Economic differentiation among the nobility clearly shows the heterogeneity of the nobility. An important factor dividing the nobles was also the presence of a title, division into titled nobility (princes, counts, barons) and untitled nobility (most of the estate) has always been present in the life of the noble society.

Generic titles appeared in medieval Europe to indicate the degree of vassal dependence on the lord. In modern times, neither in Russia nor in Europe, the possession of the title did not bring its owner any special legal rights, the title made it possible to join the chosen circle, was an indicator of either the nobility of the family or special merits before the throne.

PRINCE

In Russia, until the 18th century, there was only a princely title, which was inherited. The title of prince meant belonging to a family that once ruled over a certain territory of the country. Among the Slavs, princes were called the leaders of the squad, and then the rulers of individual lands - principalities.

Since the XI century. the princely title belonged only to the descendants of Rurik, who ruled in various lands. In the XIV century. the descendants of the Lithuanian grand-ducal dynasty - the Gediminovichi - were transferred to the Russian service. In the Moscow state of the seventeenth century. the princely title belonged to the descendants of these two clans - the Rurikovichs (Obolensky, Volkonsky, Repnins, Odoevsky, Gagarins, Vyazemsky, etc.), Gediminovichs (Kurakins, Golitsyn, Khovansky, Trubetskoy), as well as some descendants of the Golden Horde nobility and the Caucasian clans ( , Cherkassky). In total, there were 47 princely families.

Until the XVIII century. princely title passed only by inheritance, it could not be received as a royal favor. The princely title was first awarded under Peter I, when A. D. Menshikov in 1707 began to be called Prince of Izhora.

Under Catherine, there were a number of princely awards from the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire - to G.A. Potemkin, P.A.Zubov, G.G. Orlov and others. Under Paul, five people were elevated to princely dignity, among them A.V. Suvorov, called the prince of Italy. Suvorov was later awarded the title of the Most Serene Prince. Serene princes (among them were M.I.Golinishchev-Kutuzov, N.I.Saltykov, A.K. Razumovsky) were called "your Highness"; hereditary princes, unlike them, had the title "Your lordship".

By the end of the XIX century. due to the suppression of some families (Bezborodko, Lopukhins, Razumovsky), the number of princely families who received the title through an award, was about 20.
New princely families arose in the 19th - early 20th centuries. also as a result of morganatic marriages. This was the name for marriages of members of the imperial family with persons who did not belong to the ruling houses. Such marriages were legally enforceable, with the exception of inheritance rights. If the husband was a member of the imperial family, then the wife and children bore a different surname, being the founders of a new family.

GRAPHS

The title of count originally existed in Western European monarchies. He appeared in Russia since the times of Peter the Great. In 1706, B.P.Sheremetev became the first truly Russian count. Among the first nobles who were elevated to the rank of count were G.I.Golovkin, F.M. Apraksin, P.A.Tolstoy. The first morganatic marriage in the Russian tsarist dynasty was the union of the Great Prince Konstantin Pavlovich with the Polish Countess Grudzinskaya, who later became known as the Most Serene Princess Lovich.

In 1880, the family of princes Yuryevsky appeared, this title was granted to E. M. Dolgorukova, with whom the emperor Alexander II entered into a morganatic marriage. Empress Elizabeth Petrovna awarded the title of count to the brothers Razumovsky and Shuvalov, Catherine - to the Orlov brothers.

GIRL'S SURNAMES

Some surnames were transformed from foreign ones, the owners of which came to Russia from other states. Thus, the Russian noble family of the Golovins descended from the famous Byzantine surname of the Khovrins, and the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna awarded the noblemen the title of count to the brothers Razumovsky and Shuvalov, Ekaterina - to the Orlov brothers.

The earls at this time often became the favorites of the emperors and empresses, the closest relatives of the imperial family, people who distinguished themselves on the battlefields, in the diplomatic and public service. These representatives of the nobility often stood closer to the throne than the descendants of the old fading princely families, because in the 18th century. the title of count was sometimes valued higher than the title of prince. At the beginning of the XX century. 320 county families were counted.

BARONS

The title of baron also came to Russia from Western Europe in the 18th century. Among the first Russian barons were P.P.Shafirov, A.I. Osterman, the Stroganov brothers. Traditionally, the title of baron was bestowed on financiers and industrialists (Fredericks, Stieglitz) and foreigners who distinguished themselves in the Russian service (Nikolai, Delvig, Bellingshausen).

Most of the hereditary baronial families were of Baltic origin. Among the most famous Baltic barons are Wrangeli, Richter, Palen. By the beginning of the XX century. in Russia there were more 250 baronial families.

At all times, among the nobility above any title, the antiquity of the family was still valued, therefore the most honorable title was the title of column nobles, leading their noble lineage for more than 100 years. After all, a title, even a princely title, could be acquired, and noble ancestors, if they were not there, could not be given any power. An illustrative example is the noble family of Naryshkins, who never possessed any titles, but were among the first among the nobles and courtiers.

GIRL'S SURNAMES

Noble dignity in the Russian nominal formula was not expressed in any way, there were no special prefixes indicating a noble origin (for example, a background in German or de in French names). The very possession of a name, patronymic and surname at a certain stage already spoke of a noble title. For a long time, other estates did not have surnames at all. For the nobles, belonging to a certain surname meant generic self-identification.

