Find your namesake: why are there such similar names in different countries. Modern name book with recommendations on how to name a child

MUNICIPAL AUTONOMOUS INSTITUTION

GYMNASIUM No. 6

Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Territory

Linguistics Section

Comparative characteristics

proper names,

found in different European languages

Completed

Mzhachikh Anna Sergeevna,

4th grade student "A"

AU Gymnasium No. 6

Novorossiysk

Scientific supervisor:

Tsvetkova Galina Ivanovna,

primary school teacher

Novorossiysk - 2010

1. Introduction. Purpose and objectives of the study

2. Groups of names of different origins in the Russian language

3. Common origin of the group of names under consideration

4. Tables of consonant names

5. Slight differences in names due to language characteristics

6. Interesting examples similar names

7. Names fairy-tale heroes different nations

8. Conclusion

1. INTRODUCTION. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Studying English, communicating with the teacher in lessons, where students often call themselves by their name in English, reading books different writers and fairy tales of the peoples of the world, in which the main characters have names reminiscent of the names of heroes of works of Russian folklore and Russian writers, you can notice the consonance of male and female names.

Hypothesis. We assume that most modern male and female Russian names have their brothers and sisters in other languages. Apparently, many Russian names have analogues in other languages. Since the number and origin of names are very large and varied, we will try to consider the most frequently used names in Russian and European languages: English, French, German, Italian.

Purpose of the study – find the kinship and common origin of frequently used names in Russian and European languages, prove this with historical information, grammar, examples from literature, examples from life.

Research objectives:

1. study the literature on this issue,
2. create a table of name correspondences,
3. give examples,
4. draw conclusions about the common origin of names.

2. GROUPS OF NAMES OF DIFFERENT ORIGIN IN THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

In ancient times in Rus', people were given names that were understandable to all Russians, such as Wolf, Bear, or Lyudmila - dear to people, Vladimir - who owns the world.

Russia is a huge country, surrounded on different sides by completely different peoples and cultures. Among the names we use, there are many eastern names that came from Asia (Timur, Ruslan, Zemfira).

From the north, from cold and cloudy Scandinavia, the names Olga (in Scandinavia - Helga), Igor (Ingvar) were borrowed.

But there is an even larger group of names whose meaning is not clear. They are very familiar to us and seem completely ours, but in fact they are of foreign origin and came to us for the most part along with the Christian religion, which defeated pagan beliefs.Let's consider this group.

This christian names,and they came to us in the 10th century from Byzantium along with Orthodoxy. The Byzantine Empire was located between Europe and Asia. Newborn children were named according to church calendars (saints), in which each day of each month corresponded to the names of saints revered by the Russian Orthodox Church.

3. COMMON ORIGIN OF NAMES

Almost all of our frequently encountered names, which we have long been accustomed to consider Russian, were brought by Christianity to Rus' through Byzantium. The mighty Byzantine Empire had a huge influence on the entire world culture and religion. For our case, we can briefly say that many names were legalized there when they were recognized as church names, names of saints.

Late 10th century Kyiv prince Vladimir was looking for a strong ally against the steppe nomads who carried out devastating raids on Rus'. He saw such an ally in the person of the Byzantine emperor. To get help and cement the alliance, Prince Vladimir agreed to the baptism of Rus'. During baptism, it was necessary to replace the pagan name with a Christian one. From this time on, Ivans and Marys, Peters and Annas appeared in Rus'.

Where did Christian saints come to us from? From Rome and Greece, and therefore the names have Greek, Latin, Hebrew origin. That is why there is a correspondence of names in different languages different peoples, to whom Christianity also came through the Byzantine Empire.(For example: Russian Ivan - Polish Jan - French Jean - English John, German Johann, Hans).This can be seen in detail in the table.

In the languages ​​of those peoples where these names first appeared (usually Greek, Latin, and Hebrew), almost all of them had an exact meaning. When names passed from one language to another, their original meaning was lost (each word-name used to mean something specifically,for example, Anna is God’s grace, Maria is beloved, desired, Andrey is a man, Alexey is a protector). And these names became only proper names, that is, the names of saints, the names of people.

The main reason for the similarity of names of different peoples is their common source - the Christian religion. All of Europe (and America after it) also named their children according to church calendars. But the Orthodox world borrowed the names of Christian saints through Greek language, and Catholics and Protestants - through Latin. Therefore, the same name, which once belonged to one of the first Christian saints, sounds in Russian, slightly different from the English or French versions.

4. TABLES OF CONSONANT NAMES

The search for names and variants consonant with them is reflected in two tables. When we see these names next to each other, their similarity is clearly noticeable.

Table No. 1. Male names.

5. SMALL DIFFERENCES IN NAMES DUE TO LANGUAGE FEATURES

In French names, as in this language in general, the emphasis is on the last syllable. The German language is considered tough and firm - this is also noticeable in names. Italian names, in my opinion, are more joyful, musical, like their language, like the Italian people themselves. INIn many cases, names only seem different, but in fact they are one name pronounced in different languages, taking into account the linguistic peculiarities of these languages features.

MARFA MAR TH A (Martha)

AGAFYA – AGA TH A (Agatha)

But, studying the English language and the pronunciation of letter combinations, we can say that the combination of letters T.H. reads like something between the Russian sounds T and F. The result is Marfa and Agafya. It is interesting that the same name was borne by the English aristocrat - detective writer Agatha Christie and the Russian resident - hermit, descendant of the Old Believers, living in remote Siberia - Agafya Lykova.

6. INTERESTING EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR NAMES

To make it easier to imagine the common origin of names among very different people, consider interesting examples:

1.Very different people, lived in different times - the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach, the Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, the English rock musician from the Beatles John Lennon, the French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo - but they all have one thing in common common name– in the Russian version this is IVANY.

2. In Russia, before the New Year, we see Father Frost everywhere, and in the west it is Santa Claus. But if we literally translate these words into Russian, we get St. Nicholas, and we remember St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This is confirmed by the legend about people who are identical in their actions and kindness - Santa Claus and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Once upon a time, on Christmas Day, poor people found sweets, apples and children's toys at the doors of their houses. They didn't know who was leaving them. One Christmas Eve they managed to catch a man with a large bag full of apples. It was Saint Nicholas, or, in English, Santa Claus.

There is such a legend. Hearing that a bankrupt resident was planning to sell his daughters due to extreme poverty, Saint Nicholas helped the family. At night he secretly threw three bags of gold into the garden and saved everyone from hunger and death. Since then, a bag of gifts has become an attribute of Santa Claus.

And in our country, such a kind and miracle-working person is St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - Christiansaint. Nicholas the Wonderworker became known for his kindness, especially to children.

And the date of commemoration of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is December 19, which is just before Christmas and the New Year.

3. In the Russian version of the lovers, a young man and a girl from the tragedy English writer Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet might have been called Roman and Julia.

4. Let us remember from the fairy tale about Pinocchio the cunning and intelligent Cat Basilio. And in Rus' many cats were called Vaska.

5. If we consider the fantastic version of the birth of Michael Jackson in Russia, then his name would be Mikhail Yakovlev. And here you can see his last name Jackson.

In English, there are often surnames that are very similar to given names, for example, Jackson, Johnson, Nicholson. And the word SON is translated Son. I had an idea that the surname Jackson was like an old patronymic, from a time when there were no surnames. In Rus' it was - Ivan Petrovich, that is, Ivan, Petrov's son. And Jackson is Jack's son.

7. NAMES OF FAIRY-TALE HEROES OF DIFFERENT PEOPLES

For this study, we can recall well-known fairy tales with the main characters - girls named Marya (Russian folk tales about Marya the artist, Marya the beauty-long braid), Marie ( Hoffmann's fairy tale "The Nutcracker"), Mary Poppins ( fairy tale by the English writer Pamela Travers “Mary Poppins, goodbye!”). All three heroines have one name in common. But people and authors from different countries endowed them with beauty and similar character traits - intelligence, kindness, hard work, beautiful appearance.

The name IVAN has become one of the favorite male names at all times and in all countries. There are so many fairy tales about him, where at first Ivanushka is not very lucky, he is not very lucky, not very rich. But his natural intelligence, kindness, ingenuity, and golden hands at the end of fairy tales help him become a real hero, defeat his enemies, help his friends and the poor, and find his love.

