Old Russian female surnames. Which Russian surnames are the most ancient?

A name determines a person's destiny. This is the key to his inner self. After all, it is not without reason that in Rus' a person had two names, one - false, for everyone, and the other - secret, only for the person himself and his very close people. This tradition existed as protection from unkind spirits and unkind people. Often the first Slavic name was deliberately unattractive (Kriv, Nekras, Zloba), for even greater protection from evil ones. After all, without the key to the essence of a person, it is much more difficult to cause evil. The rite of the second naming was performed in adolescence when the main character traits have been formed. The name was given based on these traits. Slavic names were replete with their diversity, there were groups of names:
1) Names from the animal and flora(Pike, Ruff, Hare, Wolf, Eagle, Nut, Borscht)
2) Names by birth order (Pervusha, Vtorak, Tretyak)
3) Names of gods and goddesses (Lada, Yarilo)
4) Names by human qualities(Brave, Stoyan)
5) And the main group of names is two-basic (Svyatoslav, Dobrozhir, Tihomir, Ratibor, Yaropolk, Gostomysl, Velimudr, Vsevolod, Bogdan, Dobrogneva, Lyubomila, Mirolyub, Svetozar) and their derivatives (Svyatosha, Dobrynya, Tishilo, Ratisha, Putyata, Yarilka , Miloneg).
From the listed names, it is easy to trace the process of creating a derivative name: the second part is cut off from the two-base one and a suffix or ending is added (-neg, -lo, -ta, -tka, -sha, -yata, -nya, -ka).
Example: Svyatoslav: Svyato + sha = Svyatosha.
Of course, the names of people carry a significant part of the culture and traditions of the entire people. In Russia, with the advent of Christianity, Slavic names almost completely fell into oblivion. There were lists of Slavic names prohibited by the church. Why this happened is not difficult to guess. One part of the names (Lada, Yarilo) were the names of Slavic gods, the owners of the second part were people who, even after the Christianization of Rus', tried to restore the cult and traditions (magi, heroes). Today in Russia only 5% of children are given Slavic names, which certainly impoverishes the already meager Slavic culture.
The purpose of this section is not only to introduce the concept of truly Russian names to the people. An example is the following not uncommon situation: The girl was named Gorislava. Neighbors, surprised unusual name they say: “They couldn’t call me Ira or Katya in Russian” - without comment.

LIST OF SLAVIC NAMES:

Bazhen is a desired child, desired.
The names also have meaning: Bazhai, Bazhan. From these names arose the surnames: Bazhanov, Bazhenov, Bazhutin.
Bazhena is the female form of the name Bazhen.
Beloslav - From BEL - white, turn white and SLAV - to glorify.
Abbreviated names: Belyay, Belyan. From these names arose the surnames: Belov, Belyshev, Belyaev.
Beloslava is a female form named after Beloslav.
Short name: Beliana
Berimir - caring for the world.
Berislav is the one who takes glory, who cares about glory.
Berislava is the female form of the name Berislav.
Blagoslav - glorifying kindness.
Blagoslava is the female form of the name Blagoslav.
Abbreviated names: Blaga, Blagana, Blagina.
Fornication - dissolute, unlucky.
One of the "negative" names. From this name arose the surname: Bludov. Historical figure: Blud - governor of Yaropolk Svyatoslavich.
Bogdan is a child given by God.
The name also has meaning: Bozhko. From these names arose the surnames: Bogdanin, Bogdanov, Bogdashkin, Bozhkov.
Bogdana is the feminine form of the name Bogdan.
Short name: Bozena.
Bogolyub - one who loves God.
From this name arose the surname: Bogolyubov.
Bogomil - dear to God.
The name also has meaning: Bohumil.
Bozhidar - gifted by God.
Bozhidara is the female form of the name Bozhidar.
Boleslav - illustrious.
Historical figure: Boleslaw I - Polish king.
Boleslava is the female form of the name Boleslav.
Borimir is a peace fighter, a peacemaker.
Borislav is a fighter for glory.
Abbreviated names: Boris, Borya. From these names arose the surnames: Borin, Boriskin, Borisov, Borisikhin, Borichev, Borischev. Historical figure: Boris Vseslavich of Polotsk - Prince of Polotsk, ancestor of the Drutsk princes.
Borislava is the female form of the name Borislav.
Borsch is one of the personified names of the plant world.
Literally translated: Borscht is plant tops. The surname Borshchev came from this name.
Boyan is a storyteller.
The name was formed from the verb: bayat - to speak, tell, sing. The names also have meaning: Baian, Bayan. From these names came the surname: Bayanov. Legendary personality: songwriter - Boyan.
Boyana is the feminine form of the name Boyan.
Bratislav - From BROTHER - to fight and SLAV - to glorify.
Bratislava is the female form of the name Bratislava.
Bronislav is a defender of glory, protecting glory.
The name also has meaning: Branislav. Short name: Armor.
Bronislava is the female form of the name Bronislav.
Bryachislav - from BRYACHA - to rattle and SLAV - to glorify
Historical figure: Bryachislav Izyaslavich - Prince of Polotsk.
Budimir is a peacemaker.
From this name came the surnames: Budilov, Budishchev.
Velimir is a big world.
Velimira is the female form of the name Velimir.
Velimudr - knowledgeable.
Velislav - great glory, most glorious.
Velislava is the female form of the name Velislav.
Abbreviated names: Vela, Velika, Wieliczka.
Wenceslaus - dedicator to glory, crowned with glory.
Wenceslaus is the female form of the name Wenceslaus.
Faith is faith, true.
Veselin - cheerful, cheerful.
Veselin is the female form of the name Veselin.
The name also has a meaning: Vesela.
Vladimir is the ruler of the world.
The name also has meaning: Volodymer. From this name came the surnames: Vladimirov, Vladimirsky, Volodimerov, Volodin, Volodichev. Historical figure: Vladimir I Svyatoslavich Red Sun - Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke Kyiv.
Vladimir is the female form of the name Vladimir.
Vladislav is the owner of glory.
The name also has meaning: Volodislav. Short name: Vlad. Historical figure: Volodislav is the son of Igor Rurikovich.
Vladislava is the female form of the name Vladislav.
Short name: Vlada.
Vojislav is a glorious warrior.
Abbreviated names: Voilo, Warrior. From these names came the surnames: Voeikov, Voinikov, Voinov. Historical figure: Voin Vasilievich - from the family of Yaroslavl princes.
Voislava is the female form of the name Voislav.
Wolf is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: Volkov.
Raven is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surnames: Voronikhin, Voronov.
Vorotislav - returning glory.
Vsevolod is the ruler of the people, who owns everything.
From this name came the surnames: Vsevolodov, Vsevolozhsky. Historical figure: Vsevolod I Yaroslavich - Prince of Pereyaslavl, Chernigov, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Vsemil - beloved by everyone.
Vsemil is the feminine form of the name Vsemil.
Vseslav - all-glorifying, famous.
The name also has meaning: Seslav. From this name came the surname: Seslavin.
Historical figure: Vseslav Bryachislavich of Polotsk - Prince of Polotsk, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Vseslav is the female form of the name Vseslav.
Vtorak is the second son in the family.
The names also have meaning: Second, Second. From these names came the surnames: Vtorov, Vtorushin.
Vyacheslav is the most famous, the most glorious.
The name also has meaning: Vatslav, Vysheslav. From these names came the surnames: Vysheslavtsev, Vyacheslavlev, Vyacheslavov. Historical figure: Vyacheslav Vladimirovich - Prince of Smolensk, Turov, Pereyaslav, Vyshgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Vyachko is a legendary personality: Vyachko is the progenitor of the Vyatichi.
Godoslav - The name also has a meaning: Godlav. Historical figure: Godoslav is the prince of the Bodriči-Rarrogs.
Goluba is meek.
From this name came the surnames: Golubin, Golubushkin
Gorazd - skillful, capable.
The surname Gorazdov came from this name.
Gorislav is fiery, burning in glory.
Gorislava is the female form of the name Gorislav.
Gorynya - like a mountain, huge, indestructible.
Legendary personality: hero - Gorynya.
Gostemil - dear to another (guest).
From this name came the surname: Gostemilov.
Gostomysl - thinking about another (guest).
Historical figure: Gostomysl - Prince of Novgorod.
Gradimir - guardian of peace.
Gradislav - guardian of glory.
Gradislava is the female form of the name Gradislav.
Granislav - improver of glory.
Granislava is the female form of the name Granislav.
Gremislav - famous.
Gudislav is a renowned musician, trumpeting glory.
Short name: Gudim. From these names came the surname: Gudimov.
Daren - gifted.
Darena is the feminine form of the name Daren.
The names also have meaning: Darina, Dara.
Nine is the ninth son in the family.
From this name came the surnames: Devyatkin, Devyatkov, Devyatov.
Dobrogneva
Dobrolyub - kind and loving.
From this name came the surname: Dobrolyubov.
Dobromil is kind and sweet.
Dobromila is the feminine form of the name Dobromil.
Dobromir is kind and peaceful.
Abbreviated names: Dobrynya, Dobrysha. From these names came the surnames: Dobrynin, Dobryshin. Legendary personality: hero - Dobrynya.
Dobromira is the female form of the name Dobromir.
Dobromysl is kind and reasonable.
From this name came the surname: Dobromyslov.
Dobroslav - glorifying kindness.
Dobroslava is the female form of the name Dobroslav.
Domaslav - glorifying relatives.
Short name: Domash - our own, dear. From this name came the surname: Domashov.
Dragomir is more valuable than the world.
Dragomir is the female form of the name Dragomir.
Dubynya - like an oak, indestructible.
Legendary personality: hero - Dubynya.
Druzhina is a comrade.
It also matters common noun: Friend. From these names came the surnames: Druzhinin, Drugov, Drunin.
Ruff is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: Ershov.
Lark is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: Zhavoronkov.
Zhdan is a long-awaited child.
From this name came the surname: Zhdanov.
Zhdana is the female form of the name Zhdan.
Zhiznomir - living in the world.
Hare is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: Zaitsev.
Zvenislava - announcer of glory.
Winter is harsh, merciless.
From this name came the surname: Zimin. Legendary personality: Ataman Winter from Razin’s army.
