From birth, a person is given a first name, and a surname, as a rule, is inherited from parents. First of all, by last name you can determine nationality a person, and sometimes the occupation of his distant ancestors, if, of course, you know the language of a particular people well. In the modern world, almost all people have surnames; the only exceptions can be tribes in which communal-tribal relations have been preserved.

What is a surname? Ushakov’s large explanatory dictionary of the modern Russian language gives the following definition: surname (Latin Familia - family, relatives) is a hereditary family name added to the personal name and passed from father (or mother) to children, as well as from husband to wife. And in the newspaper “Amazing Nearby” the following definition is given: the word “surname” appeared in Russia only in the 19th century. Translated from several European languages, this word means “family”. Indeed, a surname can tell a lot about the history of a particular family. The science of onomastics studies surnames. There is an opinion that surnames appeared in the era of Peter I, but experts believe that this is not entirely true. Surnames were widespread in Rus' already in the 15th century. At that distant time, they meant much more than in the modern world, since they were used not just to designate a person, but determined his status in society. As a rule, surnames were formed either from the name of the head of the family, or from the name of the profession that was passed down in the family from generation to generation. The word surname itself entered the Russian language relatively late. It comes from the Latin word for surname - family. In Russian, we sometimes use this word with the same meaning: family heirlooms, family valuables, family silver, that is, those that have long been in the possession of a given family. The expression “don’t disgrace our family name” implies not only the family, but also the family name. But the main meaning words surname- designate a special family name that is used to call the whole family. This word took root in Russia in daily life after the decree of Peter I. However, surnames as an element of naming Russian people existed before, but they were called nicknames, nicknames. The word “name” was sometimes used in the same meaning. The tsarist decrees on conducting population censuses usually stated that all people living in such and such areas should be recorded “by name, father and nickname,” that is, by first name, patronymic and last name.

Different social groups acquired official surnames at different times.

The first to receive surnames were representatives of the nobility: princes, boyars (in the 14th - 15th centuries). Their surnames often reflected the names of their patrimonial estates: Tver, Meshchersky, Zvenigorodsky, Vyazemsky, Kolomensky, etc. These surnames were formed according to the “common Slavic model with the suffix - sk. Similar formations can be found among other Slavs (cf. Czech Comenius, Polish Zapotocki, etc.).

Somewhat later, the surnames of nobles took shape (XVI - XVIII centuries). Among them, a considerable proportion are names of eastern origin, since many nobles came to serve the Moscow sovereign from foreign lands: Kantemir from Turkic. Khan - Temir (temir - iron), Khanykov from Turkic. Kanyko (kan - educator, teacher, ko - son, i.e. son of a teacher), Kurakin from the nickname Kurak (from the Turkic Kurak - dry, skinny), etc.

There was another category of noble families such as Durnovo, Khitrovo, Mertvago, Chernago (XVII - XVIII centuries). These surnames are formed from words that have an unseemly meaning (cf. Plokhovo, Nedobrovo). In order to somehow limit them from common nouns consonant with them, the emphasis in surnames on - ovo was placed at the end: Sukhovo, Plokhovo, and in surnames on - his - on the penultimate syllable: Parenago. Burago, Ryzhago.

Chronologically, the next category of surnames belonged to merchants and service people (XVII - XIX centuries). It, just like the princely surnames, reflected geographical names, but not as names of objects that were in their possession, but as designations of the places where these people themselves came from: Tambovtsev, Rostovtsev, Bryantsev, Astrakhantsev, Moskvichev, Vologzhaninov and others . The suffixes of this category are different than in the surnames of princes; using these surnames it is easy to restore the designation of residents certain places: Rostovtsev is a resident of Rostov, Moskvichev is a resident of Moscow.

In the 19th century, the names of the Russian clergy took shape. Among them there are many artificially formed from various words not only of Russian, but also of Church Slavonic, Latin, Greek and other languages. A significant group is represented by surnames derived from the names of churches and church holidays: Uspensky, Epiphany, Rozhdestvensky. A number of surnames are formed by translating their stems into Latin and adding the suffix -ov or -sk and endings -i to the Latin stem: Bobrov - Kastorsky, Orlov - Aquilev.

The largest part of the Russian population, the peasantry, did not have legally assigned surnames until the 19th century, and some representatives of the peasants received surnames only after October revolution, in connection with passportization carried out by the Soviet government in the early 1930s.

My family can be attributed to both Russian and Mordovian ethnic groups. To determine whether this was reflected in the surnames of my ancestors, I had to study the indicators of not only Russian surnames, but also Mordovian ones.

Pre-Christian names are now almost forgotten by the Mordovians, since during Christianization, which began in the mid-16th century. , church names began to spread among her. Of course, in the Mordovian languages, having undergone appropriate adaptation, they began to sound somewhat different. For example, the name Fedor took the form Kvedor in the Erzyan language, Philip - Kvilyo, Foma - Koma, Fedosya - Kvedo, Fyokla - Kekla, Marfa - Markva, Efrosinya - Okro, Nnknfor - Mikikor, Nikolai - Mikol, Khariton - Kariton, Zaxap - Zakar, Agafya - Oga, Aksinya - Oksya, Arina - Oryo or Oryai, Akulina - Okol, Elena - Olyo or Olena, Avdotya - Oldo or Oldai, Daria - Daryo, Maria - Maryo, Anisya - Ansyo, Vasilisa - Vasyo, Matryona - Matryo, Natalya - Natal, Lukerya - Lukir, etc.

However, Mordovian pre-Christian names did not disappear without a trace. Most of them continue to be preserved in a number of modern Mordovian surnames: Kirdyashov, Kirdyashkin - Kirdyash; Kudashov, Kudashkin - Kudash; Uchvatov, Uchvatkin – Uchvat; Nuyanzin - Nuyanza; Kolomasov, Kolomaskin - Kolomas; Kazeev, Kazeiknn – Kazei; Suraev, Suraikii - Surai; Kemaev, Kemaikin - Kemay; Tingaev, Tnngaikin – Tingai; Yangaev, Yangaikii - Yangai; Pnksaev, Piksaykin – Piksay; Surodeev, Surodeikii - Surodey; Kildyushov, Kildyushkin - Kildyush; Simdyaiov, Simdyaykin - Snmdyan; Viryasov, Viryaskin - Viryas; Vedyashov, Vedyashknn - Vedyash; Pivtsaev, Pivtsaykin – Pivtsay; Rezaev, Rezaikin - Rezai; Kezhvatov, Kezhvatkin – Kezhvat; Kulyasov, Kulyaskin – Kulyas, etc.

How did these and similar Mordovian surnames arise?

They appeared in connection with Christianization. Russian missionary priests, giving a Christian name to one or another Mordvin during baptism, derived his surname, which was recorded in church documents, from the personal name of his father - “pagan”, following the example of Russian surnames in -ov, -ev, -in, - (k)in. The son of Kirdyash became Kirdyashov or Kirdyashkin (from Kirdyashka-o), the son of Kudash became Kudashov or Kudashkin (from Kudashka-o), the son of Maresya became Maresyev or Mareskina (from Mareska-o), the son of Kochemas became Kochemasov or Kochemaskin (from Kochemaska-o ) etc.

Some Mordovian anthroponyms still exist as names of related groups (kudoyurton lemt), consisting of one or another number of separate, related families, descending from one common ancestor, which at one time bore a pre-Christian name. So, to the question “Ton kin?” (“Whose are you”) in the Erzyan village of Ivantsevo, Gorky region, you can get the answer: “Kezhain” (from Kezhai), “Lyamain” (from Lyamai), “Bubushkan” (from Bubush), etc. A similar phenomenon can be observed in other both Erzya and Moksha villages.

Among the pre-Christian Mordovians, not only original, purely Mordovian personal names were in circulation, but also names borrowed by the Mordovians from other peoples. Among the borrowed many pre-Christian, non-Christian Old Russian, Russian names, there are also anthroponyms of Turkic origin. These names in the Mordovian languages, like later Christian names, also adopted from the Russians, changed their appearance to one degree or another, adapting to the peculiarities of Mordovian pronunciation, inflection and word formation. The penetration of Old Russian, Russian pre-Christian, non-Christian names into the Mordovian environment could have begun in a fairly early era (from the 1st millennium AD), in the 2nd millennium AD. e. Russian-Mordovian ties strengthened. Of the most popular Russian non-Christian names, original in origin, that were in circulation among the Mordovians, the following can be named: Nesmeyan, Lyubim, Named, Burnai, Pozdei, Chudai, Zhdan, Gulyai, Malka, Nine, Raday, Nadezhka, Durai, Durnai, Budi , Milush, Pervush, Zhadei, Zhivay, Petai, etc. Many of these names also formed the basis of modern Mordovian surnames.

It is known that in the past Russian personal names, and by their type also Mordovian ones, were written and also pronounced by Russians often with the diminutive Russian suffix -ka (o). In Russian chronicles and acts, there are frequent spellings of Russian names like Lyubimka (o), Nezhdanka (o), Ostashka (o), Pervushka (o), million Mordovian names like Vechkushka (o), Veshutka (o), Kolomaska (o), Inzhaika (o), Uchaika (o), Kudaika (o), Sudoska (o), Pureska (o), etc.

