Old Russian pagan names. Native, ancient Slavic names

Old Russian and Slavic names in Russia today

The main array of modern Russian names consists of the names of saints contained in Orthodox church calendars(“saints”) Sometimes such names are called “calendar”. They are all very different in origin: ancient Greek, ancient Roman (Latin), Hebrew, Assyrian, ancient Egyptian, ancient Germanic, Scandinavian, Arabic. But over hundreds of years, these names underwent complete assimilation in the Russian linguistic environment and acquired completely Russian sound and shape. Who will say that Ivan or Marya are not Russian names?

As for the huge variety of Old Russian and Slavic names, only 20 names have survived to our time:Boris, Vera, Vladimir, Vladislav, Vsevolod, Vyacheslav, Izyaslav, Lyubov, Lyudmila, Militsa, Mstislav, Nadezhda, Rostislav, Svyatoslav, Yaropolk, Yaroslav, as well as Gleb, Igor, Olga and Oleg, who appeared in Rus' along with the Varangians. And it should be noted that the names mentioned were preserved only due to the fact that somehow miraculously got into Orthodox saints.

Behind last years interest in the names of our distant ancestors has grown and continues to grow (this is noted by civil registry offices throughout the country). All larger number newborns are named Vlad, Darina, Miroslava, Milana, Stanislav, Jaromir, etc. We bring to your attention a list of the most attractive (harmonious and modern-looking) male and female common Slavic names.

List of male names (Old Russian-Varangian-Slavic):

Bazhen (desired child, rootbazh-; bash- wish),
Bogdan, Dan (God-given),
Bogumil (dear to God; God loves him),
Boguslav (born for the glory of God; glorifying God),
Boleslav (more glory, more glorious),
Boris, Borislav (fight, fight + glory),
Bronislaw (defend, protect + glory),
Budimir (will be, will come + peace),
Velimir, Velislav (veli = great, large),
Wenceslaus (crown = more, more),
Vlad,
Vladimir,
Vladislav,
Vojislav (fight for glory),
Vratislav (return, return + glory),
Vsevolod,
Vseslav,
Vysheslav, Vyacheslav (higher, higher, crown- synonyms, mean more, more),
Gleb (Varangian name),
Gostislav (gost = guest: nice guest),
Gradislav (),
Gremislav,
Dobromysl (good thoughts),
Dobroslav (good fame),
Dobrynya (kind, good person),
Dragoslav,
Zhdan (the one who was expected; long-awaited),
Zvenislav,
Zlatoslav,
Igor (Varangian name),
Izyaslav (confiscate- take: “take the glory”, “take the glory”),
Casimir (kaz, to say= show, instruct, preach + peace),
Ladimir, Ladislav (wordokaymeans agreement, harmony, beauty),
We love (Darling), Lubomir (loves the world),
Mieczyslaw (sword, i.e. weapons + glory),
Milan, Milen, Milorad, Miloslav, Milos,
Miroslav,
Mstislav (revenge= revenge, vengeance on enemies + glory),
Nechay (didn't expect, didn't expect),
Oleg (Varangian name),
Radan, Radim, Radmir, Radovan, Radoslav,
Ratibor (army- army, war,boron- fight, fight)
Ratmir,
Rostislav (increase, multiply + glory),
Rurik (Varangian name),
Svyatopolk, Svyatoslav and Svetoslav (“holiness” and “light” are synonyms, in reality they are one name),
Stanimir (there will be peace, there will be peace),
Stanislav (become famous, become famous),
Stoyan,
Sudislav (court+ glory),
Tverdoslav, Tverdislav,
Tvorimir,
Tihomir,
Cheslav (honor, honor + glory),
Jaromir, Yaropolk, Yaroslav (yar, yar =spring;ardent =red, hot, hot, furious)

Notes:

1). All the above Old Russian-Varangian-Slavic names (from Bazhen to Yaroslav) actually existed, and this is confirmed historical documents(see the works of Moroshkin M.Ya. and Tupikov N.M.). And the name Ruslan, for example, only seems Slavic and ancient, in fact it has eastern origin and age not exceeding 200 years.

