It is not known for certain when exactly proper names were identified as a separate group. But already in 280-205. BC. The Stoic philosopher Chrysippus mentioned names as a separate group. Nowadays, there is a whole science called anthroponymy, which studies the names of people, their structure, their emergence, development and functioning in society. The names themselves are called anthroponyms.
People have always given each other names or nicknames that have accompanied them throughout their lives. No one knows how it started, but there are many legends and stories about it. According to one version, from the time the Supreme Mind gave people the ability to speak, it was believed that every word gave power over the object or phenomenon that it means. All people wanted to have power. Then the priests came up with other names for everything in the world, and many languages arose. The original language was hidden from ordinary people and consigned to oblivion. The names suffered the same fate. Many peoples of the world have such legends about the appearance of different languages.
Now people began to come up with names for themselves. In some cultures, it was believed that knowing a person's true name could harm him. Therefore, people were often given two names. One was used in the family circle, and the other was given for general use. In ancient times, people believed that a name influences a person’s destiny and is not just a word. Different peoples used this knowledge in different ways.
For example, in some tribes of India and Africa it was customary to give repulsive and unfavorable names, since it was believed that an unsightly name would repel evil spirits. It was believed that a person should not tell his true name to anyone except his parents. And in India, a person learned his real name only on the day of his majority from communication with spirits or through meditation. Often these names could not even be pronounced, since they were not familiar to us, but consisted of a mixture of images and sounds.
In Ancient Greece, it was customary to name children after the names of Gods and heroes. But calling a child by the name of God was quite dangerous, since it could hurt them, so many names appeared that came from those epithets with which the Gods were praised. This is how the names Victor (winner) and Maxim (greatest) appeared. These epithets were used to praise Zeus in their prayers. The names Laurus (from the laurel wreath worn by Mars) and Stephen (crowned) also appeared.
It was very popular to give children the names of Gods who did not belong to the ruling elite of Olympus. Names such as Apollo, Maya, Muse and Aurora are still used today. In Christian countries, it was also common to name children after saints.
Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution
higher professional education
"Ryazan State University named after S.A. Yesenin"
Origin and meaning of personal names
Performed:
student
Institute of Foreign Languages
Linguistics profile
Feoktistova Dina Olegovna
Ryazan 2014
name rus culture soviet
Introduction
Traditions of choosing a name for a child
Origin of names in Rus'
Conclusion
Introduction
A person's name is the first thing that identifies and distinguishes him from other people.
Proper names were identified in ancient times. Even the Stoic philosopher Chrysippus (3rd century BC) classified names as a separate group of words. Today, anthroponymy (Greek anthropos - person, nimis - name) is studying the patterns of their emergence and development, their structure, functioning in society, and distribution.
The origin of names is associated with various legends and guesses, but it is quite obvious that the totality of the names of each civilization, each people is closely connected with its historical path, cultural and everyday traditions, beliefs and a certain era.
Nowadays, many are interested in various interpretations of certain personal data, and the name comes first here. There are even specialists who can predict a person’s fate, character, and qualities by name. Therefore, many become interested in the history of the origin of names, their original form and subsequent transformation over time.
1. Traditions of choosing a name for a child
Since ancient times, people have attached great importance to the name. It has always been a significant part of a person’s personality and its content was correlated with the internal meaning of the bearer. Our ancestors believed that a name had some power over a person’s fate, so they treated its choice with extreme caution.
The first names were not invented on purpose. At the initial stage of the development of society, when people realized that it was easier to survive by uniting in communities, the need arose for names in order to call out one person, and not the whole tribe. It was not always possible to come up and knock on the back asking for help, and at that time the vocal abilities were successfully developing. To designate people, they used any “available” names for phenomena in the surrounding world, for example, animals, plants, celestial bodies, bodies of water, seasons. Another source of the origin of the names of ancient people were the characteristic features of a person, the peculiarities of his natural data, behavior, and lifestyle. For example, Molchan, Razumnik, Ryaboy.
As mentioned earlier, even then people believed that a personal name had power over the fate of the owner. Therefore, they began to choose and subsequently come up with names that meant something good, the best qualities that would help them find good luck. For example, if the name of an animal was used as a name, then it had to be a strong, dexterous, brave animal. Many ancient names consisted of several words and were similar to peculiar “spells”, wishes, and such a tradition existed among a variety of nationalities, for example, among the Semites, Slavs, and Sumerians.
In many cultures, newborns are given two names. The first was considered real and was known only in a narrow circle of the family, and the second was for general use, so that no one could harm the child by knowing his true name.
Indian tribes gave repulsive names to ward off evil spirits. The young man learned his real name only on the day he was recognized as an adult through meditation and communication with spirits and did not tell anyone else. The old shamans believed that this name was impossible to pronounce with normal human sounds, it existed only in a mixture of images and sound.
The ancient Greeks named their child in honor of gods and heroes, hoping for the favor of the Almighty. But calling children by similar names was considered tactless, since the inhabitants of Olympus might not like such familiarity. Therefore, various epithets with which the gods were usually addressed were transformed into names. For example, Victor (winner), Maxim (greatest). Zeus was addressed with such epithets.
Origin of names in Rus'
Nowadays, dozens of Russian personal names are not originally Russian in origin. Many names included in the Russian name book were brought by Christianity to Rus' from Byzantium. Therefore, they go back to Greek, Latin and other languages.
In Slavic culture there was a tradition of a double naming ceremony. The first took place a few days after birth. Most often, this Slavic name was deliberately unattractive (Zloba, Nemil, Nekras, Kriv). The second was given to the child upon reaching twelve years of age. Slavic names abounded in their diversity. There were different groups of names:
· Dibasic (Svyatoslav, Dobrozhir, Tihomir, Ratibor, Yaropolk, Gostomysl, Velimudr, Vsevolod, Bogdan, Dobrogneva, Lyubomila, Mirolyub, Svetozar, Miloneg, etc.) and their derivatives (Dobrynya, Tishilo, Rat (i) sha, Putyata, etc. .P.);
· Participle names (Zhdan, Nezhdan, Khoten);
· Names from the animal and plant world (Pike, Ruff, Hare, Wolf, Eagle, Nut, etc.);
· Names by birth order (Pervusha, Vtorak, Tretyak);
· Names based on human qualities (Brave)
It is easy to follow the process of creating a two-base name. The second part of the word is cut off and a suffix or ending is added (- neg, - lo, - ta, - tka, - sha, - yata, - nya, - ka) For example, Svyatoslav - Svyato + sha = Svyatosha.
Many two-part words have their own meaning. For example: Bazhen is a desired child, a desired child. Bogdan - given by God, a gift from God, a child given by God. Bogomil - gifted by God, dear to God. The name Bohumil has the same meaning. Velimudr - knowledgeable. Vsevolod is the ruler of the people, who owns everything. Dobromil is kind and sweet. Dobrozhir is kind and rich. Dobrogneva - strong in anger. Gostomysl - thinking about another (guest). Peaceful - peace-loving. Peresvet - fighting for the light. Rostislav - growing glory. Svetozar - illuminating with light. Svyatogor - indestructible holiness. Tihomir is quiet and peaceful. Tsvetana - like a flower. Yaropolk is an ardent (powerful) army, the leader of the solar army. Yaroslav - possessing ardent (powerful) glory, glorifying Yarila
Borrowing names from other cultures
As far as we know, the presence of contacts between cultures of different peoples is also reflected in the creation of names. The processes of borrowing and adaptation have been going on for centuries and have given such bizarre results that sometimes they can only be understood on the basis of deep scientific research - if it is possible to give an unambiguous answer at all. The Slavic people can serve as an example of such influence. The most popular, beloved names turn out to be in the vast majority of cases “foreigners”, having Greek, Latin, Jewish, and Scandinavian roots. For example, the names Ivan and Maria entered our everyday life from the Hebrew language, becoming unique symbolic names of the Russian people.
Borrowed foreign names are a reflection of any historical periods, trends, events. For example, large groups of Greek and Jewish origin came to us along with Christianity, thereby pushing aside the original Slavic names. In the first centuries of Christianity (X-XIII centuries), Slavic names were used in everyday life in Rus', while baptismal names were used only in the church. However, from the 14th century, the main name became Christian, and people continued to have nicknames, no longer traditional, but usually associated with one or another human trait and defined in living language (Wolf, Stick, Big, etc.). From them, along with baptismal names (Ivanov, Petrov), Russian surnames (Volkov, Palkin, Bolshov, etc.) later began to be formed. Of the Slavic names, only those that were borne by canonized saints survived in use - thus these names began to be given in baptism (Vladimir, Vsevolod, Boris, etc.).
Also, many of the names that Russian people are accustomed to are borrowed from the Scandinavian language. All this is due to the fact that the Scandinavians were long-time northern neighbors of the Slavs. The Scandinavians fought with Russia, and served as warriors for the Russian princes, and traded with it, and went to trade through Rus' to other countries, which is reflected in the well-known expression “the path from the Varangians to the Greeks.” Of Scandinavian origin, the proper names Askold (golden voice, wielding a spear), Gleb (pleasing to God, favorite of the gods), Oleg (sacred), Igor (warlike), Olga (sacred, great), Rurik (glorious king). Borrowing occurred through direct communication (orally) of the Slavs with Scandinavian merchants and grand ducal warriors - Scandinavians who served with the Russian princes. The signs of borrowed Scandinavian words have been erased.
Names of Soviet origin
The trend towards creating unconventional names continued during Soviet times. Unusual names appeared after the October Revolution during the heyday of the fashion for neologisms and abbreviations in the Soviet Union. The breakdown of previous social foundations and naming traditions, associated primarily with the obligation to choose a name for a newborn according to the calendar during the baptismal ceremony, gave parents greater freedom to choose names for their children. A variety of common nouns began to be used as personal names: names of plants (Birch, Oak), minerals (Ruby, Granite), chemical elements (Radium, Tungsten, Iridium, Helium), toponyms (Volga, Himalaya, Kazbek, Onega), technical and mathematical terms (Median, Diesel, Combine, Railcar), professions (Tank Driver), and other words colored by revolutionary ideology (Idea, Decembrist, Comrade, Volya, Zarya, Atheist, Freedom). Derivative forms were also formed (Noyabrina, Tractorina). Such name creation is sometimes called semantic anthroponymization. A large array of personal names-neologisms was formed from revolutionary slogans, the names of some bodies of the new government, as well as from the names and surnames of revolutionary leaders and communist figures (Vladlen, Damir, Kim, Roy).
Names of Soviet origin also include many borrowed names. It was after the October Revolution that there was a significant influx of foreign names into the Russian language. Some of them were directly associated with figures of the international communist movement (Rosa - in honor of Rosa Luxemburg, Ernst - in honor of Ernst Thälmann), some were associated with the heroes of “progressive” translated literary works or historical figures (Jeanne, Eric, Rudolf, Robert). Some were known among other nations, but received a new interpretation (Gertrude - hero of labor, Elina - electrification, industrialization, Elmira - electrification of the world, Zarema - for the revolution of the world, Renat - revolution, science, labor). A special place is occupied by the name Svetlana, which, although it was known earlier, gained popularity precisely in the 1920s.
In the post-revolutionary era, non-canonical (not noted in the church calendar) Old Russian and Old Slavic names came into use, as well as names existing in other Slavic languages (Svetozar, Peresvet, Mstislav, Miloslava, Lyubomir, Vanda, Vladislav)
Most names of Soviet origin - especially newly formed ones - were rarely used and did not take root, remaining rather a historical and linguistic curiosity; Many bearers of exotic names, having reached adulthood, applied for a name change. However, some of these names, composed successfully - for example, Vladlen, Damir, have survived and become quite widely known.
Some interesting names and their meanings:
Avxo ?ma - from the reverse reading of the word Moscow
Arvi ?l - from the abbreviation of the phrase "Army of V.I. Lenin"
Bestreva - from the abbreviation of the phrase "Beria - Guardian of the Revolution"
Bolzhedor - Bolshevik Railway
Valterperzhenka (Vaterpezhekosma) - from the abbreviation of the phrase “Valentina Tereshkova - the first female cosmonaut”
Vydeznar (Hold the banner of the revolution higher)
Dazdranagon - from the abbreviation of the slogan "Long live the people of Honduras!"