The names of ancient noble families often came from the names of the places of reign. This is how the names of the Vyazemsky, Beloselsky, Obolensky, Volkonsky, Trubetskoy appeared, associated with the names of rivers, lakes, cities and villages. Often the surnames of the entire clan came from some old ancestor who left a mark on history (Golitsyn, Tolstoy, Kurakin).

Some surnames were transformed from foreign ones, the owners of which came to Russia from other states. Thus, the Russian noble family of the Golovins descended from the famous Byzantine family of the Khovrins, and the Khomutov nobles had their ancestor a Scotsman, Hamilton. The German surname Levenshtein eventually turned into a Russian - the Levshins, and the descendants of those who came from Florence began to be called Chicherins in Russia. Many surnames came from the Tatar noble families - Godunovs, Karamzins, Kudashevs.

Usually, surnames in Russia were single, but sometimes, especially among the nobility, surnames were doubled. The reasons for this could be different, sometimes the surname of a separate branch was added to the surname of a large clan. An example is the princes of Rostov, whose various branches began to be called the Buinosov-Rostovsky, Lobanov-Rostovsky, Kasatkin-Rostovsky. In order not to lose the well-known extinct surname, it was attached to their heirs along the female or side line. This is how the Repnins-Bolkonskys, Vorontsov-Dashkovs, Golitsyn-Prozorovskys, Orlov-Denisovs, etc. appeared.

Another group of double surnames arose as a result of the awarding of a higher title and the addition of an honorific prefix to the family name. Often such prefixes were given for military victories, as a result, these famous names became part of Russian history: Orlov-Chesmensky, Rumyantsev-Zadu-Naysky, Potemkin-Tavrichesky, Suvorov-Rymniksky.

FAMILY TIES

The nobleman never lived by himself, he was always a member of the family, always felt belonging to a certain surname, he thought of himself as the successor of his many ancestors, was responsible for his descendants. In this regard, the noble world is characterized by close attention to family ties and relationships, sometimes very complex.
The ability to understand all the intricacies of kinship was caused by the necessity, after all, the title of nobility, and family titles, and, finally, lands and property were inherited according to the kinship principle. In addition, the noble families were, as a rule, numerous, in each generation they entered into kinship with several clans *.

The basis of noble family ties was belonging to a certain family; the concept of "genus" meant that people of different generations had one common ancestor - the ancestor. The figure of the ancestor is rather arbitrary, because he also had ancestors. Usually the earliest ancestor became the ancestor, about whom information has been preserved, who committed some high-profile deeds, who had services to the fatherland or who came to serve in Russia from foreign lands.

With the general scarcity of the nobility, family ties could be a hindrance to marriages, because the church prohibited marriages between close relatives. Therefore, the knowledge of one's own and others' kindred circle was the most important part of noble life. The clan generation, or knee, is made up of descendants who are at an equal distance from a common ancestor. If kinship is transmitted through the male line, and this was the tradition among the Russian nobility, the descendants of the brothers form different branches of the family.

In the event that one of the representatives of the clan received the title, his descendants represented a special line of the clan - county or princely. So, in the genealogy of the Orlovs, three lines were noted: noble (most of the representatives of the family), count (descendants of the five Orlov brothers, who became counts under Catherine II), prince (heirs of A.F. Orlov, whose title was granted in 1856 by Alexander II).

Based on materials from the book "Noble and Merchant Clans of Russia" Zhukov A. V.

It is not so easy to answer the question when the Russians got surnames. The fact is that surnames in Russia were formed mainly from patronymics, nicknames or generic names, and this process was gradual.

It is believed that the first in Russia were citizens of Veliky Novgorod, which was then a republic, as well as residents of Novgorod possessions stretching throughout the north from the Baltic to the Urals. This happened presumably in the XIII century. So, in the chronicle for 1240, the names of the Novgorodians who fell in the Battle of the Neva are mentioned: "Kostyantin Lugotinits, Guryata Pineschinich". In the annals from 1268, there are the names of "Tverdislav Chermny, Nikifor Radyatinich, Tverdislav Moisievich, Mikhail Krivtsevich, Boris Ildyatinich ... Vasil Voiborzovich, Zhiroslav Dorogomilovich, Poroman Podvoiskiy." In 1270, as the chronicler reports, Prince Vasily Yaroslavich set out on a campaign against the Tatars, taking with him "Petril Lever and Mikhail Pineschinich." As you can see, these surnames did not resemble modern ones and were formed, most likely, by patronymics, generic or baptismal names, nicknames or place of residence.

Originally from the North

Perhaps, the most ancient surnames should still be considered surnames ending with the suffixes -ih and -ih. According to experts, they appeared at the turn of the 1st-2nd millennia and originated mainly from family nicknames. For example, members of one family could be given nicknames such as Short, White, Red, Black, and their descendants were called in the genitive or prepositional case: "Whose are you going to be?" - "Short, White, Red, Black." Doctor of Philology A.V. Superanskaya writes: “The head of the family is called Golden, the whole family is called Golden. A descendant or descendants of the family in the next generation - the Goldens ”.

