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Armenia, 2014

SELECT YEAR 2014 2013 2008–2010

Bell tower of the monastery
Haghpat (1245)

State in the southern part of Transcaucasia. It borders with Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey and Georgia. The capital is Yerevan. Population – 3,008,100 (2015). According to the 2011 census, Armenians make up 98.1% of the population. The largest ethnic minorities are: Yezidis (1.17%), Russians (0.4%), Assyrians (0.09%), Kurds (0.09%), Ukrainians (0.04%). The official language is Armenian. 96.5% of the believing inhabitants of Armenia are followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church (mostly Armenians). Also common: Evangelical Church – 1.01% of total number believers (mostly Armenians), Shar-Fadin church - 0.9% of the total number of believers (Yazidis, Kurds, Persians) and a number of others.

Statistics on the names of newborns are maintained and published by the National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia. Its website contains PDF files with statistics on about 50 of the most common names since 2006. In 2006–2007 it was only in Armenian), in 2008 - in Russian, since 2009 - in Armenian, English and Russian. The names are listed in descending order of frequency. Frequencies are shown in absolute numbers (i.e., number of names). Data on the most common newborn names is published as press releases in May (for the previous year).

I will give statistics on 20 popular names for 2014. Links to data pages for some more early years are in the drop-down list to the right of the title before the text (see Select year). Additionally, I will show the etymologies of names (see after the table with female names).

Boys names

Girls names

(in 2014 Mariam and Helen shared 8–9 places)

Etymologies of male names

Alex is obviously a borrowing from Western European languages, in which it is a shortening of the name Alexander, Alexandre etc. (translated from Greek “to protect” + “man”).
Aram – 1. Armenian “noble”. 2. Aramaic. The biblical character Aram is known - the ancestor of the Arameans. 3. Iranian (“peace, consolation”) This name is in the Orthodox calendar in the form Joharam.
Aren – Through etymology, “divine” is associated with the name of the main proto-Armenian (Aryan) god Ar (sun god). However, it can be traced back to an Indo-European root ar(represented in the name of the god Ar, in the toponyms Armenia, Ararat, Urartu) - “fire”.
Arman – 1. Iranian (“dream, desire”). 2. Old German (“solid, strong” + “man”).
Armen – 1. Armenian (“spirit of the Aryans”). Common root with toponym Armenia. 2. Greek (“fate”). 3. Possibly related to Iranian Arman.
Arsen - Armenian equivalent of the Greek name in origin Arseny(“husband, man, courageous”).
Arthur – 1. From Celtic (“bear”). 2. From Iranian (“fire” + “sun”). 3. Original Armenian (“brave; Aryan” + “sword”). Armenian etymology requires substantiation by pointing to historical figures with this name, while this is not there, it looks a lot like the so-called. "folk etymology".
Ashot – 1. Iranian (“fire”). 2. Armenian (“world, planet”). 3. Derivation of the name Asud from Ancient Urartu.
Gagik – Armenian (“peak, mountain” or “heavenly”).
Gayk (also Hayk, Hayk) - on behalf of the legendary ancestor Armenian people. Sometimes you can find the translation “strong man, hero”.
Gevork – Armenian equivalent of the Greek name in origin Georgiy(“farmer”)
Horus – Armenian (“proud”).
David – Hebrew (“beloved”).
Narek - from the name of the ancient Armenian village Narek.
Samvel - Armenian equivalent of the Hebrew name in origin Samuel(“Shem is God”).
Sarkis – Armenian equivalent of the Latin origin of the name Sergey(possibly “guardian, servant”).
Tigran – 1. Iranian (“tiger”). 2. Armenian (“sacred person”).
Eric is probably a borrowing from Western European languages. Eric– Danish and Swedish form of the name Erich (translated from Old High German as “powerful; prince”).