Chapter ΙΙ Surnames of my family

Different peoples and cultures often have different surname endings that are unique to them. Here is a list of nationalities in alphabetical order and the endings of surnames inherent in these peoples:

Abkhazians: -ba, -ua, -ipa

Azerbaijanis: -zade, -li, ly, -oglu, -kyzy

Armenians: -yan, -yants, -uni

Belarusians: -ich -ov -uk -ik -ski -ka

Bulgarians: -ov

Gagauz: -oglo

Greeks: -poulos, -kos, -go

Georgians: -shvili, -dze, -uri, -ia, -ua, -a, -ava -li, -si, -ni

Italians: -ini

Lithuanians: -te, -is, -not

Moldovans: -sku, -u(l), -an

Mordva: -yn, -in

Germans: -man, -er

Ossetians: -ti

Poles: -ski -tski -dzki

Russians: -ev, -ov, -skikh

Romanians: -sku, -u(l), -an

Serbs: -ich

Turks: -ji, -oglu

Tatars: -in, -ishin

Ukrainians: -ko, -uk (-yuk), -un, -niy (-ny), -chay, -iy, a

Having analyzed the surnames of my family, I found out that out of 16 surnames, 8 are of Russian origin, 2 are Mordovian, and the origin of 6 could not be established.

Verin. The surname ends in -a, the suffix -in is used: Vera → Verin. In the dictionary there is a mark - (Rus), but, as we see from the table above, it can also be attributed to a Mordovian surname. Vasilisin, Vasilisov - rare surnames, from women's baptismal names. Vasilisa - royal (Greek). The surname is most likely derived from the female name Vera. Middle and last names female names were given in cases where a woman was the head of the family or raised a child alone. The name Vera is Russian, from the calendar, a translation of the Greek Pistis or a shortened form of Veronica

Bugrov The word "hillock" is known to everyone, but a tumor or blister was also called a hillock. The owner of a permanent growth in a prominent place received, as the Dictionary of Russian Surnames states, the nickname Bugor, his children became Bugrovoys. (Rus)

Kusakin - according to the final suffix, it can be classified as a Russian and Mordovian surname. However, the dictionary explains that in most cases such surnames are of Russian origin, but they can also be Belarusian and Ukrainian. Such surnames are formed from the name, nickname, occupation or place of residence of a person’s distant male ancestor. Such a surname may come from the name or nickname of a female ancestor, for example, a person’s great-great-grandmother. In some cases this surname has Jewish origin and comes from the name or nickname of a female ancestor, such as a person's great-great-grandmother.

Petkelev - most likely derived from loops (pestle) - a stick used to pound grain in a mortar. This surname is clearly of Mordovian origin.

Ovtov is a name with a stem denoting the name of a livestock: Ovtov from ovto “bear”. This surname is certainly of Mordovian origin.

Frolov Patronymic from the form Frol from the church male name Frol (Latin Florus - “blooming”). Found only in the dictionary marked (Rus)

Efimov Patronymic from the everyday form Efim, formed in turn from the canonical male name Euthymius (Greek Euphemos - “pious, sacred”). Litter found in the dictionary (Rus)

Gusev A surname formed from a non-church name or nickname Goose, Gusak. "Bird" names were not uncommon in Russian villages, so in the dictionary of litter (Rus)

Soldatov Words that turned into nicknames, and from them surnames are formed in the future: Soldatov → Soldatov (Rus)

Yakovlev Patronymic name in everyday Russian form Yakov (from the church Jacob). The possessive adjective Yakovlev (“son of Yakov”) is formed by the suffix –ev. (Rus)

Gurov The surname is widespread; it was a patronymic from the derivative form Gur from the canonical male name Gury. (Rus)

The origin of the surnames Yushin, Shakhmaev, Chubrikov, Skorkin and Rusyaykin has not yet been established.

Conclusion

The research work carried out allowed us to do many interesting scientific observations and enriched the knowledge with important facts. We are convinced that the surname itself is an interesting linguistic phenomenon and is closely connected with history and culture home country. By studying the patterns of the existence of certain surnames in their clan, you can learn a lot about the life, way of life, and history of your ancestors.

Maria Soboleva

What does the surname mean? How to find out

What does a surname mean? Everyone is interested in learning about its origin, about the history of its family. Is it possible to find such information on your own or is it better to turn to specialists?

The secret of the surname

What does a surname mean? This question can be answered by a special science called anthroponymy.

And the surname itself, what it is, is the personal name of each of us, which passes from generation to generation, our family name. Your distant ancestors were also Smirnovs or Kovalenkos, and now you proudly bear this surname.

Specialists in the field of anthroponymy are akin to archaeologists; they try to get to the bottom of the origins of family names and find out the history of their origin. Answering the question of what the surname means, scientists learn many interesting facts from history, ethnography, and geography.

Origin of the surname

There are surnames that are simple and understandable, not requiring special explanations - it is already clear to everyone that the family name Kuznetsov comes from the once in demand craft of a blacksmith (and Ukraine has its own variations of surnames that arose due to the profession: Koval, Kovalchuk, Kovalko).

But if you are the owner of a surname that is not entirely clear to the ear and mind, then, of course, quite reasonable questions arise: what does the surname mean and how to find out?

Today on the Internet there are many sites that offer dictionaries of surnames, opened, read and ordered. But how accurate is this information and what to do if your generic name is not there?

You can go in two ways: searching for the truth on your own and posing such a task to specialists.

Your older relatives can tell you what the surname means. Some families carefully preserve the history of their family, they know about their ancestors up to the fifth or seventh generation.

You can look through books on anthroponymy, various reference books and dictionaries. They also turn to archives for information.

But this path is not for everyone - you need to be very meticulous, scrupulous and persistent.

There are sites on the Internet that help you create chronicles of your family, search for relatives, find out what a surname means and what its origin is.

Enthusiasts collect information about family names, perhaps in this way you will find out what interests you. For example, the GenWAY resource, whose motto is “More than a family,” or the Internet project “All-Russian Family Tree.”

Creating a chronicle of your kind is a great way to bring your family together.

It’s easier, of course, to seek help from specialists who will help you find out what the surname means. Firms that conduct such research have access to an extensive database - they use information from registry offices, parish archives, historical documents: military lists, merchant books, legal codes from tsarist times.

The only question is whether you have the funds to pay for such services, because finding out what a last name means is sometimes not easy, and searching for the truth takes a lot of time.

But on the other hand, you will not only learn about the origin of the surname, but you will also be able to order a family tree, draw up your own pedigree, and receive a family diploma.

Last name meaning

At first, representatives of noble families acquired surnames, starting from the end of the 14th century. Following the nobles, princes and boyars, artisans, merchants, and service people began to receive family names. They entered into transactions, took on various obligations, and the document had to have a signature confirming ownership.

But people of lower social status did not have a surname as such. Even the leader of the people's militia of 1611-1612, Minin, does not have a surname, but a designation that he is the son of Mina. It was the descendants who inherited the hero’s surname.

People of low class during their lives could be renamed by boyars, governors, and clerks at their will. He was Fedotov (by his father), became Krivoshein (by his appearance).

Even the reforms of Peter I, who introduced the word “surname” into the Russian language and ordered “audits”—population censuses—did not make the surname of a simple peasant permanent and inheritable.

It was only with the introduction of passports in Soviet times that hereditary surnames were finally established. Although many ancient surnames have survived to our times. For example, Streltsov - from the name “strelets” (a soldier of the Streltsy army).

More examples: what does the surname Ordyntsev mean - this is how people were called by belonging to the Golden Horde, Tolmachev - from the word “interpreter” (translator).

Some surnames come from borrowed names. If Ivanov, Lukin and Fomin are familiar to our ears, then hardly anyone would guess about the origin of the heroically renowned surname Susanin from the Western European name Susanna.

But the common surname Laktionov comes from Galaktion (the first syllable was simply cut off for ease of pronunciation).

What a surname means, in some cases it’s easy to guess for yourself:

from the names of animals - Zaitsev, Sokolov, Shchukin;

from geographical names - Muromov, Dnieper, Shuisky;

in honor of religious holidays - Assumption, Vozdvizhensky;

according to external signs: Sukhorukov, Krivtsov, Shcherbak (lost front teeth);

from family nicknames - Malyshev (from baby), Menshikov (from menshik - the youngest in the family);

in accordance with character traits - Molchanov, Shustrikov, Zlenko;

by occupation - Melnikov, Rybakov, Kravchenko (from “kravets” - cutter);

derivatives from craft objects - Shapkin, Shilov;

from nicknames of people from other places - Nemchinov, Karelin, Tatarenko;

“everyday” surnames - Kuleshov, Pirogov, Ovsyannikov, Kochergin.

What a surname means is not only interesting, but also useful to know, because it encodes the history of your family.

Find out the meaning of your last name, create a family tree of your family (a great birthday gift for mom) so that the memory of your ancestors is passed on to the next generation. Everyone should know their roots.