Hans Christian Andersen "Fool Hans"

English folk tale "The Peddler's Dream" (hero John)

French folk tale "The Devil's Castle" (hero Jean)

Brothers Grimm "Clever Hans"

Lots of Russians folk tales about Ivanushka

7. CONCLUSION

Why are the names that arose in different countries, turned out so similar? Knowledge of history helps answer this question.

Historians have long noticed that different cultures follow a similar path in their development. Therefore, different peoples have the same rituals, beliefs, fairy tales. This also applies to names.

The commonality of names was facilitated by communication between people from different countries - foreign governesses have long been invited, children were and are sent to foreign schools. Often young people want to be like their idol and call themselves by his name, which is similar to the Russian version. It’s good when in any country you can introduce yourself in a way that foreigners can understand and beautiful name, but at the same time know for sure that this is your name.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL LIST

1. www.imena.ru
2. www.kurufin.narod.ru
3. en.wikipedia.org
4. www.nikola-ygodnik.narod.ru
5. Vladimir Tanich “The history of our names: the amazing adventures of foreigners in Russia” (Journal “9 months” No. 11-2001)
6. Vladimir Tanich “Does a name influence fate?”

Abkhazia has been influenced by various cultures since ancient times. Representatives of many nationalities lived on its territory. This influenced the formation of Abkhaz names. And yet the Abkhazians remain faithful to their national names.

There are still many controversial issues in the history of the Albanian people; even the meaning of a certain part of the ancient names remains unknown. However, Albanians remain true to their names, receiving a powerful charge of positive energy from them.

How American names different from the names of other English-speaking countries? Why is it so difficult for a foreigner to understand who, a man or a woman, we are talking about? How can we explain so many female names associated with flowers? What else do the names of America say?

Thanks to widespread English language all over the world, wealth English literature – english names quite familiar to our ears. Moreover, there is some similarity between them and Russian names - the melody of pronunciation and the formation of diminutive forms. As in many other languages, the history of the origin of English names became a reflection of historical processes that took place in England.

Traditional Arabic names very complex. Each element of such a name has a strictly designated purpose. A classic Arabic name can tell a lot of interesting things about its bearer. What is the meaning of modern Arabic names?

National Armenian names, of course, are the symbol that allows representatives of this ancient people maintain their national unity.

Some ancient Armenian names that have survived to this day appeared in the pre-Christian era. These are the names pagan gods(Haik, Anahit, Vahagn), names of Armenian kings and military leaders (Tigran, Ashot, Gevorg). Many names, both male and female, were formed from the names of various objects, abstract concepts, plants and animals. They call positive emotions– Arevik (sun), Vard (rose), Gohar (diamond), Mkhitar (consolation), Makrui (clean). A special group of names is associated with religion - Arakel (apostle), Sbrui (saint), Mktich (baptist).

Among the foreign names in the Armenian name book, the most are Persian and biblical borrowings - Suren, Gurgen, Movses (Moses), Soghomon (Solomon). During the Soviet period, Armenians willingly called children Russian names, reinterpreting them in their own way - Valod, Volodik (Vladimir), Serozh, Serzhik (Sergei). This is how they are written in official documents. In the last century, Armenians became fashionable for Western European names. Henry, Edward, Hamlet and Juliet can still be found among Armenians today.

Talking briefly about African names is not an easy task. After all, Africa is a huge continent inhabited different peoples. Nowadays, there are more than three thousand tribal and clan groups that have different traditions, religions, languages, morals, and customs.

African Americans, descendants of slaves taken from Africa several centuries ago, for a long time did not have the opportunity to choose a name for a child “by the call of blood.” They were called by biblical names from the Old Testament. Now they are returning their native national names.

The Aztec culture lasted only 300 years and was swept away by the Spanish conquerors. But thanks to his bright personality and tragic story, it still excites the imagination. Mysterious names The Aztecs contribute to this to a large extent.

The Bible is the most read and most quoted book in the world. Therefore, each of us is familiar with the names mentioned in it. But few people thought about the meaning of these ancient names. But all the biblical male and female names have a deep meaning and contain quite a lot full description about their first bearers. First of all, this concerns Hebrew names. In classical Hebrew, words have hidden content and are associated with the essence of objects and phenomena. The similarity between the essence of a person and the name he bears distinguishes many biblical names.

Perhaps no Slavic people has preserved as many ancient names as in Bulgaria. The history of the origin of most Bulgarian names has Slavic roots - Zhivko (living), Iveylo (wolf), Lyuben (love), Iskra, Rositsa (dew), Snezhana (snow woman). Two-part names are still very popular - Krasimir, Lyubomir, Vladimir, Borislava, Desislava. Favorite national names are found in the most different options, many new names are formed from the same root. For example, “zora” (zorya, star) – Zoran, Zorana, Zorina, Zorka, Zoritsa. And how many “joyful” names are there - Radan, Radana, Radko, Radka, Radoy, Radoil, Radostin and simply Radost.

When we talk about Holland, we invariably remember tulips, mills, cheese and, of course, Dutch surnames, which are easily recognizable all over the world by the prefixes -van, -van der, -de. And few people know that names in the Netherlands not only appeared much earlier than surnames, but are still more important for the Dutch.

Irina, Alexey, Tamara, Kirill, Alexander, Polina and many other names have become so familiar, “ours”, that it’s hard to believe in their “overseas” origin. Meanwhile, these are names born before our era and imbued with the spirit ancient Hellas. We can say with complete confidence that Greek names are the soul of the people. For example, many male Greek names reflect the idea of ​​the inevitability of fate, and their male bearers in our time not only see the “hand of providence” in all events, but are also ready to fight circumstances and are not afraid of the intensity of passions.

The mystical power and enormous popularity of Greek names lies in their origin story. Some of them originate from ancient mythology - Aphrodite, Odysseas, Pinelopi. Others are associated with Christian values ​​- Georgios, Vasilios. Hebrew and Latin names easily adapted to Greek pronunciation - Ioannis, Konstantinos. Most male and female ancient Greek names had an analogue of the opposite sex, some forms have survived to this day - Eugene-Eugene, Vasily-Vasilisa.
Greek names are surprisingly melodic and characterized by positive energy - Eleni (bright), Partheonis (chaste), Chryseis (golden). In the rich nomenclature of the Greeks, there was also a place for foreign borrowings, which had to slightly change their sound, for example, Robertos. And each official name has a colloquial form (Ioannis-Yannis, Emmanuel-Manolis).

Meaning large group ancient Georgian names are associated with the languages ​​of numerous ethnographic groups of Georgians - Khevsurs, Pshavs, Imeretians, Mingrelians, Svans, Gurians. Folk names were formed from various concepts and common nouns.

Dagestan is a country of mountains. This small territory is inhabited by Avars, Dargins, Kumyks, Lezgins, Chechens and other mountain peoples who speak more than thirty languages. But, despite such a number of languages, the name system of all Dagestan peoples is largely the same.

Jewish names have a special history, and it is connected with difficult fate of this ancient people.
Most of the ancient Jewish names have survived to this day thanks to their mention in the Old Testament. There are more than two thousand of them in the Bible. Many male names were formed from various names of God - Michael, Tsurishaddai, Yohanan. Sometimes theophoric names mean entire concepts - Israel (God-fighter), Elnatan (God gave).
Not all biblical names have religious connotations. Like many other peoples, a separate group of Jewish names highlights some attribute of a person - Yedida (sweet), Barzilai (hard as iron) or correlates with plants and animals - Rachel (sheep), Tamar (palm tree), Deborah (bee) ).

Even in Old Testament times, Jews had names borrowed from languages neighboring peoples. The Chaldeans “gave” Bebai and Atlay to the Jews, and the Babylonians - Mordechai. In Jewish families one could find Greek and Roman names - Antigonus, Julius. And Alexander, popular in many countries, became Sender among the Jews.
As Jews became scattered throughout the world, some Hebrew names were forced to adapt to the indigenous languages. In Arab countries, Abraham turned into Ibrahim, David into Daud. In Georgia, Yosef became Joseph, in Western Europe, Moshe became Moises. In Russia, many Jews used Russian names, which were close in pronunciation to traditional Jewish names - Boris-Berl, Grigory-Gersh, Lev-Leib. And such ancient Jewish names as Sarah, Dina, Solomon, Anna, Tamara, Elizabeth, Zakhar have long become international.