Historians suggest that these surnames were born in the north, and subsequently spread in the central regions of Russia and the Urals. Many such surnames are found among Siberians: this was due to the beginning of the conquest of Siberia in the second half XVI century... By the way, according to the rules of the Russian language, such names are not inclined.

Surnames from Slavic names and nicknames

There were also surnames that arose from ancient Russian worldly names. For example, the surnames Zhdanov and Lyubimov later came from the Slavic proper names Zhdan and Lyubim. Many surnames are formed from the so-called "protective" names: it was believed that if you give a baby a name with a negative connotation, it will scare away dark forces and failures from him. So the names of Nekrasov, Durov, Chertanov, Zlobin, Neustroev, Golodov went from the nicknames Nekras, Dur, Chertan, Malice, Neustroy, Hunger.

Noble surnames

Only later, in the XIV-XV centuries, surnames began to appear among the princes and boyars. Most often they were formed from the name of the inheritance, which was owned by the prince or boyar, and subsequently passed on to his descendants: Shuisky, Vorotynsky, Obolensky, Vyazemsky. Some of the noble surnames came from nicknames: Gagarins, Humpbacks, Glazaty, Lykovs, Scriabins. Sometimes the surname combined the name of the inheritance with a nickname, such as Lobanov-Rostovsky.

One of the most ancient noble families - Golitsyn - originates from the old word "golitsy" ("galitsy"), meaning leather mittens used in various works. Another ancient noble surname is Morozov. The first to wear it was Misha Prushanin, who distinguished himself in 1240 in the battle with the Swedes: his name was glorified in the Life of Alexander Nevsky. This family also became known thanks to the famous schismatic, the boyar Fedosya Morozova.

Merchant surnames

In the XVIII-XIX centuries, servicemen, clergy and merchants began to wear surnames. However, the richest merchants acquired surnames even earlier, in the XV-XVI centuries. Basically, they were again residents of the northern regions of Russia - say, the Kalinnikovs, Stroganovs, Perminovs, Ryazantsevs. Kuzma Minin, the son of the salt miner Mina Ankudinov from Balakhna, received his own surname at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries. Often, merchant surnames reflected the occupation of their owner. So, the Rybnikovs traded in fish.

Peasant surnames

The peasants did not have surnames for a long time, with the exception of the population of the northern part of Russia, which once belonged to Novgorod, since there was no serfdom there. Take, for example, the "Arkhangelsk peasant" Mikhail Lomonosov or Pushkin's nanny, the Novgorod peasant Arina Rodionovna Yakovleva.

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They had surnames and Cossacks, as well as the population of lands that were formerly part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: the territory of present-day Belarus to Smolensk and Vyazma, Little Russia. Most of the indigenous inhabitants of the chernozem provinces had the surnames.

Mass assignment of surnames to peasants began only after the abolition of serfdom. And some even received surnames only during the years of Soviet power.

Why do some Russian surnames end with "-in" and others with "-ov"?

Originally Russian surnames are those that end in "-ov", "-ev" or "-in" ("-yn"). Why are Russians most often wearing them?

Surnames with the suffixes "-ov" or "-ev" are, according to various sources, 60-70% of the indigenous inhabitants of Russia. It is believed that these surnames are mainly of generic origin. At first they came from patronymics. For example, Peter, Ivan's son, was called Peter Ivanov. After surnames came into official use (and this happened in Russia in the 13th century), surnames began to be given by the name of the eldest in the family. That is, Ivan's son, grandson and great-grandson were already becoming Ivanovs.

But surnames were given by nicknames. So, if a person, for example, was nicknamed Bezborodov, then his descendants received the surname Bezborodov.

They often gave surnames by occupation. The son of the blacksmith bore the name Kuznetsov, the son of the carpenter - Plotnikov, the son of the potter - Goncharov, the priest - Popov. Their children received the same surname.

Surnames with the suffix "-ev" were given to those whose ancestors bore names and nicknames, as well as whose professions ended in a soft consonant - so, the son of Ignatius was called Ignatiev, the son of a man nicknamed Snegir - Snegirev, the son of a cooper - Bondarev.

Where did the surnames for "-in" or "-yn" come from?

The second most common names in Russia are surnames with the suffix "-in", or, less often, "-yn". They are worn by about 30% of the population. These surnames could also come from the names and nicknames of their ancestors, from the names of their professions, and in addition, from words ending in "-a", "-ya" and from feminine nouns ending in a soft consonant. For example, the surname Minin meant “son of Mina”. The Orthodox name Mina was widespread in Russia.

The surname Semin comes from one of the forms of the name Semyon (the old form of this Russian name is Simeon, which means "heard by God"). And in our time, the names of Ilyin, Fomin, Nikitin are common. The surname Rogozhin recalls that the ancestors of this person traded matting or made it.

Most likely, nicknames or professional occupations formed the basis of the surnames Pushkin, Gagarin, Borodin, Ptitsyn, Belkin, Korovin, Zimin.

Meanwhile, word formation experts believe that the surname does not always unambiguously indicate the nationality of a person or his distant ancestors. To determine this with confidence, you must first find out what kind of word lies at its basis. published.