Etymologies of female names(selectively)

Anahit - on behalf of the goddess Anahit: in Armenian mythology, the mother goddess, the goddess of fertility and love.
Ani - from the name of the city Ani, True, it’s not clear from which one; two such cities are known: one was located on the right bank of the Euphrates, and opposite Kamakh, and the other was on the Akhuryan River.
Hasmik - “jasmine”.
Gayane – 1. Greek (“earthly”). 2. Armenian (“home, family”).
Gohar - Iranian (“pearl, precious stone.” In Turkic languages ​​it corresponds to Gauhar, Gauhar.
Lilith is the first wife of Adam in Jewish mythology. 1. Hebrew (“night” or “tawny owl bird (a type of owl)”). 2. Sumerian (“air, wind; spirit, ghost”).
Mariam - variant name Maria, phonetically closer to the Hebrew prototype name.
Mary – Hebrew (presumably “beloved, desired”).
Nare - supposed to be a feminized form of the name Narek (see in the section on male names).
Susanna – Hebrew (“white water lily”).

A child's life is often accompanied by disputes, if not between mom and dad, then certainly between parents and grandparents. To the great surprise of those around him and big problems in the future of children, common sense does not always win in these disputes, and in the passports of already adult men and women you can find intricate names - Tractors and Tractors, Venuses, Idylls, Poles, Electrons and others. What about their children with such unusual middle names?

When choosing a name, not least important are fashion trends for certain names, as well as nationality, religious views (after all, not every name is accepted by the church) and even the year and month of the child’s birth.

Armenian names are gaining popularity among the Russian population

Armenian ones have been quite popular over the past few years. The most popular names The most popular among boys are David and Arthur, followed by Armen and Eric, less popular are Tigran, Hayk, Andranik, Hakob, Vardan, Grigor, Sarkis, Hovhannes, Horus and Narek. Popular names for girls are Anna, Milena, Helen, Ani, Lusine, Lilith, Mirian and Anahit.

At the same time, borrowed names enjoy considerable popularity among Armenians. Boys are often called Rafaels, Alberts, Alannas, Alexs, Michaels and Zhors, and girls are often called Lilies, Monicas, Suzannes, Nellies and Victorias.

Armenian boy names are more popular among the Russian-speaking population than any other names of national minorities. True, for Christians it is imperative to clarify whether such a name is in the directory of church names, so that, despite the origin of the name, the baptism of the child takes place without problems, or else the baby will have to be baptized under a different name.

Origin of Armenian names

Armenians are divided into 5 groups. They are characterized by titles, occupation, parents, geography and identifying characteristics of the person.

There is another classification of names. According to her, the names come from:

• names of ancient Armenian gods: Hayk is the supreme deity, Ara is the sun god, Vahagn is the god of thunder and lightning, and Anahit is the goddess of love and fertility;
• biblical names: David, Solomon;
• names of kings: Ashot, Artashes, Tigran, Artavazd, Parandzem;
• names of famous commanders: Gevorg, Vardan, Mushegh;
• country names: Hayastan;
• names precious stones: Almast - from a diamond, Goar - from a diamond, Satenik - from amber, Margarit - from pearls;
• names celestial bodies: Arev is the name given to the sun, Lusin is the moon, and Astghik is the star;
• names of expensive fabrics: Metaxia means silk;

• names of holidays: Navasard is named in honor of the New Year, Harutyun - in honor of the resurrection, Ambartsum - the ascension, and Avetis - the good news;
• names of plants: Shushan - this is the name of the lily, Manushak - violet, Hasmik - jasmine, Mehak - carnation, and Ward - rose;
• names of animals: Minas - fish, Agavnik - dove;
• names of sacred totems: Nargiz, Tsakhik, Garnik:
• items various concepts: Gekhetsik means beauty, Erdzhanik - happiness, Paytsar - clarity, Mkhitar - consolation, Arshaluys - dawn, Haykaz - unity, Artem - the path to truth, Arthur - the light of truth, Ashot - the hope of the world;
• names of signs of a person’s appearance and his character: Patvakan means venerable, Zarmair - noble, Ara - noble, Argam - worthy, Zhirayr - lively, Azat - free, Arsen - noble warrior, Mushegh - excellent, Spartak - liberator, Saro - strong, Apaven - support, Shmavon - peace-loving, Yar - beloved, Vigen - strong, powerful, Rachia is translated as fiery eyes, and Agasi is an unshakable mountain.