2). Elementglory, glorymeans not only “glory” (as evidence of honor and respect), but also “to be called, named, reputed, to be known.”

3). Rootglad-in Slavic names like Radoslav and Milorad means not onlyrejoice, but alsoplease(that is, to care for, to care for, to promote).

4). Among our ancestors, the names Svyatoslav and Svetoslav were identical, since the wordslightAndholiness, lightAndsaint

5). Patronymic names from Slavic names are formed as a short form - Yaroslavich, Yaroslavna; Dobrynich, Dobrynichna; Svyatoslavich, Svyatoslavna, and “long” - Stanislavovich, Stanislavovna, Mstislavovich, Mstislavovna.

6). NamesBoris, Vladimir, Vladislav, Vsevolod, Vyacheslav, Gleb, Igor, Izyaslav, Mstislav, Oleg, Rostislav, Svyatoslav, Yaropolk, Yaroslav are the names of Orthodox saints, so they can be both passport and godparents. If you want to call the boy any other name from the above list (Velemir, Dobrynya, Zhdan, Ratmir, Stanislav, Yaromir, etc.), then keep in mind that for baptism you will need to prepare another name - “calendar” ( that is, contained in the Orthodox “saints”).

List of female names (Old Russian-Varangian-Slavic):

Bazhena (desired, desired child, frombazh, bazhat- wish),
Bela (i.e.white),
Beloslava (white and nice),
Bogdana, Dana (God given),
Bogumila (dear to God; God loves her),
Boguslav (born for the glory of God; glorifying God),
Bozena (God's given by God; belongs to God),
Boleslav (more glory, more glorious),
Borislava (fight, fight + glory),
Bronislava (defend, protect + glory),
Wanda (value unknown),
Velislava (veli = great, large),
Wenceslas (crown = more, more),
Vlada (having power, imperious), Vladimir, Vladislav (having glory, possessing glory),
Vlasta, Vlastimila,
Vojislava (fight for glory),
Vratislava (return, return + glory),
Vsemila (everyone dear),
Vseslava,
Vysheslava (highermeans more, more)
Gostislava (gost = guest),
Gradislava (grad = city, castle, fortress),
Darina (from the wordgift, gift),
Dobrava (from the wordgood),
Dobromila,
Dobronega (kindness + tenderness, softness),
Dobroslava,
Dragomira,
Dragoslava,
Zhdana (the one they were waiting for; long-awaited),
Zvenislava,
Zlata, Zlatoslava,
Willow (name of tree, bush),
Inga (madam, Varangian name),
Casimir (kaz, to say= show, tell),
Viburnum (name of tree, bush),
Ladislava (wordokaymeansagreement, harmony, beauty),
Lyubava,
Lyubomir,
Lyudmila,
Raspberry (the name of the berry),
Mieczyslaw (sword, i.e. weapon +glory),
Mila, Milava, Milana, Milena, Militsa,
Milolika,
Miloslava,
Mira, Miroslava,
Mlada, Mladena,
Mstislav (revenge, vengeance on enemies + glory),
Hope,
Nezhdana (came unexpectedly),
Olga (from VarangianHelga),
Predslava (ahead + glory),
Beautiful,
Pribyslav (to arrive, increase, multiply + glory),
Glad (see also Ariadne),
Radmila,
Radoslava,
Rogneda (from VarangianRagnhild - advice before battle),
Rostislav (increase, multiply + glory),
Ruzhena (rose- flower),
Sbyslava (will come true + glory),
Svyatoslav and Svetoslav (“holiness” and “light” are synonyms, in reality they are one name),
Severina (from the wordnorth, but also from the Christian male name Severin),
Glory,
Slawomir,
Stanislava,
Sudislava (judgment + glory),
Tverdislava, Tverdoslava,
Tsvetana (blooming, flower),
Cheslava (honor + glory),
Yara (yar, yaro = spring; spring, hot),
Jarmila (hot, ardent + sweet, beloved),
Jaromira (yar + peace = ardent and hot, but peaceful, peace-loving),
Yaroslav (yar, yaro = spring; ardent = red, hot, hot, furious)

Notes:

1). All the above Old Russian-Varangian-Slavic names (from Bazhena to Yaroslava) actually existed, and this is confirmed by historical documents (see the works of Moroshkin M.Ya. and Tupikov N.M. And names such as Lada, Ruslana, Svetlana and Snezhana They only seem ancient, but in fact these are “artificial” names with an age not exceeding 150-200 years.

