Famous Greek names. How are names translated? Male names and place names

Ancient names with Greek roots are unique. All of them are not only very euphonious (both in pronunciation and hearing), but also carry within them special meaning. The ancient Greeks were very wise and named their children with names that often emphasize positive traits person, and have a beautiful literal translation– “pure”, “young”, “wise”, “kind”, “tender”, etc.

Many researchers agree that Greek tradition helped preserve most of these names. The fact is that the Greeks have strict canons in naming. For example, the first daughter in a family should bear the name of her paternal grandmother, and the first son should bear the name of her paternal grandfather, etc. Thus, by passing on names from generation to generation, the Greeks managed to preserve this part of the culture of their people.

Greek names can be represented in two groups. The first is ancient names, these are the names of gods and all kinds of mythical characters Ancient Greece. Second - greek names Orthodox heritage, coming mainly from Christian mythology.

These are the names of many goddesses, nymphs, charites ancient greek mythology and today are quite common both in Greece itself and beyond:

In the 5th century, Greece became the leader of Eastern Christianity. And after the death of the ancient Roman Empire and the emergence of powerful Byzantium, it was Greek lands began to be considered the center of the spread of Orthodox Christianity. And it is quite natural that from that time on Christian mythology also became a source of replenishment of the Greek nomenclature:

Anastasia– resurrected;
Angelina- messenger;
Gospels– good news, Gospel;
Evdokia- God's will;
Catherine– pure, immaculate;
Elena– torch;
Euphrosyne- joyful, well-meaning;
Zoya- life;
Sofia– wise;
Thekla- God's glory;
Feodosia- given by God.

How did they appear in Russian?

At the end of the 10th century, Christianity was adopted in Rus', and close contacts with Byzantium provided the Slavs with the opportunity to learn ancient culture. And along with culture, science, and medicine, the Eastern European peoples began to adopt many Greek names.

For a long time, Slavic rulers gave children two names at once - pagan and church(baptismal). As a rule, the latter was Greek. Very soon traditional for the Slavs pagan names almost completely replaced by baptismal ones. Following the local nobility, peasants also began to give these names to newborns. After a fairly short time, almost all Russian names were Orthodox with Byzantine-Greek roots.

Thanks to close ties with Byzantium, the Russian name book was replenished not only with Greek names, but also with the names of almost all of humanity, since Jewish, Greek, Roman and other names came to us with the Orthodox calendar. After all, the Byzantine Greeks, in turn, adopted best names peoples of the East and Western Europe, with whom at that time they maintained excellent trade and cultural relations. Among the Byzantine names there were also ancient Egyptian, ancient Persian, Syrian...

Often today under Christian name you can consider images of more ancient cultures and religions. But over time, these names have merged so much with the local ones that it is now difficult to believe in their foreign roots.

So, for example, often found in Russian folklore, legends and fairy tales (Elena the Wise, Elena the Beautiful) the female name Elena, not Russian, but Greek in origin. Many will agree with this, remembering the one with whom “ light hand"The Trojan War broke out.

However, the name became widespread not thanks to the mythological Helen. The credit here goes not to mythology, but to Christianity. Because Helen was the name of the mother of the Byzantine ruler Constantine. After her death, the church equated the Queen of Constantinople with the apostles for missionary work, thereby perpetuating a name that has only been gaining popularity ever since. It is widespread not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Another interesting name for a girl with Greek roots - Zoya. It is translated as "life". Researchers believe that this name appeared in an attempt to literally translate the name of the first earthly woman- Eve.

It did not immediately take root in the Russian language - this name can be found in only a few sources, and only since the 18th century. Until now in Russia it is considered quite rare. Despite its simple and easy sound, parents for some reason avoid this name.

Irina is a name familiar to Russian ears, with roots in the Hellenistic era. and comes from the name of the mythological goddess Eirene. According to legend, she was the daughter of the goddess of justice Themis and the god Zeus. Eirene was a guardian peaceful life. Antique statue imagines her with a baby in her arms. This little boy is the young god of wealth - Plutos. The statue once stood in a crowded shopping area, and symbolized the ability of people to bargain and negotiate for personal gain.