Dazdrasmygda - from the abbreviation of the slogan “Long live the bond of city and countryside!”
Dazdraperma - from the abbreviation of the slogan “Long live the First of May!”
Kukutsapol - from an abbreviation of the slogan during the reign of N. S. Khrushchev “Corn is the queen of fields.”
Pofistal - from the abbreviation of the phrase “the winner of fascism/fascists Joseph Stalin.”
Uryurvkos (Urayukos) - from the abbreviation of the phrase “Hurray, Yura in space!”
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to note that most of the male and female names that we encounter every day are so familiar and familiar to us that we perceive them as Russian names, especially without thinking about their origin. In fact, there are literally only a few native Russians left in modern society. Indeed, Russian names with Slavic roots turned out to be supplanted over time by names of Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Scandinavian origin. This process has been going on for centuries and today most of the names borrowed long ago from other nations are considered Russian, although in fact they have foreign roots.
It is practically impossible to determine the origin of the name and its roots intuitively, because in our perception the names are Ivan, Peter, Fedor, Stepan, Mikhail, Vasily, Anna, Anastasia, Maria, Ekaterina, Varvara, Polina, etc. must have Russian roots, but none of the above are Russian or Slavic in origin. They, like the vast majority of other modern male and female names, came to Russian culture from other nations, respectively, they all have foreign roots.
List of used literature
1.Veselovsky S.B. Onomasticon. Old Russian names, nicknames and surnames. - M.: Nauka, 1974. - 382 p.
2.Mokienko V.M., Nikitina T.G. Explanatory dictionary of the language of the Council of Deputies. - St. Petersburg: Folio-Press, 1998.
3.Petrovsky N.A. Dictionary of Russian personal names. - M.: AST, 2000.
4.Rospond S. Structure and classification of ancient East Slavic anthroponyms (names) // Questions of linguistics. - M.: Nauka, 1965. - No. 3. - P. 3-22.
.Suslova A.V., Superanskaya A.V. About Russian names. - L.: Lenizdat, 1991. - 220 p.
.Toporov V.N. Proto-Slavic culture in the mirror of proper names // History, culture, ethnography and folklore of the Slavic peoples. XI International Congress of Slavists. Reports of the Russian delegation. - M.: Nauka, 1993. - P. 3-119.
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Russian names
Names, like everything else in the world, have their own history. They, like other words, are created by human imagination, flourish, die, disappearing from the language of the people who were their creator. The history of Russian names goes back to a very distant era and is closely connected with the history of the Russian people and their language.
About four thousand years ago, ancient tribes lived on the plains stretching between the Odra, Vistula and Dnieper rivers - the ancestors of the ancient Slavs. These tribes lived in a tribal system and spoke the same language, which scientists call Common Slavic.
When the process of unifying the tribes began, the Slavs who lived in the East of Europe laid the foundation for the Russian nation. Their language began to differ somewhat from the language of other Slavs, although it did not lose its family ties with them and with the common Slavic language from which it originated.
The oldest monuments of Russian writing date back to the 10th – 11th centuries. From this time on, a reliable, scientifically based history of Russian names begins.
Ancient Russian names were unique characteristics of people. The name was given to a person as a sign by which one could distinguish him from a family or clan.
In some cases, a person was characterized by some external characteristic, in others - by moral qualities, by position in the tribe or family, in relation to him by parents and relatives, and sometimes by his occupation. The latter was possible because names were given not only in early childhood, as now, but also in adulthood. At the same time, the adult name often lived simultaneously with the child’s name.
Here are some ancient names-characteristics:
according to a person’s appearance: Small, White, Oblique, Pockmarked, Curly, Chernysh;
by human character trait: Kind, Clever, Proud, Quiet, Brave, Proud, Fool, Boyan;
by place in the family: First, Second, Drugan, Tretyak, Zhdan, Nechay, Menshak, Senior;
by profession: Kozhemyaka, Villager, Warrior, etc.
When you first encounter such a name, you might think that these are not names, but nicknames. After all, there was no difference between a name and a nickname in ancient Rus'. And each of these names can be documented.
In the ancient handwritten book “The Initial Russian Chronicle” it is mentioned, for example, that the leader of the East Slavic tribe of the Drevlyans named Mal. What does this name mean? Nothing else except that its owner was not tall. The prince's name was a short but very expressive description of him. The name Mal seems funny to us, but a thousand years ago it never occurred to anyone to see this as some kind of encroachment on princely dignity, because characterization names were common and taken for granted.
The names Brave and Good were also found in ancient manuscripts. They speak of the high moral qualities of their bearers. The name Dobrynya (derived from the name Dobr) means “very kind”, “very good”. Zhdan means “the one who was expected.” In ancient Rus', this name was given to children whose birth was a great joy for their parents. Now only the Zhdanov surname retains traces of this name at its core. The names First and Second arose in large families, where the number of children often exceeded a dozen. In such cases, it was difficult to select characteristic names. The name was chosen simply: he was the first to be born - get the name First or First; born second, you will be second or friend, etc. up to the Ninth and even the Tenth.
Such numeral names were found not only among Russians or Slavs, but also among other peoples of Europe. They were quite common among the ancient Romans: Quintus - the fifth, Sextus - the sixth, Septimius - the Seventh, Octavius - the Eighth, Nonnius - the Ninth, Decimus - the tenth, by the way, the name Nonna came into the Russian language, which means the Ninth. From the roots of ancient Russian nouns, the surnames Pervovy, Pervushin, Drugov, Tretyakov, Devyatovsky, Desyatov and the like were later formed.
The name Menshak (Menshik, Menshoy) was given to the youngest son, and the first-born in such a family received the name Elder. Probably these names were already given to adults, because... It is difficult to determine in advance which of the children will be the last. Of course, the grown-up names had a professional connotation: Selyanin, Kozhemyaka, Boyan.
The name Boyan is based on the root - fight, sign. Boyan is a fighter, a warrior. In ancient handwritten documents, the name Boyan is pronounced and written in the Moscow manner with a vowel a: Bayan. The re-vocalization of the name led to its rethinking: it began to be explained based on the basis of the verb “bayat”, i.e. speak - “talker”, “storyteller”, “songwriter”. This name was given to a famous musician-performer and singer in the ancient world. In honor of him, they named one of the people’s favorite instruments - Bayan.
The whole world seemed animate to our ancestors, all objects had properties similar to human ones, so the ancient Slavs began to use the names of birds, animals, plants and various objects as personal names: Wolf, Bear, Nightingale, Beetle, Eagle, Pike, Oak , Birch, etc.
The desire to be like this or that animal seems ridiculous to us. But ancient people thought differently: the wolf is not beautiful, but he is strong and resilient. And these properties are useful to humans. Therefore, in ancient Rus' it was not uncommon to meet a man with such a formidable animal name.
Subsequently, this name fell out of use among the ancient Slavs, but a derivative from it remained - this is the surname Volkov. But it still exists in many languages of the world, which is explained by the internationality of the very principle of using common nouns. So among the Serbs the name Wolf sounds like Vuk, in German as a component of the names Wolfgang, Adolf, Rudolf. It was also found in ancient European languages: in Gothic - Ulf or Wulf, in Latin Lupus, from which, by the way, came the Russian name Lup, which is found in A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “Puchna” - Lup Lupych Pereyarkov. The name Nightingale was given in ancient times to talented singers. It is not difficult to guess that the Solovyov surname came from this name.
Also, the ancient Slavs had blind faith in mascot names, names with a trick.
Because Our ancestors were very afraid of “evil spirits”, evil words, the evil eye and other dangers that seemed to them everywhere. According to their ideas, people who were most in danger were those who were more honest, whose intelligent, positive traits were usually emphasized by their names-characteristics. In order to deceive evil people and evil spirits, caring parents deliberately gave their good children bad names. Boys who were smart and beautiful were deliberately called Fools and Freaks, honest and brave boys were called Scoundrels and Cowards, and those dear to the heart were called Nechayami.
Traces of such “preventive” names have survived to this day in the foundations of modern surnames such as Nechaevs, Durakovs, etc.
What to name a newborn? This question worries many parents. In pre-revolutionary times, the issue of a name for a child was resolved simply. Registration of newborn children was carried out only by the church where the baptism ceremony took place. Thus, not a single child escaped baptism, even if his parents were unbelievers.
What names were given then? In the Russian Orthodox Church there were (and still are) special books - monthly books, or calendars. In the month's book, for each day of each month, the names of the saints who are honored by the church on that day are written down. Before the baptismal ceremony, the priest offered a choice of several names that were listed in the calendar for the child’s birthday. This usually ended the matter.
Why were there so many Ivans in Rus'? Yes, for the simple reason that the name Ivan (John) appears 170 times (!) in the complete calendar, that is, almost every other day.
True, sometimes the priest made concessions and, at the request of the parents, gave a different name, which was not listed in the calendar for that day. This, in fact, explains that sometimes a name that is rarely found in the calendar appears quite often in life. Thus, the Slavic names Vera, Nadezhda and Lyubov were often given to children in pre-revolutionary times, despite the fact that Vera appears in the calendar only twice a year, and Nadezhda and Lyubov only once each.
But, in any case, the child could only be given the name that was in the calendar. No “free thinking” was allowed here.
Parents found themselves in a different position after the Great October Socialist Revolution. Registration of newborns began to be carried out by civil registry offices (registry offices), and parents could now choose any name: old (former church), borrowed name (Polish, German, etc.) and, finally, could even invent a new name.
Taking advantage of the freedom to choose a name, parents sometimes gave their children strange, unusual names. About three thousand new and borrowed names are known, which, with rare exceptions, will never take root on Russian soil. Here are names such as Oak, Birch, Carnation, Lilac. Almost all elements of the Mendeleev system (Radium, Vanadium, Tungsten, Iridium, Ruthenium, etc.), minerals (Granite, Ruby) are represented. Personal names include geographical names (Altai, Himalaya, Kazbek, Ararat, Volga, Onega, Amur, Cairo, etc.) and all names of months, from January to December, mathematical terms and technical names (Median, Radian , Hypotenuse, Algebrina, Tractor, Turbine, Railcar, Diesel, Combine, etc.).
A lot of names were formed from revolutionary slogans, names of institutions, etc. For example, Ikki (Executive Committee of the Communist International), Roblen (born to be a Leninist), Remizan (world revolution began), Revvola (revolutionary wave), Revdit (revolutionary child ), Lorikarik (Lenin, October Revolution, industrialization, collectivization, electrification, radioification and communism), Loriex (Lenin, October Revolution, industrialization, electrification, collectivization, socialism).
There is no need to even talk about such dissonant names as Tsas (Central Pharmaceutical Warehouse), Glasp (Glavspirt), Raitiya (district printing house) and the like.
In the post-revolutionary period, the influx of foreign names increased. There are names borrowed from different peoples: Robert, Romuald, Rudolf, Richard, Josephine, Edward, Eric, Jeanne, etc.
Names appear that consist of two or even several words: White Night, Artillery Academy, Hammer and Sickle, Jean-Paul-Marat. L.V. Uspensky in the article “They call Zovutka” gives the following female names: Great Worker (!) and Cherry tree color in May.
Finally, there are also names - from the words read from the end: Ninel - Lenin, Avksoma - Moscow.
Being overly carried away by foreign names, parents forgot that these names often sound dissonant with the Russian patronymic and surname of the bearer of the name. For example: Harry Semenovich Popov, Diana Krivonogova, Robert Ovechkin, Red Alekseevich.
Sometimes “revolutionary” names fall into the same awkward combination, for example: Revolution Kuzminichna. Some parents like to give their daughters a diminutive form of their name instead of the full form. Sometimes in registry offices they write it down like this: Lyusya, Ira, Ina, Rita, Nata, etc. While the bearers of the name are still children, this sounds good. But Nata graduated from high school and became a teacher, Aga became a doctor, Rita became an engineer. And how ridiculous it will sound: teacher Nata Petrovna, famous surgeon Lena Romanovna, or even better: professor Lyusya Kondratievna Kondakova!
