain it’s one person with different transliteration variants.
How this works in different countries¶
| Country | How they handle the apostrophe | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Auslanderbehorde and Standesamt usually accept with an explanation, but may require notarized confirmation | Have both passports and an explanation letter |
| USA | USCIS formally requires an affidavit for ANY name discrepancy | Prepare an affidavit in advance |
| Canada | IRCC may return the application; more receptive to explanations | Add an explanation letter to the application |
| UK | UKVI usually accepts with a note, minimal delay | Add a note to the application form |
| France | Prefecture may require explanation or additional traduction assermentee | Have a translation with correct spelling |
| Poland | Rarely causes problems due to language similarity | Passport usually sufficient |
Special cases that make things worse¶
Double surname with apostrophe¶
For example, Stef’iuk-Kovalenko. Double trouble here: both an apostrophe and a hyphen. Some systems can’t handle both special characters at once. The result might be: STEFIUKKOVALENKO (everything merged), STEFIUK KOVALENKO (with a space), or STEFIUK-KOVALENKO (hyphen kept, apostrophe dropped).
Surname with apostrophe + patronymic¶
V’iacheslav Stef’iuk Viktorovych - three words, two potentially problematic characters (apostrophe in the surname and in the first name). And in many foreign systems, the “middle name” field isn’t even required, so the patronymic may disappear entirely.
More on this problem in the article Ukrainian Patronymic (Po Batkovi): How to Handle for Countries Without Patronymics.
Surname change after marriage¶
If a woman had a surname without an apostrophe and took her husband’s surname with one (or vice versa) - all previous documents (diploma, birth certificate) will be under one name, and new ones under another. Plus the apostrophe transliteration issue on top of that.
Soviet-era documents¶
Soviet-era birth certificates were issued only in Cyrillic. When translated, the apostrophe either appears or doesn’t - depending on the translator. And Soviet documents were often handwritten, so translators may read the same surname differently.
More on working with Soviet documents in the article Apostille for Documents Issued Before 2003.
How IT systems deal with the apostrophe: the technical side¶
For those curious about why this problem exists at a technical level - a brief explanation.
The apostrophe has multiple Unicode variants:
- ’ (U+0027) - standard apostrophe/single quote
- ’ (U+2019) - right single quotation mark (typographic)
- ʼ (U+02BC) - modifier letter apostrophe (recommended for Ukrainian)
Different systems use different characters. A passport might use one variant, an airline database another, and a banking system a third. Even if both systems “keep” the apostrophe - they might use different encodings, and when comparing surnames they “won’t match.”
Another issue is SQL injection. The apostrophe is a special character in the SQL database language. Some systems (especially older ones without proper input handling) simply reject any input containing an apostrophe as a potential security threat. The system literally won’t let you save a surname with an apostrophe.
FAQ¶
Does the Ukrainian passport include the apostrophe?¶
Under CMU Resolution No. 55, the apostrophe is not reproduced in transliteration. In new passports (after 2010), the surname is written without an apostrophe: Д’яченко = Diachenko. But some older passports may contain it - D’iachenko. You can verify the correct spelling on the DMS website.
What should I do if my surname is spelled differently across documents because of the apostrophe?¶
Prepare an explanatory document (affidavit of name discrepancy) listing all spelling variants and explaining the difference is due to apostrophe transliteration. This document is especially needed for USCIS (USA) and IRCC (Canada) filings. In Germany and the EU, a verbal explanation or explanation letter is usually enough.
Can different surname spellings due to the apostrophe cause a visa rejection?¶
On its own - no. Apostrophe-related differences are a known issue and most immigration authorities understand this. But it can delay processing for weeks if the official decides to verify whether it’s really the same person. The best approach is to include an explanation with your document package upfront, without waiting for a request.
How should I enter my apostrophe surname when filling out forms?¶
If the system doesn’t support apostrophes - just skip it. DIACHENKO instead of D’IACHENKO. Don’t replace the apostrophe with a hyphen, space, or any other character. Write your surname exactly as it appears in your passport (without the apostrophe).
Do I need to replace my passport if it has the old spelling with an apostrophe?¶
Not necessarily. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, passports with different transliteration remain valid until the next document application. But if you’re planning immigration and want to minimize issues - it’s worth updating all documents to a single spelling.
How do I explain the apostrophe problem to a foreign official?¶
The simplest way: “Ukrainian language uses an apostrophe in names (like D’iachenko). When transliterated to Latin characters, the apostrophe is sometimes kept and sometimes dropped, which creates spelling variations in different documents. All variations refer to the same person.” You can add this phrase as a note to any document package.
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