How do Armenians choose names?

The Armenians believed that a name could influence the fate and character of a person and therefore they approached its choice very responsibly. All Armenian names are meaningful, euphonious and melodic.

Among the Armenian names there are many Persian, Arabic, Turkic, Slavic, Old Testament and other names.

During times Soviet Union Armenians began to often use Russian-language names, especially in their diminutive distorted forms: Zhora, Valod, Yurik, Serozh, Alyosha, as well as Western European ones: Edward, Robert, Henry, Hamlet, Juliet, Flora. Persian names also appeared among the Armenians: Abraham, Gurgen, Suren, Movses, Khosrov. During the same period, children were often named after famous people. This is how the Thälmanns, Karls, Engels, Roosevelts, Frunzes and Kamos appeared. But when children with such names grew up, many of them decided to change their name.

Many Armenian names are suitable for both men and women: Arshaluys, Erdzhanik, Hayastan, Nubar, Grachia. Some names are found in both feminine and masculine forms: Arman - Armanui, Anushavan - Anush, Vard - Vardui.

Armenian voices for both boys and girls are very beautiful in sound, and although their pronunciation causes surprise among others, it attracts attention. Name your children beautifully!

All Armenian names can be divided into national and borrowed; both groups of names are widespread and popular in the modern world.

National names come from the names of mountains and lakes, planets and constellations (Areg, Khoren), precious stones and various holidays (Harutyun), and are also the names of Armenian pagan gods(Hayk, Vahagn, Ara), great kings (Ashot, Tigran, Artavazd, Artashes) and famous commanders (Vardan, Gevorg).

Borrowed names most often include the names of common Christian saints(David, Solomon), as well as Russian names that became popular among Armenians during the existence of the USSR (Valod, Yurik, Serozh).

What is modern naming for a boy based on?

Currently, Armenian names are distinguished by a wide variety, touching on both the thousand-year-old national history with all its rich culture, and paying tribute to fashion and modernity. It is believed that a man’s name should carry the personification of the most beautiful human qualities, advantages both external and internal, while possessing melody and euphony.

Armenians love and value their family very much, so boys are often named after their father, grandfather or great-grandfather, thus showing their warm affection and respect for their immediate family.

Also, focusing on modern fashion, many parents try to choose original names for their sons, distinguishing them from many others. The choice usually depends on the likely character traits, external signs of the baby, his health and his predicted well-being and happiness.

Most often, in addition to moms and dads, the whole family participates in the discussion of this issue.

List of beautiful ones in alphabetical order and their meaning

Most male Armenian names, the list of which you will see below, skillfully combine deep meaning, and pleasant sound. It is with such a huge variety of options that the difficulty of choosing arises. a suitable name for a child.

