Names serve for naming people - when communicating and addressing, and to distinguish one person from another - when listing, describing or narrating. But there are many more people than names, so one name bears many different people. How then to distinguish them? Additional names and the entire naming composition come to the rescue. About a person’s name in ancient times, names from the times of the USSR and in Tsarist Russia there was talk. Let's continue the conversation on the topic history of Russian names.
Names in Ancient Rome
IN Ancient Rome for people of the propertied classes there was such a naming order: praenomen (pre-name), nomen (name) and cognomen ( family name) - Gaius Julius Caesar. Sometimes there was also a fourth name: agnomen (nickname) - Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus the Elder.
The history of names in different countries of the world
In most languages, a personal name and a generic name are used (father, mother, place of birth): Isaac Newton, Prosper Merimee, Mikhailo Lomonosov, Leonardo da Vinci, Lope de Vega.
For kings, tsars, and rulers, the surname was often replaced by a nickname: Vladimir Monomakh, Dmitry Donskoy, Ivan the Terrible, Pepin the Short, John the Landless, Heinrich the Birdcatcher, while the nickname, unlike the surname, is always translated into other languages.
In some nations, it is customary to name children with a chain of names: Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, George Gordon Byron, Jose Raul Capablanca y Graupera (here and double surname). It happens that the chain of names goes on; for example, the medieval alchemist Paracelsus was called: Philip-Aureol-Theophrastus-Bombastus Count von Hohenheim, and in one drama by Victor Hugo one aristocrat bears the name: Gil-Basilio-Fernand-Ireneo - Felippe-Frasco-Frascito Count de
Belverana. Even in the 19th century, the heir to the Spanish throne bore the name: Don Pedro - d'Alcantara - Maria Fernando - Gonzago-Xavier-Miguel - Gibriel-Rafazel Antonio - Joaon-Leopoldo-Francisco - d'Assisi - Saxe - Coburg-Gotha de Braganza -e-Bourbon! (This is reported by L.V. Uspensky in the book “What does your name mean?”, 1940)
Names in Ancient Rus'. Names before the Baptism of Rus'
What is the situation with names in Russian? Before the adoption of Christianity in Rus'(X century) among the privileged classes there were such names as Lyubomir, Ostromir, Svyatoslav, Rostislav, Yaroslav, Lyudmila, Rogneda, Voislava and the like. With the adoption of Christianity “according to the Eastern rite” under the Kiev prince Vladimir, new names appeared that were listed in church canons and therefore called canonical; they were given when performing the “sacrament of baptism.”
IN Ancient Rus' these names served as legal names for people and were placed first in deeds, bills of sale and other documents. However, the habit of using old names that were not included in the lists and canons of the church persisted for a long time in Rus', at least until the 17th century. At the same time, in ancient Russian documents one constantly encounters double names: “...by the name of Milonog. Peter by baptism." Or: “...Waited for peace, and in baptism Mikula,” etc. Thus, for several centuries, along with the canonical names: Alexander, Alexey, Daniel, Dimitri, Konstantin, Nikita, Nikolai, Peter, Roman, Sergei, etc. . n. - non-canonical names were also in use, which were used more in everyday communication and in second place in letters: Pervusha, Vtor, Tretyak (according to the chronology of birth); Zhdan, Nezhdan, Nechai (according to the circumstances of birth); Guban, Ushak, Plekhan, Shcherbak, Nesmeyan, Gloomy, Bulgak, Zloba, Istoma, Druzhina (by physical and mental properties); Wolf, Horse, Thrush, Ruff (by the names of animals, birds, fish); as well as Tail, Frost, Fur Coat, Cannon, etc.
IN history of Russian names these names are more reminiscent of nicknames, which, however, could not only distinguish between people with the same canonical names, but also later turn into surnames, which we will talk about next time.
Judging even from the examples given, one can see that proper names, as a rule, come from common nouns, but since proper names pass from one people to another and live for centuries in different linguistic environments, then most often they “mean” in some way in another language, in this language this borrowed name is only a proper name and does not mean anything, but only names.
Russian canonical names are borrowed from Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and ancient Germanic, where they were also common nouns (as in Russian: Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov). Here are some examples:
- Greek: George (“farmer”), Alexander (“protector of husbands”). Apollo (“destroyer”), Arkhip (“chief of the cavalry”), Hippolytus (“unharnesser of horses”), Philip (“lover of horses”), Nikephoros (“victorious”),
- Latin: Victor (“winner”), Victoria (“victory”), Valentin, Valery, Valeryan (“healthy”), Marina (“sea”), Juvenaly (“youthful”),
- Hebrew: Anna (“grace”), Gabriel (“divine warrior”), Michael (“divine”), Mary (“bitter”).
- Old Scandinavian: Igor (one of the names of the thunder god in connection with the common noun var - “warriorship, strength”), Oleg, Olga (“sacred, majestic”).
It is absolutely clear that in the Russian names Anna, Mikhail, Maria, Nikifor, etc. there is no common noun meaning. These are just names.
Many Slavic names are translations of foreign languages, for example: Zlata - Greek. Chrysa, Bogdan - Greek. Theodor (Fedor), Militsa - Greek. Harita, Faith - Greek. Pistis, Nadezhda - Greek. Elkis, Love - Greek. Agape, lat. Amata, etc.
Many Russian names have parallel variants that arose due to different renderings of the same foreign name: Evdokia-Avdotya, Ksenia-Aksinya, Glikeria - Lukerya, Anastasia - Nastasya, Georgy - Yuri - Egor, Paraskeva-Praskovya, etc.
The original appearance of many borrowed names has changed greatly in the practice of the Russian language, for example: Joseph-Osip, Eleazar - Lazar, Dionysius - Denis, Cosma - Kuzma, Emmanuel - Manuila, Eustathius - Ostafiy, Stahey, Johanaan - Ivan.
Pre-revolutionary years
The desire to update the repertoire of names manifested itself in pre-revolutionary times, when the fashion for Old Russian names, although many of them were non-Slavic in origin, for example Oleg, Igor (the fashionable poet of that time Igor Severyanin wrote: “How good it is that I am separate, that I am Igor, and not Ivan ...”), at the same time they also entered the fashion for “romantic” and “exotic” names: Tamara, Isabella, Valentina (from the same Igor Severyanin: “Valentina! So much passion! Valentina! So much horror... It was at a concert at a medical institute..."). How can one not remember Nastya from Gorky’s play “At the Depths”, when the Baron says about her: “Today Raoul, tomorrow Gaston... Fatal love, lady!”
1920 - 1930
In the 20s, the craving for “romantic” names intensified. It was possible to announce a name change through the Izvestia newspaper. And so the Fekla and Matryona began to change their names to Evelyn, Leonor and Vener, and Terentia and Sidor - to Alfredov and Richard (remember the loser from the film " Musical history"Alfred Terentyevich Tarakanov...).
In addition to this, two more types of names appeared:
1) names from common nouns and derivatives from them, which corresponded to the ideology and phraseology of the revolutionary era of the 20s: Labor, International, Struggle, Communar, Tractor, Detector - for boys; Spark, Star, Tractor, Ideal (!) - for girls..;
2) names formed from the personal names of revolutionaries and their own, generated by the revolutionary era: Marxin, Engelsin, Lenin, Comintern, Oktyabrin...