In Byzantium given name was widespread and had a high social status: Among the bearers of this name are the wives of Byzantine rulers, one of whom, Empress Irina, became the sovereign ruler of the state at the end of the 8th century. After her death, she was canonized by the church for being able to restore icon veneration in the country. WITH Greek language The name Irina translates as “peace”, “harmony”, “peace”.

Already in the Middle Ages, girls of various classes were called Irins.. True, among the merchants and peasants such a form of name as Arina was more common. Irins were called special noble classes. In the early 90s of the twentieth century, this name was extremely popular, now it is chosen a little less often.

Meaning

In the list below you will find the most beautiful female names of Greek origin, as well as those mentioned in the legends and myths of Ancient Greece and their meanings:

Of course, only the parents decide what to name the baby. But if you choose a Greek name, you will not go wrong at all - these names are beautiful in sound, easy to pronounce and carry incredibly positive energy. And the mythological names of Ancient Greece have amazing magnetism and attractiveness, creating the illusion of contact with the world of wizards and fairy-tale heroes.

In addition, the Greek name is universal. Its analogues can be found in any European languages. Therefore, a child with this name will feel comfortable in any country. In general, trust the wisdom and knowledge of the ancient Greeks, and your baby will definitely tell you: “Thank you for the name!”

In ancient times, it was believed that a person’s name determined his character and destiny. After all, a name is also a word that has its own meaning. Each people had their own names, which carried a certain symbolic meaning. Later this symbolism was lost, but the names remained.

How are names translated? The science of onomastics answers this question. Let's turn to her. The main sources of currently popular Russian names are ancient Greek, Hebrew, Latin and Slavic languages.

Russian names of origin

We know from history that Christianity appeared in Rus' in the 10th century. Until this time, the names were Slavic. Their meanings are clear even now, for example, Lyudmila - “dear to people”, Bogdan - “Given by God”. IN Lately fashion is back Slavic names and parents are increasingly giving them to their children. Let's look at some of them as examples:

Lada - goddess of love;
Boris is a fighter;
Vadim - sowing confusion;
Faith - faith;
Vladimir - owner of the world;
Vyacheslav - more glorious;
Love love;
Milena - sweetheart;
Hope - hope;
Svetlana - light;
Yaroslav - having bright glory

How names are translated from other languages

German-Scandinavian names were no less popular, because it was through the territory of Rus' that the famous route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed. Such popular names like Olga (“holy, bright”) and Igor (“strength, warrior”) are of northern origin.

After the baptism of Rus', the names that were indicated in the calendar became popular. Saints are a list of names and days of the year corresponding to the celebration of name days - Name Day. These names belonged to saints revered by the Church, and the dates were the days of honoring these saints. This is where the tradition of naming came from. It was based on the names of saints, martyrs, apostles and biblical righteous people.

But in a short time, the people had not yet gotten used to other people’s names, the meaning of which was very vague. Therefore, in those days, many people had two names: the first, worldly - the one that his parents gave him, and the church - the one that he was given in the church during baptism. Gradually, new names replaced the old ones. But originally alien Greek, Roman and Jewish names acquired a new sound, more pleasant to the Russian ear. So, Basileus became Basil, and Justinia became Ustinia.

How are names translated from Greek?

There were Greek names in the calendar for a reason. After all, there were a lot of saints, Greeks by origin. However, names that sound euphonious to the Greek ear, such as Akaki (“white, light”) were not popular in the Russian language. And if in pre-revolutionary Russia It was still possible to meet a person with that name, but now few people would think of calling a child that way. Let's look at some examples of names of Greek origin:

Alexander is a protector of people;
Alexey - defender;
Anastasia - resurrected;
Anatoly - eastern;
Angelina - messenger;
Andrey - brave;
Vasily - royal;
Galina - silence;
Georgy is a farmer. Related names- Yuri, Egor;
Dmitriy - dedicated to the goddess Demeter;
Evgeniy/Evgeniya - noble, noble;
Ekaterina - pure;
Elena - light;
Zoya - life;
Irina - peace;
Christina - dedicated to Christ;
Ksenia - guest;
Nikita is the winner;
Peter - stone;
Sophia - wisdom;
Fedor is God's gift.

