Russian names of Jewish origin. What do Russian names mean: interpretation and history of origin

The history of the formation of Russian naming traditions

Old Russian anthroponymy initially consisted only of a personal name in the narrow sense; most of the names initially “repeated” common nouns (Wolf, Zhdan, Dobrynya).

Among the Old Russian names there were many borrowings from Finno-Ugric, Turkic and other languages. The first written monuments testify to the social divergence of anthroponymy: the names of the ruling elite stood out, among which were the names Scandinavian origin(Oleg, Olga, Igor), but those composed of two bases were especially characteristic; the chronicle directly calls them princely; as their second component, the most common are -slav, -mir (Svyatoslav, Mstislav, Vladimir; in republican Novgorod the mayors Tverdislav, Ostromir). The origin of this model remains controversial. Suffix names developed, for example, with -ilo (Tomilo, Tverdilo, Putilo), -yata (Gostyata, Putyata. Very few female names survived; a woman was more often called by her father’s name (the most famous heroine of the ancient Russian epic is Yaroslavna) or by her husband’s name ( Novgorod Zavizhaya, Polyuzhaya - the wives of Zavid, Polyuda), of the surviving female names - Krasava.

Christianity, borrowed by the Russians from Byzantium, brought names canonized by the Orthodox Church - these are the names of the “saints” of the first centuries of Christianity, originating from the languages ​​of the peoples of the Roman Empire; Among such names, there are especially many ancient Greek (Andrey, Alexander, Vasily, Elena, Irina), Latin (Sergei, Konstantin, Tatyana, Matryona), as well as names from the languages ​​of Western Asia - Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac. (Ivan, Thomas, Maria, Anna). Since such names came to Rus' through the Middle Greek language of Byzantium, they bore many of its characteristics (for example, Varvara, Lavrentiy, and not Barbara, Lavrentiy). Significant changes were made by the adaptation of foreign names into the Russian language: Greek and Latin formants were discarded (Nikolaos, Paulos were transformed into Nikolai, Pavel), sound combinations unusual for the Russian language were simplified (Akim, Ustinya instead of Joakim, Justinia). On the other hand, the invasion of a mass of anthroponyms-borrowings expanded the phonetic means of the Russian language, for example, contributed to the emergence of the sound “f”, previously unusual for it, from sounds very common in Greek names, transmitted in Greek by the letters “theta” (Fedor, Timofey, Thekla) and “fi” (Philip, Tryphon, Sophia). Over the centuries, the everyday forms of many names differed sharply from the canonical ones, which were used only by the church, for example (in each pair, the first form is everyday, the second is canonical): Avdotya - Evdokia, Aksinya - Ksenia, Arina - Irina, Akulina - Akilina, Egor - Georgy, Osip - Joseph, Tavrilo - Gabriel, even in literary language non-canonical forms “won”: Ivan, Matryona instead of John, Matrona.

For centuries, the church could not exterminate Russian names: a stubborn struggle lasted from the 10th to the 17th century. Although baptism became mandatory for all Russians, at which they gave a name (only from the list of Orthodox “saints”), in life they used non-church names for a long time. Thus, such names as Zhdan, Nezhdan, Istoma, Tomilo, and the feminine Milava are very common.

Even in the 15th-17th centuries, official documents are replete with non-church names, including Scoundrel, Fool, probably data for deception. evil spirits"; Even the monastery minister Constantine, the son of the Devil, and a priest with the pagan name Istoma are mentioned. IN in this regard The list of landowners of the Kineshma district in 1612 is indicative: Zhuk Sofonov, Tomilo Newcomer, Neporodko Osipov, Bessonko Frolov. In the scribe book of the Tula district of 1578, more than 18% of all landowners are recorded under non-church names.

Only at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, under Peter I, did the government manage to ban non-church names (later a few ones slipped through).

The fragmentation of Russian principalities into many small fiefs gave rise to the designation of princes by the names of the territories belonging to them (Shuisky, Kurbsky); these designations became generic names.