Moreover, due to general trend business language At that time, in addition to abbreviations and abbreviations (that is, designations based on the first letters), names appeared from abbreviations of names and slogans: Vlad(i)len. Maplen, Borzamir, Dazamira, Zanarzema, Revmira, Renata, Gertrude, Lagshmivara...
And also abbreviations from the first letters of names and slogans: Viracle, Vilora.
Many parents put their children in an awkward position because they could “unravel” ideological meaning the name was very difficult, but attributing it to the well-known series of names is much easier. Thus, Gertrude (“heroine of labor”) coincides with German name Gertrude, Kim (“Communist Youth International”) - with Korean, Renata (“revolution - science - work”) - with Italian, and those who bear these names seem, alas, to be foreigners!
The same thing happened with abbreviations and inversions: Vilora is perceived as Italian name. Ninel - like French, Virakl - like Greek (cf. Hercules, Pericles), Borzamir - like Old Russian (cf. Ostromir, Jaromir), and Lagshmivara makes one think of India...
And no decodings like Vilor - “V. I. Lenin is the father of the revolution” or Dizar - “Baby, go for the revolution” do not help here. The type of word decides everything for a given language. That is why Ideal so quickly turned into Ida, Ninel into Nina, and Struggle into Boris.
In names Soviet era In the 60s there was great diversity. Basically, of course, these were canonical names like Alexander, Vasily, Ivan, Peter, Pavel, Sergei, as well as Natalya, Tatyana, Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov, Anna, Maria, Ekaterina...
From these names there have long been diminutives legalized by custom: Sasha, Shura, Vasya, Vanya, Petya, Pasha, Natasha, Tanya, Nadya, Masha, Katya... These names are familiar and common, they are the most durable in the Russian history of names and have existed for tens of centuries. It is these names that are still common in the Russian language.
Based on materials from the magazine “Family and School”, 1962
Science of proper names called onomastics. This term is associated with the Greek word onoma - name. The names of people are part of the history of peoples. They reflect everyday life, beliefs, aspirations, fantasy and artistic creativity peoples, their historical contacts. Any word that was used to call a person began to be perceived by those around him as his personal name, and, therefore, any word could become a name
The formation of the system of Russian personal names began in the pre-Christian period of the history of Rus', but the name book changed radically with the adoption of Christianity.
Among the modern Russian-speaking population, names are used
calendar (: Ivan, Andrey, Yakov, Yuri, Tatyana, Maria, Avdotya, Elizaveta), ancient Slavic (Stanislav, Radomir, Dobromila, Rada),
Old Russian (Zhdan, Peresvet, Lada, Lyubava),
newly formed (Vilen, Avangard, Ninel, Era),
borrowed in the 20th century from Western European and Eastern languages (Albert, Ruslan, Zhanna, Leila).
95% of the Russian-speaking population of the USSR in the 1980s were bearers of calendar names
Among the Old Russian names the following groups stand out:
Numeric names:
First and First, Secondary, Tretyak, Chetvertak, Fifth and Pyatak, Shestak, Semoy and Semak, Osmoy and Osmak, Nine, Tenth. They reflect the order of birth of children in the family.
Names based on external features, hair and skin color:
Chernysh, Chernyai, Chernyava, Bel, Belyay, Belyak, Belukha.
There were also names associated with body features: Mal, Malyuta, Maloy, Dolgoy, Sukhoi, Tolstoy, Golova, Golovach, Loban, Bespaloy.
Names associated with character traits, habits and behavior:
Zabava, Istoma, Krik, Skryaba, Molchan, Neslyba, Bulgak (restless), Smeyana and Nesmeyana.
Names that reflected the desirability or undesirability of having a child in the family, the attitude of the parents towards the child:
Bogdan and Bogdana, Bazhen (desired), Golub, Lyubava, Zhdan and Nezhdan, Khoten, Chayan and Nechay.
Names associated with the time of year in which the child was born:
Veshnyak, Winter, Frost, Letnik.
Names associated with animal and plant life: Bull, Wolf, Pike, Cat, Cat, Stallion, Cow, Sorrel (from sorrel), Grass, Wheatgrass. It is believed that such names may reflect remnants of the totemic beliefs of the ancestors of the Slavs.
Names associated with beliefs that “bad” words are able to ward off evil spirits, illness, death:
Goryain, Nemil, Nekras, Nelyuba, Neustroy, Zloba, Tugarin (from Tuga - sadness).
Names associated with neighboring nations: Chudin (from the name of the Finno-Ugric tribe Chud), Karel, Tatar, Kozarin (from the name Khazars), Ontoman (from the name of the Turks - Ottomans). The history of the origin of this group of names is unclear: perhaps they were protective names (given so as not to quarrel with neighbors) or desirable ones (so that the child was somewhat similar to the one in whose honor the name was given); perhaps these names are associated with mixed marriages.
When a person enters independent life, into a wider social circle, his name was often supplemented (and sometimes replaced) by another.
For a significant number of such nicknames, it is impossible to establish the reasons for the naming: they were given in connection with specific cases, for some specific reason.
However, among social and everyday names, some groups also stand out: those associated with crafts (Shuba, Lozhka, Dulo, Kuznets), with social status(Prince, Tsarevich, Baryshnik), with origin (French, Tula), with character traits, sometimes with the use of words in figurative meanings (Truth, Flea, Crow), as well as with appearance (Big, Beznos).
Among pre-Christian names, they stand apart names of the ruling dynasty Rurikovich and nobility. These names are distinguished by the fact that almost all of them are two-prime, and to form these names words were used that were sublime in meaning, symbolizing power, glory, and military valor. Such names include Vladimir, Yaroslav, Izyaslav, Yaropolk, Ostromir, Svyatoslav, Svyatopolk, Vyacheslav, Vsevolod, etc. The number of such names is small, and they had limited use, as a rule, only among people of the noble classes; and each branch of the Rurikovichs had their own set of similar names. Some of these names after the canonization of the Russian Orthodox Church their bearers are included among Christian names; others were forgotten for a long time and only in the 20th century re-entered the Russian nomenclature.
The pre-Christian period in the history of Russian names includes first borrowed names in Old Russian language. They are also associated with the Rurik dynasty: these are the names Oleg, Igor, Gleb, Olga and some others. All these names were borrowed from Scandinavian languages and, being names of the nobility, also had limited use.
Most of the Old Russian names gradually fell out of use under pressure from the church. Even in the families of the Rurik family, they gradually abandoned their traditional dynastic names in favor of Christian ones.
At baptism, Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich was given the name Vasily,
Olga - Elena (957)
The sons of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Boris and Gleb, respectively received the names Roman and David.
Prince Vsevolod - Gabriel.
The great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, Mstislav Rostislavovich, received the name Georgy.
However, only pre-Christian names have been preserved in history, which are still in use today.
The ancient Slavs knew that the name greatly influenced the fate of the child, so they took it seriously. Slavic male names most often consisted of two full words with a deep meaning, which served as a kind of amulet against all evil spirits. The pagans preferred to give their heirs two or more names to protect them from evil spirits. After the adoption of Christianity, children were also given not one name, but two. The first was used for interaction and contact with the outside world, the second was given at the baptism of the baby. It was kept secret and known only to immediate family.
How to choose a name for a boy
In ancient times, names for boys were chosen especially carefully, because sons always remained warriors, protectors, successors of the family, elders, bearers of strength, greatness, power and wisdom.