Irina Shlionskaya

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consciousness - together we are changing the world! © econet

Since ancient times, the surname could change a person's life, it carried the entire history of the family and gave many privileges. People spent a lot of effort and money to have a good title, and sometimes sacrificed their lives for this. It was almost impossible for an ordinary citizen to be included in the list of nobles.

Types of titles

There were many titles in tsarist Russia, each of them had its own history and carried its own capabilities. All noble families followed the family tree and very carefully selected pairs for their family members. The marriage of two noble families was, rather, a deliberate calculation than a love relationship. Russian noble families kept together and did not let members without a title into their families.

Such genera could include:

1. Princes.
2. Graphs.
3. Barons.
4. Kings.
5. Dukes.
6. Awnings.

Each of these clans had their own history and led their own family tree. It was strictly forbidden for a nobleman to create a family with a commoner. Thus, it was almost impossible for an ordinary ordinary resident of tsarist Russia to become a nobleman, except for very great achievements before the country.

Princes of Rurikovich

Princes are one of the highest titles of nobility. Members of such a family have always had a lot of land, finances and slaves. It was a great honor for a representative of the family to be at court and help the ruler. Having shown himself, a member of the princely family could become a trusted special ruler. The famous noble families of Russia in most cases had a princely title. But the titles could be divided according to the methods of obtaining them.

One of the most famous princely families in Russia was the Rurik. The list of noble families begins with her. Rurikovichs are natives of Ukraine and descendants of Igor's great Rus. The roots of many European rulers come from It is a strong dynasty that brought the world many famous rulers who were in power for a long time throughout Europe. But a number of historical events that took place at that time divided the family into many branches. Russian noble families such as Potocki, Peremyshl, Chernigov, Ryazan, Galitsk, Smolensk, Yaroslavl, Rostov, Belozersk, Suzdal, Smolensk, Moscow, Tversk, Starodubski belong to the Rurik family.

Other princely titles

In addition to the descendants of the Rurikovich clan, noble families of Russia may be such as the Otyaevs. This clan received its title thanks to the good warrior Khvostov, who had the nickname Otyay in the army, and has been happening since one thousand five hundred and forty-three.

The Ofrosmovs are an example of a strong will and a great desire to achieve a goal. The founder of the family was a strong and courageous warrior.

The Pogozhevs are from Lithuania. The founder of the clan helped to obtain a princely title oratory and the ability to conduct military negotiations.

The list of noble families also includes the Pozharsky, Polevoy, Pronchishchevs, Protopopovs, Tolstoy, Uvarovs.

Earl titles

But surnames of noble origin are not only princes. Counts' dynasties also had a high title and powers at the court. This title was also considered very high and gave many powers.

To receive the title of count was a great achievement for any member of the royal society. Such a title primarily made it possible to have power and be closer to the ruling dynasty. The noble families of Russia for the most part consist of counts. The easiest way to achieve this title was during successful military operations.

One of these names is Sheremetyev. This is a count family that still exists in our time. General of the army received this title for his achievements in the conduct of hostilities and service to the royal family.

Ivan Golovkin is the founder of another surname of noble origin. According to many sources, this is a count who appeared in Russia after the wedding of his only daughter. One of the few county families that ended up with a single member of the dynasty.

The noble family of Minich had many branches, and the main reason for this was the large number of women in this family. When they marry, Milich women took a double surname and mixed titles.

Many counts were given to courtiers during the reign of Catherine Petrovna. She was a very generous queen and awarded titles to many of her military leaders. Thanks to her, such names as Efimovsky, Gendrikov, Chernyshev, Razumovsky, Ushakov and many others appeared on the list of nobles.

Barons at court

Famous noble families also had many bearers of baron titles. Among them there are clan families and granted barons. This, like all other titles, could be obtained with good service. And of course, the simplest and most effective way was to conduct military operations for the homeland.

This title was very popular in the Middle Ages. The family title could be received by wealthy families who sponsored the royal family. This title appeared in the fifteenth century in Germany and, like everything new, gained great popularity. The royal family practically sold it to all wealthy families who had the opportunity to help and sponsor all the royal undertakings.

To bring rich families closer to him, he introduced a new title - baron. One of the first owners of this title was the banker de Smith. Thanks to banking and trade, this family earned its finances and was raised by Peter to the rank of barons.

Russian noble families with the title of baron were also replenished with the surname Friedrix. Like de Smith, Yuri Friedricks was a good banker who lived and worked for a long time at the royal court. Born into a titled family, Yuri also received the title under Tsarist Russia.

In addition to them, there were a number of surnames with the title of baron, information about which was stored in military documents. These are warriors who have earned their titles by actively participating in hostilities. Thus, the noble families of Russia were replenished with such members as: Baron Plotto, Baron von Rummel, Baron von Malam, Baron Ustinov and the family of the brothers of Barons Schmidt. Most of them were from European countries and came to Russia on business.

Royal families

But not only titled families are included in the list of noble families. Russian noble families for many years headed the royal families.

One of the most ancient tsarist families in Russia was the Godunovs. This is a royal family that was in power for many years. The first of this family was Tsarina Godunova, who formally ruled the country for only a few days. She renounced the throne and decided to spend her life in a monastery.

The next, no less well-known surname of the tsarist Russian family is the Shuisky. This dynasty spent a little time in power, but entered the list of noble families in Russia.