Zlatomir is a golden world.
Zlatotsveta - golden-flowered.
Short name: Zlata.
Anger is one of the "negative" names.
From this name came the surnames: Zlobin, Zlovidov, Zlydnev.
Izyaslav - the one who took glory.
Historical figure: Izyaslav Vladimirovich - Prince of Polotsk, ancestor of the Polotsk princes.
Sincere - sincere.
The name also has meaning: Iskra.
Iskra is the feminine form of the name Iskren.
Istislav - glorifying the truth.
Exhaustion - languid (possibly associated with difficult childbirth).
From this name came the surnames: Istomin, Istomov.
Casimir - showing the world.
Kazimir - the female form of the name Kazimir.
Koschey is thin and bony.
From this name came the surnames: Koshcheev, Kashchenko.
Krasimir - beautiful and peaceful
Krasimira is the female form of the name Krasimir.
Short name: Krasa.
Kriv is one of the "negative" names.
From this name came the surname: Krivov.
Lada - beloved, dear.
The name of the Slavic Goddess of love, beauty and marriage.
Ladimir - one who gets along with the world.
Ladislav - praising Lada (love).
Swan is a personified name for the animal world.
The name also has meaning: Lybid. From this name came the surname Lebedev. Legendary personality: Lybid is the sister of the founders of the city of Kyiv.
Luchezar - a ray of light.
We love - beloved.
From this name came the surname: Lyubimov.
Love is beloved.
The name also has meaning: Lyubava. From these names came the surnames: Lyubavin, Lyubimtsev, Lyubavin, Lyubin, Lyubushin, Lyubimin.
Lyubomila - beloved, dear.
Lubomir - loving world.
Lyubomir is the feminine form of the name Lyubomir.
Inquisitive - someone who loves to think.
Luboslav - lover of glory.
Lyudmil is nice to people.
Lyudmila is the female form of the name Lyudmil.
Historical figure: Lyudmila - Czech princess.
Mal - small, junior.
The name also has a meaning: Small, Mladen. From these names came the surnames: Maleev, Malenkov, Maltsov, Malyshev. Historical figure: Mal - the Drevlyan prince.
Malusha is the female form of the name Mal.
The name also has meaning: Mlada. From these names came the surname: Malushin. Historical figure: Malusha is the wife of Syatoslav Igorevich, the mother of Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
Mieczysław - glorifying sword.
Milan is cute.
The name also has meaning: Milen. From these names came the surnames: Milanov, Milenov.
Milana is the female form of the name Milan.
The names also have meaning: Milava, Milada, Milena, Militsa, Umila. From these names came the surname: Milavin. Historical figure: Umila - daughter of Gostomysl.
Milovan - affectionate, caring.
Milorad is sweet and joyful.
From this name came the surname: Miloradovich.
Miloslav - sweetly glorifying.
Short name: Miloneg.
Miloslava is the female form of the name Miloslav.
Peaceful - peace-loving.
From this name came the surname: Mirolyubov.
Miroslav - glorifying the world.
Miroslava is the female form of the name Miroslav.
Molchan - taciturn, silent.
From this name came the surname: Molchanov.
Mstislav - glorifying revenge.
Historical figure: Mstislav Vladimirovich - Prince of Tmutorakan, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Mstislava is the female form of the name Mstislav.
Hope is hope.
The name also has meaning: Nadezhda.
Nevzor is one of the “negative” names.
The surname Nevzorov comes from this name.
Nekras is one of the “negative” names.
From this name came the surname: Nekrasov.
Nekrasa is the female form of the name Nekras.
Eagle is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: Orlov.
Osmoy is the eighth child in the family.
The name also has meaning: Osmusha. From these names came the surnames: Osmanov, Osmerkin, Osmov.
Ostromir
Peredslava - The name Predslava also has meaning. Historical figure: Predslava - wife of Svyatoslav Igorevich, mother of Yaropolk Svyatoslavich.
Overexposure - very light.
Historical figure: Peresvet - warrior of the Battle of Kulikovo.
Putimir - reasonable and peaceful
Putislav - glorifying intelligently.
The name also has meaning: Putyata. From these names came the surnames: Putilov, Putilin, Putin, Putyatin. Historical figure: Putyata - Kyiv governor.
Radiohost - caring about another (guest).
Radimir is someone who cares about the world.
The name also has meaning: Radomir. Short name: Radim. From these names came the surnames: Radilov, Radimov, Radishchev. Legendary personality: Radim - the progenitor of the Radimichi.
Radimir is the female form of the name Radimir.
The name also has meaning: Radomira.
Radislav - one who cares about fame.
The name also has meaning: Radoslav.
Radislava is the female form of the name Radislav.
Radmila is caring and sweet.
Radosveta - sanctifying joy.
Joy - joy, happiness.
The name also has meaning: Rada.
Reasonable - reasonable, reasonable.
From this name came the surname: Razin. Historical figure: Razumnik - student of Cyril and Methodius.
Ratibor is a defender.
Ratmir is the defender of peace.
Rodislav - glorifying family.
Rostislav - growing fame
Historical figure: Rostislav Vladimirovich - Prince of Rostov, Vladimir-Volynsky; Tmutarakansky; The ancestor of the princes of Galicia and Volyn.
Rostislava is the female form of the name Rostislav.
Svetislav - glorifying light.
The name also has meaning: Svetoslav.
Svetislava is the female form of the name Svetislav.
Svetlana is bright, pure in soul.
Svetlana is the female form of the name Svetlana.
Svetovid - seeing the light, perspicacious.
The name also has meaning: Sventovid. The name of the Western Slavic God.
Svetozar - illuminating with light.
Svetozar is the female form of the name Svetozar.
The name also has meaning: Svetlozara.
Svyatogor - indestructible holiness.
Legendary personality: Svyatogor is an epic hero.
Svyatopolk is the leader of the sacred army.
Historical figure: Svyatopolk I Yaropolkovich - Grand Duke of Kiev.
Svyatoslav - sacred glory.
Short name: Saint. Historical figure: Svyatoslav I Igorevich - Prince of Novgorod and Grand Duke of Kiev.
Svyatoslav is the female form of the name Svyatoslav.
Slavomir is a peace-glorifying person.
Nightingale is a personified name for the animal world.
From this name came the surnames: Solovey, Soloviev. Legendary personality: Nightingale Budimirovich - a hero from epics.
Catfish is the personified name of the animal world.
Snezhana is white-haired and cold.
Stanimir - establisher of peace.
Stanimira is the female form of the name Stanimir.
Stanislav - establisher of glory.
From this name came the surname: Stanishchev. Historical figure: Stanislav Vladimirovich - Prince of Smolensk.
Stanislava is the female form of the name Stanislav.
Stoyan - strong, unbending.
Tverdimir - from TVERD - solid and MIR - peaceful, peace.
Tverdislav - from TVERD - solid and SLAV - to glorify.
From this name came the surnames: Tverdilov, Tverdislavov, Tverdislavlev.
Tvorimir - the creator of the world.
Tihomir is quiet and peaceful.
From this name came the surname: Tikhomirov.
Tikhomira is the female form of the name Tihomir.
Tur is the personified name of the animal world.
Legendary personality: Tur - founder of the city of Turov.
Brave - brave.
Caslav - aspiring to glory.
Chaslava is the female form of the name Chaslav.
The name also has meaning: Cheslava.
Chernava - dark-haired, dark-skinned
The name also has meaning: Chernavka. From these names came the surnames: Chernavin, Chernavkin.
Pike is the personified name of the animal world.
Yarilo is the sun.
Yarilo - God of fruits in the form of the sun. From this name came the surname: Yarilin.
Jaromir is a sunny world.
Yaropolk - leader of the solar army.
Historical figure: Yaropolk I Svyatoslavich - Grand Duke of Kiev.
Yaroslav - glorifying Yarila.
From this name came the surname: Yaroslavov. Historical figure: Yaroslav I Vladimirovich - Prince of Rostov, Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Yaroslava is the female form of the name Yaroslav.
See also:

Surnames Slavic peoples sometimes it is difficult to divide into “national apartments”, although Lately they are trying to do this in Ukraine. For many centuries the so-called writing people strived for Slavic unity. They studied from the same books in both Russia and Serbia. The Kiev monk Pamvo Berynda, who created a wonderful lexicon, believed that he was writing in a “romantic” language (that is, Russian), although his own language by that time he was already Ukrainian. The famous lexicographer Vladimir Ivanovich Dal included words from all East Slavic languages ​​in his dictionary, without dividing them into Ukrainian and Belarusian, but only noting “western”, “southern” (East Slavic).

Moreover, all this applies to surnames. After all, people do not sit still; in the history of our homeland there were mass migrations and relocations individuals, and marriages between representatives different branches Slavism. It is especially difficult to determine the linguistic affiliation of the surnames of people in the Smolensk region, in Belarus, in Western Ukraine, where Orthodoxy and Catholicism met, where there were significant Polish penetrations, and in some parts of this zone, at one time, documentation was carried out in Polish language.

The most clearly Polish (and Belarusian) elements are felt in surnames that include a combination of letters dz, dl, partially - LOL. For example, Belarusian surname Dzyanisau corresponds to Russian Denisov and this is how it is written in Russian. Polish surname Dzeshuk formed on behalf of Dzesh, derived from Dzieslaw(a two-part name formed from the stem of the verb do(Xia) + component glory) with suffix -uk, indicating to them that Dzeshuk- the son of a man named Dzesh.

Polish surname Orzhekhovskaya corresponds to Russian Orekhovskaya , Grzhibovskaya - Gribovskaya. Since these last names end in - Skye, they do not come directly from words mushroom or nut, but, most likely, are formed from the names of places with such bases.

Polish surname Szydlo corresponds to Ukrainian Awl, Polish Sverdlov- Russian Sverlov.

Polish surname Dzenzelyuk derived from a name or nickname Dzendzel, coming from the word zenzol- woodpecker Breaking away from the original word, surnames develop dozens of similar variants. Surnames go back to the same basis Dzenzelovsky , Dzenzelevsky(with the transformation of the second dz V h) and mentioned by the author of the letter, Elena Dzenzelyuk, Ukrainianized surname Dzynzyruk .

Polish-Belarusian surname Golodyuk derived from the word hunger(Polish glud). Polish dictionary surnames compiled by Professor Kazimierz Rymut (this is a modern Polish pronunciation name, which is traditionally written in Russian Kazimir), along with the forms Glud And Glod also lists names Hunger, Hunger, Hunger. Form Golodyuk indicates that the bearer of this surname is a descendant of a person with the surname Hunger.

Murienko derived from nickname Mury(Ukrainian Murii), which a person could get from the color of his hair. V. I. Dal explains: mury(about the fur of cows and dogs) - reddish-brown with a black wave, dark motley. In the Ukrainian-Belarusian dictionary of V.P. Lemtyugova, these meanings of the adjective are confirmed and the addition is made - “with a red, dark face.” Surname Murienko indicates that its bearer is a descendant of a person with the nickname Murii. Suffix -enko, more widespread in the eastern part of Ukraine than in the western part, is similar to the Russian patronymic suffix -ovich/-evich. Compare in fairy tales: Russian Ivan Tsarevich corresponds to Ukrainian Ivan Tsarenko.

Ukrainian-South Russian surname Kvitun derived from the verb get even- to pay off, to avenge an insult, to pay a debt; -un- suffix of the person's name, as in screamer, squeaker, talker. With the same basis there is Polish surnames: Quit, Kvitash, Quiten, Kvitko.

Surname Sitar, most likely Czech. It was formed from a nickname by profession: sitar- one who makes sieves.