Nowadays, choosing a name also needs to be taken seriously.
- Be careful about too non-standard names. Children can suffer greatly because their name is too prominent. Plus, they will most likely be constantly teased about it at school.
- You should not give the boy an affectionate and soft name. He will not be taken seriously, and his peers will call him a girl.
- The first name must be combined with the surname and patronymic. This is especially true for boys, as their last name stays with them for life.
- Following the fashion for names is stupid. Fashion quickly passes, but the name remains and may sound rather inappropriate.
When choosing a name for your son, you must first try it on a stranger and analyze all the associations that arise because of this. It is also advisable to carefully study all the interpretations and meanings of names.
Common names are too banal, and the baby gets lost in the company of his peers; names that are too rare attract too much attention to him.
The name should not be too rare, but also not the most popular. For most boys, firm names are suitable, since life will be difficult for them without a strong and assertive character.
Beautiful ancient Slavic names for a boy
The ancient Slavs most often gave the child a name at birth, and then during adolescence, when the main features of his individuality were already clearly emerging in the character of the young man. The name should have emphasized these qualities. If a man performed great feats, he could be given another name glorifying his great deeds.
List of beautiful names:
- Agniy – means light (from the word “fire”);
- Bel – pure, white, white-faced;
- Beloyar – bright and furious;
- Nobility - noble;
- Bogdan – given by God;
- Boleslav - aspiring to great glory;
- Vartislav - filled with glory;
- Velimir – peaceful, calm, balanced;
- Gleb – powerful, heavy;
- Dalimil - giver or bestower of mercy;
- Dobromir – kind and peaceful;
- Zareslav - glorifying the dawn;
- Karin – brown-eyed;
- Ladoslav - glorifying Lada;
- Lyubomil - beloved;
- Peaceful – loving world;
- Miroslav - glorifying the world;
- Mstislav – vindictive, irreconcilable;
- Ognedar – sacrificer;
- Overexposure - very light, enlightened;
- Radim – joyful;
- Ruslan – light soul;
- Ratmir - protecting the world;
- Svyatoslav - sacred glory;
- Svetomir – bringing light and peace;
- Stanislav - establishing glory;
- Tihomir – quiet and peaceful;
- Jaromir is peaceful like Yarilo.
Many names Slavic origin almost forgotten and generally disappeared from use, since after the adoption of Christianity they almost completely replaced the Greek and Jewish analogues.
Forgotten and rare names of Slavic origin
The list of forgotten and rare names is very long:
- Bezson – wakeful;
- Bogorod is a relative of the gods;
- Bozheslav - glorifying the deity;
- Burislav - like a storm;
- Vedamir - all-knowing;
- Wenceslaus - wearer of the crown of glory;
- Voibor – victorious in battle;
- Vysheslav - highest in glory;
- Gradimir - creator of the world;
- Gorynya - invincible and unshakable like a mountain;
- Gremislav - illustrious, thundering with glory;
- Daniyar – given for shine;
- Zlatan – precious;
- Lyudmil - dear to people;
- Mlad – junior, young;
- Okomir - eye of the world;
- Orislav – strong;
- Radim – worried about the world;
- Taislav is modest, concealing glory.
Whether a child should be given such a rare name should be decided by the parents themselves, after weighing the pros and cons.
Orthodox Russian male names
Some ancient names gained wide popularity due to the fact that Slavs with that name were elevated to the rank of saints and canonized.
These are Russian names for boys:
- Boris – fighting for glory;
- Vsevolod - owner of everything;
- Vladimir is great in his power, ruling the world;
- Vladislav – owner of glory;
- Vyacheslav - great fame, most famous;
- Vsevolod - owner of everything;
- Gorazd – big, large;
- Rostilav - increased glory;
- Svyatoslav - holy glory;
- Yaropolk is an ardent warrior.
These names are quite popular in our time; moreover, they are very harmonious and have good interpretation. Many of them are among the top most popular male names.
Unusual Slavic names
Unusual names can be divided into the following categories:
- derived from the participles: Zhdan, Nezhdan, Khoten, Bazhen, Bazhan, Kriv;
- in order of birth: First, Bolshoi, Second, Second, Tretyak, Chetvertak, Menshoi, Nine;
- associated with flora and fauna: Wolf, Walnut, Birch, Eagle, Borscht, Raven, Swan, Lark, Hare;
- deities: Lad, Yarilo.
Such names today are exotic and unusual. It is unlikely that anyone will dare to name their child such an extravagant name.
Over time, many of them became the basis for surnames: Menshov, Tretyakov, Volkov, Zhdanov, Bazhenov, Bazhutin, Borshchev, Voronikhin, Vtorushin, Zaitsev, Orlov.
Despite the fact that ancient Slavic male names are outdated, some parents still call their sons by them. IN Lately interest in old names is being revived, since modern ones have become very popular and too common, and parents do not want to name their child like everyone else. But in search rare name you need to show a lot of wisdom.
Russian names - Slavic names - NAME LORD
This section is devoted to the list of Slavic names. A name determines a person's destiny. This is the key to his inner self. After all, it is not without reason that in Rus' a person had two names, one - false, for everyone, and the other - secret, only for the person himself and his very close people. This tradition existed as protection from unkind spirits and unkind people. Often the first name was deliberately unpretentious (Kriv, Nekras, Zloba), for even greater protection from the evil ones. After all, without the key to the essence of a person, it is much more difficult to cause evil. The rite of the second naming was performed in adolescence when the main character traits have been formed. The name was given based on these traits. Slavic names were replete with their diversity; there were groups of names: 1) Names from the animal and flora(Pike, Ruff, Hare, Wolf, Eagle, Nut, Borscht) From the listed names, it is easy to trace the process of creating a derivative name: the second part is cut off from the two-base one and a suffix or ending is added (-neg, -lo, -ta, -tka, -sha, -yata, -nya, -ka). Example: Svyatoslav: Svyato + sha = Svyatosha. Of course, the names of people carry a significant part of the culture and traditions of the entire people. In Russia, with the advent of Christianity, Slavic names almost completely fell into oblivion. There were lists of Slavic names prohibited by the church. Why this happened is not difficult to guess. One part of the names (Lada, Yarilo) were names Slavic gods, the owners of the second part were people who, even after the Christianization of Rus', tried to restore the cult and traditions (magi, heroes). Today in Russia only 5% of children are given Slavic names, which certainly impoverishes the already meager Slavic culture. The purpose of this section is not only to introduce the concept of truly Russian names to the people. An example is the following not uncommon situation: The girl was named Gorislava. Neighbors, surprised unusual name they say: “They couldn’t call me Ira or Katya in Russian” - without comment. The main goal of this section is to create a global list of Slavic names (by the way, the largest in Runet today) with an attempt to determine the meanings of names and comparisons with historical and legendary figures. I advise you to read books and visit websites: LIST OF SLAVIC NAMES
2) Names by birth order (Pervusha, Vtorak, Tretyak)
3) Names of gods and goddesses (Lada, Yarilo)
4) Names based on human qualities (Brave, Stoyan)
5) And the main group of names is two-basic (Svyatoslav, Dobrozhir, Tihomir, Ratibor, Yaropolk, Gostomysl, Velimudr, Vsevolod, Bogdan, Dobrogneva, Lyubomila, Mirolyub, Svetozar) and their derivatives (Svyatosha, Dobrynya, Tishilo, Ratisha, Putyata, Yarilka , Miloneg).