2). Regarding the elementglory, glory, then it means not only “glory” (as evidence of universal respect), but also “to be called, named, reputed, to be known.”

3). RootGlad-in Slavic names like Radmila, Radoslava means not onlyrejoice, but alsoplease(that is, to care for, to care for, to promote); rootPowermeanshomeland, fatherland.

4). Among our ancestors, the names of Svyatoslav and Svetoslav were identical, since the wordslightAndholiness, lightAndsaintexpress the same meaning - “pure, unsullied.”

5). NamesVera, Lyubov, Lyudmila, Militsa, Nadezhda, Olga are the names of Orthodox saints, so they can be both passport and godparents. If you want to call the girl any other name from the above list (Bozhena, Vlasta, Zlata, Inga, Miroslava, Radmila, Yaroslava, etc.), then keep in mind that for baptism you need to prepare another name - “calendar” (that is, contained in the Orthodox “saints”).

For other materials on this topic, see the section

The ancient Slavs knew that the name greatly influenced the fate of the child, so they took it seriously. Slavic male names most often consisted of two full words with deep meaning, which served as a kind of amulet against all evil spirits. The pagans preferred to give their heirs two or more names to protect them from evil spirits. After the adoption of Christianity, children were also given not one name, but two. The first was used for interaction and contact with the outside world, the second was given at the baptism of the baby. It was kept secret and known only to immediate family.

How to choose a name for a boy

In ancient times, names for boys were chosen especially carefully, because sons always remained warriors, protectors, successors of the family, elders, bearers of strength, greatness, power and wisdom.

Nowadays, choosing a name also needs to be taken seriously.

Be wary of names that are too unconventional. Children can suffer greatly because their name is too prominent. Plus, they will most likely be constantly teased about it at school.
You should not give the boy an affectionate and soft name. He will not be taken seriously, and his peers will call him a girl.
The first name must be combined with the surname and patronymic. This is especially true for boys, as their last name stays with them for life.
Following the fashion for names is stupid. Fashion quickly passes, but the name remains and may sound rather inappropriate.

When choosing a name for your son, you must first try it on a stranger and analyze all the associations that arise because of this. It is also advisable to carefully study all the interpretations and meanings of names.

Common names are too banal, and the baby gets lost in the company of his peers; names that are too rare attract too much attention to him.

The name should not be too rare, but also not the most popular. For most boys, firm names are suitable, since life will be difficult for them without a strong and assertive character.

Beautiful ancient Slavic names for a boy

The ancient Slavs most often gave the child a name at birth, and then during adolescence, when the main features of his individuality were already clearly emerging in the character of the young man. The name should have emphasized these qualities. If a man performed great feats, he could be given another name glorifying his great deeds.

List of beautiful names:

Agniy – means light (from the word “fire”);
Bel – pure, white, white-faced;
Beloyar – bright and furious;
Nobility - noble;
Bogdan – given by God;
Boleslav - rushing towards great fame;
Vartislav - filled with glory;
Velimir – peaceful, calm, balanced;
Gleb – powerful, heavy;
Dalimil – giver or bestower of mercy;
Dobromir – kind and peaceful;
Zareslav - glorifying the dawn;
Karin – brown-eyed;
Ladoslav - glorifying Lada;
Lyubomil - beloved;
Peaceful – loving world;
Miroslav - glorifying the world;
Mstislav – vindictive, irreconcilable;
Ognedar – sacrificer;
Overexposure - very light, enlightened;
Radim – joyful;
Ruslan is a bright soul;
Ratmir - protecting the world;
Svyatoslav - sacred glory;
Svetomir – bringing light and peace;
Stanislav – establisher of glory;
Tihomir - quiet and peaceful;
Jaromir is peaceful like Yarilo.