The great Queen Skavronskaya, better known as Catherine the First, also became the founder of the royal family dynasty. Do not forget about such a royal dynasty as Biron.

Dukes at court

Russian noble families also have the title of dukes. Getting the title of Duke was not easy. Basically, these clans were very rich and ancient families of tsarist Russia.

The owners of the title duke in Russia were the Chertozhansk family. The genus existed for many centuries and was engaged in agriculture. They were a very wealthy family with many lands.

Duke of Nesvizh is the founder of the eponymous town of Nesvizh. There are many versions of the origin of this family. The Duke was a great connoisseur of art. His castles were the most wonderful and beautiful buildings of that time. Owning large lands, the duke was able to help tsarist Russia.

Menshikov is another famous ducal family in Russia. Menshikov was not just a duke, he was a famous military leader, army general and governor of St. Petersburg. He received his title for achievement and service to the royal crown.

Title of marquis

The title of marquis in tsarist Russia was mainly received by wealthy families with foreign origins. It was an opportunity to add foreign capital to the country. One of the most famous surnames was Traverse. This is an ancient French family, representatives of which were at the royal court.

Among the Italian marquises was the Paulucci family. Having received the title of Marquis, the family remained in Russia. Another Italian family received the title of Marquis at the royal court of Russia - Albizzi. This is one of the richest Tuscan families. They earned all their income from the business of manufacturing fabrics.

The meaning and privileges of the title

For courtiers, having a title provided many opportunities and wealth. Upon receipt of the title, this often brought with it lavish gifts from the crown. Often these gifts were land and wealth. The royal family gave such gifts for special achievements.

For wealthy families who earned their wealth on the generous Russian land, it was very important to have a good title, for this they financed the royal undertakings, which bought their family a high title and a good attitude. In addition, only titled families could be close to the royal family and participate in the government of the country.

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1. Nameplate as a historical source

The study of names is far from an idle occupation. In some cases, it helps historians shed light on events of the distant past and even make important discoveries. What can names tell about?

The names of Russian princes, minted on coins, present a curious riddle to scientists. The chronicle states that after the death of Prince Vladimir in 1015, the Kiev table briefly went to his son Svyatopolk the Damned, and then Yaroslav the Wise became the Grand Duke. The reign of each of these princes is certified, among other things, by the issue of coins bearing their names. However, archaeologists have also found coins dating back to the same time, with the name "Peter". Moreover, none of the named princes bore such a baptismal name. It turns out that the chroniclers deliberately or unwittingly missed one of the great princes of the early 11th century.

Vladimir Monomakh was an inveterate hunter. Here is how he himself described his adventures: “Two rounds threw their horns on me with the horse, the deer butted me, the elk trampled on my feet, the boar tore off the sword on my hip, the bear at my knee bit the saddle cloth, the fierce animal jumped on my hips and the horse with me overturned ".

Now we know that during one of these hunting single combats Vladimir Monomakh lost a gold necklace, found in 1821 in the forests near Chernigov. The Slavic inscription on it reads: "God, help your servant Vasily." This thing is very valuable, and could only belong to the prince. Meanwhile, it is known that Vasily was the baptismal name of Vladimir Monomakh.

As you can see, a person's name can tell a lot to an inquisitive researcher. It is no accident that there is even a science of names - anthroponymics.

2. The origins of Slavic names

Like everything else in the world, names have their own history.

In ancient times, a name was given to a person as a sign by which he could be distinguished from family and clan. Here is what one old Russian manuscript says about this: "People of the first birth and times gave their children names, as the father or mother of the child would, either by the appearance of the child, or from a thing, or from a parable." Thus, behind each name there was a meaning clear to everyone, the meaning of the name was completely transparent.

Names could be given depending on the order and time of birth (Pervushka, Secondary, Tretyak, Devyatko, Saturday, Veshnyak); they could characterize the circumstances of the child's birth (Zhdan, Nechaiko, Istoma, Tomilko); names could also determine the physical appearance of a child (Belyak, Ushak, Khudyak, Rusinko, Chernysh), or traits of his character, behavior (Gloom, Buyan, Smeyan, Molchanka, Zlobko). A special layer of names was made up of the names that were given to the child by a tender mother: Bogdan, Lyubava, Lyubim, etc.

There was also a group of protective names, names-amulets (Koschey, Failure, Neustroy, Gryazka). This was done in order to ward off evil spirits from the child. In addition, when giving the child the name Failure, it was believed that, on the contrary, he would be lucky, that everything would work out for Unsettled, etc.

The group of the most ancient also included the so-called zoophoric names that go back to the names of animals, fish, birds and reflect the remnants of totemism (Bear, Wolf, Horse, Eagle, Drake and others).

The intra-family personal name was given to the child immediately after birth. Growing up, a person received another, so-called street name. Street names widespread in Russia included, for example, the following: Gulyaiko, Pianko, Likhachko, Kislyak, Chudinko, Kisel, Yaryga, Negodyayko, Goremyka.

Scientists also call street personal names by nicknames. As can be seen from what has been said, nicknames, as a rule, did not give a very flattering assessment of the named, however, like most modern nicknames. It just so happened that people are usually distinguished by not their best qualities.