But the fate, perhaps, of most of these names is the same: the bearer of such a name grows up and raises the question of changing it.
It is impossible not to mention the so-called “fashion” for names. It seems that even the most beautiful names lose their charm if they appear too often. Teacher S.N. Uvarova from the village of Korostovo, Ryazan region, writes that “out of 23 students who graduated from the seven-year school in 1955, there were 17 Nins! Over the past two years, newborn girls in the named village are called either Tanya or Nadya. Exceptions are rare.” At different periods, male names Valery, Gennady, Igor, Gleb, Vsevolod, Vadim were very fashionable. And this is not only in the village. The same thing is written in newspapers in Leningrad and other cities.
Is there a need to blindly follow the example of others with such a wealth of Russian names?
I would like to warn parents about their desire to name their child something special. This leads to the appearance of pretentious names that are unusual for a Russian person and, as a rule, does not subsequently bring joy to their child. It is difficult to recommend names because the choice of name is determined by the taste of the parents. But first of all, old Russian names deserve attention, such as Peter, Alexander, Constantine, Ivan, Maria, etc. Although in the distant past these names were borrowed by us from the Greeks, they have existed on Russian soil for almost a thousand years and have long since become Russified and overgrown a large number of derivative forms.
In addition to the so-called canonical names, many old Russian and Slavic names have come into use among us. For example: Borimir, Borislav, Mstislav, Peresvet, Svetozar, Svyatoslav, Dobroslava, Miloslava, Vsemila, Lyubomir, etc.
Finally, some new names, successfully composed, have also caught on and can be recommended. These are the famous names Vladilen, Vladilena, Ninel and others.
Surnames
Surnames in the Russian nominal formula appeared quite late. Most of them came from patronymics (based on the baptismal or secular name of one of the ancestors), nicknames (based on the type of activity, place of origin, or some other characteristic of the ancestor) or other family names. The first people in the Russian lands to acquire surnames were citizens of Veliky Novgorod, who probably adopted this custom from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Then in the XIV-XV centuries. Moscow appanage princes and boyars acquired surnames. Until the end of the 18th - mid-19th centuries, the majority of the population of central Russia did not have surnames. As a rule, Russian surnames were single and passed down only through the male line. In the middle of the 19th century, especially after the abolition of serfdom in 1861, surnames were formed for the majority of peasants. The process of acquiring surnames was basically completed only by the 30s of the 20th century.
For the first time, E.P. Karnovich turned to the study of surnames in Russia, who in the second half of the 19th century. compiled the "Dictionary of Old Russian names and surnames" (St. Petersburg, 1903). But only in the 1980s was the geographic environment of Slavic surnames analyzed for the first time in the posthumous major work of V. A. Nikonov “Geography of Surnames” (M., 1988). Based on a study of the funds of 52 archives, he collected the names of more than 3 million people of the Russian rural population, as well as from additional sources - more than 1 million people.
The geography of Russian surnames allows us to trace the movement of the population, “migration routes,” and the area of settlement. The origin of such surnames as Ryazantsev, Yaroslavtsev, Tambovtsev is obvious. Surnames ending in -y, -i (Chernykh, Kosykh, Sedykh, etc.) are, as a rule, absent in the Moscow region and are common in Siberia, the Urals, in the interfluve of the Northern Dvina and Sukhona rivers, in the Voronezh - Kursk "triangle" - Eagle. On the contrary, surnames with the suffix ending in -itin were mainly found near Moscow (Borovitinov, Bolkhovitinov) and a little further (Tveritinov).
V. A. Nikonov drew attention to the strict geographical location of the origin of Russian surnames (now mixed). He was the first to divide the European part of Russia according to the most common surnames (surnames-“champions” in the words of V. A. Nikonov), highlighting:
1) Ivanovia, which he associated with the former Novgorod and Pskov lands;
2) Smirnovia, located in the Upper Volga region, on the territory of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality;
3) Popovia, Russian North;
4) Kuznetsoviya, the territory of later (XVI-XVII centuries) Russian settlement to the south and east of Ivanovia and Smirnovia.
V. A. Nikonov also rightly noted some confusion between Popovia and Kuznetsovia. He compiled a map with four outlined arrays - based on the dominant surnames.
Using computer methods, it is possible, figuratively speaking, to “color the map” with a large number of colors, which was used by V. A. Nikonov. In this case, less “pure” but more accessible sources were used.
The main source was not scattered documents from rural registry offices and voter lists, but city telephone directories compiled at the same time, which Nikonov used as auxiliary material. The starting point for the calculations was a table containing the occurrence of one hundred and three of the most “popular” surnames in 516 cities in the USSR. The output table of pairwise correlations of surnames 103x103 was processed manually. Groups of surnames were identified according to a threshold value of the correlation coefficient so that the groups did not overlap (it turned out to be 0.40). As a result, the following groups of surnames were identified (surnames associated with the area by V. A. Nikonov are marked):
1) Vasiliev, Fedorov, Ivanov, Petrov, Nikolaev, Alekseev, Alexandrov, Yakovlev, Mikhailov, Semenov, Andreev, Grigoriev - tied to the Pskov-Novgorod lands;
2) Smirnov, Rumyantsev, Tikhomirov, Sokolov, Lebedev, Tsvetkov, Vinogradov, Belov, Soloviev, Belyaev, Kudryavtsev, Krylov, Orlov - on the territory of the former Vladimir-Suzdal principality.
Three groups of surnames without a specific geographical reference:
3) Popov, Martynov, Medvedev, Melnikov, Chernov, Shcherbakov;
4) Vorobyov, Gusev, Zaitsev, Sorokin;
5) Prokhorov, Frolov, Rodionov, Savelyev;
and 64 surnames that defy either classification or localization.
Analysis of the geography of Russian surnames helps to deeply study demographic processes, the history of the ethnic group, families, various socio-cultural and even socio-economic problems.
Meaning and etymologyAnthroponymy of Russian surnames states that most often surnames are formed from personal names through possessive adjectives. The bulk of Russian surnames have the suffixes -ov/-ev, -in, from the answer to the question “whose?” The difference is purely formal: -ov was added to nicknames or names with a hard consonant (Ignat - Ignatov, Mikhail - Mikhailov), -ev to names or nicknames with a soft consonant (Ignaty - Ignatiev, Golodyay - Golodyaev), -in to stems with a, I (Putya (Putyata) - Putin, Busyga - , Erema - Eremin, Ilya - Ilyin). This also suggests that, for example, the surnames Golodaev and Golodyaev, which have the same root, are related, but the outwardly similar Golodov, Golodnov, Golodny are not at all.
The vast majority of Russian surnames come from dedichestvo, the temporary surname of the father, that is, the name of the grandfather, thus securing the hereditary name in the third generation. This made it easier to designate families of the same root. If the grandfather, whose name formed the basis of the established surname, had two names - one baptismal, the other everyday, then the surname was formed from the second, since baptismal names did not differ in variety.
It should be noted that Russian officials at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century also recorded surnames for residents of the national outskirts by the grandfather’s name, thus the majority of surnames in Transcaucasia and Central Asia arose.
Russian surnames are mainly formed as patronymics from church or non-church personal names or nicknames, for example, Ivan > Ivanov son > Ivanov, Medved > Medvedev son > Medvedev. This also includes surnames derived from nicknames associated with the profession: Goncharov, Melnikov, Krasilnikov.
Much less often - from the names of the area, for example Belozersky from Beloozero. This method of formation is especially characteristic of princely families, however (unlike Western Europe) it is not typical of noble families.
The surnames of the clergy are derived from the names of parishes (for example, Kosmodemyansky, Rozhdestvensky) or artificially created in the seminary (Afinsky, Dobrovolsky).
The origin of Russian surnamesIn different social strata, surnames appeared at different times. The first in the Russian lands to acquire surnames were citizens of Veliky Novgorod and its vast possessions in the north, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Range. Novgorod chroniclers mention many surnames and nicknames already in the 13th century. So in 1240, among the Novgorodians who fell in the Battle of the Neva, the chronicler mentions the names: “Kostyantin Lugotinits, Gyuryata Pineshchinich, Namest, Drochilo Nezdylov, son of a tanner.” In 1268, “killing the mayor Mikhail, and Tverdislav Chermny, Nikifor Radyatinich, Tverdislav Moisievich, Mikhail Krivtsevich, Ivach, Boris Ildyatinich, his brother Lazor, Ratsha, Vasil Voiborzovich, Osip, Zhiroslav Dorogomilovich, Poroman Podvoisky, Polyud, and many good ъ boyars ". In 1270, “Gavrilo Kyyaninov and his other friends ran to the prince on the Settlement of the Thousand Ratibor.” In the same year, Prince Vasily Yaroslavich “went to the Tatars, taking Petril Rychag and Mikhail Pineshchinich with him.” In 1311, “Kostyantin, Ilyin’s son Stanimirovich, was quickly killed.” In 1315, Prince Mikhail Tverskoy demanded from the Novgorodians: “give me Fyodor Zhrevsky.” In 1316 “Danilko Scribe was killed quickly.” In 1327, “the Novgorodians sent Fyodor the Chariot to the Horde.” In 1329, “I killed the Novgorod ambassador of the honest husband Ivan Syp in Yuryev.” In 1332 “Vastasha rebelled in Novgorod, and took away the posadnichestvo from Fyodor from Akhmyl and gave to Zakharya Mikhailovich, and plundered the courtyard of Smena Sudokov.”
Somewhat later in the XIV-XV centuries. family names appeared among princes and boyars. The princes were nicknamed by the name of their inheritance, and the moment of the emergence of the surname should be considered the moment when the prince, having lost his inheritance, still retained his name as a nickname for himself and his descendants: Shuisky, Vorotynsky, Obolensky, Vyazemsky, etc. A minority of princely surnames originate from nicknames: Gagarins, Humpbacks, Glazatye, Lykovs, etc. Surnames like Lobanov-Rostovsky connect the name of the reign with the nickname. Boyar and noble families were also formed from nicknames or from the names of their ancestors. The process of formation of boyar surnames from hereditary nicknames is well illustrated by the history of the boyar (later royal) family of the Romanovs. Its ancestors were those who lived in the 14th century. Andrey Ivanovich Kobyla and Fyodor Andreevich Koshka Kobylin. The descendants of Fyodor Koshka for several generations bore the nickname-surname Koshkins (however, not all of them: his son Alexander Bezzubets became the ancestor of the Bezzubtsevs, and another son Fyodor Goltyai became the ancestor of the Goltyaevs). The names of his son Ivan and grandson Zakhary Ivanovich were Koshkins. Among the children of the latter, Yakov Zakharovich Koshkin became the founder of the noble family of the Yakovlevs, and Yuri Zakharovich began to be called Zakharyin-Koshkin, while the son of the latter was already called Roman Zakharyin-Yuryev. The surname Zakharyin-Yuryev, or simply Zakharyin, was also borne by Roman’s son, Nikita Romanovich (as well as his sister Anastasia, the first wife of Ivan the Terrible); however, the children and grandchildren of Nikita Romanovich were already called Romanovs, including Fyodor Nikitich (Patriarch Filaret) and Mikhail Fedorovich (Tsar).
At the end of the 15th century. among the Russian nobles the first surnames of foreign origin appear, primarily the surnames of Polish-Lithuanian and Greek (eg. Philosophy) immigrants; in the 17th century to them are added such surnames of Western origin as Fonvizins, Lermontovs. The surnames of the descendants of Tatar immigrants were reminiscent of the names of these immigrants: Yusupov, Akhmatov, Kara-Murza, Karamzin (also from Kara-Murza). However, it should be noted that the eastern origin of a surname does not always indicate the eastern origin of its bearers: in some cases, they come from Tatar nicknames that were in fashion in Moscow Rus'. This is the surname Bakhteyarova, which was borne by the branch of the Rostov Rurik princes (from Fyodor Priimkov-Bakhteyar), or the surname Beklemishev, which came from the nickname Beklemish (Turkish - guarding, guarding), which was borne by Fyodor Elizarovich, the boyar of Vasily I.