Many names of Slavic origin are almost forgotten and have completely disappeared from use, since after the adoption of Christianity they were almost completely replaced by Greek and Jewish analogues.

Forgotten and rare names of Slavic origin

The list of forgotten and rare names is very long:

Bezson – wakeful;
Bogorod is a relative of the gods;
Bozheslav - glorifying the deity;
Burislav - like a storm;
Vedamir - all-knowing;
Wenceslaus - wearer of the crown of glory;
Voibor – victorious in battle;
Vysheslav - highest in glory;
Gradimir - creator of the world;
Gorynya - invincible and unshakable like a mountain;
Gremislav - illustrious, thundering with glory;
Daniyar – given for shine;
Zlatan – precious;
Lyudmil - dear to people;
Mlad – junior, young;
Okomir – eye of the world;
Orislav – strong;
Radim – worried about the world;
Taislav is modest, concealing glory.

Whether a child should be given such a rare name should be decided by the parents themselves, after weighing the pros and cons.

Orthodox Russian male names

Some ancient names gained wide popularity due to the fact that Slavs with that name were elevated to the rank of saints and canonized.

These are Russian names for boys:

Boris – fighting for glory;
Vsevolod - owner of everything;
Vladimir is great in his power, ruling the world;
Vladislav – owner of glory;
Vyacheslav – great glory, the most famous;
Vsevolod - owner of everything;
Gorazd – big, large;
Rostilav - increased glory;
Svyatoslav - holy glory;
Yaropolk is an ardent warrior.

These names are quite popular in our time; moreover, they are very harmonious and have a good interpretation. Many of them are among the top most popular male names.

Unusual Slavic names

Unusual names can be divided into the following categories:

derived from the participles: Zhdan, Nezhdan, Khoten, Bazhen, Bazhan, Kriv;
in order of birth: First, Bolshoi, Second, Second, Tretiak, Chetvertak, Menshoi, Nine;
associated with flora and fauna: Wolf, Walnut, Birch, Eagle, Borscht, Raven, Swan, Lark, Hare;
deities: Lad, Yarilo.

Such names today are exotic and unusual. It is unlikely that anyone will dare to name their child such an extravagant name.

Over time, many of them became the basis for surnames: Menshov, Tretyakov, Volkov, Zhdanov, Bazhenov, Bazhutin, Borshchev, Voronikhin, Vtorushin, Zaitsev, Orlov.

Despite the fact that ancient Slavic male names are outdated, some parents still call their sons by them. IN Lately interest in old names is being revived, since modern ones have become very popular and too common, and parents do not want to name their child like everyone else. But finding a rare name requires a lot of wisdom.

People have always been careful when choosing a name, because this is an energy-informational program that is set from birth and accompanies a person throughout everything. life path. The character and fate of not only its bearer, but also the entire country, depend on the name. After all, what more people have strong and “good” names, the stronger the country.

Rus' was famous for its people; nowhere else were there so many heroes, and today we propose to remember and consider forgotten male names. They almost all disappeared into oblivion. When the baptism of Holy Rus' took place, they were replaced by Greek, Jewish, Roman and other names of foreign origin.

Why are old names forgotten?

With the baptism of Rus', faith also changed, and the pagan gods were replaced by a single God for all people. Until the moment of baptism, many people were named in honor of pagan rulers, this is how, for example, the name Jaromir came about, and it consists of two parts - the name of the god Yarilo plus the world. Changing their faith, people wanted to completely eradicate the old deities, erase them from memory, so they even changed their names. Bogatyrs and wise men were forcibly baptized and called them as prescribed by the new Christian faith.

Male Slavic names and their meanings have already been almost completely forgotten. Many parents mistakenly believe that they call their children old, forgotten, but still real Slavic names. For example, the same Ivan is a name known from many fairy tales, which is considered Russian. Yes, it is Russian, but not Slavic, and came from John, Jewish name, and appeared after baptism.

