In the life of every person there is very great value has everything connected with his past and the history of his family, even if we don’t remember every day how many destinies and stories lie behind the shoulders of our family, but for us it is our last name is a very significant part of one’s own individuality.
The surname, like a person’s name, reflects the tribute to our ancestors that we pay, passing on the memory of our own family from generation to generation.
To mid-19th century most Russian people didn't use surnames. The origin of surnames is of great interest, because at first they were used only by feudal lords, and only later they began to be used by peasants and commoners. In addition, in addition to names, patronymics and nicknames were previously used to replace them.
With the abolition of serfdom arose a very difficult task, the solution of which took quite a long time: it was necessary to give yesterday’s serfs surnames that recently only belonged to the upper strata of society. This is where their story begins.
Word "surname" has Latin origin. IN Ancient Rome it applied only to slaves. But in Europe given word spread with the meaning “family”, “spouses”. IN Slavic countries the word was also first used as "family".
Having learned and remembered their last name for the rest of their lives in childhood, many perceive it simply as a given and very significant for us. A very popular question is what meaning does this or that carry, how does it affect its bearer and how significant is such an influence in life.
This thematic section provides a list popular surnames , which may not be exhaustive, but can certainly help shed light on what lies within their diversity.
The key is the ability to avoid cliches and hackneyed formulations. Because at this stage there is a lot of information that can hardly be called sufficiently reliable and accurate.
After all a surname is a legacy that a person carries throughout his life and passes on to his children, giving them a connection with the history of their ancestors over several generations.
Also, the surname is what we use when an official tone is needed in communication and more accurate identification of a particular person. The wife takes it from her husband, for her it is an expression of the promise of fidelity and trust in the chosen man. The diversity of surnames is a direct reflection of the culture of a nation, the breadth of development of its representatives and society.
Surnames from personal names
Most Russian surnames are formed from personal names and nicknames. They were given in the form of a possessive adjective, answering the question “whose son?”: Ivanov, Vasiliev, Romanov, Ilyin, Kuzmin. In fact, these are middle names that gradually turned into surnames. Moreover, the now common form of patronymics with the ending - ich Previously, only noble persons were allowed to use it, and the vast majority of the population used the form of patronymics with the ending - oh, - in. The most common surnames in our country are those formed from the baptismal names contained in the Saints: Ivanov, Vasiliev, Petrov, Mikhailov, Fedorov, Yakovlev, Andreev, Alekseev, Alexandrov, Grigoriev, etc.
Among surnames formed from baptismal names, a special group consists of surnames from diminutive names. The variety and abundance of diminutive names has led to a variety of forms of surnames descended from the same church name. For example, from the most common name among Russians in the 14th–19th centuries, Ivan, more than a hundred different surnames: Ivanov, Ivashev, Ivashkin, Ivashutin, Ivankov, Vanin, Vanyushin, Vankin, Vanyutin, Vanyagin, etc. From popular name Vasily formed the surnames Vasilyev, Vasin, Vaskov, Vasyutkin, Vasishchev, Vasintsev, Vasyagin, Vasyatkin, Vaseykin, Vasechkin, as well as the Ukrainian surnames Vasilenko, Vasilyuk, Vasilchenko, Belarusian Vasilevich, Vasilenok, Bulgarian Vasilev. From the name Mikhail came the surnames Mikhailov, Mikhalev, Mikhalkov, Mikhaev, Mishkin, Mishutin, Mikhalishchev, Mishechkin, Mishin, Mishutkin and others.
In Russia in the 16th - 17th centuries, the use of derogatory forms of names formed with the suffix was widespread - k(a), who emphasized the humble origins of man: Vanka, Petka, Dunka, Timoshka, Danilka. From such names the surnames Ivankin, Timoshkin, Danilkin, etc. were formed.
Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out from what name a particular surname came from. For example, it is not immediately clear that the surnames Matov, Matyukhin and Matyushin are formed from the name Matfei, from its diminutive forms Matya, Matyanya, Matyusha, and the surnames Grinev, Grinkov - from the name Grigory, Grinya, Grinko. The surname Krysanov actually comes not from the name of the animal rat, but from the church name Chrysanthos (Greek for “golden-colored”) in its Russian form Kirsan.
Many of the church names have long gone out of use, but the surnames still remain: Tropin - from Eutropius (Greek “easily adaptable”), through the shortened form Tropa; Ostanin - from Eustathius (Greek “strong, good”) or Eustachia (Greek “blooming”) through the diminutive form Ostan; Zotov, Izotov - from the church name Zotik, Zot, Izot (Greek “life-giving”); Melekhov from Melentiy (Greek “caring”) through the shortened form Melekh; Alferov from Greek name Eleutherium (“free”), which was used in the form of Alfer.
Very rarely, but still there are surnames formed from female church names: Anyutin, Marinin, Matrenin, Nadezhdin, Glafirin, etc. Children received a surname after their mother’s name only when the woman played main role in the family. This could be in the case of widowhood or the husband leaving for a long time military service, when the wife took on all the worries about the household and raising children. Sometimes a woman's predominant role in the family was due to the wealth or position of her parents, but all this was quite rare. Sometimes the mother's surname was given to her illegitimate children.
Let us give examples of surnames formed from female names: Susanin - from the church name Susanna, Tatyanin, Tatyanichev - from the name Tatyana, Varvarin - from Varvara. This also includes the surnames Katyushin, Marfushin, Marinin, Maryin, etc. And surnames such as Dashin, Dashkov could have been formed from female name Daria, Dasha. However, it is more likely that they originated from the male church name Darius, which was used in a diminutive form as Dashko. The surname Olenin did not come from the name of the animal, but from old name Deer, which was used as a diminutive form of the male names Alexander and Alexey. It is possible that this surname was formed from the female name Olena, a diminutive of Elena.
Along with baptismal names, until the 18th century, Old Church Slavonic secular names were used, which were given to the child in the family. These names were very diverse, and in some cases it is now difficult to determine whether the surname came from a secular name or from a nickname. Totemic worldly names, derived from the names of animals, birds, fish, and plants, were popular in Rus'. The surnames Sokolov, Lebedev, Voronin, Volkov, Soloviev, Orlov, Gusev, Kozlov, Sorokin, Sobolev are derived from the totemic personal names Falcon, Swan, Raven, etc. The surname Slonov could have been formed not only from the name of a distant exotic beast - the elephant. In the old days, any large, heavy and clumsy animal was called an elephant; for example, an elk could be called an elk elephant.
Families often gave names and nicknames of similar meaning, which then became the surnames of various branches of the family. Interesting examples archival records of the 14th–17th centuries are given by Academician Stepan Borisovich Veselovsky in his book “Onomastics”: the Novgorod landowner Okun Ivan Linev, who lived in the mid-15th century, had sons Andrei Som and Alexei Ersh, and the Smolensk boyar Ivan Grigorievich Osoka Travin had sons Grigory Pyrey (from whom the Pyryevs' surname came), Ivan Otava (otava is the name of the grass that grew back after mowing) and Vasily Vyazel (vyazel is the name of field peas). Or another example from archival records: the sons of the Tula patrimonial owner Nikita Vasilyev were named Sophon Meshok, Ivan Sharap and Ivan Meshochek, and Sophon Meshok had a son Osip Karman. Sharap was a common worldly name, and the now forgotten meaning of the word “sharap” meant “robbery, robbery.”
So-called amulets names were also chosen as worldly names, which were given for the purpose of deception. evil spirits": Fool, Malice, Nekras, Bad, Ugly, Nevzor (nondescript), Scoundrel (unfit for anything), Nenash (stranger), etc. From these names the now widespread surnames Nekrasov, Nevzorov, Durakov, Zlobin, Nenashev were formed etc.
