From the history of names, how a name was born. History of Russian names

The history of the appearance of Russian names

The history of the appearance of Russian names

The science of proper names is 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 the life, beliefs, fantasy and artistic creativity of peoples, their historical contacts. Any word with which a person was named was perceived by those around him as his personal name, and, therefore, any word could become a name. Thus, a personal name (in the Old Russian language - reclo, nazvische, nickname, title, nickname, pronaming) is a special word that serves to designate an individual person and is given to him individually in order to be able to address him, as well as talk about it with others.

There are three stages in the history of Russian personal names.

1. Pre-Christian, in which original names were confessed, created on East Slavic soil by means of the Old Russian language.

2. The period after the baptism of Rus', where the church began to plant, along with Christian religious rites, foreign names borrowed by the Byzantine church from various peoples of antiquity.

3. A new stage that began after the Great October Socialist Revolution and was marked by the penetration of a large number of borrowed names into the Russian name book and active name creation.

Before the introduction of Christianity in Rus', personal names were nothing more than nicknames given for one reason or another. In ancient times, people perceived names materially, as an integral part of a person. They hid their names from their enemies, believing that just knowing the name was enough to harm someone.

Old Russian names and nicknames are of great interest. They reveal the richness of the Russian folk language. Old Russian names and nicknames were varied. For example: Pervak, First, Second, Second, Tretyak (this name was one of the most common), Third, etc. We meet direct descendants of these names - surnames: Pervov, Tretyak or Tretyakov, etc. Or such names - Chernysh, Belyak, Beloy, etc. - data on hair and skin color. Names were also assigned based on other external characteristics - height, physique, character, and time of birth. Many nicknames were given on individual occasions and occasions. Among the ancient Russian names there were those that have survived to this day - Vadim, Vsevolod, Gorazd, Dobrynya, Zhdan, Lyubava.

After the introduction of Christianity in Rus', so-called calendar names came into practice. They became an integral part of the Russian language, part of the history of the Russian people. We now call them calendars conventionally, since throughout their existence they were given to people according to church calendars. The official introduction of Christianity in Rus' began in the 10th century. During the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Christianity became the state religion. The Kyiv prince Vladimir, looking for a strong ally, entered into an alliance with Byzantium. One of the conditions of this union was the adoption of the Christian religion by Russia. In 988, Vladimir himself was baptized and began to introduce a new religion in Rus'. The Christianization of the population of Rus' and the obligatory rite of baptism were accompanied by the naming of people with new Christian names. The adoption of new names by the Russian population was slow.

In the old days there was such a custom:
They carried the baby to church. There,
Pointing a finger at the old saints,
Pop gave names by day.
If you were born on the day of Efim,
It is called by this name.
But if on the day of Jerome,
Whether you like it or not - Jerome!
M.Vladimov

However, only pre-Christian names have been preserved in history, which are still in use today; they entered the Russian language at the beginning of the 2nd millennium through preachers of the Christian religion, most of whom were southern Slavs: Christianity appeared among them much earlier than in Rus'.

In the first years after the October Revolution, the bulk of those born were given old names. After the end of the civil war, changes occurred - church weddings began to be held less frequently, and the required civil registration of newborns was carried out.

The era with a new vocabulary
Burst into the speech of workshops and villages,
Amphilochia went to the revolutionary committees,
Adelaide to the Komsomol.
They are in tune with their era
The Octobermen were named:
Zarya, Idea, Pioneer,
Revmir, Revput and Diamat!
M.Vladimov

Nowadays, abbreviated forms of names are very common. Abbreviated forms are used in a wide variety of situations, with the exception of official ones. Abbreviated names are so short that they often turn out to be consonant with several full names, and vice versa, one full name can correspond to several abbreviated ones. For example:
Agrafena - Agasha - Gasha - Granya - Grunya - Grusha - Fenya;
Alexander (a) - Ara - Arya - Alya - Alik - Ksana - Ksanya - Alexanya.

What's ugly in the eyes,
The rains are slanting,
Asya, Stasya, Nastenka,
Daughter Anastasia?
Life is just fantastic
Accommodated three matryoshkas:
Asya, Stasya, Nastenka,
Everyone - Anastasia.
I. Snegova

Since there are numerous variations of the same names, it is necessary to distinguish between official and unofficial forms of naming people. In the Russian language, almost all forms of names varied, both ecclesiastical and secular, but secular ones varied over a much wider range.