Many Indians name their children with names or epithets of gods. This is how they invoke divine mercy on their child. But in addition to the personal name, there is also a collective name. How can one determine the caste affiliation of a resident of India using this name?

At the end of the last century spanish names literally poured into our lives from television screens. The craze for Mexican and Brazilian TV series has led to Russia having its own Luis-Alberto, Dolores and, of course, “just Maria.” It’s no wonder that some Russian parents liked the exotic names, as if filled with the hot sun. Another question is how such a Luis Alberto lives among the Pets and Fedorovs.

It remains a mystery whether it is the life-loving Italians who make their names so attractive, or whether the Italian name endows its bearers with positive energy. One way or another, but Italian names have a special charm and warmth. Perhaps the secret is that almost all Italian names end with a vowel. This gives them melodiousness and melody.

Most Italian names have ancient origin. Latin names were a distinctive sign of a person - Flavio (blond), Luca (who came from Lucania). Commoners received names derived from the titles of their owners - Tessa (countess), Regina (queen). Names such as Elena, Ippolito were borrowed from myths Ancient Greece, and Western European peoples enriched the Italian nomenclature with their names, rearranged in the Italian way - Arduino, Teobaldo.

Christianity not only brought some Hebrew and Arabic names to the Italians, but also forbade calling children “barbarian” names. The name for the newborn could only be chosen from the Catholic calendar, and the same names in the same family were repeated from generation to generation. This was due to the fact that children were traditionally named after their maternal and paternal ancestors. This custom has survived to this day. It led to the appearance of many derivative names in the Italian nomenclature. For example, Antonio - Antonello, Antonino, Giovanna - Giovanella, Ianella, Janella.

In any Kazakh family, the birth of a child is a big holiday. Therefore, the choice of a name for a newborn has always been treated with responsibility. Traditionally, the name was chosen by the grandfather or a respected person so that the baby would grow up to be a worthy person.

Modern Azerbaijani names are diverse in their origin and meaning. In religious families, children are most often called by Muslim names. By folk tradition children are given the names of respected people, outstanding figures, literary heroes.

Chinese names are called personal characteristics a person, distinguish him from the numerous members of the collective name. Traditionally, male Chinese names celebrate masculine character traits, military prowess, and intelligence. What do women's names emphasize?

Classic male Roman names were a reflection of the way of life and traditions of Ancient Rome. All of them consisted of at least two parts - a personal and family name. Sometimes personal nicknames or names of branches of the main genus were added to them.

The name for Lithuanians at all times was keyword to determine a person's identity. In ancient times, each of the Lithuanian names had its own individual meaning. If the name given at birth did not fit with the character or behavior of its bearer, then a nickname was chosen for him, reflecting internal and external qualities - Juodgalvis (black-headed), Majulis (small), Kupryus (humpbacked), Vilkas (wolf), Jaunutis (young).

Muslim names are a special layer of names that are permitted by Sharia law. Most of them are of Arabic origin, but there are names with Turkic and Persian roots.

In Muslim countries, there are certain rules that are strictly observed when choosing a name for a child. Allah has 99 names, but man cannot bear the name of God. Therefore, the prefix “abd” (slave) is added to names - Abdullah (slave of Allah). The names of prophets and their companions are traditionally popular among Muslims - Muhammad, Isa, Musa. At the same time, Shiites do not recognize the names of the caliphs who came to power after the Prophet Muhammad (Umar), and Sunnis do not name children after the names of Shiite imams (Jawad, Kazim). Naturally, everything said concerns male Muslim names.

Women's Muslim names captivate with their melody. According to custom, names for girls should delight the ear with a harmonious sound and emphasize the beauty and virtues of the fair sex. Women are compared to flowers (Yasmine-jasmine), the moon (Ayla-lunar-like), and their external attractiveness is highlighted (Alsu-beautiful). But the most popular Muslim female names remain the names of the mother of the Prophet Isa - Maryam, the wives and daughters of the Prophet Muhammad - Aisha, Fatima, Zeinab.

In German families, when choosing a name for a newborn, simple rules are strictly followed. The name must indicate gender and cannot be fictitious. Indeed, why invent non-existent names when there is already a large selection. Moreover, the law does not limit the number of registered names, and some parents give up to ten of them to their beloved child. Moreover, short forms of the name, for example, Katya, can be considered official.

The oldest German names appeared before our era. As in other languages, they described the virtues and characteristics of a person - Adolf (noble wolf), Karl (brave), Ludwig (famous in battle). There are only a few such names left in modern German, about two hundred. From the second half of the 8th century, Christian names gradually began to gain more and more popularity. Children are increasingly called by biblical names of Hebrew, Greek or Roman origin. At the same time, proper German names associated with religion appeared - Gotthold (power of God).

The close ties of the Germans with other peoples brought borrowings from languages ​​into German culture Western Europe and even the Russian language. German parents give their children the names of famous actors and show business stars. Nowadays in Germany, original foreign names often become popular, which do not always comply with the laws of German spelling. So, Gertrude is next to Natasha, and Hans is next to Lucas. But traditional German names have always “won” over extravagant inclusions.

The history of the origin of Polish names, like others Slavic peoples, has its roots in the pre-Christian era. Early Polish names arose from common nouns, which were essentially nicknames for people - Wilk (wolf), Kowal (blacksmith), Goly (naked). A child was often named in honor of a deceased relative, so some names were passed down from generation to generation and became entrenched in the popular name book. The division of society into classes singled out the nobility. In this environment, names formed from two components (Vladislav, Kazimir) became popular, which are still found in our time.

IN Ancient Rome the attitude towards names was more than serious. There was even a saying: “Names are not to be made public.” Therefore, the Roman priests avoided pronouncing the names of the patron gods of Rome - enemies would recognize these names and lure the gods to themselves. And slaves did not have the right to tell the name of their master to a stranger.

The vast majority of Russian names, so familiar to our ears, actually do not have Slavic roots. They appeared in Russian names during the period of the establishment of Christianity in Rus'. And, oddly enough, the original Slavic names were almost completely forced out of use. What did our distant ancestors call each other?

The pagan Slavs lived in harmony with nature, believed in the existence of souls in plants and animals, and endowed mystical power natural phenomena. The name served not only to distinguish people. It was and personal amulet, and human characteristics. To ward off “evil spirits,” the child was often given an unsightly name - Crooked, Zloba. The affectionate name that the parents called the child was kept secret so that no one could use it to spoil the baby. As a teenager, when some of his personal qualities, a new name was assigned. Children were called names from the plant and animal world (Wolf, Nut). IN large families the name indicated the order of birth - Pervak, Nine. The names assessed the personality and appearance of their bearers - Durak, Krasava, Malusha. Old Slavic names and nicknames have long disappeared from use, but at one time they became the basis for the formation of surnames - Volkov, Durakov, Karasin.

Ancient names, consisting of two stems, which were originally the privilege of princely families, continue to live in modern world- Yaroslav, Svyatoslav, Miroslava. Already in Christian Rus', the female names Vera, Nadezhda and Lyubov, popular at all times, were born. This is a direct translation of the Greek words pistis, elpis and agape (faith, hope, love). The Slavic names Olga, Oleg, Igor were included in the calendar, their use was legalized by the church.

Serbs are a South Slavic people who, despite the centuries-long domination of the Ottoman Empire, were able to maintain national culture and language. Serbian names testify to this. The history of the origin of most Serbian names has Slavic roots.

The warlike nature of the numerous tribes that inhabited the lands of Scandinavia in ancient times left its mark on the origin and meaning of most Scandinavian names. Even the custom of naming itself was quite harsh - the father had every right to recognize the newborn as a member of the family and give him a name in honor of his ancestors or abandon the baby.
Many ancient Scandinavian names are derived from common nouns that name distinctive features of a person, names of animals, objects, or abstract concepts. Such nicknames could change as a new individual characteristic appeared.