Russian anthroponymy of the 16th-17th centuries is sharply demarcated socially. The boyars were called in three terms: “ individual name(church or non-church) + full middle name(with -vich) + generic name"; each of the three components could be accompanied by a parallel one, for example, the branching of boyar clans was reflected in the family names: Velyaminov-Zernov, Velyaminov-Saburov; any of the three components could be supplemented by dedicacy. For the middle strata (landowners and rich merchants), the following naming formula prevailed: “individual name (church or non-church) + patronymic in the form of a short adjective in -ov(s), -it.

The creation of a large centralized state, the emergence of a large layer of servicemen with their land holdings determined the need for a surname-naming, designating all family members and passing on to subsequent generations. More often, the surname arose from a grandfather's name or from the father's second name, less often it had a different origin. By the end of the 17th century, surnames covered almost all nobles. The rest of the population was called an individual name with the obligatory derogatory formant -ka (Vaska, Anka), often with the addition of a designation of some characteristic (occupation, place of birth, a short possessive adjective from the father’s name). The complication of naming in order to clarify the identity of the one being called increased the discrepancy in naming. In the census of Yaroslavl, 30 different combinations of naming men were used; The picture of naming women is even more varied.
The reforms of Peter I, streamlining the entire state apparatus, also clarified and consolidated class anthroponymic norms: universal official obligation church name, tripartite names for the privileged, including patronymic names in -vin only for the highest ranks (at the end of the 18th century, this type of patronymic name was extended to all nobility).

TO mid-19th centuries, surnames completely covered the clergy, merchants, and commoners. Among state peasants (especially in the North and Siberia), surnames have been known since the 18th century (and some from the 17th century); the entire mass of serf peasants, who made up the majority of the country’s population, were not entitled to surnames; Although “street” surnames arose among serfs, they were not officially recognized or recorded, and for the most part they were not stable.

Only after the fall of serfdom were surnames given to almost everyone, but even later many documents did not recognize peasant surnames. The law establishing the obligatory surname for everyone, in Tsarist Russia did not have; Only administrative orders were in effect. Right up until the collapse of tsarism, it was never possible to achieve full coverage of the entire Russian population by surnames. The fugitives who were recorded in documents as “not remembering kinship” and numerous “illegitimate” were left without surnames.

Name as a sign of a social group

Isolated groups of the population had their own closed types of names, which served as a sign of belonging to a given group; they were completely different - thieves, monks, etc. Nicknames were especially widespread among young people - gymnasium, student. Writers, artists and other representatives creative intelligentsia often chose a pseudonym for themselves; he replaced the surname: A. M. Peshkov - the famous writer Maxim Gorky, K. S. Alekseev - the outstanding theatrical figure Stanislavsky.

The Soviet government abolished the obligation of church names. The population received the right to choose any names they wish. In the 20s, a stream of new names poured into Russian anthroponymy.

These were mainly:

1.names known among other nations (Eduard, Albert, Alla, Zhanna);

2.appellatives - foreign language borrowings (Avant-garde, Genius, Idea, Poem), even subject ones (Tractor);

3. abbreviations (Vladlen - Vladimir Lenin, Revmira - world revolution, even Pyatvchet - five-year plan in four years);

4. names taken for new, but in fact old, but almost forgotten (Oleg, Igor);

5. derivative names, close in form to common names (Oktyabrina, Svetlana);

6.diminutive names mistaken for full ones (Dima, Olya, Lena). Despite the huge number of new names, their frequency remained insignificant even in cities, and in the countryside it did not exceed 1%. The search was blind and led to many failures. In the mid-30s, the number of new names decreased (although some names continue to appear now); Only a few were vaccinated - Vladlen, Oktyabrina, Svetlana, Snezhana and some others.

A very compact name list of 40-50 male and 50-55 female names was established. Most of the names in it are the same, but the name book is not at all similar to either the pre-revolutionary one or the name book of the 30s - the most common names of the past have either fallen out of use or have become rare. In the cities, few people associate them with “saints”; In the village, the connection between names and the church calendar is still noticeable. Their etymological meanings are known to the population only in very rare cases. The concentration of names is enormous: in almost every locality, the 10 most common names cover 80% of newborns, both boys and girls. In 1960-1961, the most common names for boys were: in cities - Andrei, Sergei, Yuri, Igor, Oleg, Vladimir, in rural areas- Alexander, Sergey, Vladimir, Nikolay. The most common names of girls: in cities - Elena, Irina, Marina, Svetlana, Natalya, Olga, in rural areas - Tatyana, Valentina, Galina, Olga.
The composition of the full official name, historically developed among Russians, was for the first time fixed by law: “Fundamentals of the USSR Legislation on Marriage and Family” established the mandatory requirement of a three-term naming:

1. individual name (in the narrow sense),

2. middle name,

3. last name.