At baptism, the child's name was written down in a registration book (such books were kept in all churches), and the spelling of the calendar or any other liturgical book that was available in a given church was usually followed. When receiving a birth certificate or birth certificate (and they were issued not by the church, but by special civil institutions - in the towns of the consistory, in the villages by the volost clerk), the name was not copied letter by letter, but most often as the parents asked or as the clerk considered necessary. No serious legal significance was attached to the discrepancy between the name entries in the church book and in the register; the main option was still the church one, and the spelling of the name could be additionally checked by the date of birth of the person named and the day of the angel corresponding to it.

Since previously documents (passport, birth certificate, certificate, baptismal record, etc.) contained different variants of names (both in church and secular form), all of them can be called passport, official, documentary, despite a number of spelling and pronunciation differences. In folk dialects, many names were subject to significant alterations (Evdokia - Evdokeya - Avdotya through the unstable variant Avdokya), but since these forms also appeared in the documentary records, they also have to be considered official.

In informal situations - at home, among friends - people are called by informal shortened forms of their names. They developed in everyday life for everyday use, since full names can sometimes be cumbersome and inconvenient when communicating within the family, and especially among children and adolescents. (Ekaterina - Katya, Maria - Masha, etc.).

The origin of the names goes back to ancient times and is covered with a layer of various legends. The exact time when the group “proper names” began to be identified is not known, but already in the 3rd century BC the philosopher Chrysippus classified them as a separate group of words.

Imagine a time when people lived in caves, farmed together, and knew nothing about medicine and the world outside their settlements. When a person just began to give names to the things around him, he was surprised and studied the nature of existence.

The first names were not invented specifically to designate a specific person; people used various words for this: names of animals, natural phenomena, plants, seasons, celestial bodies, gods, etc. (Willow, River, Wolf, Rain). But ancient mysterious names were quite often given to people based on character traits, appearance, lifestyle, characteristics, behavior, etc. (Nose, Talker, Wanderer). So, the tallest person in the settlement could be called Rock, and the quietest one could be called Mouse.

Even in ancient times, people began to understand that the name given to a person can influence his destiny in various ways. Then they began to choose names that would stand for something good. In African and Indian tribes, children were named so that the name sounded repulsive, scaring away evil spirits and evil spirits.

Also in history, it was quite common for a child to have two names: one that only he and his parents knew, and the other a common name that everyone could call.

Few people know that in China, a child received his first name at birth, his second when he entered school, and his third (adult) after he came of age.

In ancient Greece, parents named babies after heroes, gods, and important figures in history. They believed that then the child would inherit their greatness, strength and the qualities that the heroes possessed. But people, calling the child as one of the gods, often feared the Almighty. Therefore, to address the gods every day, they used various epithets, from which some of the names we know come from: Alexander - “defender”, Victor - “winner”, Laurus - “in honor of Mars”, bearing a laurel branch, or Stefan, in Slavic languages turned into Stepan, which means “crowned”, since many gods wore wreaths.

Sometimes children were named the same as the gods, but not the main ones, but the secondary ones: Aurora, Muse. Superstitious pagans hoped that the best qualities and abilities of these gods would be passed on to their child along with the name. And perhaps they hoped that the gods would even bring a gift to their family in the form of a good harvest or good health.

The history of the origin of names is not always as simple as it seems. We don't always know where a given name came from. Even if we ourselves are its carriers.

Many people think that names such as Maria (Masha), Ivan (Vanya) are originally Russian. This is a misconception, because they, like many others familiar to hearing, came from other languages ​​and peoples.

Among the commonly used names are many that have Greek, Scandinavian, Hebrew, Latin and other roots.

After the adoption of Christianity and the departure of paganism, more and more foreign names with deep meaning began to penetrate into our culture: Nikita - “winner”, Alexey - “defender”, Elena - “bright”, Eugene - “noble” and so on.

Perhaps we consider them originally Russian, since they are often used in folklore, fairy tales and legends that are familiar to us from childhood.

But there is also a wide variety of original Russian names that have survived to this day: Lyudmila - “dear to people”, Yaroslav - “glorifying Yarila”, Vladimir - “owning the world”, Vsevolod - “owning everything”, Zlata - “golden” and a huge number more a number of such examples can be found by studying the history of Rus'. Today, these names are again gaining popularity, because many want to return to the authenticity of family values ​​and the history of their people.

It is interesting and important to know that people with strange or very funny names are more likely than others to suffer from various mental illnesses.

Remember: it will always be useful to find out the origin, meaning and secret meaning of the nickname. Knowing historical names may help you understand yourself a little better. You will know what you are capable of, and, most importantly, you will be able to choose a name with a good story for your child. Do not forget that by naming a child, you endow him with certain qualities, so you should carefully choose a name and figure out where it came from.