Many more such “erroneous” names can be included, for example, Matvey, Zakhar, Luke, Daniel. An overview of male Slavic names and their meanings is in the further contents of the article. We will look at the “strongest” and most beautiful ones, and future parents will be able to choose a real ancient Slavic name from the list.

How to recognize?

Male Slavic names were especially carefully selected, and their meanings were sacred meaning. It is possible to recognize such a name, and very simply. For example, the name Casimir is Slavic. It consists of “seems” or “to show” and “world”, that is, “showing the world”. But Parnassus, a name considered Slavic, is not such, since no meaning is captured by the ear.

It is also worth noting that the sound “a” was very rarely used in Ancient Rus' when naming a baby. More often they chose the softer ones - “i”, “e”, “ya”.

Most often, male Slavic names consisted of two stems, and their meanings were immediately clear. The first part was the main one and was given at birth. The second part was added when the child grew to a certain age, and it symbolized merit, a sphere of influence or some object. Smerds, that is, people who are insolvent, powerless, were left without the second part of their name.

What were children named in Rus'?

Men's and were chosen by parents and reflected the type of employment. For example, peasants who were engaged in farming, fishing and hunting named their children without any special tricks, and their sons were called Hare, Catfish, Pike. It was from peasant names that many surnames originated.

Often, from birth, a baby was named so as not to be jinxed - the name was the complete opposite of appearance, character and mental abilities. Thus, the boys were called Fools, Negligents, Malices, Nekrasami and other ugly names. P

Later, when the guy was handed over to be raised by men, he was already named so that the name reflected the essence of the person. Future governors became Yaropolks, Dobrognevs and Ratibors. Hunters were given the names Brave, Stoyan, Eagle, Wolf and others like that. The particle “holy” was added to future clergy, hence the name Svyatoslav - real, ancient Slavic.

Often in families, children were called by the name and number with which they were born. There were usually a lot of children, so parents didn’t bother with the choice. This is how Pervushi, Vtoraki, Tretyak, Osmin and others appeared. Over time, the name changed to a two-part name, but family members continued to call the person as they were named at birth.

Terrible Slavs

It was male Slavic names that played a big role, and their meanings fully revealed the essence of character. If a boy was strong, tall and strong by the age of seven, he was handed over to be raised in a squad. And there they already named the boy based on his qualities. For example, Dubynya is strong and powerful, like an oak. Gorislav is as resilient as a mountain, but at the same time a nice guy! Dobrognev is angry, but in the name of good, that is, he will defeat all enemies for the sake of his homeland. Winter is calculating, persistent and cold. Mstislav is famous for his revenge.

Boys with flaws

If a child with physical disabilities was born into a family, then he was called the same as ordinary children, that is, a name that would not be jinxed, but it already reflected the essence. For example, Nevzor is blind, unseeing, Koschey is skinny, Nekras is ugly, ugly. As the child grew older, his name also changed. Usually, boys with flaws grew into kind guys filled with love for everything. This is how the Bogomils appeared - dear to the gods, the Peacelubs - loving everyone, peace-loving, the Blagoslavs - famous for their kindness, the Sestromils and Bratomirs - beloved by brothers and sisters (that is, all people).

Names that have come down to us

There are still popular male Slavic names today, and their meanings are of interest to many. The list is small, but everyone has at least one friend with a name such as Vladimir, Vsevolod, Vladislav. They have come down to us because rulers, representatives of rich and noble families, and governors bore such names. Less popular today are Wenceslaus, Borislav and Borimir.

Examples from fairy tales

Some are men's and female names and their meaning existed even after the baptism of Rus'. These are deception names that were given to babies in order to ward off trouble, evil forces and the evil eye from them. You can remember from fairy tales such heroes as Ivan the Fool, Koschey, and the Princess of the Unsmeyana. Even in literary work the ancient Slavic decoy name has been preserved - Mazai, that is, smeared.