The right to choose a personal (individual) name for a newborn child belongs to the parents. In case of disagreement between parents, the issue is resolved by the guardianship and trusteeship authorities. The patronymic is assigned according to the father's name, and when a child is born out of wedlock, the patronymic is given at the direction of the mother. The child receives the parents' surname; if with parents different surnames, the parents give him the surname of his father or mother; if there is disagreement between them, the issue is resolved by the guardianship and trusteeship authorities.

Those entering into marriage may choose the surname of the bride or groom as their common surname, or may retain their previous separate surnames; It is not allowed to double both surnames in Russia. The three opportunities provided by Russian law in everyday life are still used very unevenly; new things are making their way only in large centers

Changing first names, patronymics, and last names is allowed only upon reaching 18 years of age and in the presence of compelling, valid reasons.

The full three-term naming is used only in the most important official acts, in special occasions, in voter lists, in legal documents. In all current official documentation, only the surname with the initials of the first name and patronymic is common.
In friendly or family relationships, derivative diminutive forms of individual names predominate: Volodya instead of Vladimir, Lena instead of Elena, which are unacceptable in other, more formal relationships. These diminutive forms often have an emotional and affectionate connotation (Volodenka, Lenochka) or a dismissive connotation (Volodenka, Lenka); the set of suffixes of such forms in Russian anthroponymy is extremely diverse, for example, from the male name Ivan there are more than a hundred derivative forms: Vanya, Vanechka, Vanyusya, Vanka, Vanyatka, Vanyukha, Vanyuk, Vanek, Ivash, Ivashka, Ivantey, Ivanitsa, Ivanets. In addition, in families and other close groups, especially among students, all kinds of nicknames are not uncommon - intimate, friendly, ironic, contemptuous or completely neutral; they are formed in different ways: from common nouns, by “remaking” a first or last name, based on a random set of sounds. Some writers or artists have pseudonyms.

Russian language belongs to the group of Slavic languages. However, many Russian names are not originally Russian in origin. They are borrowed from the Greek language along with Orthodox religion. Before this, Russians had names that reflected the various characteristics and qualities of people, their physical disabilities, and names that reflected the order of birth of children in the family. Such names as Wolf, Cat, Sparrow, Birch, Pervoy, Tretyak, Bolshoi, Menshoi, Zhdan were common. A reflection of these names is observed in modern Russian surnames Tretyakov, Nezhdanov, Menshov, etc.

With the introduction of Christianity in Rus', all the old names were gradually replaced by church names that came to Rus' from Byzantium. Among them, in addition to the Greek names themselves, there were ancient Roman, Hebrew, Syrian, Egyptian names, each of which in its own native language reflected a certain meaning, but when borrowed it was used only as a proper name, and not as a word denoting something.

By the 18th-19th centuries, Old Russian names had already been completely forgotten, and Christian names had largely changed their appearance, adapting to the peculiarities of Russian pronunciation. Thus, the name Diomede was transformed into the name Demid, Jeremiah - Eremey, etc.

After the October Socialist Revolution, names associated with the new ideology became widespread: Revmira (peace revolution), Diamara (dialectical materialism); names reflecting the first stages of industrialization: Electrina, Elevator, Diesel, Ram (revolution, electrification, mechanization); names read in foreign novels: Alfred, Rudolf, Arnold; names based on the names of flowers: Lily, Rose, Aster.

Since the 1930s, such names as Masha, Vladimir, Seryozha have become widespread again, i.e. the names closest to the Russian people are used. But this return to old names does not mean a return to all names church calendar, most of which remained unaccepted by the Russian nation.

Middle name is characteristic feature, which distinguishes the Russian system of anthroponymy from most modern European ones: in Europe it is represented only by others Eastern Slavs(Belarusians and Ukrainians), as well as Bulgarians and Icelanders (the latter have practically no surnames). The adaptation by Russians of names of other peoples is usually accompanied by one or another phonetic changes, and often by the appearance of a patronymic.