Question: Based on excerpts from epics, guess why the epic heroes have such names (nicknames). What surnames could come from these names? Analyze the texts of the epics: are there any negative ones among the heroes? Prove your answer.

Answer: Surnames in Rus' appeared later than in Europe and mostly they come from the patronymic of one of the ancestors, from ancestry or from a nickname and type of activity. The very first surnames we received were the residents of Veliky Novgorod, who were the first to adopt this important custom from the Principality of Lithuania. Next, Moscow boyars and princes began to receive surnames, and then this tradition spread around the 14th-15th century throughout Rus'. This applied only to noble and eminent people, but until the beginning of the 18th century, most of the general population of Russia did not have surnames; this situation continued until 1861, when serfdom was abolished in Rus'.

In order to identify a person as a member of society, he was given a nickname that was tied to the place where the person was from, or indicated the class from which he came. They could also give a nickname based on their type of activity. The nickname then partially turned into a Surname. The nickname was also tied to the place and surname of the “Master” whose man was a serf, in order to determine his affiliation.

The hero Ilya Muromets received his surname “Muromets” from the name of the city of Murom, to which the village of Karacharovo, in which he was born, belonged.

Bogatyr Alyosha Popovich had his surname from belonging to the priestly class, his father was a priest (clergyman).

Bogatyrs are positive heroes of epics.

The Nightingale the Robber had the nickname “Robber” due to the type of his trade. He lived not by labor, but by robbing travelers and nearby villages. Nightingale the Robber is a negative hero.

From the combination of first and last names: Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich, the surnames could come from: Muromsky, Ilyin, Popov, Aleshin. The surname Soloviev could have come from the nickname “Nightingale the Robber.”

Question: Remember why the great princes Yaroslav the Wise and Vladimir the Red Sun had such nicknames. Why did the people call Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible?

Answer: there are different versions of such nicknames of the great princes, we will give the ones that most correspond to reality.

Wisdom was a symbol of Yaroslav's life. It was during his reign that the state of Kievan Rus reached the peak of power:

Kyiv became one of the largest cities in Europe, rivaling Constantinople.

Rus' has achieved wide international recognition. The largest noble courts of Europe sought to make friends and become related to the family of the Kyiv prince.

The prince was an educated man who knew several foreign languages ​​and had a rich library.

A set of laws “Russian Truth” was compiled (according to some historians, this is why it received such a nickname).

Achieved the establishment of Christianity.

The creation of the church hierarchical organization was completed, and Kyiv became the church center.

He tried to direct the active energy of the people not to war, but to economic activity, to strengthening faith and spirit, encouraging construction, arts and crafts. This was his main wisdom as a ruler.

Vladimir Red Sun.

Great respect and veneration from the common people and the church for their generosity and care for the common people, extensive educational activities, countless grandiose battles and high-profile conquests, most likely, were the main reason for the emergence of such a high nickname as “Red Sun”. Information has survived to this day about magnificent feasts that were organized by the generous prince for the common people; such broad gestures also provide every reason for the emergence of such a name, because in the 10-11th century it was customary to affectionately call loved ones and close people “red sun”.

Perhaps such an epithet arose largely due to the military glory of the prince, a fighter against the so-called dark forces with the help of Russian heroes and members of his large family, gathered by him under his protection in the same way as the sun gathers stars and other celestial bodies around itself.

Why did the people call Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible?

It may seem that the autocrat received the nickname because of his very tough character: even people who are not keen on history have heard about executions, oprichnina and, of course, about Ivan’s murder of his own son, which is highly doubtful. Here are the people, remembering the horrors of the tsar’s reign, and called him Terrible.

But what if the word “formidable” in the old days did not have such a negative meaning as it does today? It can be assumed that “Terrible” is a synonym for the epithet “Great”, and is intended to emphasize the power and justice of the sovereign. And there was a reason to respect Ivan: he annexed the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates to Rus', rearmed the army and created the Streltsy army, strengthened state power, created the Code of Law, under him Ermak made his famous campaign in Siberia. Therefore, the people, remembering the strict but fair times, nicknamed the Tsar the Terrible. Finally, one of his predecessors, namely Ivan III, had two nicknames: “Great” and “Terrible,” but he was not known for any atrocities.

One way or another, each of these versions has the right to exist, but disputes about the identity of Ivan the Terrible have been going on for several centuries, and it does not seem that they are destined to stop.

Homework: Find out what the names of your family members mean. What ancient names of your people do you know? What do they mean?

Answer: My mother’s name is Elena, the name of Greek origin means “sun ray”, “bright as a torch”.

