Lists of foreign (national) names. Traditions of naming in folk culture

MUNICIPAL BUDGETARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION "BASIC EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL S. UST-UKHTA"

MUNICIPAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “OPENING”

First names, last names and patronymics

among different peoples

/Research/

Completed 8th grade students

MBOU "OOSH" s. Ust-Ukhta

Lobanova Daria and Filippova Tatyana

Supervisor:

teacher of Russian language and literature

Kravchenko Tamara Romanovna

2016

Contents page

1. Introduction. 3

2.Chapter 1.History of the origin of names among different peoples.

1.1. When did the name appear? 4-5

1.2. Origin of Russian names. 6-10

1.3. Features of the formation of names among the Komi people. 10-13

3.Chapter 2. History of the origin of surnames.

2.1. When did the surname appear? 13-14

2.2. The form of the surname as the main sign of nationality

Bibliography:

Alexandra Vasilievna Superanskaya, Doctor of Philology
"What is your name?"

V.I.Dal “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language”

S. Ozhegov “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language”

T.F. Efremova “The most complete modern Dictionary Russian language", 2015

School etymological dictionary

6. Internet resources:

- http://ru.wikipedia.org/wikiBE - cite_note-Unbegaun-0#cite_note-Unbegaun

APPLICATIONS

Annex 1

Results of a survey of school students. Ust-Ukhta

Questionnaire-survey

Do you know what your name means? If yes, then write

Do you know how your last name was formed? If yes, please explain.

Do you know how Komi names and patronymics are formed? If yes, please explain.

What famous surnames do you know in world history? Name 4-5 names.

Do you know peoples who do not have patronymics and surnames? If yes, then write.

Appendix 2.

Dictionary

meanings of school students' names. Ust-Ukhta

Alexander and Alexandra : “courageous, protector”, “help, hope” (Greek origin)

Albina – (Latin origin) – “white”

Alyona - has different versions of origin. According to the first version, the name Alena (Alena) is a folk, non-church version of the name Elena. The name Alena began to be more actively used separately from the name Elena in last decades twentieth century, and recently it has become a completely independent name. Also, a colloquial version of the name Elena was the name Olena. According to the second version, the name Alena is of ancient Greek origin and means “sunny”, “shining”. There are some other translation options - “exciting”, “spiritualizing”, “attracting”, “bewitching”.

Alina -V Slavic countries the name is associated with the word “scarlet” and artistic images of Scarlet Sails and Scarlet flower, that is, with the expectation of happiness and hope. In Christian baptism, Alina is given the name Angelina, less often - Alla. Also given the name Elena. There are also other versions of the interpretation of the name Alina. There is a possibility that Alina is a form of the Latin name Albina and in translation “albus” means “white, fair, fair-haired”. In Scotland, the name Alina is interpreted as “honest” and used as a paired name to the name Alistair, and in Greece - “ Sunbeam"(as one of the affectionate addresses to Elena). The diminutive term Lina is also an independent name.

Alfia – (Arabic origin) – “sublime”

Anastasia – female form of the male name Anastasy. Translated from Greek it means “return to life”, “resurrection”, “resurrected”, “reborn”, “immortal”. Russian folk form - Nastasya

Anfisa - translated this name means “flower, blooming or colorful.” Like many other names, this name appeared in Rus' brought from Ancient Greece.

Artyom - translated from Greek means “unharmed, in perfect health.” According to another version - “dedicated to Artemis.” Comes from the Greek name Artemis, from the name of the goddess Artemis. In modern times it has become an independent name, but is also used as a diminutive address to Artemy.

Antonina (Latin) means “extensive, acquisition, comparison and opponent”, (Greek) – “acquiring in return”

Ahliddin - scientists believe that the name comes from the ancient Greek name “Akhlidin” (with emphasis on the second syllable), denoting vitality and spiritual peace.