First names, patronymics and nicknames have been known since ancient times. At the same time, ancient sources do not always help to clearly distinguish between pre-Christian names (given from birth) and nicknames (acquired at a later age). Surnames appeared in Rus' quite late and, as a rule, they were formed from the names and nicknames of their ancestors. The first in the XIV-XV centuries. Princes and boyars acquired surnames. However, even in the 16th century. the inheritance of non-princely boyar families was very unstable. Then merchants and clergy began to acquire surnames. In the middle of the 19th century. , especially after the abolition of serfdom in the city, the names of peasants were formed. The process of acquiring surnames was basically completed by the 30s of the 20th century.

Nominal formula

Compound

There are the following traditionally used components of the Russian anthroponym, from which various models of naming a person can be formed:

• Name- a personal name given at birth, usually one, but in ancient times several names could be given. Diminutive (hypocoristic) name - an unofficial form of a name, formed from a personal name using certain suffixes or truncation (Maria - Masha - Masha - Manya - Musya, etc., Alexander - Sasha - Sashura - Shura - Sanya - Shurik - Iskander; Nikolai - Kolya - Kolyusik - Nika, etc.). In modern times, similar formations, bordering on nicknames, are also derived from surnames (Kislov - Kisly, Panov - Pan), which is a process historically reverse to the formation of surnames.
• Surname- patronymic, an indication of the father's name. Has the ending -(v)ich, -(v)na; in ancient times also -ov, -in similarly modern surnames(this is preserved in the Bulgarian language).
• Surname- inherited from generation to generation through the male line. Usually the original Russian surname ends in -ov/-ev (from the bases of the second declension: Petrov, Konev) or -in (from the bases of the first declension: Fomin, Koshkin); less often -y/-oh (Rozhdestvensky, Sadovskoy); -s (Petrovs); less typical for Russians (unlike other Eastern Slavs) are surnames with a zero ending (Beaver, Sparrow, etc.).
• Nickname- an individual name that is not given at birth and is associated with certain characteristic features or events. Ancient times are characterized by a very stable and almost official use of many nicknames (for example, Ivan Kalita, Vasily Esifovich Nos - Novgorod mayor), but even now nicknames are informally widely used, especially among youth social groups, where they can actually act as the main means of nominating a person.

Models

In its most complete form, the Russian name, like full names other peoples, is more often used in official documents and much less often in other situations. In Russia, for its citizens (not only ethnic Russians), these three elements of the anthroponym are required to be indicated in official documents.

The most widespread is the two-component naming model. It could be:

• first name + patronymic- is more often used in relation to adults and older people or when addressing a person with emphatic respect ( Vladimir Vladimirovich, Alla Borisovna).
• first name + last name- stereotypical form when referring to a person in the third person ( Vasily Kudryavtsev or Vasya Kudryavtsev, Tatyana Smirnova or Tanya Smirnova).
• name + nickname- often informal naming of a person ( Olga Ryzhaya, Zhora Khomyak).

In informal communication and in the family, a simple personal name is also often used, without any additions, or a diminutive name (hypokoristics). Addressing only by patronymic is colloquial (in this case, the patronymic is usually pronounced in a deliberately simplified form: Mikhalych, Sanych and so on.). Calling by last name only is common in schools, educational institutions(appeal from teachers to students) and paramilitary organizations and is often not pleasant for the owner of the surname. Also used as a method of roll call.

Personal name

The name given to a person at birth and by which he is known in society. IN ancient Rus' distinguished between canonical and non-canonical names.

In the pre-Christian era, that is, almost until the end of the 10th century. , among the Eastern Slavs (the ancestors of modern Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians) only personal names were used, which were given to children at birth.

Surname

The patronymic as part of the nominal formula performed a triple function: it complemented the name, distinguishing its owner (in addition to the surname) from the namesake, clarified the relationship within the family (father - son) and expressed respect (a form of politeness).