The rich mythology of the Scandinavians also could not remain aloof from the peculiar “fashion” for names - children were willingly named after mythical heroes. Even women's names often had a menacing connotation - Hilda (battle), Ragnhild (battle of the defenders). Most of these names have two stems, which makes them similar to the ancient Slavic names - Vigmarr (glorious war), Alfhild (battle of the elves).
The adherence of the Scandinavian peoples to their national names, which came from time immemorial, is worthy of respect. Even the spread of Christianity and the power of the church could not supplant patriarchal names. In the Middle Ages, a child could generally be baptized under any pagan name. Even later, the baptismal name remained secret, and in everyday life people used familiar old names. And representatives of the military elite even called only illegitimate children by Christian names.

Soviet names that have become fashionable among residents Soviet Union in the first half of the twentieth century, they amaze with their “originality”. It is impossible to imagine that now anyone would want to name their son Uryuvkos or Jarek. What do these names mean?

It so happened that the Tatar people “responded” to almost every historical event by forming or borrowing new names.
Pagan names were common to everyone Turkic peoples roots. Usually they indicated belonging to one or another clan and social status people - Ilbuga (homeland of the bull), Arslan (lion), Altynbike (golden princess).

In the 10th century, Islam began to spread among the ancestors of today’s Tatars, and Arabic and Persian names became stronger in the Tatar name book. Some of them undergo changes to adapt to Tatar language- Gabdulla, Gali. Women's ones are still especially popular today. Tatar names Arabic origin. They are filled with positive energy and have a melodic sound - Latifa (beautiful), Valiya (saint).
IN Soviet era There was no longer a need to name children only by Muslim names; ancient names of Turkic-Bulgar origin - Aidar, Chulpan, Bulat - reappeared in everyday life. And outdated names (Chanysh, Bikmulla) were replaced by new ones - Leysan, Azat. In many Tatar families, children began to be called by European and Slavic names - Svetlana, Marat, Rosa, Eduard.

Tatar names huge amount. Their diversity is associated not only with extensive borrowing, but with creative imagination Tatar people. This was manifested in the formation of new names with components from different languages ​​- Zhantimer (Persian-Turkic-Tatar), Shahnazar (Arabic-Persian). Female analogues of male names appeared - Ilhamiya, Farida. Despite the fact that the meanings of many Tatar names are difficult to determine, they are remembered for their beauty and originality.

In the Turkish naming book, names of various origins and meanings occupy a worthy place. In Muslim families, they try to name their children by the names mentioned in the Koran. Folk names have beautiful sound and interesting meaning.

Turkic names are an ancient mirror that reflects the Turkic ideas about the world, their way of life, and relationships in society. Names tell about the warlike character of their bearers, who the Turks worshiped, and what character traits they valued.

Uzbek names amaze with their diversity, bizarre construction patterns and multifaceted meanings. To some, these names may seem exotic and unusual. Their true meaning becomes clear if we consider the history of the origin of Uzbek names as a reflection of the way of life, traditions and customs of the people.

Ukrainian names differ little from Russian and Belarusian names and have a similar history of origin. This is explained by the historical community of the East Slavic peoples, close traditions and a common faith.

The history of the origin of ancient Finnish names is closely connected with the Finns’ subtle perception of nature. In the old days, names were formed from the names of objects and phenomena of the surrounding world - Ilma (air), Kuura (frost), Villa (grain), Suvi (summer). Until the 16th century, the Finns did not have their own written language, and the Finnish language was considered the language of the common people until the middle of the 19th century. Folk names were passed on from mouth to mouth, forgotten over time, and were replaced by new names borrowed from other peoples.

Oh, these luxurious ones French names! How mesmerizing they were Russian society in the 19th century. All you had to do was change the name a little and put the emphasis on the last syllable, and the rustic Masha turned into the sophisticated Marie, and the bumpkin Vasya into the aristocrat Basil. At the same time, few people knew that French names, in fact, are “foreigners” in their homeland. Their origin is related to historical events, which led to numerous borrowings from the name books of various ancient tribes and peoples.

Since ancient times, on the territory of France, the population has used Celtic (Bridget, Alain-Alain), Greek and Hebrew names (Dion, Eva). The Romans left their family names (Marc, Valerie) as a “legacy” to the French. And after the German invasion, German names appeared in the name book (Alphonse, Gilbert). In the 18th century, the Catholic Church prohibited naming children with names not included in the Catholic naming calendar. The choice of names for French newborns has become limited, and borrowing has ceased.
In modern France, these restrictions have been lifted, and parents are free to choose any name they like for their child. Foreign names have become popular again - Tom, Lucas, Sarah. The French are quite warm towards Russian names, using them in a short form. Calling a little French girl Tanya or Sonya is especially chic. How to pronounce in Russia Russian name with a "French accent".

Gypsies living in different countries not only preserve their traditions, but also have to adapt to different cultures and languages. This determines the complex system of gypsy names and the history of their origin. In the modern world, every Roma has an official first and last name, registered in their passport in full accordance with the laws and customs of the country of residence. But along with the official name, it is customary for Gypsies to have their own, Gypsy, “internal” or “secular” name. “Secular” names can be divided into proper Gypsy names, foreign names adapted to Gypsy culture, and directly borrowed names from other languages.

Nowadays, the vast majority of Chechens try to adhere to established traditions when choosing a name for a child. 90% of modern Chechen names are of Arabic origin. At the same time, borrowed Russian and Western names, mostly female, sometimes “penetrate” the Chechen name book. Some of them are even short form names - Lisa, Sasha, Zhenya, Raisa, Tamara, Rosa, Louise, Zhanna.

The history of the origin of Scottish names is like a mosaic. Each period of the difficult, eventful life of the Scottish people left its mark on the names. The most ancient population of Scotland - the legendary Picts, representatives of the Celtic tribes (Scotts and Gaels), Roman conquerors - all of them influenced the composition and meaning of Scottish names.

The Yakuts have always been very responsible when choosing a name for a child. Their names became the parents' wish to see their children strong, healthy and happy. If the name did not match the character or appearance, the person received a new name.

The choice of names for newborns is unlimited. Parents can create any name for their child. The main thing is that you can only use permitted hieroglyphs, of which there are about two thousand. How did the ancient samurai clan influence the formation of new names?

The word "surname" in Latin means "family". In the general understanding, it is a generic name that indicates the origin of a person from a certain family, which traces its history back to a common ancestor.

In ancient Rome, the word “family” meant a collective of people, consisting of a family of masters and their slaves. For quite a long time the use of this word had a similar meaning in Russia and European countries. Even in the 19th century, some serfs were given the surname of their lord. A little later, the word surname acquired the basic meaning that is official today.

Each surname consists of a main part, which has a lexical reflection of the past, and is supplemented for euphony with suffixes, prefixes and endings.

The endings usually form adjectival forms, indicating masculine or feminine gender.

Often the ending of a surname is perceived as a stereotype to determine the ethnicity of its owner. It is worth noting that the ending is an unstable part of the word, which may undergo changes over time.

In turn, prefixes in some surnames are an integral part of them. They usually indicate the aristocratic origin of their wearer. They can be written either together or separately with the main part of the family word.

A short list of the use of prefixes in different countries:

• Ter(Armenia) – translated as “lord” or “owner”. This title is placed before the family name and shows the relationship of its owner to the highest Armenian aristocracy or the family of a clergyman.
• Background And Tsu– used in Germany.
• Wang(used in the Netherlands) - is considered a sign of noble origin and shows a geographical relationship to a particular area.
• De, Du And Dez(France) - indicate noble origin.
• ABOUT", Poppy, Le– used in Ireland.
• La And De- used in Italy.
• Du, Yes, Shower– used in Brazil and Portugal.

In a number of Slavic languages, due to morphological features, masculine and female surnames differ from each other in their shape. In Lithuanian, the surname form is different for men, unmarried and married women. In turn, in the Irish language patronymics are used as surnames, which are formed differently for women and men.

The modern understanding of surnames appeared quite late. It was associated with the emergence of the need to regulate inheritance. First it was introduced in Italy, then the process of formation spread to France, England, Germany and Sweden.