Ahmadali - a combination of the names Ahmad and Ali. The male name Ahmad in Arabic means “the one who thanks God.” The name Ali comes from the ancient Arabic "ali", which means "high, superior, high-ranking, powerful, superior to all." This name is one of the epithets of Allah, taking in this context the meaning of “superior to all.” It gained popularity among Muslims thanks to the fourth Arab caliph Ali, who was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. He is especially revered by adherents of the Shiite movement in Islam. Today the name is very common in the Muslim world.

Bogdan - it's SlavicName,means“given by God”, “given by God”, “God’s gift”.

Vadim - from the Slavic “bully”.

Valeria (Latin) - “rich, strong, strong, healthy”

Basil (Greek) -means “royal”, “royal”, also translated as “king”

Vasilisa - (Greek) – “queen”; colloquial Vasyon; old Vasilisa

Faith - it's original Russian name and literally translated from Greek means “faith”, “service to God”. Faith, hope, love are the three main virtues in Christianity. Among Christians, the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia, who lived in the 2nd century, are revered. Despite the existence of corresponding Greek names, in Europe the names of the three sisters were translated literally.

Victor – (Latin origin) “winner”

Victoria - from the Latin word "Victoria", meaning "victory".

Vilen - this is the name of the Soviet period, and it was formed on behalf of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. This name, in essence, is an abbreviation that was formed from the initials and pseudonym of the leader of the Russian Revolution of 1917, V.I. Lenin.

Vladislav - has pagan Slavic origin. It means "possessing glory." There is another version of the origin of the name Vladislav - from Polish language the name translates as “good ruler.”

Galina – (translated from Greek) calm, serene

Gennady – (Greek origin) “noble, noble birth”

Danila (Daniil) – from Hebrew “divine judgment”

Daria - has several variants of origin. According to the first version, the name Daria is the female version of the male ancient Persian name Darius, which comes from the Greek Dareios. In Greek, this name became a transcription of the Persian male name Darayavausha, meaning “owner of the good,” sometimes translated as “winner.” According to the second version, the name Daria has Slavic roots, is a modern form of the Slavic names Daryon, Darina, a related name for the names Daroluba and Daromila, therefore the meaning is close to the concept of “dar” - “gift given”. Among the descendants of the Slavs, a variant of this name is also used - Daryana.

Dmitriy (Dimitri) - derived from ancient Greek word"demetris", translated as - "belonging to Demeter"

Evgeniy (Evgeniya) - translated from Greek means “noble”, literally this name can be translated as “with good genes”. From the male name a female name was formed - Evgenia. In Russia, the names Evgeniy and Evgeniya began to be widely used in the 19th century. This is how the nobles began to call their children, but they used the name Eugene mainly in the French manner - Eugene (later the modern diminutive Zhenya appeared from it) or in English version- Eugene.

Egor (Egory, Georgy) - from the Greek “farmer”

Catherine – (Greek origin) “honest, immaculate.”

Elena – (Greek origin) “chosen, bright”

Zoya - translated from ancient Greek means “life”.

AND

Ivan - from the ancient Hebrew John and translated means “merciful of God.” The name Ivan is the most Russian name. During the Great Patriotic War The Germans called all Russians that way. In Latin, the name Ivan is read as Ivan. In the second half of the twentieth century, the fashion for Slavic names spread to Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries; in these countries, in addition to their native names Juan and Jean, the names Ivan and Evan appeared.

Igor – (glory) - early borrowing from Old Scandinavian Ingvarr (Ing - god of fertility, warr-prudent, careful); in Old Russian In(b)gvar (to protect the name of God), which is interpreted as “strong, warlike”

Ilya – Russian version of HebrewnameEliyahu, meaning "My God is the Lord", can also be translated as "believer"

Irina - translated from ancient Greek means “peace, tranquility.” The name comes from the ancient Greek goddess Eirene, the goddess of peace and tranquility.