During this period, peasants usually did not have surnames; their function was performed by nicknames and patronymics, as well as the mention of their owner, since in the 16th century. The peasantry of central Russia was subjected to mass enslavement. For example, in archival documents of that time one can find the following entries: “Ivan Mikitin’s son, and his nickname is Menshik,” entry from 1568; “Onton Mikiforov’s son, and nickname is Zhdan,” document from 1590; “Guba Mikiforov, son of Crooked Cheeks, landowner,” entry from 1495; “Danilo Soplya, peasant”, 1495; “Efimko Sparrow, peasant,” 1495. In these records one can see indications of the status of still free peasants (landowner), as well as the difference between the patronymic and the surname (son of such and such). The peasants of northern Russia, the former Novgorod possessions, could have real surnames in this era, since serfdom did not extend to these areas. Probably the most famous example of this kind is Mikhailo Lomonosov. You can also remember Arina Rodionovna Yakovleva, a Novgorod peasant woman and Pushkin’s nanny. Cossacks also had surnames. Surnames were also given to a significant part of the population of the lands that were previously part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - Belarus to Smolensk and Vyazma, Little Russia.
Under Peter the Great, by Senate Decree of June 18, 1719, in connection with the introduction of the poll tax and conscription, the earliest police registration documents were officially introduced - travel documents (passports). The passport contained information: name, surname (or nickname), where he came from, where he was going, place of residence, characteristics of his occupation, information about family members who were traveling with him, sometimes information about his father and parents.
By decree of January 20, 1797, Emperor Paul I ordered the compilation of a General Arms Book of noble families, which collected more than 3,000 noble family names and coats of arms.
Distribution of surnames among merchants and service peopleIn the XVIII-XIX centuries. surnames began to spread among civil servants and merchants. At first, only the richest - the “eminent merchants” - were awarded the honor of receiving a surname. In the 15th-16th centuries there were few of these, mostly of Northern Russian origin. For example, the merchants Kalinnikovs, who founded the city of Sol Kamskaya in 1430, or the famous Stroganovs. Among the merchant surnames there were many that reflected the “professional specialization” of their bearers. For example, the surname Rybnikov, derived from the word rybnik, that is, “fish merchant.” One can also recall citizen Kuzma Minin, who, as is known, did not belong to the nobility, but had his own surname already at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries.
Distribution of surnames among the clergyThe clergy began to have surnames only from the middle of the 18th century. Usually they were formed from the names of parishes and churches (Preobrazhensky, Nikolsky, Pokrovsky, Blagoveshchensky, Rozhdestvensky, Uspensky, Kosmodemyansky, etc.). Before this, priests were usually called Father Alexander, Father Vasily, Father or Father Ivan, without any surname being implied. Their children, if necessary, often received the surname Popov.
Some clergy acquired surnames upon graduation from the seminary: Athensky, Dukhososhestvensky, Palmin, Kiparisov, Reformatsky, Pavsky, Golubinsky, Klyuchevsky, Tikhomirov, Myagkov, Liperovsky (from a Greek root meaning “sad”), Gilyarovsky (from a Latin root meaning “cheerful”) "). At the same time, the best students were given the most euphonious surnames and carrying a purely positive meaning, in Russian or Latin: Brilliantov, Dobromyslov, Benemansky, Speransky (Russian analogue: Nadezhdin), Benevolensky (Russian analogue: Dobrovolsky), Dobrolyubov, etc.; on the contrary, bad students were given dissonant surnames, for example Gibraltar, or derived from the names of negative biblical characters (Saul, Pharaoh).
Distribution of surnames among the peasantryAs practice reveals, even among persons born in a legal marriage, there are many people who do not have surnames, that is, bearing so-called patronymic surnames, which causes significant misunderstandings and even sometimes abuses... To be called by a certain surname is not only a right, but it is also the duty of every full-fledged person, and the designation of the surname on some documents is required by law itself.
In central Russia, among the peasantry, surnames until the 19th century. were relatively rare. However, we can recall individual examples - the famous Ivan Susanin, who lived in the 16th-17th centuries. In addition, the names of some peasants are known - participants in certain wars, campaigns, defenses of cities or monasteries and other historical disasters. However, indeed, until the 19th century. The surnames were not widespread among the peasants of Central Russia. But this is rather due to the fact that in those days there was no need for a complete mention of all peasants, and there are no documents in which peasants were mentioned without exception or in the majority. And for the official document circulation of those years, if a peasant was mentioned in it, it was usually quite enough to mention the village in which he lived, the landowner to whom he belonged, and his personal name, sometimes along with his profession. The majority of peasants in central Russia were officially given surnames, recorded in documents only after the abolition of serfdom in 1861.
Some surnames were formed from the surnames of landowners. Some peasants were given the full or changed surname of their former owner, the landowner - this is how entire villages of the Polivanovs, Gagarins, Vorontsovs, Lvovkins, etc. appeared.
At the root of some surnames were the names of settlements (villages, hamlets) from which these peasants came. Mostly these are surnames ending in -skikh. Brynsky, Lebedevsky, Uspensky
However, most surnames are family nicknames in origin. Which, in turn, came from the “street” nickname of one or another family member. For the majority of peasants, this very “street” nickname was written down in the document, of which another family could have more than one. Nicknames appeared much earlier than universal family names. These same family nicknames, sometimes with roots going back many generations, actually served as surnames among the peasants of Central Russia - in everyday life, even before they were universally consolidated. They were the first to be included in the census forms, and in fact, family registration was simply the recording of these nicknames in documents. Thus, giving a peasant a surname often came down simply to official recognition, legitimization, and assignment of family or personal nicknames to their bearers. This explains the fact that in the era before the mass allocation of surnames to the peasants of Central Russia, we still know individual names and surnames of the peasants who took part in certain important events. When it became necessary to mention a peasant in a chronicle or in a narration about some event in which he was a participant - as his last name, the corresponding nickname - his own, or his family's - was simply indicated. And then, during the general assignment of surnames to the peasants of Central Russia, which occurred after the abolition of serfdom, these same nicknames were, for the most part, officially recognized and assigned.
Worldly surnames were formed on the basis of the worldly name. Worldly names came from pagan times, when church names did not yet exist or were not accepted by the common people. After all, Christianity did not immediately captivate the minds, much less the souls, of the Slavs. Old traditions were preserved for a long time, the covenants of ancestors were revered sacredly. Every family remembered the names of their ancestors up to the 7th generation and even deeper. Legends from the history of the family were passed down from generation to generation. Instructive stories about the past deeds of their ancestors were told at night to the young successors of the family. Many of the worldly ones were proper names (Gorazd, Zhdan, Lyubim), others arose as nicknames, but then became names (Nekras, Dur, Chertan, Zloba, Neustroy). It should be noted here that in the ancient Russian naming system it was also customary to call babies with protective names, amulets - names with negative content - for protection, scaring away evil forces or for the reverse effect of the name. It’s like it’s still customary to scold those taking an exam, or to wish a hunter “no feather, no feather.” It was believed that Dur would grow up smart, Nekras would grow up handsome, and Hunger would always be well-fed. Protective names then became familiar nicknames, and then surnames.
For some, the patronymic was recorded as a surname. The royal decrees on conducting a census usually stated that everyone should be recorded “by first name and nickname,” that is, by first name, patronymic and last name. But in the 17th - first half of the 18th centuries, peasants did not have hereditary surnames at all. The peasant family lived only for one life. For example, Procopius was born into the family of Ivan, and in all metric records he is called Procopius Ivanov. When Vasily was born to Procopius, the newborn became Vasily Prokopyev, and not Ivanov at all
The first census of 1897 showed that up to 75% of the population did not have a surname (however, this applied more to residents of the national outskirts than of indigenous Russia). Finally, surnames appeared for the entire population of the USSR only in the 30s of the 20th century during the era of universal passportization.
Frequency and list of all-Russian surnamesRussian surnames, as well as surnames created in their image and likeness, are common throughout most of Russia and in many neighboring countries. The ten most common ones look like this (to the right of the last name is the % of the total population of Russia):
1. Smirnov 1.862
2. Ivanov 1.33
3. Kuznetsov 0.998
4. Sokolov 0.856
5. Popov 0.806
6. Lebedev 0.742
7. Kozlov 0.636
8. Novikov 0.61
9. Morozov 0.568
10. Solovyov 0.486
Female surnamesFrom male Russian surnames in -ov, -ev, -in, inflected according to the paradigm of short possessive adjectives, forms of female surnames with inflection -a are formed, inflected according to the paradigm of short possessive adjectives of the feminine gender (for example, “U Elena Sergeevna Bulgakova”). From surnames starting with -iy, -yy, -oy, inflected according to the paradigm of full adjectives, forms of female surnames with inflection -aya are formed, inflected according to the paradigm of full feminine adjectives (for example, “at Sofia Vasilievna Kovalevskaya”). For the rest (except for Slavic surnames in -а/я, inflected according to the paradigm of 1st declension nouns) surnames, the feminine form coincides with the masculine form, and is not declined, even if it is declined in the masculine gender (for example, “at Anna Pavlovna Sherer”) .
In Russian tradition, women usually take their husband's surname when getting married, although since 1918 the law has not required this
Family secretsWhat can a surname tell about its owner? Experts in the field of onomastics - the science of names - were able to identify the connection of family secrets not only with the social roots and professional pedigree of the owner, but even with secret societies and religious sects.
Russian, Ukrainian, Tatar, Georgian... - we often note to ourselves, even unconsciously, when meeting a new person and hearing his last name. And we are rarely mistaken, because the surname, as a rule, primarily indicates a person’s nationality. But to a specialist, the surname says much more - both about the person himself and about the people from which he came. It is not for nothing that an entire science is engaged in this - onomastics, and in particular its section - anthroponymy.
Today it has become fashionable to be interested in your ancestors. And this is gratifying: from Ivanov, who do not remember kinship, we are turning into normal people who do not think according to the templates established by official ideologists, but who are trying to understand the world around us in all its diversity, striving to understand our place in this world. And knowing your roots helps a lot: “where did I come from” - who your ancestors were, what they did, what part they took in the history of the country. A surname can tell a lot about this.
Most people have no idea how much information their last name carries. First of all, how it was formed in the first place. There is a naive idea, drawn from historical novels, the authors of which were not strong in onomastics, that surnames were formed either by the father’s name: Peter, Ivanov’s son, hence Ivanov, or by profession: Stepan, Kuznetsov’s son, here you have Kuznetsov. And this supposedly happened in the era of Peter I, when the reformer Tsar, following the example of his Western neighbors, ordered to be written “with the fatherland,” thus making room for another word that defines a person.
Nothing like that,” says Professor, Doctor of Philology Alexandra Superanskaya, leading researcher at the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. - Surnames in Rus' took shape already in the 15th century, and trends towards their formation appeared from the very beginning of our written history. In the oldest Russian chronicles, people are called by name and patronymic. In general, in the old days, the name, patronymic and surname had much greater importance than today - they determined a person’s place in society.
True, the word “surname” itself appeared only in the 19th century; it was not used before. And in ancient times it was necessary to call people by their names “from their fathers and nicknames.” To modern ears this sounded somewhat strange. For example, Pushkar Ivan Maksimov Belyakov - this is how it is designated in one ancient document, where the person’s profession comes first, indicating his place in society, which was considered the most important characteristic. And then Ivan is his name, Maksimov is the name of his father, and Belyakov is the family nickname for the head of the family. Or by the founder of the family. From a modern point of view, it seems that he has two surnames - Maksimov and Belyakov; they are the same in form, but have different functions. The last word meant that his great-grandfather, or even great-great-grandfather, was called Belyak.