• Azat- free, independent. The bearer of this name can be characterized as a very reliable, purposeful, respected in society and stable person.
• Arman- brave, resilient. Arman is characterized by conscientiousness, honesty, and diligence; sensitive to the opinions of others.
• Armen- warrior, Armenian man. This is purposeful and talented man endowed with leadership qualities.
• Arsen- courageous, strong, fearless. The owner of this name is distinguished by determination, hard work and conscientiousness.
• Artashes- striving for truth. A man who is independent in his decisions, confident in himself and his abilities, distinguished by some impulsiveness in his actions.
• Ashot- the hope of this world. A strong, physically developed person with a mischievous character, touchy at times.
• Bagrat- the joy of love. A born leader, he has a broad outlook and is able to hold a conversation on any topic.
• Barkhudar- worshiper of strength. An active person, a born optimist with pronounced administrative abilities.
• Vahagn- omnipresent fire. A family man, he has high ideals of marriage and love, is indulgent and kind towards friends and relatives.
• Vazgen- the light of sacred knowledge. A sincere, vulnerable person, who is characterized by slight uncertainty and shyness.
• Vardan- reward. A perfect conformist, hiding a vulnerable soul behind external calm, is amorous and romantic.
• Gagik– heavenly. Strives to achieve recognition and make friends; reliable, sincere and honest.
• Nut- dawn. A family man, has self-esteem, good-natured.
• Gevorg- farmer. An extraordinary personality with a complex character, distinguished by leadership inclinations.
• Gore– formidable, proud. Sociable and cheerful, easily makes acquaintances, endowed with great patience.
• David- giver of knowledge, beloved. Confident in his abilities, pragmatic, romantic, and has a good disposition.
• Jeevan- a living, embodied soul. Optimistic and energetic nature, inclined to gather around oneself big companies; easily gains trust.
• Zurab- divine, fragrant. A self-confident man, balanced and serious, has difficulties in communication due to the desire to hide his feelings.
• Ilnur- light of the fatherland, light of the motherland. A person who is always on the move and capable of achieving his goals.
• Karen- preacher, generous, magnanimous. Sociable, famous for being rich inner world, tends to hide his real feelings.
• Levon- lion, king of beasts. The bearer of this name has a gentle disposition, attentiveness to others and sincerity.
• Mher– sunny. This is a person who radiates optimism, is able to win the trust of others, and has leadership inclinations.
• Mikael- similar to God. An amorous person with idealistic inclinations, he is distinguished by increased demands on others.
• Narek- in honor of the holy city of ancient Armenia. A creative person with developed intuition and flexible character often falls into a pessimistic state.
• Hovik- pardoned by God. The person is free and independent, resourceful and creative, and has a philosophical mindset.
• Oganes– fiery. This man is characterized by optimism, activity and sincerity; he gets along well with people thanks to his ability to support any conversation.
• Poghos- boy. A comprehensively developed personality, enjoys authority in society, loves and knows how to make friends.
• Razmik- warrior. An active, cheerful person who inspires others with positive energy; does not give in to panic in extreme situations.
• Raphael- God's healing. Persistent and emotional man, inclined to look for profit in everything.
• Robert- brilliant, unfading glory. The bearer of this name is characterized by thoroughness, sensitivity, seriousness and good nature.
• Ruben– red, bright, dazzling. Decent and reliable, the soul of the company and a hospitable host.
• Samvel– heard by God. An energetic and powerful person, strives for stability, has excellent communication skills.
• Sarkis- guardian. A very bright and pure person, he is characterized by kindness and creative thinking.
• Suren– divine. Shows talent in the field of science, philosophy, art, and is endowed with the ability to understand people.
• Tatul- father's joy. A man who strives for an easy and carefree life is thoughtful when choosing a companion.
• Tigran- a tiger with the strength of a tiger. A broad nature, characterized by curiosity and emotionality, has good self-control.
• Unan- golden face, sun. Unan has developed intuition and creative thinking; He is characterized by thriftiness with money.
• Shavarsh- the power of the sun. A talented, intellectually developed person, a realist, prone to excessive impulsiveness.
• Eric- like a ruler, an eternal ruler. A calm personality with a phlegmatic temperament, has a penchant for exact sciences.

Armenia is associated with the Caucasus, good wines and long, ornate toasts. The soil here is rocky, giving generous fruits to its inhabitants. Armenia is the ancient and great culture of Urartu, the heir of ancient Anatolia and the very first state that adopted Christianity. To this day, 95% of the entire population professes this particular faith.

Armenian male and female names are a mirror image of the history of a people who survived many conquerors and wandered around the world for a long time. Therefore, many names are borrowed, but adapted to own language. Interesting fact, that, despite being under the yoke of the Turks for a long time, the Armenians never adopted their names.