Karina - has several versions of origin. According to one version, the name Karina is of Latin origin and is derived from the Roman cognomen (personal or generic nickname) Carinus, derived from another cognomen - Carus, derived from the Latin carus, which translates as “dear”, “dear”. This version of origin can be confirmed by the modern meaning Italian word“cara” meaning “beautiful, sweet.” In Russian culture, the name Karina could appear from various sources. According to the first version, the name Karina is a Slavic name. A related name is Karislava. Karina is a Slavic mourning goddess who accompanies funeral rites, hovers over battlefields, and grieves in places of rest for the dead together with Zhelya, her sister. This goddess is mentioned in the “Tale of Igor’s Host”, and is found in the list of various pagan rituals in the 17th century list of the Old Russian “Words of a certain Christ-lover...” From the Old Russian language, “to punish for one’s sister” meant “to mourn.” According to the second version, the name Karina is of Greek origin. Derived from the Greek name Corinna (Korina), meaning "girl". Related names - Cora, Corin. According to the next version, the name Karina was given to a girl born on a ship during wintering in the Kara Sea. Karina – “born on the Kara Sea”. In the USSR, this version of the origin had some revolutionary overtones.

Kirill - translated from ancient Greek means “lord”, “lord”. In Persian, the name Kirill means "sun".

Konstantin – (Latin origin) “constant, persistent”

Ksenia (Oksana, Aksinya) - has different versions of origin. According to the first version, the name Ksenia translated from Greek “xenos” means “hospitable”, also translated as “wanderer”, “foreigner”, “guest”, “stranger”. The name Ksenia is one of the epithets of Aphrodite.

Love – (Old Church Slavonic origin) “love”

Lyudmila – (Slavic origin) “nice to people”

Maksim - is of Latin origin and translated means “greatest.” It is often believed that the name Maxim is a form of the name Maximilian

Marcel (Markell) - derived from the Roman cognomen (personal or family nickname) Marcellus, derived from the personal name Marcus. The name Marcus may be derived from the name of the god Mars, the Roman god of war, and therefore means “warlike,” “sacred to Mars.” IN Ancient Rome The cognomen Marcellus, in particular, was the generic nickname of the plebeian branch of the Claudian family. In Late Latin transcription, the name Marcellus began to sound like Marcellus or Marcellus. According to the next version, the name Marseille comes from the name of the French port city of Marseille. The city of Marseille was founded around 600 BC. Phocians - Greeks from Asia Minor - and was then called “Massalia”

Matvey - It has Jewish origin, translated means “gifted by God,” interpretation options are “man of God,” “gift of God.” Matvey is the modern sound of the name Matthew (Matthew).

Michael (from ancient Hebrew) translated means “equal, like God,” sometimes the meaning of the name is interpreted as “asked from God.”

Hope - in literal translationmeansliterally "hope". Into Russian originallyNamecame from the Greek language, in which it sounded like Elpis (which in translation is alsomeans"hope")

Nazar - has several versions of origin. According to the first version, the name Nazar is derived from the Late Latin name Nazarius, which means “one who comes from Nazareth”, “Nazarene”. According to the second version, the name Nazar is a Jewish name. Translated from Hebrew it means “vow (promised)” or “devoted oneself to the Lord.” According to the third version, the name Nazar can be translated from Arabic as “far-sighted”, as well as “look”; "looking on the bright side of things." And in Turkish this name is interpreted as “gaze.” Among Muslims, you can more often hear an analogue of this name - Nasser.

Natalia - translated from Latin - “native”

Nikita - translated from Greek means “winner”. In Western Europe you can also hear the female version of this name, it is identical to the male one, but with an emphasis on the last syllable - Nikita′ .

Nikolai - translated from Greek means “conqueror of nations.”

ABOUT

Olga - comes from the Old Norse "Helga" - "saint"

Paul - translated from Latin (“Paulus”) means “small”, “insignificant”, “baby”. There is an opinion that this name is interpreted as “junior”, which was relevant when the names of father and son coincided.