But this nickname itself has undergone a number of changes. When surnames arose, in Rus', in addition to Christian ones, there were also ancient Russian names that were given to children before baptism. Moreover, they often adhered to, so to speak, thematic selection. The chronicles have brought to us many funny combinations. Let's say in one family a child was named Peas, Cabbage, Radish. And if there was nothing else about him in the chronicle, it would be difficult to determine his gender by name. In another family - Yagnysh Baranov, son of Ovtsyn. This meant that he had three generations in his family and they were all called by different names for sheep. There was also such a name: Pie Oladiev Blinov. Again, by the names that were borne by three generations of the family and which indicate a profession passed on from father to son, which was common in those days. And this happened in the 15th and even 16th centuries. But let’s not forget that in addition to this, people also had godnames. So, according to the documents, the full name sounded like this: Mikhail Yagnysh Baranov - son of Ovtsyn. The last name, as one might assume, eventually became a surname.
Today, many people try to identify the social status of their ancestors by their last name,” says Alexandra Vasilyevna. - Were they nobles, which is what I most want, or philistines, or even, God forbid, serfs. This cannot always be determined. In ancient times, not only this was put at the forefront, surnames carried a wider range of information. There were many different ways to define identity. Up to seven types of naming were used. Some by place of residence, some by father, grandfather, great-grandfather, some by profession - everything depended on how the person was assessed in society and what was more important. So, once in Novgorod they expelled a service man and invited another to the same position only because the first had a “bad” patronymic: he was the son of an unworthy father. And that means from a family that cannot be trusted.
A special place is occupied by the so-called “secret” surnames, denoting concepts familiar only to a narrow circle of people. They arose in certain communities whose members preferred not to disclose the details of their lives. No, we are not talking about criminal structures. But there were people united by a common name - Ofeni. Small traders or artisans. And they took surnames that were completely incomprehensible to the ear, but for the initiates they denoted the secrets of their craft. Some Zhurin is walking on the ground. The surname is like a surname, and only a few know that he makes certain products that “his” people will sell. His descendants were engaged in a completely different business, but the surname remained, the meaning of which is no longer clear to them.
Onomastics destroys many traditional ideas. Remember the famous phrase of the tank driver, brilliantly played by Oleg Efremov: “All of Russia rests on my name”? And the last name was Ivanov. It was believed that there were more Ivanovs in Rus' than anyone else. There was even a saying: “In Rus', Ivanov is like filthy mushrooms.” But as my interlocutor explained, the popularity of the name “Ivan” increased only during the 19th century, at the end of which a quarter of the male population bore this name. This is easily explained: the church honors this name in the list of saints 64 times a year, and names were given according to the calendar. But this is a name, but the surname “Ivanov” is far from the most common. The most popular is Kuznetsov. This is understandable: the blacksmith in every village was the most necessary and respected person. Therefore, from the western regions came the Kovalevs (from “Koval” - blacksmith), and from the southern Slavs - Kovach, with the same meaning. And not only the “main” surname, but also its numerous derivatives.
Derivatives are a special matter. Many of those who try to determine the social status of their ancestors by their last name do not suspect that the ancestors themselves made their search pointless. They changed the Christian name in their own way when communicating in everyday life, and it eventually became a surname. Scientists call these unofficial variants. For example, a boy Petya grew up in the family, whom his mother affectionately called Petrunya. And the neighbors are used to calling it that. Or they stuck on a nickname like that, as was customary. And he himself no longer called himself anything else and went by Petrunya until his old age, and his son Ivan was written down in the documents: “Ivan Petrunin’s son.” And a new surname went across the earth - Petrunin. This is just one of the options, and there are many of them. Petrushin, Petryaev, Pityaev, Petin, Petenkin, Petishchev, Petrishchev, this is still an incomplete list. The same goes for other names - the people's imagination is inexhaustible. In our conversation, Alexandra Superanskaya listed so many variants of the most common names that people in her family or village were called that there was simply not enough space for them in the newspaper.
When they want to emphasize the large number of people involved in some business, says Alexandra Vasilievna, they usually list: Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov. And this is also a mistake. Because if there are really many Ivanovs and Petrovs, then there are very few Sidorovs. Both this name and surname are not common in Rus'. Sidor's goat is mentioned much more often, although where this expression came from is unknown. So Sidor is not a friend of Ivan and Peter, and how he got into this proverb is still a mystery to researchers.
But the situation has become transparent when families living in the same village have the same surnames, although they are not relatives. The thing is that under Soviet rule the village lived for a long time without passports. In fact, they were in the position of serfs who could not go anywhere without an identity document. Certification of the village began only under Khrushchev, and ended in the 70s. And it turned out that many families simply “lost” their surnames. They got by with nicknames that their neighbors gave them or they were simply called by their place of settlement. Let's say, several families lived behind a dam, and when they were certified, they all became Zaprudskys. They lived at the end of the village - Konechnye. On the shore of the pond - Beregovye. This is such an offensive situation when surnames do not reflect family roots.
Even worse incidents happened precisely because the peasants “lost” their surnames. When the guys were drafted into the army, they used to get confused when filling out the documents. You didn’t know what last name to give, you can’t give it a nickname. And then joining the regiment was simple: they called the surname by the name of where the father was, and where the grandfather was. And returning from the army, siblings found themselves with different surnames, which sometimes led to misunderstandings. However, in those days when a person was considered a cog in a common machine, this was rarely paid attention to.
But there are not very many of them. There are much more original surnames, from our ancestors. And the most common in Rus' are Kuznetsovs, Popovs, Ivanovs, Smirnovs. They divided four zones among themselves - historically separate territories. The Kuznetsovs have the largest distribution area - from Tula, where they are most numerous, to Nizhny Novgorod and Samara. "Ivanovia" is the north-west - Pskov, Novgorod, adjacent lands. "Popovia" - the North, especially the Arkhangelsk region. "Smirnovia" - the center and northern Volga region - Yaroslavl, Vladimir and other regions from Tver to Nizhny Novgorod. And the borders of these four zones collide on Tula and Ryazan land.
We are of the same blood - you and me
It is not by chance that in the early Middle Ages there arose an interest in the family tree - identifying people related to your family by related ties to one degree or another.
Even if they have different nationalities, even if fate scatters them across different countries and continents, a scrupulous analysis of surnames, which often change in marriages of different generations, sometimes yields amazing discoveries that one can often be proud of.
All people are brothers, says the Bible, all descended from one root. Mathematics partially confirms this. In fact, two parents, four grandparents, and eight great-grandparents took part in your birth. A simple calculation shows that 200 - 250 years ago there were already more than a thousand of your direct ancestors, and 400 - 500 years ago - more than one million. And if we assume that each family had only two children, then somewhere on earth there are at least a million of your blood relatives walking around. So suddenly you are related to the French king and can lay claim to the throne. Do not know? But in the old days, when compiling a family tree, such an opportunity would not have been missed.
It is known that Schelling, Hegel, Schiller and Max Planck were relatives - after a common ancestor, Johann Vanth, who lived in the 15th century. Karl Marx and Heinrich Heine had a common ancestor. And Karl Liebknecht is a descendant of Martin Luther through the female line. So the violent revolutionary blood was passed on to him by inheritance. Just as the famous English Prime Minister Winston Churchill received, on the one hand, the blood of the famous pirate Francis Drake, and on the other, the blood of the Duke of Marlborough, about whom the song “Marlbrooke is about to go” was written.
Belinsky's great-niece was Plekhanov's mother, and Plekhanov's half-sister later became the mother of the organizer of Soviet healthcare N. Semashko. The historian Soloviev was Alexander Blok’s second cousin, and Blok’s mother was related to the Aksakovs and Karamzin, not to mention the fact that she was Mendeleev’s daughter. Miklouho-Maclay was distantly related to Mickiewicz and Goethe, and Marshal Tukhachevsky, through the Arsenyevs, was related to Lermontov. The poet Nikolai Klyuev was a direct descendant of the rebellious archpriest Avvakum.
Pushkin and Leo Tolstoy had a common great-great-great-grandfather, Admiral Golovin. Pushkin and the poet Venevitinov were fourth cousins, and through his children Alexander Sergeevich became related to Gogol, the Benkendorfs and the imperial family.
The directory contains brief information about the origin and meaning of some Russian names 