How are names translated from Hebrew?

Names of Jewish origin are also associated with saints, including those of the Old Testament. Examples:

Anna - grace, grace;
Daniil (and Russian form - Danilo) - God's judgment;
Eve - life;
Elizabeth - worshiper of God;
Ivan is the mercy of God. The names Yang, Yana are also translated;
Ilya - folk form the name Elijah - the power of God;
Mary - excellent (according to other interpretations - bitter);
Michael - godlike;
Raphael - healing by God;
Solomon - peaceful;
Tamara - fig tree;
Jacob - the popular form of the name Jacob - was the name given to the second-born of two twins, the brother of Esau.

How are Roman names translated?

The Roman Empire was a huge state, and the Roman language was widespread in various areas of the continent. It is not surprising that many Roman names were included in the calendar and became popular among us. Examples:

Valentin/Valentina - healthy/healthy;
Valery/Valeria - healthy/healthy;
Victor/Victoria - winner/winner;
Konstantin - permanent;
Maxim - the greatest (maximum);
Marina - sea;
Natalya - dear;
Pavel - baby;
Sergei - tall, highly respected;
Tatyana is a calmer;
Ulyana is the Russian form of the name Juliania - from the Yuli family.

A number of modern Russian names have their origins in the Persian language. The Persian king named Darayavaush was called Darius by the Greeks. This name was quite common, and it was translated as “king.” Among Russian names, the feminine form of this name is more popular - Daria - “queen”. The Greek name of another Persian king - Cyrus - is translated as "lord", "sun" or "far-sighted". Popular Russian name Cyril, although considered Greek, originates from Ancient Persia. The name Kirill literally translates as “little master.”

To find out how to translate names, just look at sites where there are interpretations of names and the history of their origin.

After the Christianization of Rus' in 988, every Eastern Slav received a baptismal name from a priest. Baptismal names corresponded to the names of saints and were therefore common Christian names. However, these names are not of Slavic, but of Greek origin. TO Eastern Slavs they came from Byzantium via Bulgaria, where Christianity was adopted even earlier, in 865. This article examines the meanings of names of Greek origin.

ANCIENT GREEK NAMES

MALE NAMES

ADRIAN - "Coming from Adria." Adria is a port on the Adriatic Sea.

AKAKIY - "Good-hearted."

AXENTIY - "Growing".

ALEXANDER - "Defender of people."

ALEXEY - "Defender".

ANATOLY - "Eastern". Coming from the east, from Asia Minor

ANDREY - "Courageous, brave man." Derived from the ancient Greek "andros" - "man".

ANDRON - Short form from the canonical name Andronik - “conqueror of men.”

ANISIM - "Useful."

APOLLO - Ancient Greek god Sun and patron of the arts.

APOLLINARIUS - "Dedicated to Apollo."

ARKADY - "Coming from Arcadia." Arcadia is a region in southern Greece, on the Peloponnese peninsula.

ARISTARCH - "Head of the best."

ARSENY - "Courageous".

ARTEM, ARTEMY - "Unharmed."

ARCHIP - Compound name, means “senior, chief over horses, chief of cavalry.”

Athanasius - "Undying"

ATHINOGENES - "Born of the goddess Athena."

VASILY - "Lord, master."

VISSARION - "Forest".

VUKOL - "Shepherd, boot-herder."

GALACTION - "Milk".

HELIUM - Derived from the Greek "helios" - sun.

GENNADY - "Noble"

GEORGE - "Farmer".

GERASIM - "Dear."

GREGORY - "Wakeful, awakened."

DEMENTIUS - "Taming".

DENIS - The ancient Greek name Dionysus was the name of the god of viticulture and winemaking.

DMITRY - “Dedicated to Demeter” (goddess of fertility).

EUGENE - "Noble".

YERMOLAI - Compound name. "Hermes" is the god of trade and "Laos" is the people.

EFIM - "Blessed".

ZINOVY - "The Power of Zeus".

ILLARION - "Merry".