Grushko E.A. Medvedev Yu.M. "Dictionary of surnames" Nizhny Novgorod, 1997
Moroshkin M.Ya. "Slavic name book, or Collection of Slavic personal names" St. Petersburg, 1867
Petrovsky N.A. "Dictionary of Russian personal names" M., Russian language, 1987
Polyakova E.N. "From the history of Russian names and surnames" M., Education, 1975
Directory of personal names of the peoples of the RSFSR, M., Russian language, 1987
Suslova A.V. Superanskaya A.V. "About Russian names" Lenizdat, 1991
Tupikov N.M. "Dictionary of Old Russian personal names" St. Petersburg, 1903
Ugryumov A.A. "Russian names" Vologda, 1970
http://cityhall.novosibirsk.ru/~vlad/names/ - Site "Onomasticon - names and name days". This site contains information about personal names, their meaning, origin, etymology, days of remembrance of saints (name days) and various related information as applied to personal names (for example, geographical names derived from personal names).
http://www.ru.narod.ru/imn/navbar.html - Russian folk name book on the Russian traditional culture node.
Bazhen is a desired child, desired.
">The names also have meaning: Bazhai, Bazhan. From these names arose the surnames: Bazhanov, Bazhenov, Bazhutin.
">Bazhena is the female form of the name Bazhen.
">Beloslav - From BEL - white, turn white and SLAV - to glorify.
">Abbreviated names: Belyai, Belyan. From these names arose the surnames: Belov, Belyshev, Belyaev.
">Beloslava is a female form named after Beloslav.
">Short name: Beliana
">Berimir - cares about the world.
">Berislav is the one who takes glory, who cares about glory.
">Berislava is a female form named after Berislav.
">Blagoslav - glorifying kindness.
">Blagoslava is the female form of the name Blagoslav.
">Abbreviated names: Blaga, Blagana, Blagina.
">Fornication - dissolute, unlucky.
">One of the "negative" names. From this name arose the surname: Bludov. Historical figure: Blud - governor of Yaropolk Svyatoslavich.
">Bogdan is a child given by God.
">The name also has meaning: Bozhko. From these names arose the surnames: Bogdanin, Bogdanov, Bogdashkin, Bozhkov.
">Bogdana is the feminine form of the name Bogdan.
">Short name: Bozena.
">God-lover - lover of God.
">From this name arose the surname: Bogolyubov.
">Bogomil - dear to God.
">The name also has meaning: Bohumil.
">Bozhidar - given by God.
">Bozhidara is the female form of the name Bozhidar.
">Boleslav is famous.
">Historical figure: Boleslaw I - Polish king.
">Boleslava is a female form named after Boleslav.
">Borimir is a peace fighter, a peacemaker.
">Borislav is a fighter for glory.
">Abbreviated names: Boris, Borya. From these names arose the surnames: Borin, Boriskin, Borisov, Borisikhin, Borichev, Borischev. Historical figure: Boris Vseslavich of Polotsk - Prince of Polotsk, ancestor of the Drutsk princes.
">Borislava is a female form named after Borislav.
">Borsch is one of the personified names of the plant world.
">Literally translated: Borscht is plant tops. The surname Borshchev came from this name.
">Boyan is a storyteller.
">The name was formed from the verb: bayat - to speak, tell, sing. The names also have meaning: Baian, Bayan. From these names came the surname: Bayanov. Legendary personality: songwriter - Boyan.
">Boyana is the female form of the name Boyan.
">Bratislav - From BROTHER - to fight and SLAV - to glorify.
">Bratislava is the female form of the name Bratislava.
">Bronislav is a defender of glory, protecting glory.
">The name also has meaning: Branislav. Short name: Armor.
">Bronislava is a female form named after Bronislav.
">Bryachislav - from BRYACHA - to rattle and SLAV - to glorify
">Historical figure: Bryachislav Izyaslavich - Prince of Polotsk.
">Budimir is a peacemaker.
">From this name came the surnames: Budilov, Budishchev.
">Velimir is a big world.
">Velimir is the female form of the name Velimir.
">Velimudr - knowledgeable.
">Velislav - great glory, most glorious.
">Velislava is the female form of the name Velislav.
">Abbreviated names: Vela, Velika, Wieliczka.
">Wenceslaus - dedicating to glory, crowned with glory.
">Wenceslaus is the female form of the name Wenceslaus.
">Faith - faith, true.
">Veselin - cheerful, cheerful.
">Veselin is the female form of the name Veselin.
">The name also has a meaning: Vesela.
">Vladimir is the ruler of the world.
">The name also has meaning: Volodymer. From this name came the surnames: Vladimirov, Vladimirsky, Volodimerov, Volodin, Volodichev. Historical figure: Vladimir I Svyatoslavich the Red Sun - Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev.
">Vladimir - female form named after Vladimir.
">Vladislav is the owner of glory.
">The name also has meaning: Volodislav. Short name: Vlad. Historical figure: Volodislav is the son of Igor Rurikovich.
">Vladislava is the female form of the name Vladislav.
">Short name: Vlada.
">Vojislav is a glorious warrior.
">Abbreviated names: Voilo, Warrior. From these names came the surnames: Voeikov, Voinikov, Voinov. Historical figure: Voin Vasilievich - from the family of Yaroslavl princes.
">Voislava is a female form named after Voislav.
">Wolf is one of the personified names of the animal world.
">From this name came the surname: Volkov.
">Raven is one of the personified names of the animal world.
">From this name came the surnames: Voronikhin, Voronov.
">Vorotislav - returning glory.
">Vsevolod is the ruler of the people, who owns everything.
">From this name came the surnames: Vsevolodov, Vsevolozhsky. Historical figure: Vsevolod I Yaroslavich - Prince of Pereyaslavl, Chernigov, Grand Duke of Kiev.
">Vsemil - everyone's favorite.
">Vsemil is the feminine form of Vsemil.
">Vseslav - all-glorifying, famous.
">The name also has meaning: Seslav. From this name came the surname: Seslavin.
">Historical figure: Vseslav Bryachislavich of Polotsk - Prince of Polotsk, Grand Duke of Kiev.
">Vseslava is the female form of the name Vseslav.
">Vtorak is the second son in the family.
">The names also have meaning: Second, Second. From these names came the surnames: Vtorov, Vtorushin.
">Vyacheslav is the most glorious, the most glorious.
">The name also has meaning: Vatslav, Vysheslav. From these names came the surnames: Vysheslavtsev, Vyacheslavlev, Vyacheslavov. Historical figure: Vyacheslav Vladimirovich - Prince of Smolensk, Turov, Pereyaslav, Vyshgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev.
">Vyachko is a legendary personality: Vyachko is the ancestor of the Vyatichi.
">Godoslav - The name also has meaning: Godlav. Historical figure: Godoslav is the prince of the Bodriči-Rarrogs.
">Blue is meek.
">From this name came the surnames: Golubin, Golubushkin
">Gorazd - skillful, capable.
">The surname Gorazdov came from this name.
">Gorislav is fiery, burning in glory.
">Gorislava is the female form of the name Gorislav.
">Gorynya - like a mountain, huge, indestructible.
">Legendary personality: hero - Gorynya.
">Gostemil - dear to another (guest).