The first name and patronymic arose as a sign of respect, veneration of the worthy, first in relation to the princes (chronicles of the 11th century) - boyar Prince Yuri Alekseevich Dolgorukov, then to eminent boyars, nobles, and under Peter I, distinguished merchants; in the 19th century representatives of the upper strata of society acquired uniforms -vich. Middle names with “ev”, “ov”, “in” were given to merchants, and with “ets” - the youngest in the family. Along with this, there are entries: gunner Timoshka Kuzmin, son Strelkin, stayer Ivashka Grigoriev, walker Timoshka Ivanov. Forms like Grigoriev, Ivanov are not yet surnames. They are sometimes called "semi-patronymics" because they are neither Grigorievich nor Ivanovich. The poor, as a rule, did not have patronymics.

Patronymics formed from both Russian and non-Russian names were found in the most ancient Russian written monuments- Wed Burchevich, Berendeich (from Turkic family name Burchi and from the tribal name Berendey). During numerous censuses, it was necessary to record everyone “by name, fathers and nicknames.”

Historically, patronymics were divided into several categories. The slaves did not have it at all. Just noble people received a semi-patronymic name: Pyotr Osipov Vasiliev. As for the patronymic name in -ich, it became, as it were, a sign that the person wearing it belongs to the class, aristocratic elite. Thus, -ich stood out from the patronymic, ceased to be a suffix in full and began to be used independently, turning into a special term of privilege, birth of persons or classes. -ich began to be perceived as a title, as indicating the birth of the words “de” (in French), "von" (in German), "Van" (in Dutch). In accordance with this situation, it was possible to award -vich, which is what the Russian tsars did.

However, patronymic forms in -ov/-ev in the 19th century. were used only in clerical speech and in official documents. In unofficial situations, in everyday life, Russian people called each other by first names and patronymics in a form that is familiar to us now: the dignification of -ovich, -evich, -ovna, -evna, -ich, -inichna was not limited. Sometimes it was even used instead of a name (as sometimes now), when the speaker wanted to emphasize special respect for a person, to show a shade of affection, love.

Surname

Russian surnames are inherited official names that indicate a person’s belonging to a certain clan.

The surname, undoubtedly, was the main component of the nominal formula, since it served, in particular, for a clearer awareness of clan affiliation and its expression. As a rule, Russian surnames were single and passed down only through the male line (although there were exceptions).

Surnames were usually formed using suffixes from proper and common names, with the majority from possessive adjectives with the suffixes -ov (-ev), -in (Ivan - Ivanov, Sergei - Sergeev, Kuzma - Kuzmin, etc.).

In Rus', surnames were formed from the name of the ancestor and patronymic (Ivanov, Petrov); from a place or from an epithet at the place of residence of an ancestor (Zadorozhny, Zarechny); from the name of the city or locality from which the person came (Moskvitin, Tveritin, Permitin); from the profession, position of an ancestor (Sapozhnikov, Laptev, Prikazchikov, Bondar); from the order of birth of the ancestor (Tretyak, Shestak); from the ethnic origin of the ancestor (Khokhlov, Litvinov, Polyakov, Tatarinov, Moskalev). More often, surnames were based on the nickname or patronymic of some member of the family who distinguished himself in some way, moved to another area, became the owner of an estate or the head of a particularly large family.

In various social strata, surnames appeared in different time. The first in the XIV-XV centuries. Princes and boyars acquired surnames. Usually they were given by the names of their patrimonial possessions: Tverskoy, Zvenigorodsky, Vyazemsky. Among them there are many surnames of foreign, especially eastern origin, since many nobles came to serve the king from foreign lands. Ways of education noble families(surnames of ancient noble families and families that served the nobility with ranks after the introduction of the Table of Ranks) were diverse. A small group consisted of the names of ancient princely families, derived from the names of their reigns. Before late XIX V. from among such clans, which traced their origins to Rurik, five have survived: Mosalsky, Eletsky, Zvenigorod, Rostov (the latter usually had double surnames) and Vyazemsky. From the name of the estates came the surnames of Baryatinsky, Beloselsky, Volkonsky, Obolensky, Prozorovsky, Ukhtomsky and some others.

In the XVIII-XIX centuries. surnames began to appear among servicemen and merchants. They often reflected geographical concepts upon birth. The clergy began to acquire surnames only from the middle of the 18th century, usually derived from the names of parishes (Preobrazhensky, Nikolsky, Pokrovsky, etc.).