Accepted abbreviations: Arabic - Arabic Aramic - Aramaic Greek - Greek Gothic - Gothic Old English - Old English Old Hebrew. - Hebrew ancient German. - Old Germanic, other Persian - Old Persian, other Russian - Old Russian, other Scand. - Old Norse lat. - Latin Russian - Russian slav. - Slavic Turkic. - Turkic Ethiopian. - Ethiopian people - folk is simple. - colloquial obsolete. - outdated Augusta- venerable, majestic (lat.). Avdotya- sweet, glorious, supportive (Greek), Russian folk version of Evdokia. Avenir- light, shining; lit.: son of light (Heb.). Averky- secretive, hostile, rejecting (lat.). Folk version: Averyan. Averyan- secretive, hostile, rejecting (lat.). Folk version of the name Averky. Avksentiy- healthy, growing, blooming (Greek). Agapit- beloved, affectionate, dear (Greek). Agathon- kind, worthy, useful (Greek). Agafya- kind, good, noble (Greek). Haggai- funny; lit.: festive (ancient Hebrew). Aglaida- joyful, beautiful; lit.: daughter of Aglaia (Greek). Aglaya- cheerful, beautiful, important (Greek). In the mythology of the ancient Greeks, Aglaya is one of the Charites, the goddess of beauty, the joy of life, the personification of female charm. Agnes- pure, modest, immaculate; lit.: sheep (Greek). Agnia- pure, modest, immaculate; the same as Agnes (Greek). Agrafena- rural resident; Russian folk version of the name Agrippina (lat.). Agrippina- hard-working, trouble-free; lit.: peasant horse (lat.). Adelaide- noble, noble; lit.: daughter of Adele (Old German). Adeline- noble, noble; lit.: belonging to Adele (Old German). Adele- noble, noble (Old German), originally - Adella. Akakiy- meek, gentle, simple-minded (Greek). Akim- lucky, happy; lit.: God erects (ancient Hebrew). Option: Joachim (obsolete). Vernacular options: Ekim, Yakim. Akindin- faithful, reliable, not in danger (Greek). Aksinya- developing, healthy, blooming (Greek). Option: Auxinia (obsolete). Akulina- brave, proud; lit.: eagle (lat.). Folk version of the name Akilina (obsolete). Alevtina- cautious, unapproachable (Greek). Alexander- courageous defender, brave man (Greek). Alexandra- courageous protector (Greek). Alexei- intercessor, protector (Greek). Alyona- light, sunny, clear (Greek). Folk version of the name Elena. Alice- noble, noble (Old German), French and English version of the name Adelaide. Alla- presumably: ruler, mistress (Goth.). Albert- noble, famous (Old German). Albina- light, blond, happy (lat.). Ambrose- very pleasant, divine (Greek). Ambrosia is, according to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, the food and drink of the gods. Amos- hardworking, hardworking; lit.: bearer of a burden (Heb.). Ananias- rich, lucky; lit.: God is merciful to him (ancient Hebrew). Anastasia- immortal (Greek). Anastatiy- resurrection, resurrected (Greek) Anatoly- clear, morning; lit.: eastern (Greek). Angelina- messenger, messenger (Greek). Andrey- courageous, brave; lit.: man (Greek). Andron- a real man; lit.: winner of husbands (Greek). Short version of the name Andronik. Anempodist- unstoppable, unobstructed (Greek). Anikita- lucky, invincible (Greek). Folk versions: Anikey, Anika. Anika is the hero of the ancient Russian poem "About Anika and Death." He had never been defeated by anyone before meeting Death. Hence the saying: Anika is a warrior. Anisya- lovely, perfect (Greek). Not to be confused with the name Onisya. Anna- beautiful, gracious, blessed (Hebrew). The same as Ioanna, the female version of the male name John, Ivan. Antip- replacement for father, shortened version of the name Antipater (lat.). Anton- An ancient Roman family name. The meaning is unclear. Presumably: a person with a light character (lat.). Antonina- cheerful, cheerful; lit.: belonging to Anton (lat.). Option: Antonida. Anfisa- blooming, bright, full of life (Greek). Option: Anthia. Apollinaris- handsome, smart, doctor; lit.: dedicated to Apollo (see) (Greek). Apollinaria- beautiful, smart, poetic; lit.: dedicated to Apollo (Greek). Apollo- bright, beautiful, smart (Greek). Apollo is the ancient Greek god of light, beauty, prophecy, poetry and healing. Ardalion- fidget, busybody, hard worker (lat.). Arefiy- two explanations: 1) a virtuous plowman; 2) eagle (both Arabic). Ariadne- beautiful, attractive (Greek). According to Greek legend, Ariadne, the daughter of the Cretan king Minos, helped the Athenian hero Theseus get out of the labyrinth palace after he killed the terrible half-beast, half-man Minotaur there. She gave Theseus a ball of thread, securing one end of it at the entrance. Having accomplished the feat, the hero left the palace, holding on to the “thread of Ariadne.” Arina- peaceful, calm (Greek). Russian folk version of the name Irina. Aristarch- an excellent organizer, a skillful ruler (Greek). Arkady- simple, good-natured, happy; lit.: resident of Arcadia (Greek). According to the ideas of the ancient Greeks, Arcadia is a country of happy, carefree existence in the lap of nature. Arseny- a real man, lover (Greek). Artemy- big guy (Greek). Options: Artyom, Artyom, Artamon. Archelaus- ruler, leader of peoples (Greek). Arkhip- chief of horses, senior rider (Greek). Astafy- stable (Greek). The same as Eustathius (see). Folk version: Ostap. Afanasy- eternal, immortal (Greek). Folk versions: Afonya, Ofenya. Afanasia- full of life, immortal (Greek). Afinogen- smart, skillful, prosperous; lit.: born of Athena, goddess of sciences, arts and peaceful prosperity (Greek). African- dark-skinned, black-haired; lit.: African (lat.) Bogdan- given by God (Russian). In the old days, orphans adopted into other families were called Bogdans, if they did not know their name. Boris- fighter for glory (Russian); a shortened version of the Slavic name Borislav. Bronislaw- keeper of glory (glory). Bronislava- protecting glory, honest (glorious). Budimir- tribune, orator, peacemaker (glory). Vavila- a restless person, restless, rebel (ancient - Hebrew). Vadim- leader, teacher of the people (Russian); a shortened version of the Old Russian name Vadimir: from vaditi - “teach” and mir - “people”. Valentine- big man, strong man (lat.). Valentina- strong, healthy, invigorating (lat.). Valerian- calming, giving strength (lat.). Valery- strong, healthy, vigorous (lat.). Valeria- strong, healthy, cheerful (lat.). Varvara- foreigner, foreigner (Greek). Varlam- meaning unclear. Option: Varlaam (obsolete). Bartholomew- son of Tolmay, Ptolemy (Aram.). The meaning of the name Tolmay is unclear. Bartholomew is one of the twelve biblical apostles. Basil– royal, ruler: lit.: basileus, king (Greek). Basilisk- king (Greek). Vasilsa- queen (Greek). Vassa- queen (Greek). Short version of the name Vasilisa. Venedikt- intelligently speaking, friendly; lit.: blessed (lat.). Venus- young, beautiful, beloved (lat.). In ancient Roman mythology, Venus is the daughter of Jupiter, the goddess of spring, beauty and love. Faith- faithful, unchanging (Russian). This name entered the Russian name book as a translation of the Greek name Pistis. Veronica- lucky; lit.: victorious (Greek). Vivea- lively, fresh, ardent (lat.). Vikenty- victorious, excellent (lat.). Victor- winner (lat.). Victoria- victory (lat.). Virinea- young, blooming (lat.). Vissarion- Forest man; lit.: inhabitant of a forest valley - bessy (Greek). Vitaly- alive, healthy; lit.: life-giving (lat.). Vitalina- alive, viable, durable (lat.). Vladimir- ruler of the world, ruler (glorified). Russian version of the name: Volodimir. Vladislav- glorious, famous; lit.: possessing glory (glory). Vladislav- glorious, famous, venerable (glorious). Vlas- hairy, curly (glorious). A variant of the name of the ancient Slavic god Veles (Volos), the patron saint of domestic animals. Option: Vlasiy (obsolete). Boniface- kind, sympathetic, doing good (lat.). Vsevolod- rich, owning everything (Old Russian). Vukol- shepherd (Greek) Wed. expression: bucolic poetry is a type of literature that describes pastoral life in the lap of nature. Vyacheslav- most famous, most glorious (Old Russian). Gavril- strong, powerful; lit.: God is my strength (Hebrew). Options: Gabriel (obsolete), Gabriel (simple). Galaktion- blond, white; lit.: milky (Greek). Vernacular version: Laktion. Galina- quiet, calm, serene (Greek). Gennady- noble, son of respectable parents (Greek). Henrietta- hostess (Old German). Henry- master; lit.: owner of the estate (Old German). Georgiy- peasant, plowman, farmer (Greek). Folk versions of this name: Egor, Yuri (see). Gerasim- venerable, respected (Greek). Hermogenes- smart, hardy, efficient; lit.: born of Hermes (Greek). Hermes among the ancient Greeks was the messenger of the Olympic gods, the guide of souls in the world of the dead, the patron of travelers and cattle breeders, the god of trade, the inventor of the lyre and shepherd's flute, the alphabet and numbers. Same as Mercury for the Romans. Glafiira- graceful, slender, courteous (Greek). Gleb- strong, healthy, brave (Old German). The Russian version of this name (Golob) is preserved in the name of a settlement in Volyn - Goloby. Glyceria- sweet, dear, beloved (Greek). Gordey- meaning unclear (Greek). In Ancient Greece, there was a legend about the farmer Gordia, who invented the wheel and made a cart. When the people of Phrygia elected him king, he founded the city of Gordion and donated his cart to the temple of Zeus. He tied the yoke to its shaft with a very complex knot. The oracle predicted that the one who untied the knot would be the ruler of the world. According to legend, Alexander the Great simply cut the “Gordian knot” with a sword. Gradislava- honest, protecting her glory (glory). Granislav- perfecting his glory (glory). From granite - “to polish” and glory. Granislava- improving its glory (glory). Gregory- awake, vigilant, cautious (Greek). Gury- a young man with beautiful eyes, handsome (Arabic). In Muslim mythology, Gurias are heavenly maidens, distinguished by their beauty. Another explanation: lion cub (Hebrew). Davyd- beloved, beloved (Hebrew). Option: David (obsolete). Danil- a fair person; lit.: my judge is God (Hebrew). Options: Daniil (obsolete), Danilo. Darina- a gift of fate (Russian). Another explanation: the same as Daria. Daria- rich, powerful (Old Persian). Dementy- joker, deceiver; lit.: maddening (lat.). Demid- prosperous, happy; lit.: Zeus takes care of him (Greek). Option: Diomede (obsolete). Demyan- the name has two interpretations: 1) people's representative; 2) conqueror, tamer (both Greek). Option: Damian (obsolete). Denis- merry fellow (Greek). Option: Dionysius (obsolete). In the mythology of the ancient Greeks, Dionysus is the god of wine, poetic inspiration, theatrical art and cheerful folk gatherings. Dina- lively, agile, restless (Greek). Another explanation: avenged (Heb.). Dmitriy- farmer, peasant; lit.: dedicated to Demeter (Greek). Demeter among the ancient Greeks is the goddess of agriculture and fertility. Dobrogneva- fair in anger (glory). Dobromila- kind, merciful (glory). Dobroslava- famous for its kindness (glorious). Blast furnace- housewife, domineering, managerial; lit.: madam (lat.). Donat- long-awaited son, gift of fate (lat.). Dorofei- long-awaited, desired; lit.: gift of God (Greek). Evangelina- Bringer of good news (Greek). Eugene- noble, son of good parents (Greek). Evgenia- noble, showered with sublime feelings (Greek). Evgraf- graceful, beautiful; lit.: written handsome (Greek). Evdokim- venerable, enjoying good reputation (Greek). Evdokia- nice, kind, supportive; lit.: blessing (Greek). Eulalia- eloquent, possessing oratorical talent (Greek). Evlampius- light, shiny; lit.: blessing (Greek). Eulampia- bright, sunny, enlightened (Greek). Eularia- beautiful, charming singer (Greek). Eupl- excellent swimmer (Greek). Folk version: Evpol. Eupraxia- happy, prosperous (Greek). Evsey- pious, honorable, respected (Greek). Option: Eusebius (obsolete). Eustathius- calm, persistent, balanced (Greek). Options: Astafy, Ostap. Evstigney- noble, excellent (Greek). Evstolia- luxuriously dressed, rich (Greek). Eustratus- excellent warrior, strategist (Greek). Option: Evstratiy (obsolete). Eutyches- happy (Greek). Option: Euthytheus. Euphalia- lushly blooming, prolific (Greek). Euphemia- decent, friendly (Greek). Folk versions: Efimya, Ofimya. Egor- farmer, peasant (Greek). Russian folk version of the name Georgiy. Catherine- tender, meek, pure (Greek). Elena- light, clear, sunny (Greek). Options: Alena, Olena. Elizabeth- faithful, respectful; lit.: “I swear to God” (Hebrew). Elizar- friendly, helpful; lit.: God helped (Heb.). Option: Eleazar (obsolete). Eliconidas- talented, dedicated to the muses; lit.: resident of Helikon (Greek). In Ancient Greece, Helikon was the name of the mountain where, according to myths, lived the muses - goddesses who patronized the arts. Elisha- desirable, wonderful, beautiful (Greek). Wed. Elysium is a paradise in ancient mythology, the place of residence of the souls of the righteous. Another explanation: God helped (Hebrew). Emelyan- slender, respectable, serious (Greek). Another explanation: belonging to the ancient Roman family of Aemilii; presumably: zealous, diligent (lat.). Folk versions: Emelya, Omelya. Epifan- prominent, noble, glorious (Greek). Option: Epiphanius (obsolete). Erast- charming, sweet, amiable (Greek). Option: Erast. Eremey- exalted; lit.: exalted by God (ancient - Hebrew). Options: Jeremiah (obsolete), Erema (simple). Ermolai- happy, dexterous, eloquent; lit.: a person from the clan patronized by Hermes - the god of trade and profit, dexterity and eloquence (Greek). Erofey- happy, lucky; lit.: sanctified by God (Greek). Option: Hierotheus (obsolete). Efim- respectful, modest (Greek). Option: Euthymius (obsolete). Ephraim- viable, fertile (Hebrew). Euphrosyne- joyful, cheerful, funny (Greek). Zhanna – European version from John, Ivanna; see Ivan. Zakhar- lucky, happy; lit.: God remembers him (Heb.). Options: Zachary, Zechariah (obsolete). Zinaida- beautiful, divine; lit.: daughter of the god Zeus (Greek). Zinovy- long-awaited, desired; lit.: received life by the will of Zeus (Greek). Zlata- light-haired, golden (glorious). Zosima- vital, tenacious; lit.: marked with the sign of life (Greek). Zoya- alive, mobile; lit.: life itself (Greek). Ivan- handsome, rich, wonderful; lit.: grace of God (Heb.). The name Ivan, which has become synonymous with the word “Russian” outside Russia, comes from the Hebrew Yehokhanaan - “God’s beloved, promised land.” Through the Greek Johann, the Bulgarian John turned into the Russian Ivan. Option: John (obsolete). Ignat- modest, humble; lit.: commoner (lat.). Option: Ignatius. Igor- a diligent farmer (Old Scand.). Among the ancient Scandinavians, Ing is the “god of fertility and abundance”, Varr is “attentive”. The name Ingvar, Igor came to Rus' with the Varangians: one of the first Kyiv princes of the 9th century, Igor was the son of the Varangian Rurik. Russian princes with the name Ingvar appear more than once in Russian chronicles. Izosim- viable, marked with the sign of life (Greek). Folk version of the name Zosima (see). Hilarion- cheerful, joyful (Greek). Folk version: Larion. Ilaria- cheerful, joyful (Greek). Iliodor- gift of the sun (Greek) Ilya- faithful to God, strong, incorruptible; lit.: Yahweh is my god (Heb.). Inessa- pure, immaculate (Greek). Same as Agnes. The name Inessa came to the Russian name book from Spain. Innocent- honest, selfless, impeccable (lat.). John- beautiful, rich, wonderful (Hebrew). Same as Ivan (see). Job- persecuted (Heb.). Joel- the Lord God himself (Hebrew) (obsolete). And she- dove (ancient Hebrew). Options: Ion, Yvon. Joseph- diligent, helpful; lit.: grace of God (Heb.). Folk version: Osip. Ipat- tall (Greek). Option: Ipaty. Hippolytus- a rider who unharnesses horses (Greek). Irakli- strongman, giant, Hercules; lit.: overshadowed by the glory of Hera - the goddess of love and married life (Greek) Irina- peaceful, calm; lit.: goddess of peaceful life (Greek). Folk versions: Arina, Orina. Irinarch- peaceful ruler, peacemaker (Greek). Irenaeus- calm, peace-loving (Greek). Wed. female name Irina (see). Iroida- brave, courageous; lit.: daughter of a hero (Greek). Isaac- cheerful, funny; lit.: he will laugh (Heb.). Options: Isaac (obsolete), Isaac. And I- violet, levkoy (Greek). Kaleria- hot, ardent; lit.: flammable (lat.). Kalina- handsome (Greek). The Russian version of the name - Kalin - is found in fairy tales. Kallinik- glorious winner; lit.: beautifully victorious (Greek). Options: Kalenik, Kalina (see). Callista- beautiful, graceful (Greek). Callistratus- an excellent commander (Greek). Capitolina- smart, important; lit.: servant of the main Roman temple of the Capitol (lat.). Kapiton- a reasonable person, leader; lit.: big head (lat.). Carp- viable; lit.: fruit (Greek). Kasyan- fair; lit.: belonging to the ancient Roman family of Cassiev, consuls and tribunes, distinguished by severity and justice (lat.). Option: Cassian (obsolete). Kelsius- mobile, lively (Greek); sublime (lat.). Kensorin- a stern moralist, a strict critic; letters belonging to the censor (lat.). Cyprian- resident of the island of Cyprus, Cypriot (Greek). Folk version: Kupriyan. Kirill- imperious, powerful (Greek). Kiryan- chief, lord, ruler (Greek). Option: Kyrian (obsolete). Claudian- belonging to Claudius (lat.). Folk version: Claudian. Claudius- lame (lat.). Claudia- shaky, unstable; lit.: lame (lat.). Clara- clear, glorious, famous (lat.). Clementius- meek, merciful, affectionate (lat.). Options: Clement, Klim. Clementine- meek, calm, affectionate (lat.). Option: Clementine. Kondrat- stocky, foldable; lit.: square (lat.). Option: Kondraty. Konon- (Greek). The meaning is unclear. In Ancient Greece there were known: Konon the naval commander (IV century BC), Konon the mathematician and astronomer (III century BC) and Konon the grammarian and writer, author of many stories about gods and heroes ( 1st century AD). Konstantin- persistent, decisive, unshakable (lat.). Roots- hard, hard; lit.: horn-like (lat.). Options: Cornelius, Cornelius. Another explanation: dogwood berry (lat.). Ksenia- hospitable, kind (Greek). Xenophon- a person who speaks a foreign language, a foreigner (Greek). Kuzma- beautiful, peaceful, bright (Greek). Options: Kozma, Kosma (obsolete). The name has the same root as the modern words “space”, “cosmetics”. Lavrentiy- winner crowned with laurels; laureate (lat.). Folk version: Laver. Lada- sweetheart, beloved (Old Russian). Ancient Russians worshiped Lada, the goddess of love and marriage. The modern expression “harmony in the family” has the same origin as this name. Ladimir- peace-loving, getting along with the world (glory). Lazarus- asking for help; lit.: God's help (Heb.). The popular expression “sing Lazarus,” that is, “ask for help,” reflects the meaning of the name. Option: Elizar (see). Larisa- lovely, pleasant; lit.: seagull (Greek). a lion- powerful, brave; lit.: lion (Greek). Options: Levon, Leon. Leonid- lion cub (Greek). Leonty- courageous, strong; lit.: lion (Greek). Liberius- free, free, independent (lat.). Lydia- Asian; lit.: resident of the country of Lydia, Lydian (Greek). The ancient Greeks called Lydians not only Asia Minor, but also Ethiopians, Egyptians, and Libyans. Lily- blonde; lit.: white lily (lat.). Leah- slim, fast; lit.: antelope (Heb.). Login- high; lit.: long (lat.). Options: Loggin, Longin (obsolete). Luke- light, clear (lat.). Options: Lukyan (simple), Lukyan (obsolete) Lukerya- sweet, dear, beloved (Greek). Folk version of the name Glyceria. Lukia- light, shiny, fiery (lat.). Lupp- wolf (lat.). Lyubava- beloved, sweet, adored (Old Russian). We love- beloved, dear (Russian). A shortened version of the name Lyubomir (see). Love- beloved, adored (Russian). It entered the Russian name book as a literal translation of the Greek name Agape. Lubomir- peaceful, peace-loving (glory). Lyudmila- sweet to people, kind, sympathetic (Russian). Mavra- dark-skinned, brunette; lit.: Moorish (Greek). Makar- happy, contented, rich (Greek). Option: Macarius (obsolete). Maccabeus- stupid (Greek). Option: Mackay. Macrida- thin (lat.). Options: Macrina, Mokrida (simple). Maksim- great, greatest (lat.). Malachi- messenger of God (ancient Hebrew). Options: Malachi (obsolete), Malatheus. Mamant- presumably: sucker (Greek) (obsolete). Folk version: Mammoth. Manoilo- brave, lucky; lit.: God is with us (Heb.). Options: Manuylo, Immanuel, Emmanuel. Margarita- pearl, pearl (lat.). Maremyana- glorious, excellent (Hebrew). Folk version of the name Marianna. Marina- sailor; lit.: belonging to the sea (lat.) Maria- glorious, instructive, excellent (Hebrew). Option: Marya. Mark- ancient Roman family name; lit.: hammer (lat.). Another explanation: fading (lat.). Markel- hammer (lat.). Martin- warlike; lit.: dedicated to Mars, the ancient Roman god of war (lat.). Option: Martin (obsolete). Marfa- madam (Aramic). Option: Martha. Matvey- gift of God (ancient Hebrew) The same as the Russian name Bogdan or the Greek Theodosius, Fedot. Matryona- venerable, respected mother of the family (lat.). Melania- dark-skinned woman (Greek). Another explanation: melancholic, thoughtful (Greek). Folk version: Malanya. Meletius- caring, diligent, hardworking (Greek) Option: Melentius. Melitina- sweet, pleasant; lit.: honey (lat.). Merkul- fast, dexterous; lit.: from merchant rank (lat.). Derived from the Latin name Mercury. In Roman mythology, Mercury is the god of trade. Methodius- purposeful, consistent in one’s actions, methodical (Greek). Milava- sweet, pretty (Old Russian). Militsa- dear, beloved (slav.). Milo- sweet, gentle, wonderful (Russian). A shortened version of the Slavic name Miloneg. Miron- peace-loving, finding happiness in a peaceful life (Russian). A shortened version of the Slavic name Mironeg. Misail- desired; letters asked from God (Hebrew). Metrodor- beloved son; lit.: mother's gift (Greek). Mitrofan- mother's joy; bringing glory to the mother (Greek). Michael- powerful, smart, beautiful; lit.: equal to the god Yahweh (Heb.). Micah- powerful, smart, beautiful (Hebrew). Same as Mikhail (see). Modest- modest, calm, reasonable (lat.). Mokey- merry fellow; lit.: mocker (Greek). Option: Mokiy (obsolete). Muse- smart, talented, graceful (Greek). In ancient Greek mythology, there were nine muses, patron goddesses of sciences and arts: Euterpe - the goddess of lyrical poetry and music, Calliope - epic, Clio - history, Melpomene - tragedy, Polyhymnia - hymns, Thalia - comedy, Terpsichore - dance, Urania - astronomy, Erato - love poetry. Hope- faithful, reliable (Russian). Folk version: Nadezhda. The name entered the Russian name book as a literal translation of the Greek name Elpis. Nazar- devoted to God, monk; lit.: he dedicated himself to God (Heb.). Natalia- native (lat.). Option: Natalya. Nahum- comforting (ancient Hebrew). Nellie- came from Neonil. Neonilla- young, new (Greek). Folk version: Nenila. Nestor- old sage (Greek). This name has been around in Russian name books for about a thousand years. The monk Nestor is known from history - the compiler of one of the most ancient Russian chronicles, “The Tale of Bygone Years.” Nefed- newcomer, newly initiated (Greek). Option: Neophyte (obsolete). Nikandr- winner of husbands, daredevil (Greek). Nikanor- seeing victory (Greek). Nikita- glorious winner (Greek). Option: Nikifor. Nikifor- glorious winner, victorious (Greek). Nicodemus- conqueror of nations (Greek). Same as Nikolai (see). Nikolay- conqueror of nations (Greek). Folk version: Nikola. Nina- there are three interpretations of this name: 1) dreamer, dreamer (from the Slavic verb ninati - “to doze”, “to dream”); 2) a shortened version of the name Antonina (see), often used in Spain; 3) the female version of the name of the Assyrian king Nin (the meaning is unclear). Nifont- snow-white (Greek). The ancient Greeks called the Caucasus with the word Nifantes - “Snowy”. Nonna- ninth in the family (lat.). Oksana- hospitable. Ukrainian folk version of the name Ksenia. Oleg- light, clear, sunny (Old Scand.). Wed. female name Olga (see). Olympics- strong, fast, hardy (Greek). Affectionate: Linden, Lima, Lilya, Olya, Piya, Ada. Olga- light, clear, sunny, golden-haired (Old Scand.) Russified Norman Helga with the same meaning. The root "hel" was borrowed by the languages of the Germanic group from ancient Greek: hel - "solar"; German hell - "light". Same as Elena. Another interpretation: holy (Varangian). Onesimus- beneficent, healing (Greek). Do not mix with the consonant name Anisim. Onisya- beneficial, healing pain (Greek). Not to be confused with the name Anisya. Osip- diligent owner (Heb.). Folk version of the name Joseph. Hosea- helper who brings salvation (Hebrew). Ostap- stable, permanent (Greek). Same as Evstafiy, Astafy. Paul- small, graceful (lat.). Pavel- small, graceful (lat.). Option: Polina. Paisiy- merry fellow, dancer, joker. Another explanation: child, baby (both Greek). Palladium- invincible, talented, hardworking; lit.: image of Pallas Athena - the goddess of victorious war, sciences, arts and crafts (Greek). According to legend, palladium was for a long time an amulet of the city of Troy, but after it was stolen by Odysseus and Diomedes, Troy was defeated and destroyed. Pankrat- omnipotent, omnipotent (Greek). Panteleimon- all-merciful, one of a kind (Greek). Option: Panteley. Panfil- everyone's favorite, sweet, pleasant (Greek). Option: Pamphilus (obsolete). Paramon- reliable, faithful, tenacious (Greek). Option: Parmen. Parmen- reliable, faithful, tenacious (Greek). Variant of the name Paramon. Parthenius- honest, well-behaved, unspoiled; lit.: like a girl (Greek). Option: Parfen. Parthenia- honest, pure, immaculate; lit.: virgin (Greek). Patrikey- noble, noble; lit.: patrician (lat.). Option: Patrick (obsolete). Groin- thick, well-fed, massive (Greek). Option: Pachomius (obsolete). Pelagia- sailor (Greek). Option: Pelagia. Peter- solid, reliable; lit.: stone (Greek). Pigasius- inspiring, talented; lit.: winged horse (Greek). In ancient Greek mythology, the winged horse Pegasus, with a blow of his hoof, knocked out the source of Hippocrene on Helicon, which inspires poets. Pimen- supervisor; lit.: shepherd (Greek). Plato- powerful, broad-shouldered (Greek). Platonida- stocky (Greek). Polyevct- longed for, long-awaited, desired (Greek). Folk version: Poluekt. Polycarp- viable; lit.: multiple (Greek). Polyxenia- very hospitable (Greek). Pauline- small, graceful (lat.). Same as Paul. Half project- longed for, long-awaited, desired (Greek). Folk version of the name Polievkt. Porfiry- fair-haired, purple, crimson, (Greek). Potap- alien, stranger, unknown whose (Greek). Option: Potapiy (obsolete). Praskovya- thrifty, wealthy; lit.: Friday (Greek). Folk versions: Paraskovya, Paraskeva. Prov- honest, modest, decent (lat.). Proclus- glorious from a young age (Greek). Procopius- careful, vigilant; lit.: drawing a sword from its scabbard (Greek). Option: Prokop. Protogen- firstborn (Greek). Prokhor- sang, merry fellow, dancer (Greek). Pud- perfect, honest, bashful (lat.). Pulcheria- beautiful, glorious, noble (lat.) Radomir- making people happy, caring for the world (glorified). Raisa- carefree, carefree, easy (Greek). Rafail- doctor, healing; lit.: God healed (Heb.). Rimma- beautiful, pleasant; lit.: apple. In the Hebrew name book this name was masculine. Robert- sparkling with glory (Old German). Rodion- hero, hero, daredevil (Greek). Short version of the name Herodion. Another explanation: buying roses (Greek). Rose- pink, ruddy, rose (flower) (lat.). Novel- important, powerful, proud; lit.: Roman (lat.). Rossian- Russian, son of Russia (Russian). Rostislav- multiplying the glory of the father (glory). Ruslan- curly, happy, lucky (Greek). Another explanation: lion (Turkic). Option: Eruslan (obsolete). Rufus- golden flower, red (lat.). Rufina- golden-haired (lat.). Savva- person (Ethiopian). Another explanation: elder, grandfather (Aram.). Savvaty- rich, joyful; lit.: born on Saturday (Heb.). For Jews, Saturday is a holiday. Options: Savatiy, Savatey. Savely- desired, long-awaited; lit.: asked from God (Heb.). Option: Savel. Samoilo- happy, lucky; lit.: heard by God (Heb.). Option: Samuel (obsolete). Samson- strong man, strong man, daredevil; in the Bible, Samson is the last of the twelve judges of Israel, who possessed unprecedented physical strength contained in his hair; lit.: sunny (Heb.). Svetlana- a bright-hearted person, blond (glorious). Svetlana- light, clean, clear (glorious). Svyatoslav- sacredly preserving her honor and glory (glory). Sebastian- powerful, revered (Greek). Option: Sebastian. Severyan- strict, harsh, seasoned (lat.). Selivan- peasant; lit.: forest (lat.). Option: Selifan (obsolete). Among the ancient Romans, Silvanus was the god of forests and wildlife, the patron of cultivated agriculture and cattle breeding. Semyon- lucky; lit.: heard by God (Heb.). Option: Simeon (obsolete). Seraphim- fiery, hot, domineering (Hebrew). Seraphim, fiery six-winged angels, are the guardians of God's throne in a number of religions. Seraphim- fiery, burning (Hebrew). In a number of religions, seraphim are fiery six-winged angels guarding the throne of God. Sergey- ancient Roman family name; presumably: highly respected, respected; another explanation: watchman (both Latin). Option: Sergius (obsolete). Sidor- farmer; lit.: gift of Isis - the goddess of agriculture (Greek). Option: Isidore (obsolete) Force- strong, mighty (Russian). Another explanation: a shortened version of the name Siluyan (see). Siluyan- peasant; lit.: forest man (lat.). Same as Selivan (see). Sylvester- peasant; lit.: living in the forest or in the steppe (lat.). Same as Selivan, Siluyan (see). Folk version: Seliverst. Simon- lucky; lit.: heard by God (Heb.). Same as Semyon. Snezhana- light, blond, snowy (glorious). Sozon- saving (Greek). Options: Sozont, Sozontii (obsolete). Sofron- modest, reserved, prudent (Greek). Sophia- smart, quick-witted; lit.: wisdom (Greek). Option: Sofia (obsolete). Spiridon- beloved, dear; lit.: gift of the soul. Another explanation: energetic, lively (both Latin), basket (Greek). Stanislav- asserting his glory (glory). Stanislava- glorifying (glorious). Stepan- crowned, laureate; lit.: wreath (Greek). Option: Stefaniy (obsolete). Stepanida- glorious, crowned; lit.: daughter of Stepan (see) (Greek). Taisiya- meaning unclear. Option: Taisya. Tamara- slim, beautiful; lit.: palm tree (Heb.). Taras- noisy, restless, restless (Greek). Options: Taratiy, Tarasiy (obsolete). Tatiana- founder, ruler, organizer (Greek). Terenty- slender, smooth, graceful (lat.). Timofey- God-fearing; lit.: worshiping God (Greek). Timur- firm, persistent; lit.: iron (Turk.). Titus- honest, nice, respectable (lat.). Tikhon- quiet, calm, peaceful (Russian). A shortened version of the Slavic name Tikhoneg. Another explanation: lucky (Greek). Tryphon- vocal; lit.: three-voiced (Greek). Another explanation: rich, living in luxury (Greek). Trofim- breadwinner (Greek) Ulyana- ardent, hot, hot; the same as Julia (lat.). Option: Juliania (outdated). Ustin- fair, lenient (lat.). Options: Justin (obsolete), Ustim (simple). Ustinya- fair, honest (lat.). Option: Justinia (obsolete). Thaddeus- glorious, persistent; lit.: spear of God (Heb.). Faina- bright, shining, joyful (Greek). Falalei- beautiful, full of strength; lit.: olive in bloom (Greek). Fevronia- meaning unclear (Greek). Options: Fevronya, Khavronya (simple). Fedora- the name has two interpretations: 1) warlike; lit.: god's spear; 2) long-awaited; lit.: gift of God (both Greek). The female version of the male name Fedor. Fedot- joyful, desirable; lit.: gift of God (Greek). Fedul- servant of God (Greek). Options: Fedul, Theodulius (obsolete). Felix- happy, rich, fruitful (lat.). Felicata- happy, rich, fertile (lat.). Vernacular version: Velichata. Theodosius- joyful, desirable; lit.: gift of God (Greek). Option: Fedos. Feodosia- desired; lit.: given by God (Greek). Feofan- noticeable, happy; lit.: marked by god (Greek). Folk version: Fofan. Theophilus- loving God (Greek). Folk version: Fefil. Theophila- loving God (Greek). Folk version: Fefela. Ferapont- hospitable, welcoming, ready to serve (Greek). Fedor- two interpretations: 1) warlike; lit.: god's spear; 2) long-awaited; lit.: gift of God (both Greek). Same as the Russian name Bogdan. Thekla- glorious; lit.: God's glory (Greek). Filaret- strict moralist; lit.: loving virtue (Greek). Philemon- faithful, reliable; lit.: monogamous (Greek). Philip- lover of horses (Greek). Firs- a joyful, good sign; lit.: a rod decorated with flowers and grapes (Greek). Flavian- golden-haired, red-haired (lat.). Phlegont- ardent, easily excitable (Greek). Flor- blooming, fresh, beautiful (lat.). In ancient Roman mythology, there was a goddess of flowers, Flora. This name entered the Russian name book in a slightly modified form: Frol. Foka- fat man; lit.: seal (Greek). Thomas- twin (Aramic). Fortunatus- lucky; lit.: marked by Fortuna - the goddess of fate, luck and happiness (lat.). Photius- light, blond (Greek). Frol- blooming, fresh, beautiful (lat.). Same as Flor. Hariessa- pleasant, lovely (Greek). Same as Kharitina (see). Kharitina- graceful, beautiful, lovely (Greek). In the mythology of the ancient Greeks, the Charites are the goddesses of beauty, grace and nobility. Same as the Roman graces. Khariton- lovely, graceful, joyful (Greek). Kharlampy- bright, joyful; lit.: joyful light (Greek). Khionya- blond, blonde; lit.: snowy (Greek). Wed. Russian name Snezhana. Chrysanthos- golden; lit.: golden flower (Greek). Wed. chrysanthemum flowers. Christina- Christian (Greek). Christopher- bringing joy, healing. Another explanation: bearer of Christ (both Greek). Chernava- dark-skinned, brunette (Old Russian). Edward- keeper of wealth, rich man (Old English). Eleanor- light, clear, sunny (Old French version of the name Helene (Greek). Same as Elena. Elvira- protector (Goth.). Emilia- affectionate, warm-hearted, hardworking (lat.). Emma- beautiful, precious, mysterious; lit.: depicted on a precious stone, gemma (lat.). Erast- sweet, charming, in love (Greek). Option: Erast (obsolete). Ernest- serious, diligent (Old German). Juvenaly- youthful, characteristic of youth (lat.). Julia- ardent, hot; lit.: belonging to the ancient Roman family of Julius (lat.). The etymology is unclear. In Rus', this name is interpreted as “July”, that is, hot. Yuri- farmer. Russian vowel of the Greek name Georgiy: Georgiy - Gyurgii - Yuri. Yakov- presumably: stubborn, intractable (Hebrew). Yaroslav- bright, sunny, shining with glory (Russian). Derived from the words Yarilo - “sun” and glory. Yaroslav- brilliant, sunny (glorious). Derived from the words Yarilo - “sun” and glory. Based on materials from the book “On the Declension of First and Last Names: A Dictionary-Reference Book. Ser. “For the word in your pocket.” Vol. 3 / Ed. E.A. Glotova, N.N. Shcherbakova. – Omsk, 2011 See more about Russian and foreign names: www.
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A person’s name is the first thing that identifies him and distinguishes him from others. Many people are now keen on various interpretations of certain personal data, and the name is one of the first places here. There are even specialists who predict a person’s fate, character, and personal qualities by name. Therefore, it becomes very interesting how names appeared, what they were like at the very beginning, and how they transformed over time.
Ancient names
In the earliest ancient society, when people realized that it was easier to live together, the need arose from this “together” to call for one thing. It was not always possible to come up and knock on the back, but the vocal abilities were successfully developing. This is how primitive man learned to call his comrade in the voice, not the whole tribe, mind you, but one. And at this stage it was necessary to decide how to make it clear who exactly was being called. It turned out that everything is very simple. The man called words everything that was around him, and at the same time his comrades. The sun is Ra, which means the red-haired man in the tribe is also Ra. Water drips from the sky from a cloud - Give, so does the person whose eyes are always wet - Give. Everything was very simple, but we are wondering where the names came from!
Names of the first civilizations
During the birth of civilizations, the attitude towards name formation completely changed. Parents gave the child a name consonant with the qualities that they would like to see in their child. Vladimir rules the world, Svyatoslav glorifies the saints. These are Russian variants of names. In Europe and on other continents the same thing happened, only in other languages. In Greek, Alexander means conqueror, Paul means small, and Helen means bright. These names have come down to us, having undergone some minor transformations in sound, from the most ancient times, from the very birth of cultural civilizations.
Pagan names of the peoples of the world
Many nationalities came up with names for their children with meaning, hoping that the meaning inherent in the name would help the child throughout life. For example, do you want to know how the name Kizlyarbas appeared? It literally translates as “no more girls,” and was given by fathers to long-awaited boys born into Tajik families. The Semitic name Nebu-bulit means “Oh, heaven, give me life!”, a very telling name. But the girl named Dzedumilla was supposed to be sweet to her grandfather all her life.
The pagans also named children after some animal, so that the child would be similar in strength and dexterity to it. For example, the wolf, revered in many nations, gave the world many names derived from this word: Vuk, Vilk, Wolf, Lupul, Vovk, Wolfgang, Vilkolaz. And these are only European derivatives!
Modern names in Russia
Fortunately, the times have passed when in Russia, paying tribute to fashion, they called children completely unthinkable names! In the 40-50s of the last century, the male name Mels (Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin) was very popular. And what are Electrification, Oktyabrina, Cosmos, Iskra, Academy, Antenna, Vladlena (Vladimir Lenin) worth? And there were a huge number of such names. All this was a tribute to the times, no one puzzled over the question of why the names appeared, what should they mean? A blunder, and the name is ready. Then native Russian names and even non-Russian names began to return. But they were all really names, and not abbreviations invented on the topic of the day.