Beautiful male Slavic names and their meanings: list

Today, Slavic names are gaining more and more popularity. Returning to one's roots plays an important role in cultural self-determination. Of course, we are not talking about a complete rejection of the names we are used to; it’s just that among the ancient and forgotten there are many beautiful ones:

Borislav - struggle, glory;
Bogdan - given (donated) by the gods;
Burislav - storm-like, indestructible;
Veleslav - great, glorious;
Vsevolod - owner of everything;
Dobrynya - kind;
Zlatan, Zlatodan - precious;
Mstislav - irreconcilable, glory, revenge;
Ratmir - protecting the world;
Svetoslav, Svetozar - bright, illuminating the world;
Svyatopolk (Svetopolk) - commander;
Svyatogor - holy, mighty, powerful;
Tihomir - calm;
Yaroslav - nice, bright;
Yaropolk is a formidable commander and warrior.

Until the end of the 10th century, the Russian people had not yet accepted Christianity and worshiped several gods. Respectively, Old Russian names for children they were pagan. After the adoption of Christianity, a confrontation began between common and Christian names.

Naming

The most important rite in Christianity is baptism. After the birth of a child, he must be baptized and given Orthodox name some saint. Old Russian names are gradually being replaced by Christian ones.

But church names are not originally Russian in origin. They came from ancient Greek, Hebrew, Roman languages. For a long time the church prohibited names in every possible way Old Russian origin. After all, they were pagan, and the state was Christian.

Worldly name

Still, it is difficult to re-educate people right away, so along with the name given at baptism, children were given familiar Old Russian names. It turned out that the child had church name and the so-called worldly. This was the name the baby was given in a narrow family circle. Gradually, with the strengthening of the position of the church and the faith of people, household names turned into nicknames.

There are several examples of such double names. The boyar, who received the name Fedor at baptism, was called Doroga at home, or the prince, bearing the name Mikhailo, was called Svyatopolk at home. Such examples are often found in ancient books or novels of Russian classics.

Names in pre-revolutionary Russia

IN pre-revolutionary Russia Old Russian names generally fell out of use. Within a week after birth, parents were required to baptize the child and give him a name according to the church calendar.

But for kids from a rich, influential family, the name was chosen by the parents, depending on the euphony and their preferences. The Church did not want to spoil relations with its benefactors and did not want to lose charitable contributions.

And when the baby from poor family, the clergyman could choose a name from church book, depending on the time of birth. The parents’ opinion might not even be taken into account, and the name did not always sound beautiful and euphonious.

Exists interesting fact, associated with the name and well-being of the family. Historians have found that by name it was possible to determine belonging to the class. So, in peasant families girls were often called Vasilisa, Fedosya, Fekla. Noble families never named their daughters that way. Rich and ruling families gave their daughters names such as Elizabeth, Olga, Alexandra, Catherine. It was impossible to find such names in peasant families.

Old Russian names and their meaning

As a rule, when you hear an Old Russian name, you can understand what it means without translation.

Old Russian male names

Here, for example, Svyatoslav. It is clear that the name is formed from the words “holy” and “glory”.
Vsevolod is a man who owns everything.
Bohumil - it’s immediately clear what kind of name this is. Child Bogumil - dear to God.
Or Vsemil means dear to everyone.

Very interesting were the names that children received depending on their position in the family. For example, if a third son was born into a family, he was given the name Trajan. The first son was called First, and the second was Second.

Old Russian female names

With names for girls, everything is also almost always clear.

Just like the boy Bogumil, the girl was called Bogumil.
Bliss is happy, and Bazhena is desirable. By the way, now you can sometimes come across the name Bazhen.
Darina - given by God.
Krasimira is the beauty of the world.

But not everything is so clear

For example, the name Ostromir. The association “sharp world” immediately arises. But this somehow does not fit into the understanding. Or the name Zhiroslav. It is clear that he is glorifying something. But what?

This is where a dictionary of the Old Russian language comes to the rescue. Thus, the word "fat" meant wealth and abundance. It is now clear that the name Zhiroslav means “glory to wealth.”

The word "ostro" means "brave", therefore, Ostromir - "brave world". Although, of course, with modern understanding Sounds a little strange.

Radomir;
Vladimir;
Ratimir;
Gostimir and many similar ones.