National characteristics

Some names in Armenia are given to both men and women, for example, Armen is masculine, and Armenui is feminine.

Most Armenian surnames end in “-yan” or “-yants” and reflect their belonging to a specific clan. For example, the beautiful Armenian male name Sargsyan - that is, from the Sarkis family.

The country still uses generic names, which are not indicated in official documents, but are used in everyday life. Such names are given according to the person’s occupation or nickname.

National names

This group includes names that were previously borne by gods, kings and generals. The most popular Armenian male names in this category include:

• Ashot. Translated as “the hope of this world.” But if interpreted according to Turkic etymology, the name means “not afraid of fire.” In the Middle Ages, Ashot was a very popular name, but with Islamization it practically disappeared from the languages ​​of the Caucasus, remaining only among Christian Armenians. Boys with this name have leadership qualities, but are overly touchy. They have a good imagination and do nothing against their will.
• Vardan. There are many versions of the origin of this name. According to one of them, it appeared from the so-called Vardapet monks, and in this version it is translated as “reward”. Boys with such names are characterized as adherents of foundations and traditions, who have a hard time accepting something new. Men can be interested in archeology and history. They get married early and love their wives.
• Tigran. This name was borne by several Armenian kings and is present in the epic “Vipasank”. There is a version that it was nevertheless borrowed from the Persians and is translated as “possessing the strength of a tiger.” As a rule, these are inquisitive boys, but with age they become more sedate and ask less witty questions. At the same time, they remain quite emotional and open to the whole world. Depending on the situation, a man with this name can be as gentle as the most affectionate kitten and strong as a tiger. Usually, regardless of the chosen field of activity, Tigranes achieve success.

Derived names

This is a fairly large group of Armenian male names, derived from the names of precious stones, planets, holidays and stars. For example, Arev – in the mythology of ancient Armenians is the personification of the Sun. Shown as young man, which emits light. In a figurative sense, the name means “life.”

There are names that are derived from descriptive characteristics of flora and fauna, from common nouns. They were given with the goal of seeing certain qualities in the child in the future, that is, they were chosen completely consciously. For example, Patvakan, that is, “venerable”, Zhirayr – “glib”. The name Garnik - “sacrificial” or “led to fire”, has no analogues in other languages.

A number of names have the ending “-air”, which means “man”. An adjective is placed before the ending, which should characterize the bearer of the name. But such names are becoming less and less common.

Borrowed

The three-thousand-year history of the people has greatly expanded the list of Armenian male names. First of all, these are the names of common Christian saints - David and Solomon. There are many analogues adapted into the Armenian way, for example, Johann became Hovaness.

Some names are not taken from the Bible, but have religious implications. For example, Khachatur is translated as “sent down by the Holy Cross,” and Arakel is “apostle.” There are many names adopted from the Persians, for example Suren.

An interesting borrowing occurred during the period when Armenia was part of the USSR. Diminutive forms of Russian names have taken root in the country: Yurik, Volodya, Zhora. At the same time, names appeared that bore famous people world, even their names – Karl, Roosevelt and Engels. And during the period when the borders of the state opened, names characteristic of peoples began to appear Western Europe: Hamlet, Henry and Edward.

Armenian male names, alphabetical list

Acharyan Rachia made a great contribution to the study of this issue, who compiled a book of five volumes entitled “Dictionary of Armenian personal names.” Rachia spent basic research this question, in the book you can find not only the name, but also its meaning, the history of its appearance.

A short list of the most common Armenian male names:

Popular

Today, the top five popular Armenian male names include:

• Eric, or "eternal ruler";
• Hayk, in honor of the mythical Armenian progenitor;
• Narek, in honor of the ancient Armenian holy city;
• Horus, or "formidable".