">From this name came the surname: Gostemilov.
">Gostomysl - thinking about another (guest).
">Historical figure: Gostomysl - Prince of Novgorod.
">Gradimir - guardian of peace.
">Gradislav - guardian of glory.
">Gradislava is the female form of the name Gradislav.
">Granislav - improver of glory.
">Granislava is a female form named after Granislav.
">Gremislav - famous.
">Gudislav is a famous musician, trumpeting glory.
">Short name: Gudim. From these names came the surname: Gudimov.
">Daren - gifted.
">Darena is the feminine form of the name Daren.
">The names also have meaning: Darina, Dara.
">Nine is the ninth son in the family.
">From this name came the surnames: Devyatkin, Devyatkov, Devyatov.
">Dobrogneva
">Dobrolyub is kind and loving.
">From this name came the surname: Dobrolyubov.
">Dobromil is kind and sweet.
">Dobromil is the female form of the name Dobromil.
">Dobromir is kind and peaceful.
">Abbreviated names: Dobrynya, Dobrysha. From these names came the surnames: Dobrynin, Dobryshin. Legendary personality: hero - Dobrynya.
">Dobromir is the female form of the name Dobromir.
">Dobromysl is kind and reasonable.
">From this name came the surname: Dobromyslov.
">Dobroslav - glorifying kindness.
">Dobroslava is a female form named after Dobroslav.
">Dobrozhir
">Domazhir
">Domaslav - glorifying relatives.
">Short name: Domash - our own, dear. From this name came the surname: Domashov.
">Dragomir is more valuable than the world.
">Dragomir is the female form of the name Dragomir.
">Dubynya - like an oak, indestructible.
">Legendary personality: hero - Dubynya.
">The squad is a comrade.
">It also matters common noun: Friend. From these names came the surnames: Druzhinin, Drugov, Drunin.
">Ruff is one of the personified names of the animal world.
">From this name came the surname: Ershov.
">Lark is one of the personified names of the animal world.
">From this name came the surname: Zhavoronkov.
">Zhdan is a long-awaited child.
">From this name came the surname: Zhdanov.
">Zhdana is the female form of the name Zhdan.
">Zhiznomir - living in the world.
">Zhirovit
">Zhiroslav
">Hare is one of the personified names of the animal world.
">From this name came the surname: Zaitsev.
">Zvenislava - announcer of glory.
">Winter is harsh, merciless.
">From this name came the surname: Zimin. Legendary personality: Ataman Winter from Razin’s army.
">Zlatomir is a golden world.
">Golden-flowered - golden-flowered.
">Short name: Zlata.
">Malice is one of the “negative” names.
">From this name came the surnames: Zlobin, Zlovidov, Zlydnev.
">Izbygnev
">Izyaslav - the one who took glory.
">Historical figure: Izyaslav Vladimirovich - Prince of Polotsk, ancestor of the Polotsk princes.
">Sincere - sincere.
">The name also has meaning: Iskra.
">Iskra is the female form of the name Iskren.
">Istislav - glorifying the truth.
">Exhausted (possibly due to difficult childbirth).
">From this name came the surnames: Istomin, Istomov.
">Casimir - showing the world.
">Kazimir - female form of the name Kazimir.
">Koschey is thin and bony.
">From this name came the surnames: Koshcheev, Kashchenko.
">Krasimir - beautiful and peaceful
">Krasimir is a female form named after Krasimir.
">Short name: Krasa.
">Kriv is one of the “negative” names.
">From this name came the surname: Krivov.
">Lada - beloved, dear.
">The name of the Slavic Goddess of love, beauty and marriage.
">Ladimir - one who gets along with the world.
">Ladislav - glorifying Lada (love).
">Swan is a personified name for the animal world.
">The name also has meaning: Lybid. From this name came the surname Lebedev. Legendary personality: Lybid is the sister of the founders of the city of Kyiv.
">Ludislav
">Luchezar - a luminous ray.
">We love - beloved.
">From this name came the surname: Lyubimov.
">Love is beloved.
">The name also has meaning: Lyubava. From these names came the surnames: Lyubavin, Lyubimtsev, Lyubavin, Lyubin, Lyubushin, Lyubimin.
">Lyubomila - beloved, dear.
">Lubomir is a loving world.
">Lyubomir is the female form of the name Lyubomir.
">Inquisitive - someone who loves to think.
">Lyuboslav - lover of glory.
">Lyudmil is dear to people.
">Lyudmila is the female form of the name Lyudmil.
">Historical figure: Lyudmila - Czech princess.
">Small - small, junior.
">The name also has a meaning: Small, Mladen. From these names came the surnames: Maleev, Malenkov, Maltsov, Malyshev. Historical figure: Mal - the Drevlyan prince.
">Malusha is the female form of the name Mal.
">The name also has meaning: Mlada. From these names came the surname: Malushin. Historical figure: Malusha is the wife of Syatoslav Igorevich, the mother of Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
">Mieczyslaw - glorifying sword.
">Milan is cute.
">The name also has meaning: Milen. From these names came the surnames: Milanov, Milenov.
">Milana is the female form of the name Milan.
">The names also have meaning: Milava, Milada, Milena, Militsa, Umila. From these names came the surname: Milavin. Historical figure: Umila - daughter of Gostomysl.
">Milovan - affectionate, caring.
">Milorad is sweet and joyful.
">From this name came the surname: Miloradovich.
">Miloslav - sweetly praising.
">Short name: Miloneg.
">Miloslava is the female form of the name Miloslav.
">Peace-loving - peace-loving.
">From this name came the surname: Mirolyubov.
">Miroslav - glorifying the world.
">Miroslava is a female form named after Miroslav.
">Molchan - taciturn, silent.
">From this name came the surname: Molchanov.
">Mstislav - glorifying revenge.
">Historical figure: Mstislav Vladimirovich - Prince of Tmutorakan, Grand Duke of Kiev.
">Mstislava is the female form of the name Mstislav.
">Hope is hope.
">The name also has meaning: Nadezhda.
">Nevzor is one of the “negative” names.
">The surname Nevzorov comes from this name.
">Nekras is one of the “negative” names.
">From this name came the surname: Nekrasov.
">Nekrasa is the female form of the name Nekras.
">Eagle is one of the personified names of the animal world.
">From this name came the surname: Orlov.
">Osmoy is the eighth child in the family.
">The name also has meaning: Osmusha. From these names came the surnames: Osmanov, Osmerkin, Osmov.
">Ostromir
">Peredslava - The name Predslava also has meaning. Historical figure: Predslava - wife of Svyatoslav Igorevich, mother of Yaropolk Svyatoslavich.
">Peresvet - very light.
">Historical figure: Peresvet - warrior of the Battle of Kulikovo.
">Putimir - reasonable and peaceful
">Putislav - glorifying wisely.
">The name also has meaning: Putyata. From these names came the surnames: Putilov, Putilin, Putin, Putyatin. Historical figure: Putyata - Kyiv governor.
">Radiohost - caring about another (guest).
">Radimir - who cares about the world.
">The name also has meaning: Radomir. Short name: Radim. From these names came the surnames: Radilov, Radimov, Radishchev. Legendary personality: Radim - the progenitor of the Radimichi.
">Radimir is the female form of the name Radimir.
">The name also has meaning: Radomira.
">Radislav - caring about glory.