Very interesting surname Kuts, which can be matched with words different languages. I always perceived it as coming from short adjective kuts, corresponding full form scanty. But the semantics of this word “short-tailed, tailless, short-haired” is far from any characteristic of a person. True, in the XVII-XVIII centuries. a short dress or a short caftan was called a “German dress” in contrast to Russian long-skirted caftans, and there was also an expression: a short captain of a plucked team (according to V.I. Dahl), but this does not explain the surname formed from short form adjective

Surname Kuts is in Polish. It is formed from the same word, which has developed some other meanings there. For example, verb cut- squatting, which indicates short stature. So the nickname Kuts a short person could get it. In a word kuts Poles call a small horse, including a pony.

Lastly, last name Kuts May be German origin, as formed from one of the many derivatives of the name Conrad. Last name of the same origin Kunz.

Surname What - Greek origin. In Greek kako Means evil, damage, loss, misfortune; cacos- bad, evil, no good, compare the word cacophony- bad sounds, bad sound. The surname could be formed from the name given “from the evil eye.”

Scientists managed to compile full list true Russian surnames by region of the country: Kuban turned out to be Russian
Unfortunately, the interpretations of the family analysis that appeared in the media this summer (after the first publication of the data in a specialized scientific journal) could create a false impression about the goals and results of the enormous work of scientists; the main thing was not that the surname Smirnov turned out to be more common among Russian people, than Ivanov, but the fact that for the first time a complete list of truly Russian surnames was compiled by region of the country. At the same time, scientists had to spend a lot of time collecting Russian surnames on their own.

The Central Election Commission and local election commissions flatly refused to cooperate with scientists, citing the fact that only if voter lists are kept secret can they guarantee the objectivity and integrity of federal and state elections. local authorities authorities. The criterion for including a surname in the list was very lenient: it was included if at least five bearers of this surname lived in the region for three generations.

First, lists were compiled for five conditional regions - Northern, Central, Central-Western, Central-Eastern and Southern. In total, across all regions there were about 15 thousand Russian surnames, most of which were found only in one of the regions and were absent in others. When superimposing regional lists on top of each other, scientists identified a total of 257 so-called “all-Russian surnames.”

It's interesting that on final stage research, they decided to add surnames of residents of the Krasnodar Territory to the list of the Southern region, expecting that the predominance Ukrainian surnames the descendants of the Zaporozhye Cossacks evicted here by Catherine II will be significantly reduced by the all-Russian list. But this additional restriction reduced the list of all-Russian surnames by only 7 units - to 250. Which led to the obvious and not for everyone pleasant conclusion that Kuban is populated mainly by Russian people. Where did the Ukrainians go and were they even here at all is a big question.

The analysis of Russian surnames generally gives food for thought. Even the simplest action - searching for the names of all the leaders of the country - gave unexpected result. Only one of them was included in the list of bearers of the top 250 all-Russian surnames - Mikhail Gorbachev (158th place). The surname Brezhnev occupies 3767th place in the general list (found only in the Belgorod region of the Southern region). The surname Khrushchev is in 4248th place (found only in the Northern region, Arkhangelsk region). Chernenko took 4749th place (Southern region only). Andropov has 8939th place (Southern region only). Putin took 14250th place (Southern region only). But Yeltsin didn’t get into common list. Stalin's surname - Dzhugashvili - was not considered for obvious reasons. But the pseudonym Lenin was included in the regional lists at number 1421, second only to the first president of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev.

250 MOST RUSSIAN SURNAMES

The surnames of Slavic peoples are sometimes difficult to divide into “national apartments,” although recently they have been trying to do this in Ukraine. For many centuries, the so-called writing people strived for Slavic unity. They studied from the same books in both Russia and Serbia. The Kiev monk Pamvo Berynda, who created an excellent lexicon, believed that he was writing in a “roman” language (that is, Russian), although his own language by that time was already Ukrainian. The famous lexicographer Vladimir Ivanovich Dal included words from all East Slavic languages ​​in his dictionary, without dividing them into Ukrainian and Belarusian, but only noting “western”, “southern” (East Slavic).

Moreover, all this applies to surnames. After all, people do not sit still; in the history of our homeland there were mass migrations, and movements of individual people, and marriages between representatives of different branches of the Slavs. It is especially difficult to determine the linguistic affiliation of the surnames of people in the Smolensk region, in Belarus, in Western Ukraine, where Orthodoxy and Catholicism met, where there were significant Polish penetrations, and in some parts of this zone, at one time, documentation was conducted in Polish.

The most clearly Polish (and Belarusian) elements are felt in surnames that include a combination of letters dz , dl , partially - LOL . For example, a Belarusian surname Dzyanisau corresponds to Russian Denisov and this is how it is written in Russian. Polish surname Dzeshuk formed on behalf of Dzesh , derived from Dzieslaw (a two-part name formed from the stem of the verb do (Xia ) + component glory ) with suffix -uk , indicating to them that Dzeshuk - the son of a man named Dzesh.

Polish surname Orzhekhovskaya corresponds to Russian Orekhovskaya , Grzhibovskaya - Gribovskaya . Since these last names end in - Skye , they do not come directly from words mushroom or nut , but, most likely, are formed from the names of places with such bases.

Polish surname Szydlo corresponds to Ukrainian Awl , Polish Sverdlov - Russian Sverlov .

Polish surname Dzenzelyuk derived from a name or nickname Dzendzel , coming from the word zenzol - woodpecker Breaking away from the original word, surnames develop dozens of similar variants. Surnames go back to the same basis Dzenzelovsky , Dzenzelevsky (with the transformation of the second dz V h ) and mentioned by the author of the letter, Elena Dzenzelyuk , Ukrainianized surname Dzynzyruk .

Polish-Belarusian surname Golodyuk derived from the word hunger (Polish glud ). A Polish dictionary of surnames compiled by Professor Kazimierz Rymut (this is the modern Polish pronunciation of the name, which is traditionally written in Russian Kazimir), along with forms Glud And Glod also lists names Hunger , Hunger , Hunger . Form Golodyuk indicates that the bearer of this surname is a descendant of a person with the surname Hunger .