In Russia, the emergence of surnames began with nicknames that were common in Novgorod lands from the 14th century. They were not in general use and became legal only in the 16th century. At first, only boyars and princes had surnames, then they appeared among merchants and nobles. Among the peasants, surnames were established only after the abolition of serfdom.

Most Russian surnames are formed from given names and nicknames. So, for example, Fedor - Fedorov's son - Fedorov or Sidor - Sidorov's son - Sidorov. Less commonly, the origin of the surname was associated with the name of the area (Priozersky from Priozersk). Some surnames originated from the person’s occupation (for example, Rybakov from fisherman). So each surname has its own meaning and history.

According to Russian tradition, when married, a woman usually takes the surname of her chosen one. If necessary, she has the right to keep her maiden name or take a double surname (her own and her husband’s), which will be written with a hyphen. Children are usually given their father's last name. If a woman is not married, then her child can be registered under her last name.

In Spain, double surnames are often used, consisting of the father's surname and the mother's surname. In Portugal, in a double surname, the first is the mother's surname, and the second is the father's.

With the advent of Soviet power, the Azerbaijani surnames of many people underwent changes. The endings "ogle", "zade" or "li" were changed to "ov" and "ev" (for example, Mamedli - Mamedov). After Azerbaijan became independent, many decided to return the original historical form of their surnames.

In Germany, surnames appeared in the Middle Ages. One of the components of the surname was the title of nobility, the name of the estate or possession.

In Sweden, until almost the twentieth century, almost all citizens did not have surnames that would be passed on from generation to generation. At birth, the child received the father's patronymic, to which the corresponding prefix was added. The law requiring a permanent surname was adopted in this country only in 1901.

Regarding Jewish surnames, then they are very diverse. A significant part of them reflects the migration path of this people. Many Jews, after their expulsion in 1492 from Portugal and Spain, retained the traditional ending of the country where they lived. Some have surnames that reflect their life in Germany. For Jews living in the Caucasus or Central Asia, the origin of surnames is related to the characteristics local dialect or Hebrew roots. There are also a number of surnames associated with the Hebrew language.

In Armenian, the word surname means family name. Despite this, the name of the genus did not immediately appear in the existing perception. Residents of this state lived for a long time in small isolated groups and there was no need to officially assign a surname. If in one settlement there were several people with the same name, then they were distinguished from each other by whose grandchildren they were. Another identification option was nicknames, which reflected some feature of a particular person. Most of the surnames were formed with the arrival of Christianity in Armenia, which was adopted in the 4th century. Some Armenian surnames have inherited Turkish, Armenian and Persian elements. The need for surnames appeared with the development of Armenia and the emergence of cities on its territory. First names appeared among the representatives high society, and then among the peasants.

China has its own system of naming people, which is typical for all East Asian countries. Although there are about seven hundred Chinese surnames, most people in China use only twenty of them. Almost all Chinese surnames are written with one character, and only a few with two. The most common Chinese surnames are Wang, Jang and Li. Women in this country, when getting married, most often leave their last name, and their children are given their husband's last name.

When writing a Chinese first and last name in Russian, a space is usually placed between them. The Chinese naming system also operates in Korea and Vietnam. There are quite small lists of variants of surnames, such as Baijiaxing, which means “Hundred surnames”.

In some countries, the surname is not considered a necessary part of a person's full name. For example, in Iceland the surname is actually the patronymic. A similar system was previously popular in other Scandinavian countries.

It is worth noting that Burmese, Tibetans, Amharas and some other nationalities traditionally do not have surnames.

Islamic theologian Sheikh Muhammad Saleh al-Munajjid, after analyzing religious texts, compiled a detailed list of names that should not be given to Muslim children.

1. In particular, it is undesirable if a person’s name does not correspond to his nationality and the social environment in which he lives. This can create problems for the person himself.

2. Dissonant names often cause ridicule, which can negatively affect the worldview of their bearers.

3. Girls' names should not have an erotic meaning, otherwise they may develop false stereotypes in behavior. The undesirable ones include: Mignaj (playful, flirtatious), Faten (charming, seductive), Gada (attractive gait), Visal (sexy) and some others.

The name Asia (rebellious, wayward) is also not suitable, since it can affect the girl’s behavior: “Since my parents named me that, they want me to be like that.”

4. Muslim theologians also do not approve of the custom of giving children names in honor of famous actors, singers, and musicians. They consider it unworthy to worship someone like an idol. It is especially bad if the idol leads an “unrighteous” lifestyle, because the child can take an example from such a person.

5. You should not name children after political figures who have tarnished their reputation, as well as pharaohs. Ancient Egypt and past rulers guilty of crimes against entire nations.

6. Names indicating any sin or crime are also undesirable. For example, Sarrak (thief) or Zalim (tyrant, despot).

7. If the name is common among representatives of peoples, the majority of whom do not profess Islam, then it is also not suitable. Like John, Ivan, Jean, Juan, Johan or Giovanni.

8. Some people may name their child after an animal or bird. This is acceptable if we are talking about underlining positive qualities certain representatives of the fauna: courage, strength, wisdom, nobility. But you should not use animal names that could be perceived as an insult. For example, Teis (goat) or Khimar (donkey), etc.

9. Male names that end in “al-Islam” or “ad-din” (religion) are considered by Muslim theologians to be too boastful and immodest. They do not recommend that people exalt their sons: after all, men themselves must show their best qualities, then others will respect them.

For example, the following names are undesirable: Ziyauddin (shine of religion), Nuruddin (light of religion), Zahabuddin (gold of religion), Nurulislam (light of Islam), Saifulislam (sword of Islam), Naseruddin (helper of religion), Masuddin (diamond of religion) Muhyiddin (revitalizing religion), etc.

10. Names with other endings can also be immodest. Thus, Barra (the pious), Abid (the worshiper) or Taqi (the God-fearing) sometimes do not correspond to their bearers, as do Hakim al-Hukkam (the ruler of rulers), Sittunnisa (the mistress of all women), Shahinshah (the Shah of all Shahs).

11. According to some theologians, children should not be named after angels: Jabrail, Israfil, Mikail and others. The Iranian name Fereshta (angel) is also undesirable, as is Malyak, which means “angel” in Arabic.

11. Naming children after famous surahs of the Koran (Yasin, Taha, Hamim) is also not correct, according to theologians.

Every person receives a name at birth. Long before a child is born, parents think about what they will name it. Why is this so important? Of course, a name distinguishes one person from another. But still, by giving a name to a child, we change something in him. To the date of birth and biological characteristics that were combined in the new person by the will of fate, we want to add a wish, parting words, the first gift - a name. Does it affect the fate of the newborn? Even someone who considers himself a convinced materialist cannot help but admit that he has an influence. So people have always tried to understand exactly how this happens. This was done not only by astrologers, but also by representatives of other occult teachings.

This may surprise the reader, but proper names have long been the subject of study. After all, a word, like any sound, has a wave nature and directly affects the human brain. A name is a word that a person hears throughout his life more often than other words. Therefore, naturally, it has a direct impact on the development and formation of personality, on his perception of reality, and even on his appearance, and as a result - on his fate.

Every citizen has a first name, last name and patronymic. The name has a social meaning, determining the status of a person by its form. Addresses by first name, first name and patronymic, last name show different roles of a person in society and reflect different attitudes towards him. Each form sounds different and has its own shade of meaning. All this, and more, is something parents who are choosing a name for their child should seriously think about.

In this book you will find a lot of useful information that will help you choose a name for your child. If you have a materialistic perception of the world, you can choose a name based on its historical roots, euphony and impact on perception. If you believe in astrology and numerology, you can choose a name using the recommendations of the most famous astrologers. Believers will be able to use the name day calendar and choose a name using the Saints.

The reader learns about names in other cultures, the history of their origins and their unusual kinship. After reading the book, you will understand how close people of different cultures are to each other, how intertwined the destinies of all people and their names were in human history. Of course, this will allow you to make a good choice and give your child a worthy gift.

The book also contains a lot of practical information, for example, how to change your first and last name, how names sound in different languages. It may be useful not only for choosing a name for a child, but it may well become a fascinating and useful read for absolutely everyone.