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

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City scientific and practical conference

"Intellectuals of the 21st century"

Research work on the topic:

“The history of the emergence of Russian surnames”

Completed by: 10th grade student

MOAU "Secondary School No. 10" Buzuluk

Samoilov Andrey

Head: history teacher

MOAU "Secondary School No. 10" Buzuluk

Pirogov Sergey Ivanovich

Buzuluk, 2014

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….3

Onomastics as a branch of linguistics……………………………………...5
Origin of Russian surnames……………………………………..7
Methods of forming Russian surnames…………………………………9
Classification of Russian surnames……………………………………15
The origin of my own surname…………………………..16
The most common surnames in Russia, in Buzuluk, in our school…………………………………………………………………………………17
Etymology of the surnames of my classmates……………………………22

Conclusion…………………………………………………………….27

References………………………………………………………30

Introduction

Names are written in capital letters,
From the words of others, highlighting them.
It’s not for nothing that we were given the surname:
In the world, we will find relatives using it.

Family Tree - many names,
But there is a trunk in it - one surname.
It contains everything with which life is endowed,
She will explain to us who is who.

And its origins are only from it,
We can find it on Earth.
Without her, we have lost our roots,
We will wander like blind people in the darkness.

After all, the surname was given to us from above,
There is a family and our name in it.
And there are no bad or unnecessary surnames,
Everyone is needed, everyone is important to people.

(Markovtsev Yu. “Last name”)

Purpose of the study:study the history of the emergence of Russian surnames and their meanings.

Hypothesis: Russian surnames reflect the cultural and historical development of the nation.

Research objectives:

Get acquainted with the section of onomastics - anthroponymy

Study the history of the origin of surnames in Rus'

Explore ways of forming Russian surnames

Classify Russian surnames by their origin

Analyze the origin of your own surname

Reveal the most common surnames in Russia, in the city of Buzuluk and in our school

- analyze the etymology of the surnames of my classmates.

The relevance of research.It was no coincidence that I chose the topic for my research - “The history of the emergence of Russian surnames.” In my opinion, this topic is relevant at any time, because every person would like to know the history of the surname, its meaning and their predecessors. INIn the 21st century, people were especially interested in surnames, and as a result, many commercial companies appeared ready to provide information from the archives. The study of surnames is of great interest to scientists: sociologists, historians and ethnographers.Each of us communicates every day with different people - friends, colleagues, relatives. Every day we hear, read, pronounce or write dozens of names of different people. We watch television programs and movies, where the main characters are almost always people. All citizens of our country have surnames recorded in documents. His own surname is his distinctive sign in society. It also happens that a person is no longer there, but the surname lives on, and when people call the surname, they remember the person. But not all of us think about the origin, method of education or age of our surname. The study of surnames is valuable for science. It allows you to more fully imagine the events of recent centuries, the history of science, literature, and art. Surnames are a kind of living history. Indeed, the information provided by surnames is very broad: this includes toponymy, information about disappeared professions, the history of work and life, the history of the country, the history of the language.

In my work I used the followingresearch methods:structuring, analysis, generalization.

Organization of the study:

On the first stage: theoretical analysis of the research problem, construction of a hypothesis.

On the second stage was carried out: selection of research methods, search for material.

On the third stage: generalization of experience and substantiation of logic, study of cultural elements specified by traditions in the analysis of the research text.

Onomastics as a branch of linguistics.

Onomastics is a branch of linguistics that studies proper names, the history of their origin and transformation as a result of prolonged use in the source language or in connection with borrowing into other languages. The word comes from the Greek word onomastikos - relating to the name. Onomastics consists of several sections. Toponymy studies the names of geographical objects (toponyms), their meaning, structure, and origin. Zoonymy considers the proper names (nicknames) of animals. Astronomy is the name and origin of astronomical objects, cosmonymy is the name of zones and parts of the Universe, theonymy is the names of the gods. Anthroponymy is a section of onomastics that studies anthroponyms, that is, people’s own names, origin, changes in these names, geographical distribution and social functioning, structure.

Anthroponymy as a science developed abroad in the first half of the 20th century. The literature on it is enormous. Fundamental works were created by Albert Doza (France), Adolf Bach (Germany), Witold Taszycki (Poland). In many countries around the world, dictionaries of surnames have been created. Academician A. I. Sobolevsky, N. M. Tupikov, and later A. M. Selishchev and his student V. K. Chichagov worked in the field of Russian anthroponymy. A broad study of Russian surnames began in 1968 at the First All-Union Anthroponymic Conference and the works of O. N. Trubachev on the etymology of surnames in Russia.

Thus, onomastics deals with the study of the origin of surnames, and more specifically its section - anthroponymy.

In the modern Russian anthroponymic system, each person has a personal name (selected from a limited list), patronymic and surname.

Before you begin researching the issue of the origin of surnames, you need to understand what this word means. It turns out that this word comes from the Latin familia, which means family. Historically, a surname is a community of people consisting of masters and slaves belonging to it. At the dawn of its origin, it meant an inherited family name, indicating to which clan its bearer belonged. In its modern meaning, a surname denotes an inherited family name added to a person’s name. Historians who have studied the origin of surnames have come to the conclusion that the first surnames arose in the economically developed countries of Europe in the 10th and 11th centuries, and then spread to France, Germany, and England. In Rus', the origin of surnames began somewhat later than in Europe - in the 13th-14th centuries. This was due to the technological and economic backwardness of Russia from other countries. The beginning of Russian surnames was laid in the Novgorod province. They were more like nicknames. They were not distributed. Later, in the 15th and 16th centuries, the first Russian surnames arose among representatives of the wealthy, noble classes. Most of the Russian peasantry went without surnames for many years. And only after the abolition of serfdom under Alexander II in 1861, she acquired surnames.

In S.I. Ozhegov’s “Dictionary of the Russian Language” this word has several meanings:

1.Last name is a hereditary family name added to the personal name.

2. A surname is a series of generations descending from one ancestor, as well as a generation in general.

3. Same as family (outdated).

The emergence of surnames in modern understanding happened late, and was associated with expanding economic ties and the need to regulate the institution of inheritance. They first appeared in the economically developed areas of Northern Italy in X-XI centuries. Subsequently, the process of active formation of surnames began in the southeast of France, in Piedmont, and gradually spread throughout France. In England, the process of forming surnames began after its conquest by the Normans in 1066 and ended by the 15th century, although in Wales and Scotland the formation of surnames continued in the 18th century. A similar situation arose in Germany, where the formation of surnames of German peasants continued in the 19th century. At the turn of the 15th-16th centuries, surnames reached Denmark. In 1526, the king ordered all Danish nobles to acquire surnames. From Denmark and Germany, surnames passed to the Swedes.

Origin of Russian surnames.

Surnames in Russian nominal formulashowed up quite late. Citizens were the first to acquire surnames in Russian landsVeliky Novgorod, probably adopted this custom from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Thus, Novgorod chroniclers mention many surnames and nicknames already in the 13th century. For example, in the chronicles of those years, among the Novgorodians who fell in the Battle of the Neva, Kostyantin and Lugotinitsa appear. Then in XIV-XV centuries acquired surnames Moscow specific princes and boyars . It is interesting that the emergence of the surname began to be associated with the moment when the prince, having lost his inheritance, still retained his name as a nickname for himself and his descendants (Tverskoy, Vyazemsky). At the end of the 15th century, the first surnames appeared among Russian nobles foreign origin: Akhmatovs (descendants of the Tatars), Fonvizins, Lermontovs (surnames from Western countries). To end XVIII - mid-XIX centuries the majority of the population of central Russia did not have surnames. Mass assignment of surnames began after the abolition of serfdom in 1861. The peasants became independent, and then the need for surnames arose. As a rule, Russian surnames were single and passed down only through the male line.The history of most Russian surnames goes back only about 100 years. Officially, the bulk of the Russian population received surnames only after the first and only All-Russian population census in 1897. Until that moment, surnames existed in villages only in the form of nicknames (“street surnames”). Those who conducted this census did not mince words when choosing a surname for the peasants. Mostly they were given by the patronymic of the father or grandfather. Therefore, from the list of the 100 most popular Russian surnames, the first places are occupied by Ivanov, Vasiliev, Petrov, Mikhailov, Fedorov, Yakovlev, Andreev, Alexandrov...

Why are there so many Ivans in Rus'? In the Russian Orthodox Church there were (and still are) special books - monthly books, or calendars. In the month's book, for each day of each month, the names of the saints who are honored by the church on that day are written down. Before the baptismal ceremony, the priest offered a choice of several names that were listed in the calendar for the child’s birthday. However, sometimes the priest made concessions and, at the request of the parents, gave another name, which was not listed in the calendar for that day. This, in fact, explains that sometimes a name that is rarely found in the calendar appears quite often in life. Thus, the Slavic names Faith, Nadezhda and Lyubov in pre-revolutionary times were often given to children, despite the fact that Vera appears in the calendar only 2 times a year (September 30 and October 14), and Nadezhda and Lyubov only once each. But, in any case, the child could only be given the name that was in the calendar. No “free thinking” was allowed here.

The name Ivan (John) appears most often in the complete calendar, 170 times (!), i.e. almost every other day. That is why the surname “Ivanov” is the most common Russian surname.

It is curious, but while conducting a study of the official Russian surnames of the Moscow province in 1858 in the Dmitrov and Zvenigorod districts, it turned out that such surnames as Ivanov, Vasiliev and Petrov were never found in the villages in the middle of the last century! The most common surnames were Kozlov (36th place among the most popular surnames in 1900, according to B.O. Unbegun), Volkov (22), Komarov (80)...