HIPPOLYTUS - "Unharnesser of Horses."

KIRILL - "Mr."

CLIMENT - "Meek, soft."

KUZMA - There are two interpretations: the first is “peace, order”, the second is “decoration”.

LION - "Lion, the mighty brave man."

LEONID - "Son of a lion, from the lion family, lion-like."

LEONTY - "Lion".

MAKAR - "Happy".

NESTOR - "Reminiscent."

NIKANOR - The same as Nikita - “winner”.

NIKITA - "Winner".

NIKIFOR - "Victorious".

NIKODIM - "The Victorious People."

NICHOLAY - "Conqueror of Nations."

ORESTES - "Highlander, savage."

PANKRATIY - "All-Powerful".

PANTELEMON - "All-Merciful."

PARAMON - "Reliable".

PAKHOM - "Broad-shouldered".

PETER - "Stone".

PLATO - "Shouldered".

POLYCARP - "Fertile".

PROCOPIUS - "Prosperous". Russian pronunciation named Prokofy.

PROKHOR - "Singing singer, choir director."

RODION - "Pink".

SEVASTIAN - "Sacred".

SPARTAK - “trampling”, “trampling”

STEPAN - "Ring, crown, wreath", canonical form - Stefan.

TARAS - "Exciter, rebel."

TIMOTHY - "He who worships God."

TIKHON - "Successful".

TRIFON - "Luxurious".

TROFIM - "Well-fed, pet."

FEDOR - "God's gift."

FEDOT - "Given by the Gods."

THEODOSIY - "God granted."

PHILIP - "Horse Lover".

ERNEST - "Diligent, diligent."

FEMALE NAMES

AGATA, AGAFIA - From the Greek "agathe" - "good".

AKULINA - "Eagle".

ALEVTINA - Yes different interpretations: “taken away, cut off”, “rubbing with incense, anointing”, and also “alien from evil”.

ALEXANDRA - The feminine form of the name Alexander is “protector of people.”

ANASTASIA - "Resurrected".

ANGELINA - "Angelic".

ANGELA - From "angelos" - "angel", and also has the meaning - "messenger".

ANISYA - "Successfully accomplished."

ANTONINA - Feminine form of the name Anton (ancient Roman generic name - Antony).

ANFISA - "Flower".

APPOLINARY - Feminine form from the ancient Greek name Appolinarius - “worshipper of Apollo”. Now used as an independent name diminutive form- Pauline.

ARIADNE - "Very revered."

VARVARA - Comes from the ancient Greek “barbarian” - “not a Greek”.

VASILISA - "Ruler, Queen".

VERONIKA - Possibly from the Greek-Macedonian "Pherenike" - "victorious".

GALATEA - In ancient Greek mythology, the name of one of the sea nymphs.

GALINA - "Calm, quiet."

GLAFYRA - "Graceful, slender."

DOROTHEA - The feminine form of the male name Dorotheus - "gift of the gods."

EVGENIYA - The feminine form of the male name Evgeny is “noble”.

EVDOKIA - "Gratitude, good wish."

EUPHROSYNE - "Joyful".

EKATERINA - "Immaculate".

ELENA - "Light".

ELIZABETH - "God's oath, vow to God."

ZINAIDA - "Born by Zeus, from the family of Zeus."

ZOYA - "Life".

KIRA - "Mistress".

KSENIA - "Guest".

LARISSA - From the name of the city of Larissa in northern Greece. Another interpretation: “pleasant, sweet” (from the Greek “laros”). Third: "seagull" (from the Latin "larus").

LYDIA - "Coming from Lydia" or "resident of Lydia."

NELLY - Variant of the name from "Neonilla", which means "young"

OLYMPICS - Derived from the name of Mount Olympus - the seat of Zeus and many other Greek gods.

OPHELIA - "Support, help."

PELAGEIA - The same meaning as the name Marina - “sea”.

POLINA - Short form of the ancient Greek name Appolinaria - "worshipper of Apollo." Recently it has been used quite often as an independent name.

RAISA - "Submissive, compliant, easy."

SOFIA - "Wisdom".

TATYANA - "Organizer, founder."

TERESA - "The Reaper".