Among worldly names, such names as Lyubim, Smirnoy, Bogdan, Malets, Zhdan, Nezhdan, Nechay, Nayden, Pervusha, Belyai, Veshnyak, Pozdnyak, Shumila, Potekha, Likhach, Tihomir, etc. were very popular. These names gave rise to the Lyubimov surnames , Smirnov, Bogdanov, Maltsev, Zhdanov, Belyaev, Veshnyakov, Shumilin, etc.
Worldly names could indicate some feature of a person’s appearance or character: Belyay, Bogatyr, Krasava, Chistyak, Roslyak, Ushak, Vereshchaga (chatterbox), Govorukha, Molchan, Suvora (stern, unsociable), Nesmeyan, Gloomy, Buyan. They could indicate the time of birth of the child: Veshnyak (born in spring), Osenya (born in autumn), Nedelya (born on Sunday, which used to be called week); weather conditions that accompanied the birth of the child: Frost, Padera (winter storm), Wind. Often worldly names reflected the order of appearance of children in the family: First, Pershak, Vtorak, Tretyak, Fifth, Pozdnyak, Poskrebysh, Mizin (the youngest in the family). From ancient worldly names the surnames Belyaev, Bogatyrev, Krasavin, Chistyakov, Ushakov, Vereshchagin, Govorukhin, Molchanov, Suvorov, Veshnyakov, Yesenin, Nedelin, Morozov, Paderin, Vetrov, Pershakov, Tretyakov, Poskrebyshev, Mizinov and many others were formed.
Nicknames were then added to worldly names, which a person received during his life and which could also be passed on to descendants and give rise to new surnames. Nicknames were very diverse, often unexpected and original, and this explains huge amount our surnames. Nicknames could have been derived from distinctive features appearance or character, by some behavioral characteristics, by type of activity and everyday characteristics, but they were always associated with a certain assessment of a person.
For example, the Nashchokin nobles derived their surname from the nickname Nashchoka, which their ancestor received in the 14th century after being wounded in the cheek during the battle of the Tverites with the Khan’s army. Also, the industrialists the Stroganovs considered their ancestor an ancestor who had been in Turkish captivity and was mutilated, as they used to say “strogan.” Hero Soviet Union pilot Mikhail Mikhailovich Gromov said that he inherited his surname from an ancestor who was a singer in one of the St. Petersburg cathedrals and had a very strong, thunderous voice. Surname famous singer Lyudmila Zykina also points to an ancestor who had a loud voice, since in the past there was a fairly common nickname Zyka, which was given to a screamer, a loud-voiced person.
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Since ancient times, family nicknames and names have been used to emphasize a person’s belonging to his family. Previously it could mean professional activity, characteristic features appearance or personal nature of its owner. That's whyfind out the history of the origin of the surnamefor researchers means finding out many interesting and important information its carriers. Who they were, what they did and where they lived - all this information can be hidden and encrypted in the name of your family.
If previously nicknames were used for practical purposes and could be forgotten over time or changed due to circumstances, then the surname in the modern sense has a completely different meaning. It is directly related to pedigree, family history and continuity of generations. Unfortunately, we often take it for granted. We have been wearing it since childhood, without thinking about what family secrets are hidden in it. It is rarely seen as a source of pride, since now everyone receives it from birth. But previously this was the privilege of only nobles and noble families. This was a kind of reflection of the superiority of the nobility and the unity of family members.
You can pay tribute to your ancestors, honor their memory, strengthen kinship and family ties even today. You just have to put in a little effort and find outHow to find out the history of your family by last name. Online services for freeoffer access to the archives where they are collected large lists With detailed description the supposed place, cause and approximate time of origin, down to the indication of the century. You can use them, or contact specialists who will help you calculate your roots, tell you why the genus was named that way, and even draw up a family tree.
If you have enough patience and enthusiasm, try to find out the meaning of your last name yourself. You will learn how to do this from our article, where we have collected a variety of useful tips on this topic.