Old Russian names are coming back

After October revolution Old Russian pagan names gradually began to return to use. This is due to the fact that young parents wanted to move away from the Saints and give the baby a beautiful name.

But at the same time, the revolution and electrification brought their own changes - Vseslav, Jaromir, Ogneslav, Zarina and Liliana were now running through the streets.

Of course, period Soviet power made some adjustments. Names associated with ideology, such as Turbina or Dazdraperma, became fashionable. But still, reason prevails - the Russian people want to return to their roots.

Children began to be born, who were given beautiful ancient Russian names. It sounds beautiful when the girl’s name is not Revolution, but Lyubava or Militsa. Names such as Muse, Nellie, Rosalia, Svyatoslav and Jaromir became fashionable.

Of course, not all names have returned; many are unlikely to take root. Not every parent now wants to name their child, for example, Stoppolsvet or Octo-Eyes. But still, for the most part, Old Russian names are very beautiful, and most importantly, it is clear to a Russian person what they mean. Without translation, it becomes clear that Vladlena is the ruler, and Lyubomira is the darling of the world.

Name as a characteristic of a person

IN ancient Rus' the name was given great importance. Parents tried to name the child in such a way as to highlight his belonging to the clan and family. Names could be given that defined any qualities desired for the child. Also, a person’s name determined his position in society.

In ancient times, a name could stick to a person even in mature age. So, if a person had certain physical features, the name could personify them. You can easily guess what people with the names Kudryash, Mal, Chernysh were like.

Or names like these, pointing to certain character traits: Clever, Kind, Silent, Brave.

As already written above, depending on the number of children in the family, he was given a name: Pervyak or Tretyak, Elder, Menshak.

In the literature you can often find names indicating a profession. Especially popular names Kozhemyaka, Warrior and Villager. After reading this, you might think that these are nicknames or nicknames. But people were actually called that way, and this is confirmed by documents available to historians. Although at that time in Rus' there was not much difference between a name as such and a nickname.

What about the girls?

Studying ancient Russian names, you can find a lot of nicknames for men. But with girls everything is a little different. Why?

It's all about the position of women in society. No matter how often girls do not fight for their rights, their influence on the life of the state is always belittled. And accordingly, there are not many historically recorded facts of famous female names.

Old Russian female names as independently formed names were very rare. As a rule, they came from men.

Gorislav - Gorislava;
Vladimir - Vladimir;
Vladlen - Vladlena;
Svyatoslav - Svyatoslav.

This is partly the fact that women were to some extent deprived; girls gradually began to be given more christian names. If in the case of men there were often double names, for example, Svyatoslav-Nikola, then the girls had only one thing - Olga, Elizaveta, Anna.

In addition, over time, patronymics are gradually being used on behalf of the father. At first, in order to determine family affiliation, the child could be called Pantelei, Miroslav's son. Then the suffix “-ich” was added to the name. At first, such freedom was allowed only to noble people. But soon this tradition took root everywhere.

IN modern society It is no longer possible to do without a patronymic. Especially at special and official events, this is even a necessity. But at first such a privilege was given only upper class. Only after the abolition of serfdom was an ordinary peasant allowed to give and bear a patronymic.

Science of proper names called onomastics. This term is associated with the Greek word onoma - name. Names people are part history of peoples. They reflect everyday life, beliefs, aspirations, fantasy and artistic creativity peoples, their historical contacts. Any word that was used to call a person began to be perceived by those around him as his personal name, and, therefore, any word could become a name

The formation of the system of Russian personal names began in the pre-Christian period of the history of Rus', but the name book changed radically with the adoption of Christianity.

Among the modern Russian-speaking population, names are used
calendar (: Ivan, Andrey, Yakov, Yuri, Tatyana, Maria, Avdotya, Elizaveta), ancient Slavic (Stanislav, Radomir, Dobromila, Rada),
Old Russian (Zhdan, Peresvet, Lada, Lyubava),
newly formed (Vilen, Avangard, Ninel, Era),
borrowed in the 20th century from Western European and Eastern languages (Albert, Ruslan, Zhanna, Leila).