">The name also has meaning: Radoslav.
">Radislava is the female form of the name Radislav.
">Radmila is caring and sweet.
">Radosveta - sanctifying joy.
">Joy - joy, happiness.
">The name also has meaning: Rada.
">Reasonable - reasonable, reasonable.
">From this name came the surname: Razin. Historical figure: Razumnik - student of Cyril and Methodius.
">Ratibor is a protector.
">Ratmir is the defender of peace.
">Rodislav - glorifying family, Rostislav - increasing glory.
">Historical figure: Rostislav Vladimirovich - Prince of Rostov, Vladimir-Volynsky; Tmutarakansky; The ancestor of the princes of Galicia and Volyn.
">Rostislava is a female form named after Rostislav.
">Sbyslava
">Svetislav is a glorifying light. The name also has a meaning: Svetoslav.
">Svetislava is the female form of the name Svetislav. Svetlana is bright, pure in soul.
">Svetlana is the female form of the name Svetlana. Svetovid is the seeing light, the perspicacious.
">The name also has meaning: Sventovid. The name of the Western Slavic God.
">Svetozar - illuminating with light., Svetozar - female form named after Svetozar.
">The name also has meaning: Svetlozara.
">Svyatogor - indestructible holiness.
">Legendary personality: Svyatogor is an epic hero.
">Svyatopolk is the leader of the sacred army.
">Historical figure: Svyatopolk I Yaropolkovich - Grand Duke Kyiv.
">Svyatoslav - sacred glory.
">Short name: Saint. Historical figure: Svyatoslav I Igorevich - Prince of Novgorod and Grand Duke of Kiev.
">Svyatoslav is a female form named after Svyatoslav.
">Slawomir is a peace-glorifying one.
">Nightingale is the personified name of the animal world.
">From this name came the surnames: Solovey, Soloviev. Legendary personality: Nightingale Budimirovich - a hero from epics.
">Som is the personified name of the animal world.
">Snezhana is white-haired and cold.
">Stanimir - establisher of peace.
">Stanimira is the female form of the name Stanimir.
">Stanislav - establisher of glory.
">From this name came the surname: Stanishchev. Historical figure: Stanislav Vladimirovich - Prince of Smolensk.
">Stanislava is a female form named after Stanislav.
">Stoyan - strong, unbending.
">Sudimir
">Sudislav
">Tverdimir - from TVERD - solid and MIR - peaceful, peace.
">Tverdislav - from TVERD - solid and SLAV - to glorify.
">From this name came the surnames: Tverdilov, Tverdislavov, Tverdislavlev.
">Tvorimir is the creator of the world.
">Tihomir - quiet and peaceful.
">From this name came the surname: Tikhomirov.
">Tikhomira is the female form of the name Tihomir.
">Tur is the personified name of the animal world.
">Legendary personality: Tur - founder of the city of Turov.
">Brave - brave.
">Praying for glory.
">Chaslava is the female form of the name Chaslav.
">The name also has meaning: Cheslava.
">Chernava - dark-haired, dark-skinned
">This place also has a name: Chernavka. From these names came the surnames: Chernavin, Chernavkin.
">Pike is the personified name of the animal world.
">Yarilo is the sun.
">Yarilo - God of fruits in the form of the sun. From this name came the surname: Yarilin.
">Jaromir is a sunny world.
">Yaropolk is the leader of the solar army.
">Historical figure: Yaropolk I Svyatoslavich - Grand Duke of Kiev.
">Yaroslav - glorifying Yarila.
">From this name came the surname: Yaroslavov. Historical figure: Yaroslav I Vladimirovich - Prince of Rostov, Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev.
">Yaroslava is a female form named after Yaroslav.
">">Boromir Borowczak (Poland)
">">
Binary Slavic names
"> ">"> ">">">M This article is about the disappearing two-term Old Church Slavonic names. Why Old Slavonic? Because scientists in Poland, for example Professor Malec from the Institute Polish language The Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, and in Yugoslavia, for example, Professor Cirkovic from the University of Novi Sad, agree that it is the binomial names that are the most archaic, the most typical and most related to the ancient Slavic community and its elites.
Names consisting of two words had their own deep meaning and pronunciation. Unfortunately, today the SLAVS no longer understand the meaning of their names. The worst thing, however, is that these names are becoming fewer and fewer. (In Poland, only about 10% of all names).
Therefore, with my abstract I want to call for the salvation of “Old Slavonic binomial names.” They must be saved at any cost, because (to use a quote) “Names create a system that, standing out from the entire language by certain specific features, is at the same time part of the tradition of law and customs of each society” (Tadeusz Milewski, 1969). This magnificent tradition of law and custom is present equally in all Slavic countries due to common origin and common ethnicity. The Slavic name system should be proclaimed and disseminated so that it does not disappear and becomes more popular and even mandatory in all Slavic countries.
Threats
The reason for the disappearance of Slavic names is the process of acculturation. I will look at this problem from the point of view of Poland and the Pole. The most dangerous thing right now is the scourge called Americanization. I literally lose my temper when I'm on the train and hear vacationers calling their children to order. There are such names as Angelica, Linda, Larry, Mark, Denis, Rob, Marks, Andy, Valentine... This, of course, is the result of the influx of low-quality American or German pop culture, especially meaningless films and television programs. Until 1989, there were no such names in Poland at all, thanks to the clear actions of censors and the Ministry of Culture and Art. By the names in Poland you can also easily notice the influence of German culture and the eternal “Drang nach Osten”. We already have millions of Roberts, Conrads, Carols and Henriks. In fact, Christianity came to Poland from Germany, and with it the Bible and numerous Hebraic names. Despite their Polishization, a significant number of Middle Eastern names indicate the level of decline of the tradition Slavic culture and customs. Now it turns out that “typically Polish” names are Mateusz, Lukasz, Piotr, Rafal, Jozef. Due to the fact that the Pope is of Polish origin, the popularity of the Hebraic names Jan and Pavel has crossed the border of absurdity. I urge at least in our circle - the circle of people who recognize themselves as SLAVS - to abandon these American, German or Hebraic names.
Names, initiation and Slavic culture
Before and immediately after the collapse of the Slavic Community, that is, before the Slavic tribes entered the orbit of influence of alien cultures, pagan tradition and customs did not allow members of the tribal community, and especially the ruling elite, to deviate from the canon of the binary name (600 - 1000 AD) . A child became a member of society (zadrug, opole, tribe, state) when he came under male guardianship at the age of 7 years. During the initiation rite, a new name was chosen, and the old name, given regardless of gender, under the influence of the feelings and impulse of the mother, was subject to oblivion. The new meaningful name had to correspond to the child’s character or the qualities that the parents would like to see in him if the child had a weak character, for example:
Bohumil - may he be dear to God,
Gosterad - let it be distinguished by hospitality,
Mstislav - may he be famous for his revenge over his enemies.
Apparently, according to Slavic beliefs, the name was a spell and a magical sign associated with the person wearing it.
Thanks to the lexical components of binomial names, preserved by customs and tradition, we learn a lot about the culture and value system of our ancestors. Here are examples from various fields life:
Life (suffixes -byt, -zhir) - Vlastibyt, Zhiroslav, Domazhir.
Positive values (good-, lyubo-, milo-, joy-) - Dobrogost, Lubomir, Radomir, Milostry.