Pauline - has several versions of origin. The first of them is the most common - the name Polina comes from the name of the ancient Greek sun god Apollo and means “solar” or “dedicated to Apollo.” There are translation options - “liberated” or “liberating”. In this case, Polina is one of the forms of the name Apollinaria, which has become most widespread among the Russian people, compared to the full name, due to its more beautiful and laconic sound, as well as because of the ease of pronunciation for Russian people. The second version is the name Polina of French origin, from the male name Paul, which is translated from Latin as “small”, “baby”. In Russian, the analogue of the name Paul is the male name Pavel

Rimma – has several versions of origin. According to the first version, the name Rimma was originally a masculine name, which came from the name of the city of Rome, so the name is interpreted as “Roman”. IN Orthodox calendar the martyr Rimma Novodunsky, a Slav, is mentioned. According to legend, the natives of Scythia Minor Inna, Rimma and Pinna were disciples of the Apostle Andrew. But among Catholics the name is not used. According to the second version, the name is of Hebrew origin and means “apple.”Rose - came to us from Byzantium and comes from the name of the flower of the same name, translated from Greek as “rose flower”, “red flower”. According to another opinion, the name has Latin roots and means “flower,” “rose,” or even “queen of flowers.”

WITH

Svetlana - Slavic origin, from the word “light”

Sergey - has different versions of origin. According to the first, most common version, the name Sergei comes from the Roman generic name Sergius, which is a Roman generic name that comes from Sergius. The Sergii are an ancient Roman patrician family, which, according to legend, traces its ancestry to the Trojans. Translated from Latin it means “high”, “noble”. According to the next version, the name Sergei is modern form the obsolete name Sergius, which comes from the Latin “servidei”, translated meaning “servant of God”. As one of the variants of this version, the name Sergei comes from the Latin “Servus”, which translates as “servant”.

Semyon – (ancient Hebrew origin) “listening, heard by God”

Sofia(Sofia ) - translated from ancient Greek means “wisdom”, “wisdom”, “wise”. There is a translation option for “reasonableness”, “science”.

Stepan translated from ancient Greek "stephanos" means "wreath", "crown", "crown"

Tamara – (Hebrew origin) comes from the word “Tamar”, which means “date palm”Tatiana – (from Greek) “organizer”; (according to another version from Latinnamed after the Sabine king Tatius, women of this clan bore the title “Tatyanos”)

Fedul – (Greek origin) “God’s servant, servant”

Yuliana (Julia) - is the Latin form of the male name Julian (Julianus). According to historical data, this name spread throughout Europe largely due to the fact that Juliana of Lüttich was especially revered in Germany.

Yaroslav (slav.) - means“bright”, “strong”, “glorious for its vitality”.