Dad's name is Vladimir, a Slavic name that means “Owner of the World.”

My name is Ivanna (John) from the Hebrew "yohanan" - the feminine form of the male name Ivan. Translated from Hebrew it means “God’s grace” or “God has mercy.”

On the expanse of wavy grass
With a ribbon of wind in his gray hair
Slav froze at the foot of the mountain,
Contemplating the surroundings like a bird.

Dumu thought. And the shadow of sadness
Hidden between frowning eyebrows:
It wasn't himself that he felt so sorry for,
And sobbing wives and mothers.

At the hills here he will meet the enemy,
Having buried himself with his gang,
And he will chop the horns off the helmets,
For the land that has no relatives

Slav sighed. Turning the horse
Returned to the columns of squads...
The armor burned in the rays of the sun,
Melting hundreds of shields into one.

Like holding the sky on your shoulders
I drove past attentive faces -
There is no need for lofty speeches here -
They will stand to their death without falling on their faces.

So the stars went out in the night,
The fog splashed across the field,
Only the creak with which swords are sharpened,
He revealed that the calm is a deception.

The prince, wrapped in the sparks of the fire,
I drove away the cold horror from my heart.
Only fatigue closed my eyes -
There is just a little time left until dawn.

Daylight dispelled the fears of darkness.
“Step harder! Keep in line! Have fun!
We borrowed the day today!
So is our enemy braver?”

On his black one in front...
The prince is calm as a bow string,
What can you carry in an instant?
Death to the enemy by drinking the blood in full.

Here are the hills, here is the foot of the mountain...
The horn blows the formation of the regiments.
And the enemy's tents fly,
And an anxious trembling in my hands.

The beat of the heart froze for a moment,
The silence became viscous, like wax,
And the cuckoo's only cry
Like a needle, it pierces the brain.

The forest of copies, swaying, fell,
Everything began to move like an avalanche,
A menacing roar washed over the pass
And then my cheekbones tightened with anger.

Brother stood shoulder to brother, friend to friend,
The vanguard met the enemies with steel.
The bowstring sang a song around,
It’s like a bard’s voice is broken.

Blades whistled with damask steel -
Slav rushed about like a furious beast,
Cutting people into pieces
Opening the door for them to another world.

Another step, another swing, another corpse.
The light faded in the round dance of death:
Blood for blood, eye for eye, tooth for tooth -
The groans of pain were drowned out by the ringing of swords.

Either a year has flown by, or a day,
The enemy formation trembled and fled,
As if a shadow of fear was rushing after him,
He threw the flags and trampled them into the ground.

Thunder struck, splitting the sky,
Gave freedom to the flow of water,
That washed the wounds and sweat from the bodies,
Like the tear of an inconsolable widow.

The clouds were soon replaced by the moon -
The Prince wandered among his fallen friends,
He covered their eyes with his hand,
He promised to raise their children.

And those who went to death danced
Dance of souls in funeral pyres,
Crumpled copper sparkled
On shields raised in the air.

Many years have passed since then.
Slav has found peace in his native land,
But the daughter kept this vow:
She blessed the prince's grandson with ash.

The newborn was crying bitterly,
And the happy mother laughed.
People drank intoxicating mead from troughs,
Argued loudly about what to call it.

The princess told them her answer: -
“I will give him a name in memory of my grandfather.
It will be as clear as the dawn
He will take the rest in life himself.

Become like Slav. - She whispered,
He carefully took his son in his arms.
Honest people caught up like a wave,
Proud name: “Stanislav!”
-------
July 25, 2013

Reviews

I liked the lines. 5+++

In the Vedic culture of the Slavs, the name of a person directly
associated with his fate and evolutionary level of development. If
varna∗
(the etheric body) of the born child corresponds to the priest, then his name has two roots. And one of the roots
usually “slav” - that is, glorifying, or “lyubo” - loving.

In order to make sure that the Slavs produced their
name from Slava, it is enough to cite some Slavic
proper names, which included the root “slav” as
fundamental concept. Stanislav, Sudi-Slav, Tverdi-Slav, Churo-Slav, Yaro-Slav, etc. In “The Tale of Igor’s Host”, out of 20 Slavic names, 14 end
to “Slav”, and in Nestor’s chronicle, out of 130 Slavic names, 103 fall on the same root.
*
The quality of perseverance is reflected in the names: Stanislav, Stanil, Stoyan, etc.

Stanislav read your review, so please accept gratitude from both of us.

We send you our kindest and warmest wishes.

With sincere respect, Inna and son.))