How to find out the origin of your last name: freeexcursion into history
First, let's remember how the nicknames of our ancestors were formed in Ancient Rus'. We call them nicknames, since it is impossible to attribute them to the modern definition of a surname. They were given to make it easier to recognize a person or contact him, and changed over time. As for forced peasants, their family name could generally change at the whim of the master. The owners especially liked to have fun by inventing offensive and offensive nicknames. For example, someone born Ignatov (by the name of his ancestor) became Shcherbakov (by external sign - the absence of front teeth).
Find out the meaning of your last name,associated with the ancient roots themselves, easiest for those whose ancestors lived in the Veliky Novgorod region. Chronicles dating back to approximately the 13th century indicate that it was there that the very first generic nicknames originated. In ancient archives there are references to Novgorodians who died in the Battle of the Neva.
They appeared among princes and boyars in the 14th century. The loudest and most famous of them were worn by representatives of influential and ruling dynasties: Shuisky, Nevsky, Donskoy. A little later, the nobles also had borrowed from foreign languages: Fonvizin, Yusupov, Karamzin.
However, ordinary, not famous and not noble people remained with nicknames. Even the reforms of Peter the Great could not restore order to peasant families. So, it was he who introduced the word, it comes from the Latin familia - family, into everyday use. Conducted censuses of the population, including the peasant population - the so-called “audits”. Of course, it would be much more convenient for the emperor if each clan had a permanent name, passed on by inheritance, but this was still a long way off. The absence of a permanent surname indicated a person’s low origins and the stigma remained among the general population throughout almost its entire existence. Russian Empire.
Remember the works of Russian classics. There are never any indications or information about the surname of the serfs. Let's take for example " Dead souls» Gogol. There, peasants were listed by nicknames.
Naturally, the names for the families were not taken from anywhere. They were assigned according to certain characteristics. If now we don’t think about the roots and meaning, then before the generic nickname made sense. Sohow to find and find out the history of the origin of your last name - freea way to find out interesting details of the life of your ancestors, we suggest you study the most common options in Rus', which are still found in modified, and sometimes even in their original form:
- By analogy with animals: Lisitsyn, Medvedev, Khomyakov, Volkov, Kobylkin.
- By occupation: Stolyarov, Kuznetsov, Rybakov, Streltsov.
- At your place of residence or geographical names: Belozersky, Kareltsev, Sibiryak, Vyazemsky, Donskoy, Bryantsev.
- By the names of ancestors: Fedotov, Ivanov, Fedorov.
- By the name of the religious holidays during which the child was born: Preobrazhensky, Assumption, Blagoveshchensky.
- For household items that a person used in his work: Shilov, Spitsyn, Molotov.
- By external characteristics: Ryzhov, Krivtsov, Krivoshein, Sleptsov, Nosov, Belousov, Sedov.
- By home nicknames: Malyshev - baby, Menshikov - youngest child in the house.
- By nationality: Tatarinov, Ordyntsev (from the word “horde”), Nemchinov.
As you can see, having determined the origin of your surname, you can find out about the profession of your ancestors, what they did, who they were or where they were born. If you are the Tolmachevs, then there were once interpreters and translators in your family. Muromov's distant ancestors could have been born or lived in the city of Murom, while the Pobezhimovs' ancestors probably arranged an escape. This data may be useful to you in compiling your family's pedigree.
Very interesting phenomenon are the so-called seminary surnames. They arose much later, in the 17th century among representatives of the clergy. People also called them “priestly”, since they were worn mainly by clergy. They were created artificially, the priests explained this by saying that they wanted to be closer to the people. They were specially made to be harmonious and beautiful, which emphasized the special status of the wearer. They are formed mainly with the help of the suffixes skiy/-tskiy. Here are some of them:
- Aquilev
- Blagonadezhin
- Vetrinsky
- Bethlehem
- Damascene
- Demosthenes
- Euclidean
- Zlatoumov
- Kristallevsky
Their origin is based mainly on Latin words. Also found are the names of birds, animals and plants, the names of philosophers, clergy and saints. Often they are also transliterations of Russian names from Latin. Such surnames sound somewhat unnatural for our language and it is almost impossible to meet them today. However, if instead of the usual Russian language suffixes ov/-ev, in/-yn you have skiy/-tskiy, then most likely your ancestors belonged to the clergy.