Negative values (non-) - Niklot, Nemir, Nerad.
The meaning of knowledge (thoughts-, -thought, -view) - Myslibor, Gostevid, Bolemysl.
Social structure (derzhi-, gradi-, vladi-) - Derzhikrai, Gradislav, Vladimir.
Hospitality (-gost) - Lyubogost, Dobrogost, Radogost.
Military organization (-regiment, howl-) - Svyatopolk, Voislav.
Combat readiness (budi-, kresi-) - Budivoy, Kresislav.
Fight (bori-, rati-) - Borignev, Ratibor.
The virtues of a warrior (holy, ardent, paco) - Svyatomir, Yaroslav, Pakoslav.
Honor, glory (honor, -slav) - Chtibor, Tomislav, Boleslav.
Family (brother-, -stroy, sister-) - Bratomil, Zhelistry, Sestromil.
Property (semi-) - Sememysl, Semavit.
Faith (god-, -god) - Boguslav, Praise, Molibog, Bogukhval.
These are examples of the presence of values, feelings, beliefs, a communal way of life, and the organization of life in conditions of war. It should be emphasized that in the system of Slavic names there are no names of animals (!), weapons and realities associated with the occupations of the population that appear in the system of names of other Indo-European languages. Slavic names are also more abstract than other Indo-European names.
Types of Slavic names in Poland
In Poland, as in other Slavic countries, there are three morphologically different types of names.
The first type is binomial names
Basic, ancient and most correct. They consist of two words that are interconnected in a certain syntactic and semantic relationship. The characteristics of these names were presented above. In Poland during the Middle Ages, about six hundred names of this type were used. However, since the adoption of Christianity, they were gradually replaced by Judeo- Christian names and in the end, at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries, they were almost completely supplanted. The exception to this rule was the Slavic double names that were borne by the saints of the Church, for example, Czeslaw, Casimir, Stanislav, Wenceslas, Wladyslaw, Wojciech. Also, binomial names remained in use longer in noble families, which is evidence of the use of binomial names by Slavic elites. Proof of this is also the names of royal and princely dynasties throughout the entire Slavic world. In Poland, even rulers from dynasties that had nothing in common ethnically with the Slavs bore Slavic binomial names: the Jagiellons (for example, Wladyslaw IV Vasa).
In the XVI and XVII centuries we also meet Bronislav, Dadzibog, Dobrogost, Derzhislav, Yaroslav, Miroslav, Mstislav, Przemyslav, Przeclaw, Vladimir, Zbigniew. In the 18th century in Poland, the use of Slavic binomial names continued to decline. The situation changed in the 19th century due to interest in Poland's past. Calendars of Slavic names begin to appear (for example, T. Voevudsky in the Warsaw Courier for 1827), although along with them erroneous, distorted forms of Slavic names begin to appear (for example, instead of Zbygnev, Zbigniew appeared, and instead of Semovit, Zemovit appeared) and hybrid forms - received from Christian names with the addition of a second Slavic member, for example: Jan - Janislav, Julian - Yulislav. The resurrection of some old Slavic names was also facilitated by romantic literature, replete with Old Polish motifs with authentic Old Slavonic names..
During the interwar period, the popularity of Slavic binomial names continued to increase, thanks to the activities of neo-pagan groups who turned to the mythology of the Slavs and ancient system beliefs. Slavic binomial names were also popularized through the publication of calendars and books (for example, Vladislav Kolodzei “Slavic Calendar”) and the habit of adopting pseudonyms in the form of a Slavic name. For example, the magazine "Zadruga" did not publish the full name of the author of the article - only the initials if the author's name was not Slavic.
Now in Poland there are organizations that show interest in the Slavs and require their members to have a binary Slavic name, which seems to me a very positive phenomenon (for example, some scout squads in Krakow, the Krakow branch of the society "Niklot", "Krak", "Lubusz") .
What is the current scale of use of Slavic names in Poland? Stanislavov - 800 thousand, Kazimirov - 300 thousand, Voitsekhov, Vladislavov, Cheslavov and Vladimirov - 200 thousand each, Bogdanov - 130 thousand. Enough big number also Bogumilov, Boguslavov, Bogukhvalov, Svyatoslavov. These names are popular due to their connection with Christianity. Of the names that have little in common with Christianity, the popular ones are Zbigniew (400 thousand), Yaroslav, Miroslav, Wieslaw, Zdislav (200 thousand each), Przemyslaw (130 thousand each), Boleslav, Bronislav, Radoslav (80 thousand each).
From male names are formed female forms, and their great similarity indicates the equality of women, for example: Stanislav (300 thousand), Casimir (145 thousand), Vladislav (140 thousand), Czeslav (100 thousand). Also popular: Vaclava, Bronislava, Lyudmila, Dobroslava, Slavomir, Zbigniew, Zdislava.
The second type is forms of names derived from binomial names
Derived forms, broken or abbreviated, equipped with various suffixes, often diminutive), for example: Ratiborek - from Ratibor, Lut - Lutognev, Pelka - from Svyatopolk, Wojtek - from Wojciech, Gniewko - from Gnievomir, Milos - from Miroslav, Bronish - from Bronislaw, Lech - from Lechoslaw, Mieszko - from Mieczyslaw, Boris - from Borislaw.
Personally, I think that the Slavs should get rid of names of this type as irregular shapes, although from an ethnic point of view they are much more correct than names originating from Christianity and Western pop culture.
The third type - simple names - popular names in function of proper personal names
A good example of a name of this type is the popular name Vuk in Serbia, most likely derived from the name Vilchan, known in the Middle Ages - the ruler of Viletov with the meaning “let him be like a wolf, warlike, predatory, skillful warrior.” Other names of this type: Kvyatek ("let it be like a flowering plant, beautiful and portly"), Odolan (from the verb "to overcome"), Shiban (from "to hit", i.e. to beat), Kokhan, Milavan, Lasota.
Personally, I believe that these names, although they are Slavic, correct and interesting, should not be propagated due to their singleness, which does not give them a Slavic character.
Legal issues
My parents are Catholics, and therefore they gave me the name of the Archangel Raphael - Rafal in the Polish sound. When I already realized that I was a real Slav, I decided to change my name to Old Slavonic through the initiation rite. I chose the name Boromir, which means "let him fight the enemy for his world." It suits my last name and matches my character. Before I started using this name, it became my nickname due to the similarity with my surname and the character from Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", who then from England conquered the minds of young people in Poland. After a few years, I wanted to officially register my new name as my middle name. Imagine my surprise when my application was rejected! In accordance with the law of the 50s, more than a dozen Slavic names that I listed earlier, as well as a large number of Herbraic, German and Latin names, were recognized as Polish. Thus, it turned out that having a Hebraic name, I could not replace it with a Slavic one, since the official said that I had made it up. But this name is present in the list of Serbian national names (Milica Cirkovic "Recnik licnich imena kod Srba"). This means that this name is purely Slavic, especially since it can be explained logically and grammatically. The above-mentioned law allows the surname to be changed at the same time, so that thanks to the pro-German policy of the Polish state, the often found surname Wilk (Serbian Vuk) can be replaced with the more “normal” Wolf. This is a legal problem that we Poles have to deal with ourselves, but I wonder how the legal issue of changing a name looks like in other Slavic states. It was a relief for me to write on this topic. thesis and several articles in special journals, but this is more of a legal trick than a principle that should be binding.