Fate and name

History of names

Proper names were identified in ancient times. Of course, it is impossible to find witnesses who would confirm this, but even the Stoic philosopher Chrysippus (c. 280-208/205 BC) identified names as a separate group of words. Today, anthroponymy (“anthropos” - person, “onym” - name) is studying the proper names of people, the patterns of their origin and development, their structure, functioning in society, and distribution. People's proper names are called anthroponyms.

People have always been given names. There are many legends and traditions about how they arose. Here is one of them. In ancient times, when the Higher Mind gave speech to people, there was one language. Every word reflected inner essence things. Anyone who knew a word gained power over what it meant. Chaos arose in the world because people could not decide who would govern and who would obey. Then the priests came up with other words for everything in the world in order to prevent the uninitiated from using the true names of things for evil. Higher knowledge turned out to be beyond the reach of man. As a result, different languages ​​arose, and true language was hidden and then almost completely lost. This is what is said about language, words and names in the legends of many nations. The same thing happened with people's names.

People now had to come up with names themselves. Moreover, in many cultures, a child was given two names - one close to the real one and a second one, for general use, so that no one could, knowing the real name, harm the child. Our distant ancestors understood that a name is not just the name of a person to distinguish him from others, but a kind of verbal formula that is somehow connected with the fate of a person and power over him. They tried to use it in different ways.

In Indian and some African tribes They gave repulsive names in order to ward off evil spirits. Once upon a time it was believed that only the person himself and his parents should know his real name. In Indian tribes, a 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. Old Indian shamans say that often this name could not be pronounced with normal sounds, it existed only as a mixture of image and sound.

The ancient Greeks gave a child the names of gods and heroes, hoping that the child would enjoy their favor and inherit their qualities and destiny. But calling children by similar names was somehow tactless, and even dangerous - after all, the gods of the Hellenes lived very close - on Mount Olympus, were very similar to people and often communicated with them. They might not like such familiarity. Therefore, for everyday reference to the gods, various epithets were used, which were also transformed into names. For example, Victor is the winner, Maxim is the greatest. These epithets were used to call Zeus. Mars carried a laurel branch, hence the name Laurus. Many gods wore headdresses such as crowns or tiaras. This is where the name Stefan - crowned - comes from.

However, the tradition of giving children direct names of gods, although not supreme ones, has also been preserved, in order to avoid their anger for such impudence. The names Muse, Apollo, Aurora, Maya are still in use. Later this desire became Christian tradition give names in honor of the righteous, canonized.

In Rus' there was another tradition: the parents gave the newborn a name that was real - his parents, godparents and especially close people knew him. It combined the wishes for the baby, the hopes and aspirations of the parents, it reflected love for the child and the desire for his happiness. Then the child was wrapped in a matting and carried out of the threshold, as if demonstrating evil spirits, that they found an abandoned baby who was not particularly needed. And they called him a name that would scare away the evil spirits and lull their attention. “They call me Zovutka, but they call me a duck.” This means to say your own name to a stranger was considered dangerous. What if the stranger was a sorcerer who could use knowledge of the name for evil. By giving the child a dissonant and repulsive name, they hoped that evil forces would not bother themselves with causing harm to the unworthy, and also that a nondescript name would not arouse the envy of the gods. The rite of the second naming was performed in adolescence, when the main character traits were formed. The name was given based on these traits.

However, the tradition of such naming did not take root. And a person who was constantly called not by his real name, but by a nickname, often acquired all the qualities characteristic of this nickname. In such a situation, the name-amulet protected the person from unknown reasons. Since the name was not spoken out loud, it had no internal connection with its bearer.

The influence of a name on a person and his fate has been noticed for a long time. It has always been believed, and quite rightly, that a word chosen for a name with love will help in life. But at the same time, giving a name, naming it means gaining secret power. Does not change in different languages emotional coloring words, and that which means something pleasant has a sound that is pleasant to the ear, and vice versa.

Thus, the development of the name has a long history. Before the adoption of Christianity in Rus', original names were used, created on Slavic soil using the Old Russian language. The Slavs chose any words to name their children that reflected the various properties and qualities of people, the characteristics of their character: Clever, Brave, Kind, Cunning; features of behavior and speech: Molchan; physical advantages and disadvantages: Oblique, Lame, Krasava, Kudryash, Chernyak, Belyai; the time and “order” of the appearance of a particular child in the family: Menshak, Elder, First, Second, Tretyak; profession: Villager, Kozhemyaka and much more. Similar names were also used by other peoples; it is enough to recall the names of the Indians, which characterized the characteristics of a particular person: Eagle Eye, Sly Fox, etc. We had several other names, which later, with the adoption of Christianity and the consolidation of names in church calendars, became into nicknames. Some of these nicknames have come down to us in the form of surnames: Cat, Beetle, Wolf, Sparrow. It should be noted that these surnames are very common.

From the 11th to the 17th centuries, native Slavic names fade into the background, and Byzantine-Greek ones come to the fore. With the advent of Christianity, a two-name system began to develop. In order to protect a person from evil spirits, he was given one name and called a completely different one. This period is characterized by social stratification. At this time it is common Old Russian names, which consist of two roots and contain the root -slav. These are names such as Vyacheslav, Svyatoslav, Yaroslav, Borislav, which were joined by Byzantine-Greek names with the same root: Stanislav, Bronislav, Miroslav, etc.

From the beginning of the 18th century until 1917, canonical names dominated, a three-part formula for naming a person (last name, first name, patronymic) developed and spread, and a pseudonym appeared.

After the revolution, newly created names reflecting the events taking place in the country became very popular. The formation of new names especially affected girls. So, they were called Idea, Iskra, Oktyabrina. There is evidence that one girl was even called Artillery Academy. It was fashionable to call twin boys and girls Revo and Lucia; the names of the boys are known: Genius, Giant (it is noteworthy that these names did not always correspond to reality, and often completely contradicted). However, at this time names appeared that continue to live now: Lilia (it is similar to the Russian name Lydia and is very euphonious), Ninel (reading the name Lenin in reverse order), Timur, Spartak.

The modern Russian name book includes many names with different origins. But still, names that we can now rightfully call Russian have a huge advantage. Although there are very few actual Russian names left. Over time, the original meaning of names was forgotten, but historically each name was a word or phrase of some language. Almost everything modern names came to us from Byzantium and have Greek roots, but many of them were borrowed from other ancient languages, or were simply borrowed from ancient Roman, Hebrew, Egyptian and other languages ​​and with this method of borrowing were used only as a proper name, and not as a word, denoting something.

Different names - similar roots

Almost all the personal names that we have long been accustomed to consider Russian were brought by Christianity to Rus' through Byzantium, which collected the best names from its language, as well as foreign names, and canonized them, that is, officially legitimized them, making them church names. Therefore, they are of Greek, Latin, Hebrew origin, and occasionally you can find names belonging to some other eastern languages, for example, Syriac, Egyptian. The same can be said about many other nations. That is why there is a correspondence of names in different languages: Russian - Ivan, Polish - Jan, French - Jean, English - John, German - Johann; Russian - Mikhail, French - Michel, Polish - Michal; Russian - Olga, German - Helga; Russian - Pavel, French - Paul, German - Paul, etc. When names were transferred from other languages, their original meaning was lost (after all, they all came from common nouns), and they became only proper names.

It is interesting that different peoples chose roots with different meanings for the name. Thus, among the Slavs the components predominate: “good”, “holy”, “light”, “glory”, “grow”, “peace”, “nice”, “glad”, “love”, among the Greeks and Romans - words emphasizing moral qualities in a person. Jews and Arabs preferred to emphasize in their names detachment from earthly goods and an appeal to God.

Many names that sound different have the same meaning. For example:

Nikita, Nikon (Greek), Victor, Victoria (Latin) - winner.

Fedor, Dorotheus (Greek) - gift of God.

George, Yuri, Egor (Greek) - farmer.

Oleg, Olga (scand.) - saint.

Cyril (Greek) - lord, Maria (Aramic) - mistress.

Albina, Clara (lat.) - white.

Ivan, Zhanna, Yanina (Old Hebrew), Eliza (Old German) - the grace of God.

Marina (Latin), Pelageya (Greek) - sea.