KHARITINA - "Beautiful, graceful."

Oleg and Valentina Svetovid are mystics, specialists in esotericism and occultism, authors of 14 books.

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Mythical names

Mythical male and female names and their meanings

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Mythical names. Mythical male and female names and their meanings

Most of the male and female names that exist in the world have Greek roots. Some of them have become so popular in their countries that they are already considered national. Therefore, choosing for a boy will not be difficult at all.

Origin and meaning of names

Newborn Greeks are usually named in accordance with traditions. The eldest son in a family almost always bears the name of his paternal grandfather. The next boy born to a married couple is named exactly the same as the mother's parent. Giving a father's name to a son is an ill omen. Compliance with traditions among true Greeks is a sacred duty. But despite this, many young couples deviate from them and name their children as they wish.

All Greek, as for girls, are divided into two groups. The first category includes names ancient period related to mythology. They sound like this: Odysseas, Sophocles, Socrates and others. The second group includes the names included in the Orthodox calendar: Vasilios, Georgios.

Each Greek name has its own characteristics. It reflects one or another personality trait of a person, and, as a rule, with positive side. For example, the ancient Greek male name Leonidas (Leonidas) means “like a lion,” and Prokopios (Procopius) translates as “advanced.” In Greece, it is believed that by choosing a name for a child, parents determine his destiny.

The most common male names

Greek names Orthodox calendar are of national origin, as well as Hebrew and Latin. However, children in this country are most often named according to family tradition, just like grandfather, father, mother, etc.

By far the most popular Greek names for boys are the following ten:

Georgios. Translated from ancient Greek it means “farmer”. In the church and historical context - also George.
Dimitrios. Comes from the ancient Greek name Demetrios - “dedicated to Demeter.” Also pronounced as Demetrius.
Konstantinos. The name is of Latin origin and means “permanent”. In historical context it reads as Constantius.
Ioannis. Comes from the Hebrew language. Translated from Hebrew it means “the mercy of the Lord.”
Nikolaos, or Nikolai, translated from ancient Greek as “conqueror of nations.” Comes from the name of the goddess of victory Nike.
Christ is the “anointed one.”
Panagiotis - translated from Greek as “all holy”.
Vasilios. The name has national ancient Greek roots and means “king”.
Athanasios (Athanasius in a church context), from ancient Greek - “immortal”.
Evangelos. Comes from the ancient Greek name Evangelion and means “good news, gospel.”

Fashion for names in Greece exists as well as in any other country, but those presented above remain popular at different times.

In the 20th century, Western European names Eduardos, Robertos and others became popular in this country. Modern Greek parents are increasingly retreating from family traditions and name their children that way.

The rarest Greek names for boys

Every year names appear less and less here ancient origin, associated with the existence of gods and mythology. Although, according to some parents, they are the ones who can give their child charisma and strong will.

The rarest and most beautiful Greek names for boys:

Aristotle - translated as "excellence aimed at a specific goal."
Archimedes. The name has ancient Greek roots and means “owner of thoughts.”
Demokritos - translated as “having the right to judge others.”
Zeno. Given ancient Greek name comes from Zeus himself and means belonging to this supreme deity.
Space - "personifying beauty."
Macedon - "high".
Pleton - translated as “wealth”.
Eros - symbolizes love.

These are not all Greek names for boys that parents rarely use when naming their babies. But those presented above are still less common than others.

Modern male names of Greek origin

Greek names have taken root in almost all European languages. They may have their own pronunciation, but their roots remain the same. In Russian, Greek names for boys are also very common. Alexander, Alexey, Sergey are names that have long been considered native, Slavic. But in reality they have completely different roots.

The list of Greek names is very large. So much so that every second person on the planet bears this name.

Top 5 Greek origins in Russia

The Russian personal calendar contains big number names with Greek roots. Parents are happy to call their children them, without even thinking about their foreign origin, they fit so well into the Slavic flavor.

Today, the most popular male names of Greek origin are the following five:

Artem.
Alexander.
Dmitriy.
Nikita.
Kirill.

In almost every family, a boy born within the last 10 years bears one of these names.