In the middle of the 19th century, especially after the abolition of serfdom in 1861, the surnames of peasants were formed (from the surnames of landowners, names settlements, nicknames, patronymics), and for some they appeared only in the 30s of the 20th century.

Nickname

Nicknames, unlike names, always reflect not desirable, but real properties and qualities, territorial or ethnic origin, place of residence of their bearers, and thus denote the special meaning that these properties and qualities had for others. Nicknames were given to people different periods their lives and were usually known to a fairly limited circle of people.

Nicknames and pagan Old Russian names should not be confused. But there is not always a clear distinction between them. This is due, in particular, to the custom of giving children names derived from ethnonyms, names of animals, plants, fabrics and other objects, “protective” names. Apparently, it was precisely these nicknames that he wrote about at the beginning of the 17th century. English traveler Richard James in his dictionary-diary:

However, in currently people can receive a semi-official nickname, or come up with one for themselves.

Sometimes the nickname is still used officially today, for example Alexander Pankratov-Bely and Alexander Pankratov-Cherny.

Literature

• Yu. A. Rylov Roman and Russian anthroponymy
• N. I. Sheiko Russian names and surnames
• V. P. Berkov 2005. Russian names, patronymics and surnames. Rules of use.
• N. I. Formanovskaya Sociocultural space of the Russian personal name and modern media
• N. M. Tupikov Dictionary of Old Russian proper names. St. Petersburg, 1903.
• A. V. Superanskaya Dictionary of Russian names
• M. Moroshkin Slavic name book or collection of Slavic personal names in alphabetical order. St. Petersburg, 1867.
• B. O. Unbegaun Russian surnames / Trans. from English / General ed. B. A. Uspensky. M., 1989; 2nd ed. 1995; same: Unbegaun B.O. Russian surnames. Oxford, 1972.

Footnotes

Links

• Tupikov N.M. Dictionary of Old Russian personal proper names. - M.: Russian way, 2004.
• Women's names, men's names. Complete Orthodox calendar.

Wikimedia Foundation.

2010. complex formula, in the history of which not everything is clear. How were names given in Rus', what is the phenomenon of “half-name”, and what were the real names of the Russian tsars? We'll figure out.

Nicknames

The tradition of giving names in Rus' developed in pre-Christian times. Any word associated with custom, habits, appearance, environment, could “stick” to a person and become his name. There were several thousand such nicknames, but no more than a hundred were in wide use. Conventionally, they can be divided into ten groups.

Here are some of them. Numerical names – First, Second, Tretiak. Associated with external signs - Chernyava, Belyak, Malyuta. With character traits - Molchan, Smeyana, Istoma. With wildlife - Bull, Pike, Oak. Or with crafts - Spoon, Blacksmith, Fur Coat. However, with age, such names could be replaced by others - more suitable for the person.

As a special category of nicknames, it is worth highlighting protective names. To avoid the harmful influence of evil spirits or other people, a person was often given a second name that everyone knew - Nekras, Zloba, Kriv. Such an unsightly name, according to legend, protected its bearer from the evil eye or damage.

After the appearance of Christian names in Rus', nicknames did not disappear, but became an addition to the main name. They were used both among low class and high-born people. As an example, we can name Alexander Nevsky, Simeon of Polotsk or Ivan Kalita.
Nicknames in Russia were in use until the 18th century, until they were completely banned by Peter I. However, from the 15th century, another process was actively gaining momentum, in which nicknames began to be transformed into surnames.

Direct name

In the XIV-XVI centuries in Russia, at birth, it was customary to give direct names in honor of the saint whose memory was celebrated on this day. Unlike the public Christian name, the direct name was usually used in a narrow circle of close and dear people. Thus, Vasily III bore the direct name Gabriel, and his son Ivan the Terrible - Titus.

Sometimes a paradoxical situation arose when siblings could be full namesakes - bear the same public and direct name. For example, senior and youngest sons Ivan the Terrible was publicly called Dmitry, and in a close circle - Uar.

Tradition direct name originates in the early genealogy of the Rurikovichs, when the Grand Dukes wore both pagan and christian name: Yaroslav-George (Wise) or Vladimir-Vasily (Monomakh).