It turns out that the most common Russian surname Ivanov is of artificial, “bureaucratic” origin, and what’s most interesting is that its occurrence could partly be attributed to... lack of time! Officials simply had no time to think about and find out the true nicknames that existed in the villages. If the peasants did not have an officially assigned surname, the official should have come up with one. For reasons that are still unclear, the census compilers in most cases did not find out the real village nicknames from the peasants, but did what was easier. Since your father is Ivan, you will be Ivanov! Such an approach to distinguishing between people in the village itself was unacceptable. Agree, it was strange to call a street nickname in the village the Ivanovs, if every second (or third) in this village was Ivan. More significant distinguishing features were needed.

Methods of forming Russian surnames.

In order to professionally talk about surnames, you need to start with the most important thing - how were they formed?

Gorbanevsky’s book lists 5 main ways of forming Russian surnames:

1. Surnames formed from canonical and various folk forms of baptismal Christian names.

2. Surnames that have retained worldly names at their core. Worldly names came from pagan times, when church names did not exist: many of them were simply proper names, others arose as nicknames, but then their basis was forgotten and they became just names. Superstitious parents gave third names to their children in order to save them from various everyday problems: it was here that princes named Farmhand and Golik, priests named Devil and Satan, and, finally, numerous Fools and Blockheads who were not such appeared. The parents had only one concern: let the child safely avoid the troubles that the name given to him entails.

Z. Surnames formed from the professional nicknames of their ancestors, telling which of them did what. Hence the Goncharovs, Ovsyannikovs, Cherepennikovs, Bondarchuks, Kuznetsovs, etc.

4. Surnames formed from the name of the area where one of the ancestors was from (the basis of such surnames was various geographical names - cities, villages, villages, rivers, lakes, etc.): Meshcheryakov, Semiluksky, Novgorodtsev, Moskvitinov, etc. d.

5. The most interesting group of Russian surnames belonged to the Orthodox clergy: Apollonov, Gilyarovsky, Troitsky, Rozhdestvensky. By the way, Luzhkov, Vysotsky, Ozerov and even Mayorov and Luminantov.

Some experts will ask: “But many Russian surnames Are they of Muslim, Buddhist or Jewish origin?" The answer is simple: all the surnames of peoples existing in our time globe arose under approximately the same circumstances. But only the Russian Orthodox clergy, which, unlike other faiths, never tried to “press the Bessermen under their fingernails,” introduced an enviable diversity into Russian surnames. It was here that the names of Hyacinths and Tuberoses, Cypresses and Ptolemies, Caesars and Emperors and many others arose as a result of special word creation.

The bulk of Russian surnames have the suffixes -ov/-ev, -in, from the answer to the question “whose?” -ov is added to nicknames or names with a hard consonant (Maksim-Maksim-ov), -ev is added to names or nicknames with a soft consonant (Andrei- Andre-ev), -in - is added to bases with a, ya (Ilya - Il- in). This also includes surnames by occupation: miller - Melnik-ov, weaver - Tkach-ev, kozhemyaka - Kozhemyak-in.

The second largest group of surnames was formed from the suffixes –skiy/-skoy and –tskiy/-tskaya. These suffixes are most often found in princely surnames and surnames of the gentry of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. If a prince owned, for example, a lake, then his surname could be Ozersky (owner of the lake), Gorsky (owner of the mountains), that is, the territorial inheritance was transferred with the surname. Many surnames are associated with the clergy: Voznesensky (from the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord), Troitsky (from the Feast of the Holy Trinity).At the beginning of the 18th century, the clergy, the only classRussian Empire, had the privilege free change of surname and became the only social group in Russia, which introduced artificial surnames into use: Sinaisky, Athensky, Athos. This was due to the fact that many clergy who came from serfs had dissonant surnames (for example: Pyankov).

The spread of the once aristocratic endings –ovich, -inich in the lower strata of society was accompanied by a reduction (with careless pronunciation) of their form by skipping the syllables –ov and –in, for example: Fominich, Ilyinich => Fomich, Ilyich.

At first, surnames arose among feudal lords. There was hereditary land ownership, and it was this that attracted the emergence of hereditary names. Most of the princely (and then boyar) surnames pointed to those lands that belonged to the feudal lord, or entirely to the area where he was from. This is how the surnames of the boyars arose

Shuisky (after the name of the river and the city of Shuya), princes Vyazemsky (the Vyazemsky family also owes the existence of this surname to the river - Vyazma). No less “transparent” from this point of view are such ancient surnames as Eletsky, Zvenigorodsky, Meshchersky, Tverskoy, Tyumensky, etc.

The first Russian surnames are found in ancient documents dating back to the 15th century. But they could have existed earlier. Sometimes there were violent class feuds around surnames. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (father of Peter I) forbade the Romodanovsky princes to add a second, traditional - Starodubsky, to their first surname, since the second surname corresponded to the ancient inheritance of the Romodanovskys, and this did not fully correspond to the ideas of the Moscow tsars about centralization. So, after the royal decree, one of the Romodanovskys, Grigory tearfully beat his forehead to “The Quietest” (as we remember, that’s what Alexei Mikhailovich was called): “Have mercy, don’t tell me to take away our old honor!” You see how tightly the princes clung to their birthright...

But most of the people who inhabited our country did not have surnames. What happened? One has only to look into the archival documents that have come down to us from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, and the answer will be found. Nicknames and patronymics are what, in addition to names, served as a social sign for our ancestors. Let's open the yellowed pages of ancient documents, vital records: “Ivan Mikitin is the son, and the nickname is Menshik,” record of 1568; “Onton Mikiforov is the son, and the nickname is Zhdan,” document of 1590; “Guba Mikiforov’s son Crooked cheeks, landowner,” record of 1495 ; “Danilo Soplya, peasant,” 1495; “Efimko Vorobey, peasant,” 1495... Thus, the surnames Mikitin, Nikitin, Menshikov, Mikiforov, Nikiforov, Zhdanov, Krivoshchekov, Soplin, Vorobyov could subsequently arise.

Nicknames were given to people by their relatives, neighbors, class and social environment. Moreover, nicknames, as a rule, reflected some characteristic features inherent in this particular person and not another. Having become entrenched in surnames, these traits and characteristics of our distant ancestors have survived to this day. This is how it could be.

Once upon a time there lived a white-haired man. They called him Belyak. His children began to be called Belyakovs: “Whose are they?” - “Whose, Belyakovs.” The surname Belyakov appeared. But the person wearing it now may well not be blond, but brown-haired or even brunette. On the other hand, some citizen Chernyshev, whose distant ancestor was called Chernysh for the pitch-black color of his hair, may well now be blond. Another person, for his addiction to chatter - “screaming” - could be nicknamed Vereshchaga, and his children Vereshchagin. But he could well have had a silent neighbor, who also had a nickname - Molchan. The Molchanovs could have come from him.

Often, a person received the name of some animal or bird as a nickname, so the nickname noted the person’s appearance, his character or habits.

One might be nicknamed Rooster for his pugnacity, another for long legs Crane, third Snake - for the ability to always wriggle out, avoid punishment or danger. From them the surnames Petukhov, Zhuravlev and Uzhov could subsequently arise. By the way, you probably yourself have noticed that there are a lot of bird names in the Russian language. This is easily explained: the birds were playing big role both in peasant farming and hunting, and in folk beliefs.

What kind of nicknames do researchers come across when leafing through ancient documents! Here is a record from 1495, it indicates the peasant Ignatko Velikie Lapti. And here is a document from 1335, it names dozens of people who received their nicknames by profession and by their occupations:

Gonchar, Degtyar, Zubovolok, Kozhemyaka, Melnik, Rogoznik, Rudomet, Serebrennik, Krasilnik, Sedelnik, Skomorokh, Shvets... All of them could form the basis of the corresponding surnames.

We all know the once popular Russian name Basil. It came to the Russian language from Greek, where it had the meaning “royal”. More than 50 surnames have been formed from the name Vasily, which differ from each other in various shades - diminutive, contemptuous, etc. or changed for euphony: Vasin, Vaskin, Vasyatnikov, Vasyutin, Vasilevsky, Vasilchikov, Vasiliev. And more than a hundred (!) surnames were formed from the name Ivan. But in the surname Ischuk you are unlikely to “recognize” the name... Joseph. It arose in Ukraine back in the 15th century, approximately on the territory of the current Vinnitsa, Zhitomir, Rivne and Khmelnytsky regions. It was there that the Orthodox name Joseph turned into Josip, and then into Isko. The son of a man named Isko received the nickname Ishchuk. That's it!

In the past, even among merchants, only the richest - the “eminent merchants” - were awarded the honor of receiving a surname. In the 16th century there were only a few of these. For example, the merchants Stroganov. By the way, among the merchant surnames there were many that reflected the “professional specialization” of their bearers. Take, for example, the surname Rybnikov. It is derived from the word rybnik, that is, “fish merchant.”

An equally large segment of the Russian population consisted of church ministers. The clergy began to receive surnames en masse only at the end of the 18th - first half of the 19th century. We come across “church” surnames quite often, often without even suspecting it.