Zoya (Greek), Vitalia, Eva, Vitaly (Latin) - life.

Felix, Beatrice, Beata (lat.) - happy.

However, the opposite situation is also observed: large number names in the Russian name book have a similar sound, but completely different meaning. Such names should not be confused, since they carry different information.

For example:

Erasmus (Greek) - beloved; Erast (Greek) - loving; Philip (Greek) - lover of horses.

Valentin (lat.) - strong; Valery (lat.) - cheerful, strong.

Vit (lat.) - defeated; Vitaly (lat.) - vital; Witold (Old German) - forest ruler.

Veronica (Greek) - bringing victory, (Latin) - true, authentic image; Nike (Greek) - victory.

Naming traditions

The ordering of Slavic names began with the compilation church lists- Svyatstsev and Miney. By decision of Pope Gregory, it was allowed to be called only by names legalized by religion, or canonical, recorded in these books. All other names were called pagan. Canonical names were included in civil and church calendars. The same names appeared in the calendars on the same dates, associated with the veneration of one or another saint. Christian names were the names of ascetics and martyrs who died for the establishment of this religion. In addition, these same names also belonged to representatives of those peoples from whose language they were borrowed. Therefore, now these names are not perceived by us as church names. The child was named after the saint whose name was listed in the Saints on the day of the child’s christening. Often these were very dissonant names, but the parents could not go against the will of the church. True, the parents of a baby from wealthy families or belonging to the upper class had some privilege - they could choose a name without agreeing with it church calendar, but, nevertheless, this name should have been contained in the Saints.

There have been other naming systems in the history of the name. For example, the names given to Papuans at birth were usually changed to others when the child grew up and turned into a girl or boy. Representatives of the northern peoples believed that the child must be named in the first three days after his birth, since three days later the name will be suggested to him by evil spirits, which, of course, cannot bring him happiness. Among other peoples of the North, it was allowed to name a child only after a cradle had been made for him. Doing it before birth was considered a bad omen - the child could be born dead or not live long, but without a name the child was not allowed into his first home. African tribes have an even more interesting naming system. It was believed that the soul of a deceased relative moved into a newborn, so it was important to determine whose soul wished to be born a second time in order to give its name to the child. This is what shamans did.

It is impossible not to notice that all this is inherent in Slavic names. The same change of name - from a diminutive to a patronymic name, the same custom of naming a child in honor of departed relatives and a warning against naming the names of living parents.

Now we do not have a question about who will name the child. This is usually done by parents. They choose a name according to their taste, sometimes giving a name in honor of a grandmother, grandfather or some other respected and beloved relative. But in the history of the name one can find evidence of who chose the name from different peoples, and it was not always the parents. People often believed that only a stranger, a stranger, could give the best name to a child. He chooses the name objectively, and therefore the child should be happy. The stranger who named the child was treated with honor, treated very generously, and rewarded with gifts. He played the role of godfather, who every year on his birthday had to give gifts to the child, and on his wedding day he had to give a gun or a horse, which were considered very valuable gifts. In some Nigerian tribes, the whole village chose the name of the child.

Tribes inhabiting New Zealand, give the child the name he sneezes on. Here's how it happens: first, the father lists the qualities that he wants to see in his child, then he accompanies his words with a song in which he names names, one of which the newborn must choose for himself. The child receives the name, when pronounced, he sneezes. Interestingly, sometimes they waited for about a day for this sneezing. But what if this is the custom?

The social role of a name is enormous, and in the history of the development of names, traditions are intricately intertwined, reflecting the relationship of people among themselves, with the state and with God. As human communities grew larger, a name alone became insufficient for identification. There were different ways to get out of this situation. The Orthodox have a deeply rooted tradition of patronymics. Among Catholics one could find whole garlands of names. Thus, in Spain of the 18th century, each nobleman had the right to 6 names, well-born nobles could have 12 names, and the highest-ranking persons had an unlimited number of names. Each name was the name of a heavenly protector; the more names a person had, the more protectors he had. But for each name the church that gave these names had to be paid. Therefore, the poor could not afford such luxury and used only one or two names. The nobility demonstrated the trail of their names as an indicator of their condition. This tradition has remained, but such long names are rare today. In a number of Spanish-speaking countries, a person’s name is halfway between the names of the mother and father, but among Jews only the mother’s name matters.

The Kwakutl Indians adhere to an unusual tradition - if a member of their tribe borrows money from someone, he must leave his name as collateral. Until he repays the debt, he has no right to bear his name. They do not address him in any way or use gestures and sounds as an address. Isn't it true that this speaks of great respect for the name?

Meaning and interpretation of names

Every name that came to us from other languages, or has a primordial Russian origin, is derived from a specific word and has its own meaning. But today this meaning has become so erased that we no longer draw a parallel between the name and its meaning. A name, unlike any other word, does not designate an object, but names a specific person, and due to the repetition of one name, it is often not enough to separate one person from another; for this you also need to know the patronymic and surname.

Currently, anthroponymic scientists, based on the research conducted, are trying to formulate psychological characteristics bearer of a specific name. According to this theory, each name has its own specific characteristics (it is no coincidence that a name has a meaning), which form the character of its owner. This theory has great success, since in practice it has been proven that each name really leaves a certain imprint on a person, as a result of which certain character traits are formed in him. Anthroponymic studies were carried out, during which it was discovered that bearers of the same name have general features character, and often most owners of the same name even have a similar appearance. We are, of course, talking about the type of appearance, and not about specific features.

In addition, when choosing a name, you should think about the correspondence of the sound characteristics of the name to the surname and patronymic. It has been proven that the more harmonious a person’s name is, the more harmonious his inner world will be, and therefore, the luckier and happier he will be.

The philosopher A.F. Losev wrote about names: “Looking for the corresponding term for a name in languages, I cannot find anything better than the term “magic.” Magic is usually understood as precisely this semantic charge of a certain idea, which, being actually expressed and directed into in this direction, is discharged in the form of major events in a given area of ​​reality. There is no actual direction of meaning in a symbol; it is in the name. A name always comes from somewhere and is directed somewhere, while a symbol is simply given as a static being. Therefore, the introduction of the moment of magic into the dialectical formula of the name is its essential addition. A name is a personal and energetic symbol, or an energetic-personal symbol. This formula, however, expresses its essence more clearly if we say that the name is a magical-mythical symbol.”

Perhaps this is related to the existing legend about how Alexander the Great once noticed among the soldiers of his army a man who always ran away from the battlefield. Having learned that his name was also Alexander, he told him: “Either be brave in battle, or change your name so that they don’t confuse me with you.”

Interestingly, there is a fashion for names. At a certain period of time, one name or group of names becomes fashionable. This may be associated with the characters of books, films, popular at that time, with the names of famous people, artists, etc. But you should not get carried away with such names, since during a period of popularity this or that name becomes overly popular, and the person who received such a name may be doomed to lack individuality. Agree, a person with an ordinary Russian name, not pretentious, but also not very common, attracts much more attention. In this regard, it is worth remembering such good Russian names that were undeservedly forgotten, for example: Savely, Semyon, Avdey, Evdokia, Alevtina, Varvara, etc.

How to choose a name

Tribal and national traditions

The choice of name is determined different traditions. In many cultures, a person has several names. One of them accompanies the child in childhood, the other during adolescence, and the third is the final, adult name given to a person upon the onset of adulthood. This was customary in Indian tribes, as well as in China, where there is a milk name, a school name, a marriage name, and even a service name. In the Russian tradition, we also observe that in childhood children’s, diminutive name, then - complete, and as an indicator that a person has taken place and is not only full-fledged as a person, but also acquires significance as a guardian of the clan, he is called by his first name and patronymic, which has always been considered a tribute of respect and is not used for everyone. In more early period this address was originally noble, people of low classes were called disparaging names, and only the most respected were awarded a full name.

Along with the name, a person is given a heavenly patron who can be an intercessor before God. Orthodox and Catholics believe in this. Therefore, when choosing a name, find out the name of which saint he will inherit, who will be his patron. This is important to know when you or someone else asks for forgiveness of sins, for assistance in everyday affairs, for the healing of serious illnesses, for the preservation of your property or career advancement. Even if you yourself are agnostics, give your child the opportunity to choose for himself whether to be a believer or not.