Borrowed modern

Popular, borrowed and modern Armenian male names include:

• David, a name of Hebrew origin meaning “favorite.” Usually these are calm and balanced men, pragmatic and strong-willed.
• Raphael, also the Hebrew name of one of the seven archangels. Boys are distinguished by great persistence and emotionality.
• Alain, of French origin, meaning the need to dominate everywhere and always. Men are not afraid to compete, even if they know that they are weaker.
• Albert, Old German, means “brilliant.” Men are usually secretive and confident.

Because national history Armenians are quite complex; Armenian names are a peculiar mixture. You can meet Armenians with native Armenian names, and with Parthian names, and with Arabic, Greek, Slavic, and biblical names.

Most often, all Armenian names are divided into five categories: by parents, by occupation, by geography, by a person’s distinctive feature and titled names. It is also customary to distinguish the following layers of personal names of Armenians.

1. National names.
The group of national names includes the names of pagan Armenian gods and names derived from them, such as Hayk, Anahit, Vahagn. The group also includes the names of Armenian kings (Tigran, Ashot, etc.) and generals (Vardan, Gevorg, etc.).

2. Names formed from words of the Armenian language.
This group includes names derived from the names of stars and planets, precious fabrics and stones, and holidays. Such names include Arev (sun), Manushak (violet), Metaxia (silk) and others. Enough large number Armenian names come from descriptions of flora and fauna.

Such names, like all personal names derived from common nouns, were invented a very long time ago. In ancient times, a name was chosen in accordance with the qualities of a person or the desire to see these qualities in the future. Thus, names were given to people in a meaningful way. For example, Armenian name Rachia says that its bearer has “fiery eyes,” and Zarmair means “noble man.” Many names are designed to reflect the internal and external virtues of the wearer. So, Zhirayr means “glib”, and Patvakan means “venerable”.

Many male names have the component “air” at the end, meaning the word “man”. This component is usually preceded by an adjective that describes the speaker. Similarly, many female names end in “duht”, which means “daughter”, and the father’s name is placed at the beginning of the name. Thus, new names appear. For example, Vormizdukht or Aykandukht.

Names that include descriptions of flora and fauna objects arose from totems deified in ancient times. Such names include Garnik, Nargiz, Tsakhik, etc.

3. Borrowed names.
Such names include, in particular, the names of common Christian saints. For example, the names Solomon or David. As in other developed cultures, biblical names were somewhat changed in their own way. Thus, Johann became Hovaness among the Armenians, maintaining a sound close to the original. A number of Armenian names, although not biblical, still have religious meaning. Such names are translations of foreign religious names. For example, Khachatur – “sent down from St. Cross" or Arakel - "apostle".

A number of names were borrowed from Persian. For example, the name Suren. Many foreign names have changed, becoming familiar to the ears of Armenians.

Over the years of the existence of the USSR, Armenians began to call their children names from the Russian language. Diminutive forms of names were often borrowed. So, Armenians began to be called by the names Alyosha, Volodya, Zhora, Yurik. In those same years, names familiar to Western Europe became widespread. Among them were the names Henry, Edward, Hamlet and others. Also, first names and surnames have become popular as names among Armenians famous personalities. For example, Engels, Karl, Roosevelt and others. However, later the bearers of such unusual names began to change them to more familiar Armenian names.

A number of Armenian names can be worn by both men and women. Such names include Arshaluys, Hayastan, Erdzhanik and others. Some names have a masculine and a feminine form. For example, the male name Armen is female name Armenui.

In Armenia, the family name is still widely used. It is not mentioned in documents and is especially widespread outside cities. The generic name is formed on the same basis as the surname, but in in this case The nickname or occupation of the founder of the clan is taken as a basis.

Many Armenians live outside Armenia, forming large diasporas. Under the influence of diasporas on the actual Armenian nation, first and last names are very diverse. You can find both native Armenian and Christian names. Surnames may be of Armenian, Turkic, Greek, Old Testament or Iranian origin.

Most surnames end with the endings “-yan” and “-yants”, which indicate that the bearer belongs to a particular clan. For example, the surname Sarkisyan indicates belonging to the Sarkis family.