Appendix 3

Dictionary of the formation of surnames of different nations

Surnames of residents of European countries

English - the following surnames are common: formed from the names of the place of residence (Scott, Wales); denoting profession (Clerk - civil servant, Hoggart - shepherd, Smith - blacksmith); indicating character traits and appearance (Armstrong - strong, Sweet - sweet, Bragg - boastful);Belarusians - typical Belarusian surnames end in -ich, -chik, -ka, -ko, -onak, -yonak (Radkevich, Dubrovka, Parshonok, Kuharchik, Kastsyushka); many surnames in the Soviet years were Russified and Polished (Dubrovsky, Kosciuszko);Bulgarians - Almost all Bulgarian surnames formed from personal names using the suffixes -ov, -ev (Konstantinov, Georgiev);Greeks - Greek surnames cannot be confused with any other surnames, only they have the endings -idis, -kos, -poulos (Angelopoulos, Nikolaidis);Spaniards and Portuguese - have surnames ending in -ez, -es, -az, -iz, -oz (Gomez, Lopez), surnames indicating a person’s character are also common (Alegre - joyful, Bravo - brave, Malo - bad);Italians - surnames are characterized by the suffixes -ini, -ino, -ello, -illo, -etti, -etto, -ito (Benedetto, Moretti, Esposito), and can also end in -o, -a, -i (Conti, Giordano, Costa ); the prefixes di- and da- indicate, respectively, a person’s belonging to his clan and geographical location (Di Moretti is Moretti’s son, Da Vinci is from Vinci);Latvians - belonging to the masculine gender is indicated by a surname ending in -s, -is, and belonging to the feminine gender is indicated by -a, -e (Verbitskis - Verbitska, Shurins - Shurin)Lithuanians - male surnames end in -onis, -unas, -utis, -aitis, -enas (Pyatrenas, Norvydaitis), women's surnames are formed from the husband's surname using the suffixes -en, -yuven, -uven and the ending -e (Grinius - Grinyuvene), surnames unmarried girls contain the basis of the father's surname with the addition of the suffixes -ut, -yut, -ayt and endings -e (Orbakas - Orbakaite)Germans - surnames formed from personal names (Werner, Peters); surnames that characterize a person (Krause - curly, Klein - small); surnames indicating the type of activity (Müller - miller, Lehmann - landowner);Norse - formed from personal names using the suffix -en (Larsen, Hansen), surnames without suffixes and endings can also be found (Per, Morten); Norwegian surnames can denote the names of animals and trees and natural phenomena (Blizzard - blizzard, Svane - swan, Furu - pine);Poles - most surnames have the suffix -sk, -tsk, and the ending -й (-я), indicating masculine and feminine gender (Sushitsky, Kovalskaya, Khodetsky, Volnitskaya); There are also double surnames, in case a woman, when getting married, wants to keep her surname too (Mazur-Komorowska); In addition to these surnames, surnames with a constant form are also common among Poles (Nowak, Sienkiewicz, Wujcik, Wozniak)Russians - use surnames with the suffixes -in, -yn -ov, -ev, -skoy, -tskoy, -ikh, -yh (Snegirev, Ivanov, Voronin, Sinitsyn, Donskoy, Moskovskikh, Sedykh);Turks - most often surnames have the endings -oglu, -ji, -zade (Mustafaoglu, Ekindzhi, Kuindzhi, Mamedzade), also when forming surnames they often used Turkish names or everyday words (Ali, Abaza - fool, Kolpakchi - hat);Ukrainians - the first group of surnames of a given nationality is formed using the suffixes -enko, -ko, -uk, -yuk (Kreshchenko, Grishko, Vasilyuk, Kovalchuk); the second group denotes the type of craft or occupation (Potter, Koval, Kulish); the third group of surnames consists of individual Ukrainian words(Gorobets, Ukrainian, Parubok), as well as a merger of words (Vernigora, Nepiyvoda, Bilous, Kozedub);French people - many surnames are preceded by the prefix Le or De (D′ ) (Le Pen, De Pompadour, D′ Esten); Basically, various nicknames and personal names were used to form surnames (Robert, Jolie, Cauchon - pig);Czechs - the main difference from other surnames is the obligatory ending -ova in women's surnames, even where it would seem to be inappropriate (Valdrova, Ivanovova, Andersonova).Swedes - most surnames end in -sson, -berg, -sted, -strom (Andersson, Olsson, Forsberg, Bostrom);Estonians - masculine and feminine genders are not distinguished using surnames. All foreign surnames (mostly German) were at one time Estonized (Rosenberg - Roosimäe), this process continues to this day, so, for example, in order to be able to play for the Estonian national team, football players Sergei Khokhlov and Konstantin Kolbasenko had to change their surnames to Simson and Nahk;