After the adoption of Christianity, ancient Russian names (they are also called pagan) began to be replaced by new names - church ones. Hundreds of ancient Slavic male and female names have completely fallen out of use.

3. Christian names

Christian names in Russia were known long before the official baptism. Suffice it to recall that Princess Olga (baptized Elena) was a Christian. But those were still isolated cases.

The Russian nomenclature underwent radical changes in 989, when the Grand Duke Vladimir baptized the Kievites.

The chronicle says that on this day a lot of people of both sexes and all ages gathered on the banks of the Dnieper. They were divided into groups and ordered to take turns to enter the river, which replaced the font. The priests read the prescribed prayers, and then gave each group of those who were baptized Christian names: one male - common to all men, the other female - common to all women. There was no everyday inconvenience from this, since the old worldly names were still used in everyday life. Church names were used on rare occasions: when drawing up a spiritual will, at commemoration, etc.

As Christianity was established, the church onomasticon was formed - a set of names given at baptism. At the beginning of his reign, Vladimir, while still a pagan, sacrificed to the ancient Russian gods two Varangian Christians - Ivan and Fedor. With the adoption of Christianity, the names Ivan and Fyodor became extremely popular. The names of the apostles also became widespread. They are loved to this day - Peter, Paul, Andrew, Philip, Mark. Along with the Greek names, many Hebrew names, as well as the names of ancient Roman, Syrian, Egyptian saints, got into the Christian name list.

As for the Russian, secular names proper, they were used for a long time together with the church ones in the sense of personal ones. In the chronicles and documents of the XI-XIV centuries, one can find the Novgorod priest "Herman, the call of Voyat", "the boyar Fyodor, the call of the Road". The scribe of the oldest Russian book - the so-called Ostromir Gospel, signed: "Joseph is baptized, but the worldly Ostromir".

But since the 15th century, worldly names are increasingly used in the meaning of nicknames: "Prince of Lithuania Ivan, and his nickname is Baba" "Cossack Bogdan, and his name is God knows."

In the 17th-18th centuries, church names almost completely supplanted Old Russian ones. But the latter did not disappear without a trace. On their basis, thousands of Russian surnames were created: Belyaevs, Glazkovs, Tretyakovs, Orlovs, Ragozins, Medvedevs, Putins and many, many others.

4. Saints

Saints, or months, is a church calendar showing the holidays and days of memory of the saints. According to church rules, only these names consecrated by tradition should have been given to newborns.

The saints translated from the Greek significantly limited the vocabulary of names: in the most ancient of the saints there are only 330 male and 64 female names. In addition, the new names were alien to the Old Russian language: after all, they were not translated, but phonetically accurately conveyed by Slavic sounds. For example, the name Eustolius, given to a Christian martyr, in translation means "well dressed." Greek Didyme and Hebrew Thomas (in the Latin transmission - Thomas) meant "twin", etc. Many of the Christian names even find quite accurate parallels among the Old Russian names: Agathon ("good") in Slavonic would be Dobrynya, Latin Paul ( "Small") corresponds to the Russian Small, or Malyuta, the Hebrew David - to Lyubim.

But all these correspondences were unknown to our ancestors. In 1596 (600 years after the introduction of Christian names!) The author of one alphabet book complained: "We, the Slovenes, are uncomfortable knowing their current names, hedgehog what is interpreted (ie what means) Andrew, that Vasily or Danila."

It is worth saying that the saints themselves were not without mistakes. For example, it mentions 3 Scythians who were executed for adherence to Christianity in the 1st century AD. Their names were Inna, Pinna and Rimma. But in Russia these male names began to be given to girls. Apparently, illiterate village priests mistook them for women - according to the characteristic ending in A. The error took root, and then it was "legalized".

The saints are popular among believers today. When choosing a name according to the calendar, they usually look at the child's birthday. If the names of the saints whose memory is celebrated on this day are not too euphonious, it is permissible to choose a name among those saints whose memory is celebrated on the eighth day from birth. If it was not possible to choose a name on the first and eighth day, then they look at the 40th birthday, because it is on this day that the child is brought to the church to perform the sacrament of Holy Baptism.

5. Princely names

For 700 years of its existence, the grand-ducal dynasty of Rurikovich has developed its own special namebook, which is very popular today.

Unlike ordinary people, Russian princes were called complex, two-part names with the roots "svyat", "slav", "volod", "yar". Their sacred nature is obvious, because, according to at least, some of them coincide with the names of the pagan gods: Yarila, Svyatovid.

The cult of ancestors led to the fact that the newborn prince usually received a name in honor of his grandfather. In some genera, over the centuries, only two or three names were retained, passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, in the chronicle Oleg Svyatoslavichi endlessly alternate with Svyatoslav Olegovichi, Izyaslav Mstislavichi with Mstislav Izyaslavichi.

With the adoption of Christianity, the tradition of giving the prince a "significant" name was transferred to baptismal names. Vladimir Monomakh writes about himself that he was "baptized Vasily, and the Russian name Volodymer."