Ways to rescue binomial names
In order to preserve the existence of binomial Slavic names as an ethnocultural banner that distinguishes us from representatives of other language groups, an action to popularize these names in culture is necessary. For brevity, I will just list these methods:
A selection of literary and artistic pseudonyms in the form of binomial Slavic names, for example: writers Ludovit Stuhr, Zbigniew Nienacki, Barnim Rogalica;
Introduction of a mandatory Slavic name in organizations of national and Slavic orientation;
Naming companies, shops, associations, streets with such names (for example, the famous sausage company Dobroslava in Poland);
Propaganda of the early Middle Ages through archaeological expeditions and historical meetings, because all the rulers during this period had Slavic names;
Giving heroes of books, poems, films two-part Slavic names;
Publication of calendars with a list of Slavic names, and exclusively correct ones.
In a word, we're talking about from introducing Slavic names in every area of our activity: at the level of politics, economics, culture, science. We should remember our children who will soon be born. Let's think about Slavic names for them today! Unfortunately, today, due to legal requirements, we cannot afford to give a child a name at the age of 7 years. We must look for these names in lists of Slavic names, historical sources, literature, as well as in the names of places around us, for example: Vladimir in Russia, Bratislava in Slovakia, Litomysl in the Czech Republic, Zlatibor in Serbia and in Poland: Vodislav, Ratibuzh, Mysliborz, Przemysl, Jaroslaw, Derzyslaw, Wroclaw. They can also be found in names in Bulgaria: Borimirov from the name Boromir and in Poland: Lutoslavsky from the name Lutoslav.
I hope that at the next pan-Slavic congresses a special commission will be created to collect and catalog binary names found in all countries of the Slavic world, in order to create an open bank of these names, available for creating Slavic calendars and publications in various countries.
Translation from Polish .
Every name once invented by people carries a meaning. Old Russian female names are distinguished by their beauty and uniqueness, because they appeared in different periods long-suffering history of Ancient Rus'. I liked the wealth of female names modern parents, and already many girls wear beautiful old names. Melody and deep meaning attract not only Russians, but also other peoples.
It is impossible to find out the origin of absolutely all ancient names, but research does not stop. Names are a source of history and traditions; with their help you can learn about the life of your ancestors, their views, and look at the world through their eyes. Names help contemporaries know how their ancestors treated people.
It is even more difficult to research Old Russian female names, because they usually had several meanings and interpretations. U different regions one name could mean different phenomena and things. Therefore, today there are several versions of one name.
Names and traditions
In the old days, children were called by names that characterized their habits or appearance. This was an ancient tradition, because people have long believed that the name contains a fateful code. This is how the girls’ names appeared: Krasava and Razumnitsa.
It is worth noting that such a tradition was not only among the Slavs. The Indians and Chinese also named children according to traditions. In India they gave characteristic names, like Ayashi (small), Evoti (great). The Chinese tried to give the child terrible name, because they believed that bad spirits could covet a beloved child, and if you call him almost offensively, the spirits will think that they do not love this child. This was more true for boys, although girls were sometimes given strange names.
The Slavs gave great importance family and occupation, some names are even associated with the sequence of birth of children. So Lydia will mean “first”. The name Pervusha was popular.
The Slavs believed that the name is the key to inner world and gave the girls two names. This is how the tradition of choosing a name for people and for the family arose. The first was told to everyone, and the second was known only to those closest to them, and it kept a secret good meaning. The first was usually ugly and repulsive, but it made it possible to protect the true from bad tongues.
The second name was given only at a certain age, when the teenager showed character. However, the tradition did not take root - usually the girl was as her first name characterized her. The second name, due to not being used, lost its meaning.
Church calendars
After the adoption of Christianity, names were entered into church calendars, and as if they were giving the child to the protection of a guardian angel. As you know, not all Slavs willingly accepted the customs of Christianity, therefore for a long time children, in parallel with Christian names, were given old pagan nicknames. Later, many of them became modern surnames.
However, the pressure of Christianity was great. Closer to the 17th century, many Old Russian female names went out of use. They were replaced by the names of states that spread Christianity or were influential at that time - Byzantium, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Syria. Many names were transformed into the Russian style, and, for example, instead of Avdotya it turned out to be Evdokia. Today, many people would be surprised at how their names sounded in the original.
Only the names of the saints remained unchanged. Ancient tradition Giving a child two names also took root in Rus', but the second name given at baptism was usually not used. The second name was often Greek.
The church list provides a large number of female names to choose from. Both Christian believers and atheists can choose names. Moreover, the calendar allows you to select a name by month and even birthday. To name a child according to the Saints means to give him protection from the saint revered on this day. There is another tradition, choosing a saint on the eighth day after birth. If there are no Saints on the birthday, then choose the name of the saint honored on the fortieth day. Previously, it was on this day that a child was baptized.
It is also permitted to use male name, if according to the Saints there is no female. That's why there are so many genderless names (Evgenia, Alexandra, Yaroslav, Vyacheslav).
Types of Russian names
The Slavs definitely loved beautiful two-basic names. For example, Svetozar, Miroslav, Lyubomir, Dobrognev, . Often girls were called names that emphasized certain traits of their character. This is how the names Arina (calm), Dobrava (kind), Varvara (wild), Svetlana (bright), Arsenia (courageous) appeared. Since the Slavs revered the cult of animals and plants, many girls’ names are taken from the world of flora and fauna. These are Azalea, Akulina, Pike.
There were names borrowed from the gods. The famous one was considered the goddess of the dawn, Apollinaria - the goddess of the sun (about ancient Greek god sun of Apollo), goddess of beauty and love Lada. Some original Russian names were modified participles (Bazhena). A separate group included names for princely children (Vyacheslav).
Today you can find Old Slavonic names that in reality only had Slavic root. There were names that translated Greek and Roman.
It is impossible to compile a complete list of beautiful names of antiquity, but here are a few of the most popular:
– summer.
– giving.
Agnes is chaste.
Vesta is the keeper of the hearth.
– chosen one.
Bela is beautiful.
Ada – decorating.
- serene.
Bogdana – given by God.
Agnia is immaculate.
Dobrava - kind.
- reigning.
Beatrice - blessing.
Eupraxia is a virtue.
Kazimira - showing the world.
Ariadne - sleeping.
– protector.
Joy is joy.
Svetlana is bright.
Milana is sweet.
Joy - joy.
Goluba is meek.
Mstislava - revenge and glory.
Lyubomila - love and peace.
- cold.
Ladoslava - okay.
Lubomudra is loving wisdom.
Ognevlada is bright.
Arrow - arrow.
Mlada – young.
Snow White - snow-white.
Milonega – sweet and gentle.
Diva - divine.
Domoslava - glorifying the house.
Chaslava - aspiring to glory.
Radmila is a sweet joy.
Slavunya – glorifying.
Lyubogneva – who loves to be angry.
Rusana is fair-haired.
Delight – sweet.
Beautiful - beautiful.
Virtue - one who does good.
Vesnyana – spring.
Zhdana – desired.
Jaromila - Yarlu's sweetheart.
In the 19th century many old Russian names were half forgotten. Russian versions of foreign names have come into use:
- someone else's.
- comforting.
Ursula is curious.
Irma is neat.
- black-eyed.
Nellie is inattentive.
– honest.
- skillful.