Often surnames were given to priests based on the names of the churches in which they served: Deacon Ivan, who served in the Trinity Church, could receive the surname Troitsky. Some clergy acquired surnames upon graduation from the seminary: Athensky, Dukhososhestvensky, Brilliantov, Dobromyslov, Benemansky, Kiparisov, Palmin, Reformatsky, Pavsky, Golubinsky, Klyuchevsky, Tikhomirov, Myagkov, Liperovsky (from the Greek root meaning “sad”), Gilyarovsky (from Latin root meaning "cheerful").

Most of the surnames of priests ended in -skiy, in imitation of Ukrainian and Belarusian surnames: at that time there were many people from these areas among the church administration, teachers of seminaries and theological academies.

When serfdom fell in Russia, the government faced a serious task. It was necessary to give surnames to former serfs, who, as a rule, did not have them before. So the second half of the 19th century can be considered the period of final “familyization” of the country’s population. Some peasants were given the full or changed surname of their former owner, the landowner - this is how entire villages of the Polivanovs, Gagarins, Vorontsovs, and Lvovkins appeared. For others, a “street” surname was written down in the document, which another family might have had more than one. For others, the patronymic was turned into a surname. But this whole process was very complicated, often people continued to do without surnames. This situation prompted the publication in September 1888 of a special decree of the Senate: “...As practice reveals, even among persons born in a legal marriage, there are many people who do not have surnames, that is, bearing so-called surnames by patronymic, which causes significant misunderstandings , and even sometimes abuses... To be called by a certain surname is not only the right, but also the duty of every full-fledged person, and the designation of the surname on some documents is required by law itself.”

Classification of Russian surnames.

Surnames formed from personal names; patronymic surnames formed from male names; non-patronymic surnames; adapted surnames; unadapted surnames; surnames of non-Russian origin; surnames formed from baptismal names, from names of professions, from disappeared professions; matronymic surnames formed from women's names; surnames that arose from toponyms (geographical names); surnames formed from nicknames, from words denoting family relationships, from words denoting a person’s social status, from names of body parts, from names of animals, birds, fish, mammals, insects; from botanical terms: names of trees, cultivated plants, fruits; surnames derived from the names of food and drink products; from the names of fabrics, clothing, hats, shoes; from the names of residential and commercial buildings; from the names of tools and household items; from the names of vehicles; from the names of weapons and armor; from the names of various objects; from abstract nouns; from intra-family names; from names associated with the circumstances of the child’s birth; from affectionate, protective, Old Russian (non-church) or unusual names; surnames of the Orthodox clergy; surnames formed from the names of saints, from the names of church holidays; surnames based on biblical and Christian traditions; names of illegitimate children; surnames-pseudonyms; surnames of literary heroes; "talking" names; deliberately changed names; Ukrainian surnames, Belarusian origin; surnames dating back to other Slavic languages; surnames of (non)European, Turkic, Mongolian origin.

The origin of my own surname.

The surname Samoilov comes from the central regions ancient Russian state and is one of the oldest Slavic surnames, the first mention of which dates back to the 16th century.

The surname Samoilov belongs to the ancient type of Russian surnames, formed from the full folk form baptismal name of the ancestor. According to religious canons, the child was named in honor of one or another saint, revered by the church on a strictly defined day of the year. The Christian religion came to Rus' in the 10th century from Byzantium, which borrowed it from the Roman Empire, into which it penetrated from the Middle East. Therefore, most personal Christian names are borrowed from ancient languages: Hebrew, Greek and Latin. These names took root in the language until they began to sound completely Russian.

The surname Samoilov is based on the baptismal name of Hebrew origin Samuil, which translated means “heard by God.” The name Samuel received the popular form Samoilo.

Only the social elite and nobility had surnames formed from the full popular form of the baptismal name, unlike other classes, which were called by diminutive, everyday names.

Samoilov means “son of a man named Samoilo.”

According to family legends, Count Samoilov, their ancestor was the Belarusian nobleman Nikita Samuiko, coat of arms of Sulim, who entered Russia in the first half of the 16th century. Bartholomew Lavrentievich Samoilov was the governor in Pereslavl Zalessky under Peter the Great. Another family of Samoilovs comes from Karp Samoilov, the head of the Streltsy in Siberia. In addition, the Samoilovs are one of the richest dynasties of the Yenisei merchants of the 18th century. Another family of Samoilovs originates from the wonderful opera singer Vasily Mikhailovich Samoilov (1782-1839).

The most common surnames in Russia, in the city of Buzuluk, in our school.

A group of researchers led by E.V. Balanovskaya in 2005 published a list of all-Russian surnames. There are 250 of them.Criteria for inclusion in the list surnames was as follows: it turned on if within three generations At least five bearers of this surname lived in the region. First, lists were compiled for five conditional regions - Northern, Central, Central-Western, Central-Eastern and Southern. In total, across all regions there were about 15 thousand Russian surnames, most of which were found only in one of the regions and were absent in others. When superimposing regional lists on top of each other, scientists identified a total of 257 so-called “all-Russian surnames.”Here's what the twenty most popular surnames in Russia look like:

Thus, the top three emerged: 1) Smirnov; 2) Ivanov; 3) Kuznetsov. Let's look at the meanings of these surnames.

1) There are two versions about the origin of the Smirnov surname. Let's look at each of them.

According to the first version, the surname Smirnov is based on the very popular non-Christian male personal name Smirna. It is derived from the archaic form smirna - “meek, quiet, obedient.” Perhaps the name reflected the child’s real qualities or, more likely, the parents’ wishes regarding the child’s future behavior. The personal name Smirna was widespread in all territories and in all social strata, which is why the surname Smirnov is now so common. As a result, a descendant of a person with the name Smirna eventually received the surname Smirnov.

According to the second version, the surname Smirnov came from the class of people wandering (roaming) across the Russian land. They were characterized by: practicality, curiosity and spiritual enlightenment. The appearance of these wandering people in some remote settlement brought with them: the discovery of new ways of farming for residents, the emergence of new knowledge about the laws of nature.In those days, the head of a traveling family clan greeted the indigenous people (encountered along the way) standard phrase: "Hello, good people!

We come to you with a NEW WORLD."
This phrase served to form the surname, consisting of the roots of two words “WORLD” and “NEW”....After the nomadic lifestyle of a number of family dynasties became a thing of the past, their descendants continued to call themselves Smirnovs.The wandering lifestyle explains the wide territorial distribution of this surname.

2) The surname Ivanov is a common type of Russian surname and is derived from the baptismal name. After 988, every Slav, during an official baptism ceremony, received a baptismal name from the priest, which served only one purpose - to provide the person with a personal name.

The surname Ivanov goes back to the Russian version of the canonical male name John (from Hebrew - “mercy of God”). It is known that in ancient Judea it was pronounced Yohanaan. The Russian name probably comes from the progenitor of the Slavs, Van, since in ancient times all the Slavs were called “Vani.” Christianity added only one letter “and” to the name.

3) The surname Kuznetsov comes from the nickname Kuznets. The surname is based on the patronymic, formed from the father’s given name by occupation. Since the blacksmith was the most necessary and well-known person in the village, naming on this basis was universal. Therefore, the surname Kuznetsov is one of the most common in Russia. Kuznets, eventually received the surname Kuznetsov.

According to the migration service, the most common surname in Buzuluk is Ivanov. Its origin and meaning have been discussed above.

The twenty most common surnames in Buzuluk look like this:

Ivanov (169)
Popov (167)
Petrov (102)
Grigoriev (101)
Vasilyev (93)
Kuznetsov (84)
Nazarov (77)
Dmitriev (76)
Andreev (67)
Stepanov (66)
Fedorov
Yakovlev
Kalinin
Kolesnikov
Korchagin
Frolov
Alekseev
Zakharov
Zaitsev
Nikiforov

During my research, I could not ignore the namesakes of famous Russian historical and cultural figures. Thus, 11 Kutuzovs, 5 Suvorovs, 21 Romanovs, 7 Minins, 5 Ulyanovs, 2 Gagarins, 2 Khrushchevs, 23 Zhukovs, 23 Gorbachevs, 6 Chekhovs, 7 Shevchenkos, 2 Surikovs, 8 Repins and 44 Shishkins live in Buzuluk.

What are the most common last names at my school?

After studying the list of students at our school, I came up with the following ranking of the most popular surnames:

Ivanov – 11 people
Petrov, Popov – 6 people
Fedorov, Zhalybin – 5 people
Komarov, Nikolaev, Tarasov – 4 people

Last name Ivanov leads by a good margin, and it’s clear why. The surname Ivanov is the most common in Russia. According to various sources, from 16% to 25% of Russian men have given surname. We have already discussed its meaning.

Last name Petrov also included in the top ten most popular in Russia. The basis of the Petrov surname was the church name Peter. The surname Petrov goes back to the canonical male name Peter (translated from ancient Greek - “stone, rock”). The name Peter became especially widespread in the 18th century, when this name began to be given in honor of Emperor Peter I

The patron of the name Peter was the Christian saint, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ - Peter. In Catholicism, it is believed that the Apostle Peter was the first Roman bishop, that is, the first pope. He was canonized in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. In Rome, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul was introduced, as the two most revered apostles, called the supreme holy apostles for their especially zealous service to the Lord and the spread of the faith of Christ.
In Rus', they believed that if you give a child the name of a saint or great martyr, then his life will be bright, good or difficult, because there is an invisible connection between the name and the fate of a person. Peter, over time received the surname Petrov.