However, the princes were called by both names - secular and baptismal - almost exclusively when referring to church events: their birth, baptism or burial. For example, in the Chronicler of Pereslavl Suzdal under the year 1211 we read: "Born to Kostyantin Vsevolodich's son, and named him in holy baptism John, and after the prince Vsevolod." In the vast majority of cases, the princes in the annals are called only by Russian names, which are given the title of the main, "princely" names. They were minted on coins: "Prince Volodymyr, and behold his silver."

This continued until the end of the XIII century. But then, in connection with the strengthening of the positions of the Christian Church, the princes began to be called only by one church name - Ivan, Fedor, Andrey, Konstantin, Mikhail, Dmitry ...

However, several Old Russian names were retained in the princely namebook. These are, first of all, Vladimir, Boris (short for Borislav) and Vsevolod - the names of the princes canonized by the Russian Church. Later, the church recognized six more Slavic names - Yaroslav, Mstislav, Rostislav, Svyatoslav, Oleg, as well as Vyacheslav - the Russian equivalent of the name of the Czech saint of the 10th century, Prince Wenceslas.

Thanks to their inclusion in church calendars, these names have survived to this day. Now "princely" names make up the overwhelming majority of the rather narrow circle of Old Russian names that parents call their children.

6. Female names

The history of the female half of the human race is a story of gradual acquisition equal rights with a man. The stages of this long process, which took more than one hundred years, are especially clearly visible in the example of the naming of women.

In the monuments of Old Russian writing of the XI-XIV centuries, women appear as faceless, almost nameless creatures. Of course, they had personal names, but their mention is a great rarity: few, for example, Princess Olga, were honored with this honor. In most cases, the naming of a woman was of an indirect nature - through the name of her husband or father. As we know, Yaroslavna in "The Lay of Igor's Regiment" is the patronymic of the daughter of Prince Yaroslav Praskovya. The chronicle also contains "Princess Vsevolozhaya" - the wife of the Grand Duke Vsevolod. But by patronymic they called only the nobility, and for women from the common people, one derivative of the name of her husband was enough - Ivanikh, Pavlikh. Even in the documents, such records were familiar: "Yakov's daughter Ivanovskaya the wife of a shoemaker." As you can see, this woman is designated by the name of her father and husband, and even by the occupation of her husband, and her personal name is not indicated, no one used it.

Only in the XV-XVII centuries the formula of female names begins to approach the male one, since its first component is already the woman's personal name. Moreover, in most cases, we are talking about widows who, after the death of their husband, inherited the land and other property: the widow Polashka, or the widow Kaptelinka Yakovlev's wife Kupreyanov. The naming of unmarried women at that time was content with an indication of the father: Annitsa Ignatieva's daughter.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the formula for naming a woman underwent further changes: now, in addition to her personal name, a half-patronymic appears in her composition. Let's restrict ourselves to one example: the Posad widow Paraskovya Pankratova's daughter Prokofiev's wife Nikiforov's son Loktev. In our opinion, this is Praskovya Pankratovna, the wife of Prokofy Nikiforovich Loktev. The forms of naming an unmarried woman during this period were as follows: the township girl Ulita Guseva's daughter, or: the girl Marya Alekseeva's daughter.

Finally, in the 19th century, the formula for naming women made the last transformation, completely coinciding with the male: for example, Maria Ivanovna Postnikova. The long process of transformation of a woman into a man has come to an end. There was only one little thing left: to get a short haircut, put on pants, go in for sports and master men's professions.

7. "Revolutionary" names

A new era in the life of Russian personal names began with the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of January 23, 1918, proclaiming the complete and final separation of the church from the state and the school. The saints were rejected with "religious prejudices", civil registration was accepted instead of baptism, and it was allowed to give any names.

Since 1924, millions of copies of "Soviet saints" began to appear - table and tear-off calendars, in which recommendatory lists of new names were given and ways of creative search were proposed. For example, they advised to choose any beautiful word for the name: "poem", "abstraction" or something like that. Remember how Bulgakov's Sharikov took a name for himself according to the new calendar - Polygraph Poligrafovich? Do you think the writer was joking or exaggerating reality? Not at all. For example, the detachable calendar of the North-West Industrial Bureau for 1925 recommended the following names: February 7. Utopian writer Thomas More is born. Names are suggested - Thomas and Mora (depending on the gender of the child). On September 23, in memory of the Conference of the 1st International of Girls, held on this day in 1865, it was recommended to call the Internationals. There were girls of Idea and Iskra, Volga and Eurasia, Proletkulta, and even Artillery Academies in this calendar. The boys were named Tribunes, Tractors, Oyushminalds (Otto Yulievich Schmidt on an ice floe), and some of them were also Glavspirt! And if the name Vilen (Vladimir Ilyich Lenin) still sounds quite acceptable, then Five (five years in four years) seems just horrible.

Of course, there were always more than enough fools in Russia. But there are more sane people, thank God. Despite the revolutionary innovations, Russia has remained faithful to the names of its saints, martyrs and heroes. Sergei, Alexandra, Ilya, Ekaterina, Olga and many other proud, gentle, romantic names remain our favorite. Children were and will be named after grandparents, and no revolution can prevent this. Even today, according to statistics, 95 percent of Russians bear traditional Russian calendar names.

8. Western European names

What do Agafya Lykova and Agatha Christie have in common? Or Ivan the Terrible with Johann Sebastian Bach, John Lennon, Gianni Versace and Jean Marais? Yes, actually, nothing, except that these people are namesakes. But why are the names familiar to us sound in the European way so alien to our ears?