Surnames of residents of Asian countries

Azerbaijanis - formed their surnames, taking Azerbaijani names as a basis and attaching Russian suffixes -ov, -ev (Mamedov, Aliyev, Gasanov, Abdullaev) to them.Armenians - most surnames of residents of Armenia have the suffix -yan (Hakopyan, Galustyan)Georgians - surnames ending in -shvili, -dze, -uri, -ava, -a, -ua, -ia, -ni, -li, -si are common (Baratashvili, Mikadze, Adamia, Karchava, Gvishiani, Tsereteli);Jews - the main group consists of surnames with roots Levi and Cohen (Levin, Levitan, Kagan, Koganovich, Katz); the second group came from male and female Hebrew names with the addition of various suffixes (Yakobson, Yakubovich, Davidson, Godelson, Tsivyan, Beilis, Abramovich, Rubinchik, Vigdorchik, Mandelstam); the third group of surnames reflects the character of a person, his appearance or profession (Kaplan - chaplain, Rabinovich - rabbi, Melamed - teacher, Schwartzbard - black-bearded, Stiller - quiet, Shtarkman - strong).Chinese and Koreans - usually these are surnames consisting of one, less often two syllables (Tan, Liu, Duan, Qiao, Tsoi, Kogai)Japanese - modern Japanese surnames are formed by merging two full-valued words (Wada - harmony and rice field, Igarashi - 50 storms, Katayama - piece and mountain, Kitamura - north and village); The most common Japanese surnames are: Takahashi, Kobayashi, Kato, Suzuki,

Appendix No. 4

Definition nationality

according to the form of the surname

(based on the example of the names of students, teachers and school employees of the MBOU "OOSH" in the village of Ust-Ukhta)

Of them:

Russian

Komi

Ukraine

skies

Paul

skies

Belarusian

Tajik

Dagest.

Moldavsk

105 people

100%

55%

25%

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ancient Armenian names.

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

Borrowed names.

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

Tell about African names In short, it's not an easy task. After all, Africa is a huge continent inhabited by various peoples. Nowadays, there are more than three thousand tribal and clan groups that have different traditions, religions, languages, morals, and customs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why are Greek names popular?

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

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

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

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

How did Jews “exchange” names with other peoples?

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

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

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

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

Meaning of Latin names.

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

Traditions of Italian naming.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Male Muslim names.

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

Female Muslim names.

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

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

Ancient German names.

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

Borrowings.

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

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

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

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

Ancient pagan names.

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

Russian names with Slavic roots.

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

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

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

Scandinavian loyalty to national names.

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

Soviet names, the fashion for which swept the inhabitants of the Soviet Union in the first half of the twentieth century, amaze with their “originality”. It is impossible to imagine that now anyone would want to name their son Uryuvkos or Jarek. What do these names mean?

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

Arabic and Persian roots of Tatar names.

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

Variety of Tatar names.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Historical borrowings of French names.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WITH early XVIII century until 1917, canonical names dominated, a three-part formula for naming a person (last name, first name, patronymic) developed and spread, and a pseudonym appeared.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feodor, Dorotheus (Greek) – gift of God.

George, Yuri, Egor (Greek) – farmer.

Oleg, Olga (scand.) – saint.

Cyril (Greek) – master, Maria (Aram.) – mistress.

Albina, Clara (lat.) – white.

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

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

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

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

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

For example:

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

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

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

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

Naming traditions

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

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

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

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

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

Every citizen has a first name, last name and patronymic. The name has social significance, defining by its form the status of a person. Addresses by first name, first name and patronymic, last name show different roles of a person in society and reflect different attitudes towards him. Each form sounds different and has its own shade of meaning. Parents who choose a name for their child should seriously think about all this, and more.

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

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

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

Fate and name

History of names

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

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

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

In Indian and some African tribes They gave repulsive names in order to ward off evil spirits. Once upon a time it was believed that only the person himself and his parents should know his real name. In Indian tribes, a young man learned his real name only on the day he was recognized as an adult through meditation and communication with spirits and did not tell anyone. Old Indian shamans say that often this name could not be pronounced with normal sounds, it existed only as a mixture of image and sound.

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

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

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

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

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

Different names - similar roots

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

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

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

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

Fedor, Dorotheus (Greek) - gift of God.

George, Yuri, Egor (Greek) - farmer.

Oleg, Olga (scand.) - saint.

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

Albina, Clara (lat.) - white.

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

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

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

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

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

For example:

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

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

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

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

Naming traditions

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

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

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

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

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

Meaning and interpretation of names

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to choose a name

Tribal and national traditions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. The name should be easy to remember.

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

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

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

Baptism and name

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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