Last name Fedorov is also included in the ranking of the most common Russian surnames. The surname Fedorov comes from the male church name Theodore (from the ancient Greek Theodoros - “gift of the gods”). In everyday pronunciation, the combination of vowels EO, which is not typical for the Russian language, has disappeared. The surname Fedorov is most often found in the Novgorod and Pskov regions, where it ranks fourth among others, and, for example, in the Middle Volga region - much less often. Other forms of surnames arose from derived dialectal forms of the name. In other forms this name came into the Russian language from other languages, for example: Polish Theodor, Bulgarian Todor. The sound [f], alien to the Old Russian language, was rendered as [x] or [xv] - Khodor, Khvedor, from which dozens of surnames arose: Fedin, Fedonin, Fedoreev, Khodorov, Todorov and many others. Feodor, eventually received the surname Fedorov.

Etymology of the surnames of my classmates.

I tried to find material about each of the 15 people.

Last name Akhmedov It has rich history and belongs to the widespread type of family names of Turkic origin in Russia. It came from the name of a distant ancestor in the male line, Ahmed. Ancient Arabic name Ahmed in translation means “the most famous, famous, illustrious”, as well as “worthy of praise”. This epithet belonged to the Prophet Muhammad himself. This naming is very popular among all Turkic peoples and is often used as a component of complex names, such as Akhmedshakur, Akhmedbai, Akhmedbaki. The name Ahmed could be given to a child with a wish for wealth and recognition. This name became a kind of symbol for the young heir happy fate and a sign of great destiny. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the surname Akhmedov arose from the name of the ancestor Akhmed. Undoubtedly, it is a wonderful monument of oriental writing and vivid evidence of the interaction of different national cultures.

basis Antiukhin's surnamesserved as the church name Anthony. The surname Antyukhina is derived from the name Antyukha, a diminutive form of the baptismal male name Antony (Anton), which is presumably related to the Greek word “anteo”, which translated into Russian means “to enter into battle, compete.” This name has many patrons, one of which is Anthony the Roman. He was born in Rome in 1067 to wealthy Orthodox parents and was raised by them in piety. After the death of his parents, he distributed part of the inheritance to the poor, and put the other in a wooden barrel and put it into the sea. He himself took monastic vows in a desert monastery, where he lived for 20years .

During the persecution of the Orthodox, Anthony wandered until he found a large stone on the seashore, on which he lived for a whole year in fasting and prayer. A terrible storm tore off the stone and carried it into the sea. On Christmas Day Holy Mother of God The stone stopped 3 versts from Novgorod on the banks of the Volkhov River. Anthony founded a monastery on this site. Antyukha, eventually received the surname Antyukhin.

Last name Bisultanovformed from the Tatar male name Bisultan, which goes back to two bases: Bi (from bek/bik - “master, master”) and Sultan, which means “lord, ruler, lord, head of state, monarch, emperor.” Similar names, where two parts have approximately the same meaning, are often found in the East.

Originally the surname was Belova formed from the word “white” - about color, suit, paint: colorless, opposite to black. In addition, the Slavs used this name for a neat person.

In Vologda dialects, “belyak” means “shoes made of white rawhide.” The ancestor could have been involved in the sale or manufacture of such shoes.

According to another version, the surname Belov belongs to the oldest type of Slavic family nicknames, derived from geographical names. Existed county town Belovo Kemerovo region. The Belovs' ancestor, whose nickname was derived from the name of this city, could have been its resident.

ABOUT Surnames Vatolkinavery little is known. Scientists only assume that it appeared in the Republic of Udmurtia.

Last name Goncharovderived from the nickname Gonchar. It originates from the common noun “potter” - “a master who makes products from baked clay (dishes, toys, etc.).” Most likely, the nickname refers to the so-called “professional” naming, containing an indication of the activities of the founder of the surname. Perhaps the ancient Slavs attached a special symbolic meaning to this nickname. In popular belief, the potter was associated with fire, the underworld, and evil spirits. At the end of the day, the master baptized the potter's wheel or drew a cross on it; He left a piece of clay on the circle and made a cross on it so that the devil would not rotate it at night. Pottery marks in the form of crosses on the bottoms of pots are known from archaeological data. Gonchar, over time received the surname Goncharov.

There are two versions of the origin surname Grebnev . According to one of them, this surname is formed from the non-church name Greben. Such names in the old days were widespread in all levels of society. According to another, more plausible hypothesis, the basis for the surname was the nickname Comb, which could have been received by the master who made this household item.

The basis of the surname Ilyasov served as the church name Ilya. The surname Ilyasov is derived from the name Ilyas, which is a derived form of the male baptismal name Ilya, which is a modified form of the biblical name Eliyahu. The latter is translated from Hebrew as “my God is the Lord,” that is, “My God is the true God.” The patron of this name is Elijah the Prophet - a legendary figure in the Jewish and Christian tradition, a miracle worker and soothsayer, a formidable denouncer of idolatry. For his fiery zeal for the glory of God, he was taken to heaven alive in a chariot of fire. In Rus' this saint was especially revered. It was he who, in popular pagan ideas, replaced the ancient thunder god Perun and began to be called Ilya the Thunder-Bearing. According to another version, the surname is associated with the Hebrew-Arabic name Ilyas, which translated into Russian means “the power, might, mystery of Allah.” Ilyas eventually received the surname Ilyasov.

According to one version, surname Lapin comes from the nickname Paw. This could be a nickname for a person with big strong hands, colloquially – “paws”. It is possible that the surname is associated with the dialect verb “to paw” - “roughly grab, crush, feel.” In this case, Lapa could be nicknamed a prankster and a naughty person.According to another hypothesis, the surname is formed from a shortened form of the male baptismal names Evlampy and Kharlampy. For ease of pronunciation, the “m” in these names was omitted, and in a diminutive form they began to be used as the name Lapa. Also, women with the rare name Olympiada these days were affectionately called not Limps, but Lindens, Lipochkas.

Last name Pirogovgoes back to the nickname of the ancestor Pie. In Rus', the best pies in the world are still baked. The attitude towards dough, towards baking, and towards bread in general was almost sacred. In the old days, it was not for nothing that there were sayings: “Bread is the head of everything,” “The hut is not red in its corners, but red in its pies.” Probably, the man who bore the nickname Pie was distinguished by his great love for this type of pastry and was a cordial and hospitable host. It is also possible that he was a baker or a merchant who sold pies.

Last name: Simatovahas a very interesting history of origin and belongs to a common type of ancient eastern surnames. It is formed from the nickname Simat, which goes back to the dialectal Ossetian common noun “simad (or simd)” - “the name of the Ossetian folk dance" Probably, such a nickname refers to the so-called “professional” names, indicating the type of activity of a person. It can be assumed that the founder of the Simatovs was a dancer.

ABOUT surname TyanterevaLittle material has survived. One can only assume that the surname came from the name of the bird - black grouse through the evolution of language. A person with poor hearing could have such a surname, because the black grouse can hardly hear.

People with the surname Ulrich can appreciate the history of their family, since their surname belongs to the numerous layer of German surnames that have left a significant mark on European culture. The surname Ulrich obviously represents a personal name or nickname of a distant ancestor in the male line that has been established as a surname. The German male name Ulrich is known, which translated from the ancient German language means “rich, powerful.” The family’s acceptance of the ancestor’s personal nickname as their family name means that the founder of the surname Ulrich was a great authority for the household, and was also a famous person in his native settlement.

The basis of the surname Fatneva served as the church name Photius. The male baptismal name Photius is derived from ancient Greek word“fos” – “light”. In “akaya” dialects it began to be pronounced and written as Fatey. The surname is based on its colloquial form - Faten. The patron saint of the name is the martyr Photius, who, during the persecution of Christians, denounced the pagan king for the wickedness and vain torment of Christians, and then himself endured torment for the faith of Christ (IV century).

The basis of the surname Yakushkin served as the church name Yakov. The surname Yakushkin is probably derived from the church name Yakov, or more precisely from its colloquial form Yakush, Yakushka. Translated from Hebrew, this name means “follower” or “second-born.”

According to another version, the basis for the surname Yakushkin was a nickname from the dialect “Yakush” - this is how in some dialects they called a carpenter-carver who made decorations for huts and ships. In this case, the surname may contain an indication of the occupation of the Yakushkins’ ancestor.

Conclusion

Each surname has its own history and etymology, its own semantic root from which it comes. But we should not forget that surnames have long lost their internal form, since they were inherited by many generations, reflecting the nickname of a distant ancestor.

The secret of surnames is studied by a special science - anthroponymy, which also covers other types of proper names of people - individual names, patronymics, nicknames, nicknames, pseudonyms, etc. Together with anthroponyms, all proper names (toponyms, i.e. geographical names, ethnonyms - names of peoples, cosmonyms - names of space objects, zoonyms - names of animals, etc.) with the branches of science that study them constitute onomastics.

The study of the secrets of surnames is productive only with the unity of linguistics, historical phonetics, historical word formation, historical vocabulary, history and ethnography.Of the entire set of Russian surnames, those that reflect the social structure of Russia over many centuries of its existence are of greatest interest. These surnames reflect the entire social hierarchy, all class differences in Russia in the distant past: peasants and landowners, factory owners and workers, gentlemen and their servants, merchants, officials, clergy, military men. Surnames that reflect various professions, as well as various human qualities, vices and virtues, dreams and everyday reality are also interesting. These are original documents of the history of the Russian people.