Where to find out family history: determine the profession of ancestors by last name
When compiling a family tree, it is very important to know what your distant relatives did many centuries ago. Perhaps they did something very important for the state: they were war heroes, saved people, and were engaged in art. This could be an impetus for a future career and determination life path for yourself. Being inspired by the actions of your ancestors makes it much easier to find and understand your purpose. How to do this? Access to ancient archives, historical documents and chronicles is not available to everyone. Opportunities on the Internet are also limited, since there are no resources offering to find out the history of a family by surname for free online full list necessary information. In addition, it is not always reliable and there is no way to verify the data.
It is best for you to handle the task yourself. Listen to your last name, break it down into its component parts (prefix, root, suffix) and think about what word or phrase it came from. Here are the names of the representatives different professions and classes in Rus':
Merchants
Merchants have always been a privileged class and enjoyed honor and respect. Therefore, much earlier than ordinary people, they were awarded the right to bear surnames. Initially, this opportunity was provided only to influential and noble merchants of the highest guilds. The most famous of them:
- Bakhrushins
- Mamontovs
- Shchukins
- Ryabushinsky
- Demidovs
- Tretyakovs
- Eliseevs
- Soltadenkovs
Nobles
The etymology of this word means that this is a certain person located at the princely or royal court. Members of the class passed on their status by inheritance from generation to generation, and with it the surname of their ancestors.
- Ancient nobility who received title in the period before the second half XVII centuries: Scriabins, Eropkins.
- Nobles with the title of count, baron, prince, listed in genealogical books: Urusovs, Alabyshevs.
- Foreign nobility: surnames contain foreign language elements “de”, “von”, “von dem”.
Clergy
For clergy, surnames were most often used to designate the parish in which the priest worked: Uspensky, Voznesensky, Rozhdestvensky. Those who graduated from the seminary were assigned fictitious ones. The euphony depended on how diligent the student was. For example, someone who demonstrated outstanding academic success was given the surname Diamonds.
Service people
Those who were on public service, also enjoyed a special position and privileges from the sovereign. This is especially influenced by the fact that the rank of nobility could be obtained in the service. The appearance of such surnames dates back to the XVII - XVIII. They usually reflected the location of an employee or territory important battles and battles. These include:
- Kazantsev
- Bryantsev
- Moskovkin
- Kareltsev
Peasants
This class officially received surnames only after the revolution and the overthrow of the monarchy in the Russian Empire, although many rulers of the state made attempts to restore order with their nicknames. The serfs' surnames emphasized their short stature social status, most often associated with crafts and physical labor, as well as household equipment that was used for this:
- Melnikov
- Khomutov
- Sokhin
- Bochkarev
- Goncharov
- Brewers
- Cab drivers
- Karetin
- Basement
- Nebogatikov
- Bosyakov
If you find your last name on this list, it will be easier for you to understand what type of activity your ancestors had. This means that you have found the answer to one of the mysteries of your ancestry.
How to find and determine the origin of your surname yourself
If you are interested in in-depth independent searches and are committed to serious investigation, then you can make significant progress in the study of your ancestry. Here are tips to help you with this:
Find out more about genealogy
Very often, reading books and studying resources on this topic becomes a source of inspiration for your own research. Devote a few days to this, and then your work will become more orderly and conscious.
Purchase the necessary materials
It's difficult to keep all the information in your head. To make it more convenient for you to draw diagrams and record data, stock up on notepads and folders. You can even make a large table on a piece of Whatman paper indicating all the names of your close and distant relatives.
Dig through family archives
You probably have old documents at home: passports, birth certificates, certificates, extracts.
Get your relatives involved
Ask your parents, grandparents, what surnames were in your family. For women, it is especially important to find out their maiden names, which they had before marriage.
Getting to know your family history is a great opportunity to get together and feel the unity of family members.