Murienko derived from nickname Mury (Ukrainian Murii ), which a person could get from the color of his hair. V. I. Dal explains: mury (about the fur of cows and dogs) - reddish-brown with a black wave, dark motley. In the Ukrainian-Belarusian dictionary of V.P. Lemtyugova, these meanings of the adjective are confirmed and the addition is made - “with a red, dark face.” Surname Murienko indicates that its bearer is a descendant of a person with the nickname Murii . Suffix -enko , more widespread in the eastern part of Ukraine than in the western part, is similar to the Russian patronymic suffix -ovich /-evich . Compare in fairy tales: the Russian Ivan Tsarevich corresponds to the Ukrainian Ivan Tsarenko.

Ukrainian-South Russian surname Kvitun derived from the verb get even - to pay off, to avenge an insult, to pay a debt; -un - suffix of the person's name, as in screamer , squeaker , talker . There are Polish surnames with the same basis: Quit , Kvitash , Quiten , Kvitko .

Surname Sitar , most likely Czech. It was formed from a nickname by profession: sitar - one who makes sieves.

Very interesting surname Kuts , which can be compared with words of different languages. I always perceived it as coming from a short adjective kuts , corresponding to the full form scanty . But the semantics of this word “short-tailed, tailless, short-haired” is far from any characteristic of a person. True, in the XVII-XVIII centuries. a short dress or a short caftan was called a “German dress” in contrast to Russian long-skimmed caftans, and there was also an expression: a short captain of a plucked team (according to V.I. Dahl), but this does not explain the surname formed from the short form of the adjective.

Surname Kuts is in Polish. It is formed from the same word, which has developed some other meanings there. For example, verb cut - squatting, which indicates short stature. So the nickname Kuts a short person could get it. In a word kuts Poles call a small horse, including a pony.

Lastly, last name Kuts may be of German origin, as formed from one of the many derivatives of the name Conrad. Last name of the same origin Kunz .

Surname What - of Greek origin. In Greek kako Means evil , damage, loss, misfortune; cacos - bad, evil, no good, compare the word cacophony - bad sounds, bad sound. The surname could be formed from the name given “from the evil eye.”

ORIGIN OF FAMILIES, 2003, No. 8

EVDOKIM - EVDOKIMOV - EVDOKIMENKO

I have been subscribing to the magazine "Science and Life" since the sixties. I really want to know the truth about our last name. My grandfather came to Siberia for resettlement in 1910. His last name is Evdokimenko. He said that one of our ancestors, named Evdokimov, participated in the commission for the reunification of Ukraine with Russia. The stamp paper about the diplomatic mission of our ancestor (his surname was changed into the Ukrainian way) was lost during dispossession. Is it possible to find any confirmation?

N. Bochkareva (village of Pomyany, Primorsky Territory).

During Ukrainian-Russian contacts, surnames were constantly transformed into types that were more natural for the majority of residents of the area: Evdokimov turned into Evdokimenko , and the last one - even in Evdokimenkova . All these surnames are derived from Orthodox name Evdokim . But even the mention of the last name Evdokimova among the participants in the meetings at which the issue of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia was decided is not accurate proof that it was your ancestor - you need to have a list of all generations of your family, but it is impossible to get it now.

LENTIL - GERM, KIDNEY

My family has been subscribing to the magazine “Science and Life” for a long time. We read with interest the doctor's section philological sciences A. Superanskaya about the origin of names and surnames. I would like to know about the origins of our surname. In our area, apart from relatives, we have not encountered the surname Chechevichkin. Father comes from the village of Diveevo, in the south Nizhny Novgorod region, which borders the Mordovian Republic.

M. Chechevichkina (Pavlovo, Nizhny Novgorod region).

Surname Chechevichkin may come from the name of the plant - lentils and its edible seeds. There are many surnames derived from names food products. But another explanation is also possible: in Russian dialects lentil - this is something small, an embryo, a kidney. Old Russian name Lentil could have been given at the time the child was born. Then the last name Chechevichkin derived from old Russian name.

KHOKHRYAK - OLD RUSSIAN NAME

Please explain the meaning of the names of my ancestors Khokhryakov (he left the Vologda province in the 19th century for Siberia) and Cherkashin (according to the stories of his great-grandmother, he came to Siberia with Ermak).

T. Sergeeva (Algeria).

Surname Khokhryakov known in Rus' since ancient times. It comes from an old Russian name or nickname Khokhryak . Word little hog akin to the verb to laugh, to laugh . It meant a bump, a hump, a bump, and besides, a frail, weak person who always shrank and hunched over. If Khokhryak was the nickname of your distant ancestor, then he obviously had a hump or some kind of bump. Name Khokhryak they could give the child “from the evil eye” so that he would actually be beautiful and healthy.

In a word Cherkashin V different places called different people. It comes from the name of the people Cherkas/Circassian , but has long lost its ethnographic connection with this people. Cherkasy called the Don Cossacks; compare the name of their capital - Novocherkassk. Cherkasy And Cherkashenins in some places they began to call people from the Don; in Zaporozhye this was the name given to people from Moscow. To say for sure, you need to know your entire family history. Based on surnames, only linguistic analysis can be done.