Surnames were often given at the most various circumstances. For example, a person with the surname of Governors could be both the son and servant of the governor, his employee, a peasant of the governor’s landowner’s estate, etc.

These are also other similar surnames: Landowners, Esaulov, Gospodinov, Getmanov, Tsaritsyn, Khozyainov, Barsky, Grafsky or - Slugin, Smerdov, Kholopov, Dvornikov, Konyukhov, Zapryagaev, Chelyadin, Polovoy, Lackeyev, Boys, Cooks and others. The Popovs, Pevchevs, Dyakonovs, Parish, Obednins, Kolokolovs, Zvonarevs, Molitvins, Bozhevs, Dyachkovs, Khramovs, Vladykins, Bogodukhovs are connected, in all likelihood, with the church, which in the past occupied a huge place in public life people.

If the surnames Soldatov, Ofitserov, Kapitonov, Generalov, Polkovnikov are perceived as familiar, then Ulanov, Grenadirov, Dragunov, Kornetov, Kadetov evoke certain historical associations. Such surnames as the Dvoryankins, Dvoryaninovs, Meshchaninovs, Gorodnichevs, Ispravnikovs, Podyachevs, Pisarevs, Predvoditelevs, Zavodchikovs, Fabrikantovs, Owners, Khozyainovs, Factory, Mekhanikovs, Rabochevs, Stores, Prikazchikovs, Baryshnikovs, Korobeinikovs and others go back into the depths of history.

Professions and handicrafts are reflected in the very common surnames Melnikovs, Goncharovs, Kuznetsovs, Bocharovs and Bochkarevs. Somewhat less common are the Krupoderovs, the Zhivoderovs (the flayer is a worker who skinned killed animals), the Pivovarovs, the Sbitenkovs (sbiten is an old Russian sweetish drink that was brewed in samovars), the Telegins, the Khomutovs, the Tkachevs and the Pryakhins. Urban professions are reflected in the surnames Izvozchikovs, Konkins, Karetnikovs, Syurtukovs, Perepletchikovs, Mramornovs, Dubodelovs, Alabasterevs and others, as well as not typically urban ones - in the surnames Toporyshchevs, Fonarevs, Kastryulins, Arshinovs, Vedernikovs and others. The following names speak of poverty and hardship: Obyedkin, Nuzhdin, Khudokormov, Korochkin, Bezdomnikov, Ustaly, Hungry, Podpalkin, Nevzgodov, Semigorelov, Podvalny, Ogryzkov, Tyurmin, Cherdakov, Nebogatikov, Kusochkin.

The words from which such surnames as Sokhin, Brichkin, Tarantasov, Kutin, Grivennikov, Polushkin come from are associated with the distant past.

In many surnames there are quite modern words and concepts: Aptekarev, Cutters, Pochtarev, Painters, Doctors, Lekarev, Students, Pilots, Cooks, Painters, Kochegarov, Screwov, Shpuntov, Gvozdev, Molotkov, Vitriol, Solutions, Turpentines, Lancets, Ethers and other. The words underlying the surnames Grazhdankin, Sovetov, Pyatiletkin, Deputates, Kommunarov, Instances, Fasons, Tovarov seem even more modern. However, their origin may not be modern.

Russian surnames are an encyclopedia of Russian life, history, ethnography. They keep and will always keep in their foundations the memory of events, objects, phenomena characteristic of the eras when they were created, from the ancient (Smerdov, Knyazev) to the newest (Pervomaisky, Oktyabrsky).

Literature:

1. Glushko E. A., Medvedev Yu. M. Encyclopedia of Russian surnames. – M.: EXPO – Press, 2000.

2. Nikonov V. A. Dictionary of Russian surnames. M., 1993

3. Petrovsky N. A. Dictionary of Russian personal names. M., 1984

4.Superanskaya A.V. Modern Russian surnames. M., 1981

5. Fedosyuk Yu. A. Russian surnames. M. 1981

6.Burtseva V.V. New spelling dictionary-reference book of the Russian language. "Russian Language-Media", M., 2007.

7. Sayakhova L. G. Thematic dictionary of the Russian language. M., 2008

8.Dal V.I. Explanatory dictionary of the living Russian language. M.: “Russian Language-Media”, 2007.

9. Ivanova T. F. New spelling dictionary of the Russian language. Pronunciation. Emphasis. Grammatical forms. "Russian Language-Media", M., 2004.

10. Tikhonov A. N. Comprehensive dictionary of the Russian language. "Russian Language-Media", M., 2007.

11. Ushakov D. N. Large explanatory dictionary of the modern Russian language. "Alta-Print", M., 2007

12. V. A. Nikonov. PRECIOUS WITNESSES. - M.: Etymology, 1988-1990,

13. Chichagov V.K. From the history of Russian names, patronymics and surnames, M., 1959

14. Superanskaya A. V. General theory of proper names, M., 1973;

15. Barashkov V. F. Surnames with calendar names as a basis / V. F. Barashkov // Anthroponymics. - M.: Nauka, 1970.

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 of the appearance or personal nature of its owner. That's whyfind out the history of the origin of the surnamefor researchers it means finding out a lot of interesting and important information from 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 archives containing large lists of 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 by nicknames because modern definition It is impossible to assign their surnames. 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 an 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 acquired words 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, in everyday life. 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 the entire existence of the 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 - the 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.

A 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 can be an impetus for your future career and determining your life path. Being inspired by the actions of your ancestors makes it much easier to find and understand your purpose. How to do it? Access to ancient archives, historical documents and chronicles is not available to everyone. On the Internet, opportunities are also limited, since resources offering to find out the history of a family by last name for free online do not have a complete 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 surnames that representatives of different professions and classes in Rus' bore:

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 in government service also enjoyed special status 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 the employee or the territory of 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 surnames of serfs emphasized their low 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 the history of your family is a great opportunity to get together and feel the unity of family members.

Section 1. SURNAME AS A SPECIAL TYPE OF NAMING OF A PERSON:

§ 4. From the history of the word surname (you are now on this page)

Section 2. HISTORY OF FAMILIES OF THE SMOLENSK REGION IN THE ETHNOSOCIAL ASPECT:

§ 3. Surnames of the Smolensk nobility:

3.3. Smolensk noble families in the historical and cultural area:
Section 3. SURNAME OF MODERN SMOLENSCHIA:

§ 1. Surnames formed from rare forms of baptismal names:

§ 2. Surnames formed from non-baptismal names:

§ 7. Structural features read Smolensk surnames
Section 4. SURNAMES WITH DIALECT BASES:
– Read letters A–B
– Read letters G–L
– Read letters G–L
– Read letters G–L
APPLICATION:

1. EMPHASIS IN SURNAMES

2. DECLINATION OF SURNAMES

LITERATURE
LIST OF DICTIONARIES AND ABBREVIATIONS
LIST OF SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
INDEX OF SURNAME read

Smolensk Avraamievsky Monastery for Men in 1912
Author of the photo: S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky

The word surname (lat. familia) appeared in Russia in the Peter the Great era and immediately acquired a certain activity, since Peter I encouraged the use foreign words. However, borrowed through the Polish language from Latin surname came to Rus' not with our usual modern meaning of “hereditary family naming of a person”, but with the meaning of “clan, family” (Vasmer M. Etymological dictionary Russian language. M., 1973. T. IV). The system of anthroponymic terms, in particular the term surname, Along with the formation of the anthroponymic norm, a long and hard way development.

History of the word surname Researched by S.I. using dictionaries. Zinin (On the term surname // Questions of onomastics. Proceedings of Samarkand University named after A. Navoi. Samarkand, 1971. Ser. 1. Issue 214), but his observations are fragmentary and not confirmed by analysis of the factual material of the sources.

So the word surname“family, clan” began to take root in the era of Peter I: “On the 19th day, His Majesty went to Schlutenburg... to meet his last name queens and princesses" (Camping journals of Peter I. 1708. Hereinafter our italics - I.K.); “And whoever is childless is free to give his immovable property to one surnames his own, whoever he wants” (Edicts of Peter I, 1714); “Decree... to the undergrowth of all last name higher ranks...” (“Reports in the Senate. 1713”) (Based on materials from the Card Index of the Russian Language Dictionary of the 11th–17th centuries, Institute of the Russian Language named after V.V. Vinogradov RAS).

Used the word quite often surname in the indicated meaning, Feofan Prokopovich: “He is looking for this, and asks you for blood, and your tribe, and your means, all the high surname..." (Sermon on Peter I); “...to daughters, grandchildren, nieces and all surnames..." (Word at the funeral of Peter I); “...it was a monarchy, and a monarchy in a single surnames inherited..." (A word of praise on the birthday of Pyotr Petrovich. Prokopovich F. Works. M.-L., 1961). As we can see, F. Prokopovich used the new word surname with a narrower meaning - “ royal family, genus".