Surnames derived from the names of animals - Volkov, Medvedev, Kozlov, Zaitsev, Orlov, Shchukin, Zhukov - are among the most common in Russia. There are many unusual stories associated with their appearance.
"Unclear" surnames
We are accustomed to believing that Russian surnames come either from the names of their ancestors - Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov, or from their occupation - Kuznetsov, Plotnikov, or from the name of the locality - for example, natives of the village of Penkovo and their descendants will be called Penkovs or Penkovskys.
But with surnames “in honor” of animals, birds, fish or insects, it’s somehow unclear. However, there are several versions of the origin of such surnames.
Surnames derived from pagan names
Genealogists believe that many “animal” surnames could come from secular names that were given to children in pre-Christian era. By giving the child the name of this or that animal, parents hoped that this would give him the traits inherent in this animal.
So, the name Bear was supposed to bestow strength, Wolf - courage, Fox - cunning, Boar - power and stubbornness, Goat - fertility, Crow - wisdom, Swan - beauty and fidelity, Nightingale - the ability to sing well. Subsequently, from these names came the Medvedevs, Volkovs, Lisitsyns, Kabanovs, Kozlovs, Voronins, Lebedevs, Solovyovs.
Also, the ancient Slavs believed that the “animal” name protects from evil spirits, and in addition, wild animals will accept a person who bears such a name as “one of their own” and will not harm him. Since in those days people were closer to nature than now, the main industries were hunting and fishing, the “protective” function of the name was very relevant. And in battle such a name “protected”.
“Not very beautiful transformations have occurred with many famous surnames, primarily animal and bird ones,” says M.B. Olenev, author of the work ““Animal”, “bird” and “fish” surnames of the Arkhangelsk region.” - From military totems, they have now been turned, thanks to the centuries-old struggle of Orthodoxy with paganism, into an object of ridicule. Nevertheless, ancient surnames live on.”
Surnames from nicknames
Often our ancestors noticed in humans some characteristic features, which became the basis for the nickname. So, a fidgety guy could be nicknamed Mukha, hence the common surname Mukhin. If a person’s gait resembled that of a goose, then he turned into Goose, and his descendants became Gusevs.
A nimble, nosy little man could be dubbed Sparrow, and he gave rise to the Vorobyov family. They could say about a dark-haired man that he was black as a jackdaw, and so the nickname Galka was assigned to him, from which the Galkins later came. The lanky fellow was nicknamed Crane and he became the founder of the Zhuravlevs. The cocky one became the Rooster, and his descendants - accordingly, the Roosters.
By the way, “animal” nicknames were worn by the founders of the Romanov family - the Moscow boyar of the times of Ivan Kalita Andrei Kobyla and one of his sons, Fyodor Koshka, a fairly prominent statesman of the 14th century.
In Old Russian chronicle code says: "And Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich sent Fyodor Koshka, the son of Andrei Kobyla, Ivan Udod and Selivan to them in Novgorod, and they secured peace in the old way and pledged to give the Grand Duke black forest from all the Novgorod volosts.” Among the descendants of Andrei Kobyla and Fyodor Koshka there are people with the surnames Kobylina and Koshkina.
Surnames by occupation
Oddly enough, the origin of “animal” surnames could also be connected with a person’s occupation. Thus, a fan of chasing pigeons was called Golub, and his descendants were subsequently given the surname Golubev.
If a person’s profession was related to falconry, then he himself received the nickname Falcon, and his descendants became Sokolovs. If a fisherman successfully caught pikes, ruffs, perches, and crucian carp, he received the appropriate nickname, which then turned into a surname - Shchukin, Ershov, Okunev, Karasev. A hunter of hares or bears could become, again, the ancestor of the Zaitsevs or Medvedevs.
"Spiritual" surnames
In theological seminaries, they tried to give students euphonious surnames. And often they were given in honor of some noble animals.
This is how, for example, the surnames Lvov, Leopardov, Panterovsky, Golubitsky, Lebedinsky appeared, although they are not so common in Russia. They have nothing to do with real animals or their characteristics - they are of artificial origin.