SURNAMES FORMED FROM NICKNAMES AND OLD RUSSIAN NAMES

Nicknames that existed in the 19th-20th centuries can be difficult to separate from Old Russian names. For example, in ancient times (before the adoption of Christianity) Russians had personal names Bear, Wolf, Hare, Korob, etc. After accepting Christianity similar names could be given as nicknames: Bear - to large to a strong man, Wolf - lonely and to some extent predatory, Hare - a short, cowardly person, Box - dense, trying to hoard everything. There were also nicknames by profession: Turner, Tanner, Carpenter. Such nicknames were passed on to the descendants of the named and, formalized with appropriate suffixes, turned into surnames.

In the following presentation, no distinction is made between Old Russian names and nicknames (all are given in a single alphabet). But, if the basis of a particular surname was known as an Old Russian name, this is noted.

Brylev - shaved, shaved - lip, especially the upper one; b dug - at least cook some jelly (about a thick-lipped person); shaved - drooping lips of dogs such as boxers and bulldogs. This human trait has long attracted the attention of others; compare the names and nicknames of the 16th-17th centuries: Timofey Nikonovich Brilo Buturlin; Bryla , peasant; Vasily Shumilov Brylkin .

Bolkunov - to chat, to chat - to speak out of place, to chatter. Surname Bolkunov recorded in 1618.

Vereshaka - an Old Russian name not formalized with a special suffix, more widely known in the form Vereshchag - chatterbox, talker, grumpy person; squeal (about a child) - squeal, squeak, cry. Known: Vereshchag Blekly, late 15th century, Uglich; Vereshchag , peasant, 1510, Uglich.

Voltov - word volt borrowed from Italian. In Russian it is accepted in several meanings: revolution, circle, especially in special speech, for example: among musicians - repetition of some passage; for riders, turning the horse according to special rules. Some musician or equestrian instructor might have received the nickname Volt , because he often repeated this word. At the sharpies volt it was called overexposure of cards. Nickname Volt could have been given to someone who did it cleverly. Finally, in common parlance the word volt corresponds to literary jack . Nickname owner Volt could become a man who looked like a jack. Among the gentlemen, jack was sometimes called a lackey and a boor.

Zhugan / Zhukan - Old Russian name, derived from the name Bug , very common.

Zhigar - an Old Russian name not formalized by a suffix, formed from a verb burn , (set) on fire . Zhigar means “incited, instigator in a game, revelry, dance, indignation” (V. Dal). Stepan lived in Novgorod in 1495 Zhigar .

Zverev - Beast - Old Russian name: Vasily Semenovich Beast Kutuzov, 16th century, surname Zverev noted in 1497. Possibly a name Beast It was given as a protective measure so that the person named would not be harmed by any beast. In the 19th-20th centuries the nickname Beast given to evil, ferocious people.

Kozhevnikov - surname from nickname Tanner (by profession). The surname is common, since tanners - people engaged in tanning leather - were everywhere. Word Tanner , given as a name or nickname to a person, was found for the first time in the 15th century: Tanner Karpovich Kholopishchev, Suzdal.

Kolobkov -Kolobok - diminutive form old Russian name Kolob. Kolob - a lump of dough, a thick flatbread, a small round bread. Everyone knows the fairy tale about Kolobok . In 1550, Alabysh lived in the Moscow region Kolobov , son of Perepechin, which indicates that Kolob he doesn't have a nickname, but a name. So:

son - Alabysh / Olabysh - small round bread;

father - Kolob - a small round bread or pie, flatbread;

grandfather - Perepecha - a type of Easter cake, loaf.

Thus, the entire family was named after the names of round-shaped bread products.

Kolobok - son Koloba, diminutive form. From here - Kolobkovs .

Korobkin - Box - Old Russian name, derived from the word box - a box, a container for storing something. Perhaps such a name was given as a wish, so that the named would have everything in abundance. In Gogol, one elderly landowner was called Box . A peasant named Kalina Box lived at the end of the 15th century in Novgorod.

Lomovtsev - Lomovets - a person from the owner's house by name or nickname Scrap . Nickname Scrap could have been given to a large, physically strong person. In a word scrap vanity and turmoil were indicated. Old Russian name Scrap could be given to a child born during some kind of family turmoil.

Meshcheryakov - surname formed from the word meshcheryak - inhabitant Meshchera - geographical area on the Oka River. In a word Meshchera denote an ancient Finno-Ugric tribe that lived on the Oka.

Muravyov - from the Old Russian name Ant . In the 15th century, Ivan lived in the Moscow district Ant Olupovsky.

Mushkatov - the surname is derived from a nickname Muscat / Muscat . This is the name of the grape variety, as well as the nutmeg tree - a tropical plant, the fruit of which, nutmeg, is eaten as a spicy seasoning. Nickname Muscat could be given to a person who mispronounced a word nutmeg . They could have given it to the person who used it nutmeg nut, grape nutmeg or wine made from it, which made him stand out from other people who did not use these rare dishes for Russia.

Polishchuk / Poleshchuk - the surname is derived from the designation of the resident Polesie - natural area, located on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and parts of Russia and Poland. Since they live on the territory of the region different peoples(although all Slavic), in some parts of it the names of the inhabitants sound differently: Russian Polesians , woodlander, woodlander; poleshuk, poleshuk; Poleschuki, Poleschuk; poleshchka ; Ukrainian Polishchuk, Polishchuk, Polishchuk ; Belarusian paleshuki, palashuk, palashuchka . All this variation was reflected in the spelling of surnames.

Reut - a surname without a special suffix, formed from an Old Russian name Reut . In a word reut called the big bell. The word is sometimes explained in such a way that at the beginning of the ringing of this bell the note is heard re , gradually turning into before (which is otherwise called ut ). One of the bells on the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in Moscow is called reut or howler . Perhaps it would be more correct to explain this word as a verb roar . Old Russian name Reut known already in the 15th century, when the peasant Yuri lived in Novgorod Reut . Perhaps this name was given to a child who cried in a particularly low voice. Surname Reutov and names of settlements Reutov , Reutovo found in different parts of the country.