95% of the Russian-speaking population of the USSR in the 1980s were bearers of calendar names

Among the Old Russian names the following groups stand out:

Numeric names:
First and First, Secondary, Tretyak, Chetvertak, Fifth and Pyatak, Shestak, Semoy and Semak, Osmoy and Osmak, Nine, Tenth. They reflect the order of birth of children in the family.

Names, details external signs, hair and skin color:
Chernysh, Chernyai, Chernyava, Bel, Belyay, Belyak, Belukha.
There were also names associated with body features: Mal, Malyuta, Maloy, Dolgoy, Sukhoi, Tolstoy, Golova, Golovach, Loban, Bespaloy.

Names associated with character traits, habits and behavior:
Zabava, Istoma, Krik, Skryaba, Molchan, Neslyba, Bulgak (restless), Smeyana and Nesmeyana.

Names that reflected the desirability or undesirability of having a child in the family, the attitude of the parents towards the child:
Bogdan and Bogdana, Bazhen (desired), Golub, Lyubava, Zhdan and Nezhdan, Khoten, Chayan and Nechay.

Names associated with the time of year in which the child was born:
Veshnyak, Winter, Frost, Letnik.

Names associated with animals and flora: Bull, Wolf, Pike, Cat, Cat, Stallion, Cow, Sorrel (from sorrel), Grass, Wheatgrass. It is believed that such names may reflect remnants of the totemic beliefs of the ancestors of the Slavs.

Names associated with beliefs that “bad” words are able to ward off evil spirits, illness, death:
Goryain, Nemil, Nekras, Nelyuba, Neustroy, Zloba, Tugarin (from Tuga - sadness).

Names associated with neighboring nations: Chudin (from the name of the Finno-Ugric tribe Chud), Karel, Tatar, Kozarin (from the name Khazars), Ontoman (from the name of the Turks - Ottomans). The history of the origin of this group of names is unclear: perhaps they were protective names (given so as not to quarrel with neighbors) or desirable ones (so that the child was somewhat similar to the one in whose honor the name was given); perhaps these names are associated with mixed marriages.

When a person enters independent life, into a wider social circle, his name was often supplemented (and sometimes replaced) by another.
For a significant number of such nicknames, it is impossible to establish the reasons for the naming: they were given in connection with specific cases, for some specific reason.
However, among social and everyday names, some groups also stand out: those associated with crafts (Shuba, Lozhka, Dulo, Kuznets), with social status(Prince, Tsarevich, Baryshnik), with origin (French, Tula), with character traits, sometimes with the use of words in figurative meanings(Truth, Flea, Crow), as well as with appearance (Big, Beznos).

Among pre-Christian names, they stand apart names of the ruling dynasty Rurikovich and nobility. These names are distinguished by the fact that almost all of them are two-prime, and to form these names words were used that were sublime in meaning, symbolizing power, glory, and military valor. Such names include Vladimir, Yaroslav, Izyaslav, Yaropolk, Ostromir, Svyatoslav, Svyatopolk, Vyacheslav, Vsevolod, etc. The number of such names is small, and they had limited use, as a rule, only among people of the noble classes; and each branch of the Rurikovichs had their own set of similar names. Some of these names after the canonization of the Russian Orthodox Church their bearers are included among Christian names; others were forgotten for a long time and only in the 20th century re-entered the Russian nomenclature.

The pre-Christian period in the history of Russian names includes first borrowed names in Old Russian language. They are also associated with the Rurik dynasty: these are the names Oleg, Igor, Gleb, Olga and some others. All these names were borrowed from Scandinavian languages and, being names of the nobility, also had limited use.

Most of the Old Russian names gradually fell out of use under pressure from the church. Even in the families of the Rurik family, they gradually abandoned their traditional dynastic names in favor of Christian ones.
At baptism, Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich was given the name Vasily,
Olga - Elena (957)
The sons of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Boris and Gleb, respectively received the names Roman and David.
Prince Vsevolod - Gabriel.
The great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, Mstislav Rostislavovich, received the name Georgy.
However, only pre-Christian names have been preserved in history, which are still in use today.