Surname is fixed in the language - it was attested by almost all lexicons of the 18th century: familie, familia, gens, clan, tribe, generation; surname, one’s own, family, strangers (Weisman E. German-Latin and Russian lexicon together with the first beginnings of the Russian language for the common benefit. St. Petersburg, 1731); surname– “house, family” (Nordstet I. Russian dictionary with German and French translations. St. Petersburg, 1780–1782. Parts 1–2). In Russian Cellarius surname is given without interpretation in the section “Adding foreign words accepted in the Russian language,” which emphasizes the novelty of the lexeme and its unsettled stylistic status (Russian Cellarius, or Etymological Russian Lexicon. M., 1771).

Surname also appears in the first explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Academy, but its explanation is rather vague, since the word has not yet been fully mastered by the language: surname(lat. familia) - “house, family, wife and children, all kinship, generation” (Dictionary of the Russian Academy, arranged in alphabetical order. St. Petersburg, 1806–1822. Vol. I–VI).

By the way, the materials of the Card Index of the Russian Language Dictionary of the 11th–17th centuries, which contains quotations from sources of the 18th and even 19th centuries, confirm the expansion of the semantics of the word surname in the process of its consolidation in the language. It could also be used to mean “wife”: “ Surnames I ask you to convey your respects to Your Excellency” (1727, from private correspondence of Anna Ioannovna); in the meaning of “generation, series of generations”: “Sometimes a whole surname There is a family of musicians, at least the Ivlevs, a family of artists who are particularly inclined towards something” (Notes of Semyon Poroshin for 1764–66). The very first fixations of the modern main anthroponymic meaning of the word surname- “hereditary family name of a person” - are attested in written monuments only in the second half of the 18th century: “And those who remained here... are still serving, which is attributed to you for your information, and about cash surnames our list is attached" (Commission on the Council Code. 1767) By the end of the century surname in its modern meaning, it appears in many sample documents, in list forms: rank, first name, patronymic, last name(General Secretary, or New and Complete Letter Book. M., 1793).

The most active word surname“hereditary family naming of a person” was common in the western regions of the Russian state, especially where Polish influence was strong. So, for example, in the novel by an unknown author of the 18th century “Tower of Veselukha”, describing the life of Smolensk in 1783–84, the word surname usually.

In lexicographic works for the first time the modern meaning of the word surname, which has become terminological in anthroponymics, is attested only in the Dictionary of the Church Slavonic and Russian Languages of 1847, and even then it is represented only by the third: surname– 1) clan, tribe, generation, 2) family, 3) name, nickname (T. IV). Also, this meaning is not presented as the main one in V.I.’s Dictionary. Dahl, who notes it in the structure of the word along with the meanings of “family”, “clan”, “generation”, “wife” (Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language. M., 1956. Vol. I–IV). Surname in the meaning of “wife” is currently an outdated and colloquial word, but is found quite actively in the speech of rural residents. In our opinion, it has acquired a certain expression: surname– “wife” is used either as an indicator of respect or as a mocking title. By the way, also V.I. Dahl noted at the word surname the meaning of “haberdashery politeness of the name of spouse, wife” (Dal. T. IV).

The dictionary entry contains the main modern meaning of the word surname appeared only in the 30s of the 20th century: surname– 1) hereditary family name, added to the personal name and passed from father (or mother) to children, and also (before the revolution, now optional) from husband to wife (Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language. Edited by D.N. Ushakov. M., 1936–1940. T. I–IV). The modern explanatory dictionary presents the following meanings: surname– 1) “the hereditary family name of a person, added to the personal name, passed from the father (or mother) to the children”; 2) “a number of generations bearing one hereditary name and having one ancestor; clan, family"; 3) “family, family members (colloquial)”; 4) “in ancient Rome: a family economic and legal unit, which, in addition to blood relatives, also included slaves” (Dictionary of the Russian Language. M., 1981–1984. Vol. I–IV). As you can see, the word is still polysemantic, but the main one, of course, is the meaning, which has become anthroponymic and determines the hereditary official naming of a person. Its early meanings, borrowed back in the Peter the Great era, also remain in the language.

Before the appearance surnames There were other words in the Russian language that helped to distinguish a person in society and at the same time emphasize his belonging to a particular family: “The man is her Artemey Eremeev son nickname Makarov" (Piece record. 1666); "In the name of Kozma nickname Minin" (“Pskov 3rd Chronicle, list of the 17th century”) (Based on materials from the Card Index of the Russian Language Dictionary of the 11th–17th centuries). A. Balov wrote back in the 19th century that “ surname there is nothing more than nickname a whole family, passed on from the ancestor to his descendants" (Balov A. Great Russian surnames and their origin // Living antiquity. St. Petersburg, 1896. Issue. 2). However, the word nickname was polysemantic during the formation of the anthroponymic norm and by the end of the 18th century was fixed in the language with the meaning “an additional informal name for a person, often of an expressive nature”: “In the same days, Ustyuzhan Ivan Zakharyev son Roznitsyn, Mixer nickname, came from Tuglim in a tray, bringing the same old goods” (1633. Customs books of the Moscow State of the 12th century. M.-L., 1951. T. 1); "Elder Olena nickname Goat's Head" (Gautier Yu.V. Monuments of the defense of Smolensk 1609–1611, 1609, M., 1912).

In the 17th century, the term used to mean “family naming” nickname, having with the word nickname general producing verb nickname“to name, to name, to give a name”: “You would have ordered those monks to ask what rank they were in the world, and who had the name and nickname, and which monastery they were tonsured...” (Additions to the Historical Acts. 1683 St. Petersburg, 1846–1862. T. X); “I asked him his name and nicknames"(Investigation cases about Fyodor Shoklovit and his accomplices. St. Petersburg, 1884. T. 1.); “A certain widowed noblewoman named Vasilisa, nickname Volokhov, with his son Daniil Volokhov" (Life of St. Dmitry Tsarevich. List of the 17th–18th centuries. St. Petersburg, 1879).

Word nickname in the indicated meaning is attested in the Dictionary of the Russian Academy: nickname– “naming; the name that the whole family had from time immemorial, or who took it again: Theophanes nickname Prokopovich." However, the term nickname in the meaning of “hereditary family naming” was not fixed in the language, perhaps due to its family ties with the word nickname, which, as we noted, came to be used only to denote an additional, unofficial name for a person: nickname- “a name given to a person as a joke, in mockery, etc. (usually containing an indication of some noticeable trait of character, appearance, activity, etc.)” (Dictionary of the Russian Language. Vol. III). Word nickname in the 30s of the 20th century, in all meanings it became obsolete and regional.

And yet, the Dictionary of Russian Onomastic Terminology records: “ Nickname- a type of anthroponym. The name that the whole clan had from time immemorial and everyone who entered it” (M., 1988). Token nickname was quite active along with the word surname in a variety of official materials from the 18th–19th centuries. Thus, in letter books of the late 18th century the following are regularly used in sample forms: rank, first name, patronymic, last name; rank, first name, patronymic, nickname(General Secretary, or New and Complete Letter Book. M., 1793). In the materials of the Smolensk provincial gymnasium one can find statements and lists throughout the 19th century. (especially active in the first half) having graphs in the formulas: rank, first name, patronymic, last name, position, religion etc., and also rank, name, patronymic, nickname, position, religion etc. ( State Archives Smolensk region).

In the 18th century, in the meaning of “hereditary family naming”, the word was also found (albeit infrequently and mainly in book texts) name:“Palitsyn, Abraham... wrote a chronicle about the reign of Tsar John Vasilyevich, naming Grozny" (Novikov N.I. Experience historical dictionary about Russian writers. St. Petersburg, 1772). The verb was also bookish namedь "name". As we have already noted, in the first explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Academy the lexeme naming given as a synonym for the word nickname and with a meaning similar to the modern interpretation of the term surname. A kind of “confusion” in the use of lexemes nickname, nickname, appellation And surname in the modern meaning most likely continued until the middle of the 19th century, as evidenced by the materials of the Dictionary of Church Slavonic and Russian Languages of 1847, where interpretations of all four words are presented through references to each other (Vol. III). In addition, in some works of an onomastic nature in the same 19th century, compound terms were used, representing a kind of contamination of lexemes: family nickname, family nickname, family nickname(Karnovich E.P. Family nicknames and titles in Russia and the merger of foreigners with Russians. St. Petersburg, 1886; A. Balov. Op. cit.). Naming as a little-used word, mainly of a dictionary nature, it has completely left the language and is currently not noted in lexicographical sources. A complete victory in the meaning of “hereditary family naming of a person” was won by surname, which has become an anthroponymic term of wide use, which has entered the active vocabulary of any native speaker.

Nevertheless, we point out that in the Ukrainian language, for example, the word surname in anthroponymic meaning it is used very rarely - the main term is nickname, it is this word that has been fixed to designate the official hereditary naming of a person (Zhovtobryukh M.V. About the term vocation” // Journal “Movoznavstvo”. Kiev, 1969. No. 4). In the Belarusian language the term is also used nickname(We find individual observations on its history in the dissertation research of the famous Belarusian anthroponymist M.V. Biryly. Belarusian anthroponymy. Minsk, 1969). It is interesting that in Polish language, which was the transmitter language for borrowing the lexeme surname, in the modern anthroponymic meaning the word is mainly known nazwisko. Among the Slavs, only the Bulgarians have a compound term family name

As we see, the Russian language has mastered borrowing and created on its basis an anthroponymic term to designate the main component of the structural formula for naming a person.