There are many beliefs and traditions associated with naming, which bizarrely combine pagan ideas about Higher powers and Christian doctrine. Since these traditions have gone through centuries of trials, they should not be discounted. We will tell you about some of them.

It was believed that naming a child after the name of a righteous man meant good, while naming a child after a martyr meant dooming him to wanderings and torment in life.

They did not give the child the name of his father, mother, brother, sister, the names of all those who live in the house - he or his namesake could die. This is a purely pagan belief, but there are many observations that confirm its correctness.

It is believed that a girl should not be named after her mother - it will be difficult for them to find common language.

It is believed that girls should not be named male names, because they grow up rude and often have difficulty getting married.

In no case were three people called by the same name.

For example, if a grandmother, daughter and granddaughter were called by the same name, then this was considered a bad omen. Our ancestors believed that out of three, the first takes the last. If such a situation arises in your family, you need to baptize all three with different names in three churches on the same day. If the first one has already died, then the younger one still needs to be baptized. Moreover, the one who should be baptized, according to folk beliefs, must arrive at the church first and be the first to enter the baptismal sanctuary, ahead of the rest of the people.

However, it was considered most favorable to name children after their grandparents, even living ones, because they voluntarily pass on the strength of their spirit to their beloved grandchildren.

They did not give the child the name of the deceased baby in the family, so that he would not repeat his fate.

Before the christening, the child’s name was not told to anyone, so as not to jinx it. And if they asked the name of the child, they answered: “My child was given by God and his name is Bogdan.”

Before baptism, the child was usually given a temporary name.

If newborn children died in a family, they were called Adam and Eve, in honor of their ancestors. Or they gave the names of their parents, thereby passing on an evil fate to them.

On name day, you need to break something from the dishes, even if on purpose - for good luck.

Overall, choosing a name is very important decision in the lives of parents who determine future destiny your child. After all, first of all, a name is the answer to the questions “who am I?” and “what am I?” Try asking a three-year-old: “Who are you?” - and, most likely, he will answer either: “I am a boy (girl),” or will name the name by which he is called at home. Of course the name determines future life person not to the same extent as, say, gender, but it allows the baby to be psychologically aware of himself as an individual, and this is very important factor development.

Choosing a name for a child is very important first intervention in his destiny and an attempt to direct it in a better direction. This right belongs to the parents. It often happens that some intuition tells a mother what to name her child when he is not yet born. Maybe you should follow it, but it still won’t hurt, before choosing a name, to correlate it with your surname, patronymic, and birth sign. When the child is born, you should choose from the expected names the one that will be in the best possible way approach the date of birth.

You should definitely think about what name your child will be called as a child. You should not choose a name that is too pretentious, as it can become a reason for ridicule. For boys, when choosing a name, you should take into account that someday he will become a father and will think about how his name forms a patronymic.

The name is directly related to nationality. Receiving the name of his people, the child involuntarily begins to identify himself with its history and inherit the national character. There are also international names that give the baby greater freedom in national self-determination. They have some unifying meaning, that is, it is easier for a person with this name to feel like a “citizen of the world.”

If you live in multinational country, respect your national traditions. If you want to capture in your name your son or daughter’s cultural identity, first of all think about what culture it belongs to. language environment they have to live. If, for example, at home Muslim name child will sound absolutely natural, then in a Russian-speaking environment a boy with that name will constantly face questions and distortions of his name. It is still better to choose a name that is more or less familiar to native Russian speakers and therefore better remembered.

In such a situation, it is useful to know about “international” names that have variants in different languages ​​- both European and Eastern (among them Maria, Ivan, Yakov, Gabriel, George, etc.).

If in a mixed marriage the child’s name or patronymic has a clear affiliation with specific language and culture, think about how the name you choose will combine with the child’s patronymic and surname. The principle of unity is very important here: a foreign name will be discordant with the Russian surname and patronymic.

Foreign names should be given with caution. The combination of Orlando Ivanovich would probably bring a lot of suffering to its owner. It is better if it is a name that is adapted to the culture in which you live. For Orthodox Christians, it is advisable that the name be in the Saints if you are going to baptize a child. Of course, a surge of passion foreign names, which gave such strange combinations as Esther Petrovna, John Ivanovich and others, has already passed, and in lately there is an opposite trend - a return to old Russian names: Praskovya, Taras, Agafya, Fekla, Akim, Zakhar. Of course, a name that is too rare, read in the ancient Saints, for example, Ardalyon or Psoi, will make the child stand out among others, but fashion quickly passes... Will a person with such a name feel comfortable? rare name in life? Although, undoubtedly, many names and the people who bore them are worthy of calling children by them.

So, the name should be euphonious, form various forms that will not be a reason for ridicule of the child, nationally appropriate and beautifully combined with the surname and patronymic.

1. The name should be easy to pronounce both separately and with the patronymic.

2. The name should be easy to remember.

3. Diminutive forms should be easily formed from the name.

4. The name should not evoke associations in people that are undesirable for its bearer.

5. If a child will have a surname that does not indicate his gender, you should not give him a name like Zhenya, Sasha or Vali. Kids get upset when a girl is mistaken for a boy and vice versa.

Baptism and name

The sacrament of baptism is still one of the most sacred rites performed by the church. This is an equal blessing for all Christians, giving a person a name that he will carry throughout his life, which will influence his destiny. After all, it is known that the name book consists of church-legalized names belonging to saints. By calling a child one name or another, parents seem to call on the saint to protect their baby. No wonder the Scripture says: “Rejoice, for your names are written in Heaven!” That is, the church believes that a Christian name is a blessing from God.

Thanks to the rite of baptism, all Christians today bear the names that were once chosen by Jesus. In the Bible you can read about Jesus' warnings about keeping the name as it was given to them. That is, we are talking specifically about preserving the verbal formula.

When they began to call children at baptism after the names of holy martyrs, the apostles taught that this was done not for the sake of repeating the martyr’s path, but for the glory of those who went through it and for the sake of the name itself. The bottom line is this: it is impossible not to admit that at least one of the prophecies of the Bible came true - Jesus Christ gave names to all Christians.

Different peoples have the same names, with minor variations in spelling and pronunciation, which resulted from adapting them to national characteristics. The rest are a translation into the local language of a name that came from the same times and was used earlier. For example, the name Agathon (kind) corresponded to the Slavic Dobrynya, Peter - to the Old Russian Stone. The Hebrew name Thomas corresponds to the Latin name Thomas and Greek name Didim, which then transformed into the name Dmitry and means “twin”.

Baptism is a naming ritual. The first Christians changed their name. A person undergoing baptism enters the water without a name, and the priest at this time drives away with prayer dark forces and calls on the forces of Light to take the person under their care and names the name by which they recognize him. The forces of light must help a baptized person.

By naming children during baptism after the names of martyrs who suffered for the faith, it was believed that after death the saints found themselves at the throne of the Lord and had the opportunity to ask for mercy for their “wards.”

The ancient custom of naming children in honor of heroes and gods has been continued. At first there were no special rules, according to which a person accepting the Christian faith chose a saint in whose name he was baptized. This was the person whose actions were closest to him or touched some strings of his soul, or that person lived nearby.

In the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII, who was one of the most enlightened people of his time, introduced the calendar, which became known as the Gregorian calendar, and officially approved the custom of giving the names of saints and martyrs at baptism. The name was now given to a person at the moment he accepted Christianity, as well as to newborns whose parents were Christians.

This is the rite of baptism. First, the priest read the prayer three times. Then he also called on the Holy Spirit three times and sanctified the water that was in the baptismal font. He immersed the baby (with his head) three times in this water. It was difficult to find a large font for adults, so the clergyman who performed the sacrament sprinkled the new convert three times blessed water. Water is not just a symbol of purification. By plunging into water, a person seemed to die and then resurrect, but as a Christian.

The newly born person is given a new name - Christian, and from now on the patron saint can ask the Lord for forgiveness and mercy for the person. The Holy Spirit enters the newly-made Christian through holy water and a drop of special incense - myrrh oil, which the priest applies to the forehead of the person being baptized. It means the blessing of the Lord and the equality of all before the Lord.