Ronzhin - the surname is formed from an Old Russian name or nickname Ronja . Ronja - this is the name of the bird, otherwise it is called the forest funnel.

Soloviev - from the Old Russian name Nightingale , widespread. For example, Ilya Elizarovich is famous Nightingale Borshchev, 1558, Yaroslavl. His son is Skvorets Ilyich Soloviev son Borshchev. Godname Starling Ilyich was not included in the vital records.

United - rare surname, possibly derived from the verb eat (each other), that is, to scold, quarrel, eaten, eaten - swearing, quarrel. I'll move out, I'll move out - a grumpy person.

Cheese milk - not specially designed suffixed surname, formed from the word cheese milk - curdled milk from raw milk. Name or nickname Cheese milk It wasn’t in my materials. Apparently it was given to a child with very white skin, similar to the name Sour cream .

Shamarov, Shamarin - a very difficult surname to explain. There is nothing similar in dictionaries. It is known that sound w often appeared on the spot With , as well as the syllable sha was replaced by she And shi . Based on this, let's try to make a short review.

Samar - the name of the tribal division of the Bashkirs. Samara - the name of a tributary of the Volga and the city that arose at its confluence with the Volga. In the 15th century the name was attested Samara Stepan Rodionovich Kvashnin. Whether this name is connected with the fact that Kvashnin had Bashkirs in his family is unclear, since V. Dahl’s dictionary contains the word Samara in the meaning of “long-length clothing” (in the Vladimir region). In the Old Russian language there was a word Samara meaning "bag", borrowed from Turkic languages. So last name Shamarov , apparently, is associated with the name of the Bashkir tribal division. At mixed marriages these names were usually retained. When borrowing from one language to another With often replaced by Russian w , How nutmeg - musket, string - lace . Surname Shamarin , possibly derived from the name of a river or city Samara , can also be associated with long-length clothing or a bag.

Shevyakov - from the Old Russian name Shevyak . This name was given "from the evil eye." It is derived from the word shevyak - droppings of livestock and wild animals. There was a saying: "By shevyakam You recognize every beast." The name was registered in 1624 in Belyov: Lev Shevyak , peasant.

Sheko - the surname is obviously formed from an Old Russian name Cheek with replacement of the initial sch on w . Name Cheek given to a child with full cheeks . Could have been a nickname Cheek - a lively talker. When a surname was formed from this name or nickname, the final A replaced by O , which is more consistent with the naming of men.

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

Novgorod surnames

It is believed that the first in Rus' to bear surnames were citizens of Veliky Novgorod, which was then a republic, as well as residents of the Novgorod possessions, which stretched throughout the north from the Baltic to the Urals. This supposedly happened in the 13th century.

Thus, in the chronicle for 1240 the names of the Novgorodians who fell in the Battle of Neva are mentioned: “Kostyantin Lugotinits, Guryata Pineshchinich.” In the chronicle of 1268, the names of “Tverdislav Chermny, Nikifor Radyatinich, Tverdislav Moisievich, Mikhail Krivtsevich, Boris Ildyatinich... Vasil Voiborzovich, Zhiroslav Dorogomilovich, Poroman Podvoisky” are found. In 1270, as the chronicler reports, Prince Vasily Yaroslavich went on a campaign against the Tatars, taking with him “Petril Rychag and Mikhail Pineshchinich.”

As we can see, these surnames bore little resemblance to modern ones and were formed, most likely, by patronymics, family 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 century I-II millennia and originated primarily 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 will you 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 native or descendants of a family in the next generation are Golden.”

Historians suggest that these surnames were born in the north, and subsequently spread to the central regions of Rus' and the Urals. Many such surnames are found among Siberians: this was associated with 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 surnames are not declined.

Surnames from Slavic names and nicknames

There were also surnames that arose from Old Russian secular names. For example, from the Slavic proper names Zhdan and Lyubim, the surnames Zhdanov and Lyubimov later evolved. 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 him away dark forces and failures. So from the nicknames Nekras, Dur, Chertan, Zloba, Neustroy, Golod came the surnames Nekrasov, Durov, Chertanov, Zlobin, Neustroyev, Golodov.

Noble names

Only later, in the XIV-XV centuries, surnames began to appear among princes and boyars. Most often, they were formed from the name of the inheritance owned by a prince or boyar, and subsequently passed on to his descendants: Shuisky, Vorotynsky, Obolensky, Vyazemsky. Some of the noble families came from nicknames: Gagarins, Hunchbacks, Glazatyes, 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 old word"golitsy" ("galitsy"), meaning leather mittens used in various works. Another ancient one noble surname- Morozov. The first to wear it was Misha Prushanin, who especially 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 - boyar Fedosya Morozova.

Merchant names

In the 18th-19th centuries, service people, clergy and merchants began to bear surnames. However, the richest merchants acquired surnames even earlier, in the 15th-16th centuries. These were mainly, again, residents of the northern regions of Russia - say, the Kalinnikovs, Stroganovs, Perminovs, Ryazantsevs. Kuzma Minin, the son of salt worker Mina Ankudinov from Balakhna, received his own surname at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries. Merchant surnames often reflected the occupation of their owner. So, the Rybnikovs traded fish.

Peasant surnames

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.

They also had surnames of 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 black earth provinces had surnames.

They began to assign surnames to peasants en masse only after the abolition of serfdom. And some even received surnames only during the years of Soviet power.