All of Europe (and after it America) also named children according to church calendars. But the Orthodox world borrowed the names of Christian saints through the Greek language, and Catholics and Protestants through the Latin. Therefore, the same name in Russian sounds completely different from that in English or French. It is enough to compare the names of Gabriel and Gabriel, Benjamin and Benjamin, Martha and Martha, Barbara and Varvara.

The fascination of Russians with Western European names began in the 19th century, in connection with the general Franco and then Anglomania. From school literature lessons, we remember Helen Kuragina and Pierre Bezukhov, as well as an excerpt from "Eugene Onegin" about how Tatyana's mother "called Polina Praskovya and spoke in a singsong voice." Of course, when baptizing a newborn, Russian nobles, as expected, chose a name for the child according to the calendar. But from the very early childhood the baby was called not by this name, but by the analogous French or English - full (like Helen and Pierre) or diminutive (like Steve Oblonsky or Kitty Shtcherbatskaya in Anna Karenina).
We experienced a new rise in the popularity of foreign names and Western variants of common Russian names in the late 60s - early 70s of the last century. It was due to the expansion of ties with Western countries: the growing popularity of Western European and American literature and cinema, the increased frequency of marriages with foreigners. Then there were numerous Arturs Semenovich and John Tikhonovich, Angelica, Jeanne, Eduarda and even Romualda.

Now times have changed: over the past 10-15 years we have reconsidered our attitude to ourselves and to the Western countries. Only the name Christina reminds of the former outburst of love for everything abroad, replacing the name Khristina, which is more familiar to a native Russian speaker, in the list of modern names.

9. Name and fate

The ancients were sure that the fate of a person, city and even state was predetermined by his name. Today we are far from such ideas, considering them prejudices. However, there is probably a grain of truth in this.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Russian researcher Mintslov wrote about the striking homogeneity of the characters and properties of the carriers of the same name. Based on an analysis of the names of prominent personalities of the past, he came to the conclusion that among Alekseev, calculating people are most often found, Alexandras, as a rule, are merry people, and Petras in the majority are quiet, quiet people, but with a firm and stubborn character. Sergei, according to Mintslov's observations, are very often the fathers of outstanding people: Pushkin, Griboyedov, Turgenev, Dargomyzhsky were Sergeevichs.

The eminent Russian scientist and philosopher Pavel Florensky believed that the name Alexander corresponds in its essence to a sanguine character. The name Elena signifies the feminine nature, Nikolai is very kind in character, Vasiliies usually hide tender feelings in themselves, Konstantin is distinguished by inconstancy.

Concerning the mysticism of names, one cannot but recall the story of Jack London, in which one woman calls her sons by the name of her deceased beloved brother Samuel, and all four of them, one by one, are carried away by death.

In 1986, American psychiatrists conducted a study and found that people with strange names four times more than others are predisposed to various kinds of mental complexes. Experts from the Universities of San Diego and Georgia found that teachers in schools persist in giving low marks to students with some names, and high marks to others. Girls with attractive names are poorly promoted in the business world, but they can achieve noticeable success in show business. The English therapist Trevor Weston has determined that individuals whose names begin with the letters of the last third of the alphabet are three times more likely to have cardiovascular disease.

So a definite connection between the name of a person and his mental characteristics, apparently, still exists. Of course, it cannot be absolutized, but it would also be unreasonable not to take this connection into account at all.

10. Choosing a name

The name is the first gift from parents to a newborn baby, and this gift is for life. What should be guided when choosing a name for your child?

Of course, there are no instructions on this matter today. Christian saints made the task easier and simpler, but they have outlived their time. What can now be the criteria common to all names?

There are many beautiful names in the world, as well as beautiful clothes. But the name, unlike the dress, cannot be accidental. First of all, it must correspond to the national culture and at the same time not be too long and difficult. The name must sound beautiful, be graceful in form in order to please its bearer. “When I was baptized, I was given the name Anna, the sweetest for human lips and hearing ...” - this is how Anna Akhmatova spoke of her name, not without pride.

A person, in fact, bears three names at once: his own name, patronymic and surname. And when choosing a name, one must not forget that he will have to sound in the circle of these neighbors and eventually turn into a middle name himself. It is unacceptable that a name, no matter how beautiful it may be, sounded in complete dissonance with a person's surname. The writer Lev Uspensky recalled the following incident: “In the pre-revolutionary grammar school I had a friend who bore the beautiful proud Spanish name Rodrigo: his mother was a Spanish woman. But his father was Russian. The combination of Rodrigo Stepanov did not seem to us either majestic or beautiful, we considered it simply ridiculous. "
It is advisable that the name does not interfere with the formation of affectionate forms (Svetochka, Sanechka, Vasilek, etc.). This makes it possible to convey various nuances of the relationship to a person.

And finally, one last tip: don't be original. Remember that it will not be you, but your child that will bear the name, and not only you, but those around you will judge him.

Marina Tsvetaeva once wrote:

Your name is a bird in your hand
Your name is a piece of ice on your tongue.
A ball caught on the fly
Silver bell in my mouth

This is how the names of our children sound.
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