Names of the Rurikovichs

In the Rurik dynasty there were two categories of names: Slavic two-basic ones - Yaropolk, Svyatoslav, Ostromir and Scandinavian ones - Olga, Gleb, Igor. Names were assigned a high status, and therefore they could belong exclusively to a grand ducal person. Only in the 14th century did such names come into general use.

It is interesting that the family name could not remain free: if the grandfather died, the newborn grandson was named after him, but the appearance of simultaneously living namesake brothers was not allowed in the pre-Mongol period.
Later, after the canonization of the bearers of both Slavic and Scandinavian names by the Russian Orthodox Church, such names began to be considered Christian, for example, Vladimir or Gleb.

Christianization of names

As Christianity strengthened in Rus', gradually Slavic names became a thing of the past. There were even special lists of prohibited names, in which a special ban was imposed on those that were associated with pagan religion, for example, Yarilo or Lada.

The Rurikovichs also had to gradually abandon dynastic preferences in favor of Christian names. Vladimir Svyatoslavovich was already given the name Vasily at baptism, and Princess Olga was given the name Elena. It is interesting that Vladimir’s sons Boris and Gleb, whose names were later canonized, were named Roman and David, respectively, at baptism.

With the spread of printing in Russia great importance I started to get used to writing names. A misspelled name could lead to charges of dishonor. However, by a royal decree of 1675 it was clarified that errors in the spelling of names due to ignorance of “the nature of those peoples in which one was born” are not a crime, and therefore “no judgment should be given or sought for this.”

Half names

The official use of half names in a diminutive and derogatory tone was common in Russia from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Often called that state criminals– Stenka Razin or Emelka Pugachev. It was also mandatory to use a half name when contacting higher authorities. So, for example, Gregory had to call himself “Grishka, the royal servant.” It is known that during the “political masquerade” - the abdication of Ivan the Terrible from the throne - the “former” tsar appeared as “Ivanets Vasilyev”.

Romanov names

During the reign of the Romanov dynasty, there were quite large chronological discrepancies between birthdays and namesakes - up to two months. This is due to the careful selection of the name of the saint, which was determined by genealogical and dynastic preferences.

During the “naming” itself, the Romanovs were primarily guided by the customs of their ancestors. Related to this, for example, was the ban on the names Peter and Paul after the murder of Peter III and Paul I. It was completely natural to give names in honor of older relatives. Following this rule, Nicholas I named his four sons with the same names and in the same order as his father Paul I.
The renewal of the Romanov name book occurs under Catherine II. She introduces new names into the dynastic succession, naming her grandchildren Nicholas (in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker), Constantine (in honor of Constantine the Great) and Alexander (in honor of Alexander Nevsky). True, over time, as the Romanov tree grows, half-forgotten dynastic names appear - Nikita, Olga, and even those absent from the calendar - Rostislav.

"Ivan, who does not remember kinship"

The name Ivan has practically become a household name for Russian people, and for good reason: until 1917, every fourth peasant in the world bore this name. Russian Empire. Moreover, undocumented tramps who fell into the hands of the police often called themselves Ivans, which gave rise to stable expression"Ivan, who does not remember kinship."

For a long time, the name Ivan, which is of Jewish origin, did not apply to ruling dynasty, however, starting with Ivan I (Kalita), four sovereigns from the Rurik family are called by it. The Romanovs also use this name, but after the death of Ivan VI in 1764, it was banned.

Paternal succession

The use of a patronymic as part of a family name in Rus' is a confirmation of a person’s connections with his father. Noble and ordinary people called themselves, for example, “Mikhail, Petrov’s son.” It was considered a special privilege to add the ending “-ich” to the patronymic, which was allowed to people of high origin. This is how the Rurikovichs were called, for example, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich.

In the “table of ranks” under Peter I, and then in the “official list” under Catherine II, various forms of ending patronymics (for example, “-ovich” or “-ov”) were strictly established, depending on a person’s belonging to a certain class.

Since the 19th century, the nascent intelligentsia began to use the patronymic name, and after the abolition of serfdom, the peasantry was also allowed to use it. The life of a modern person is no longer conceivable without a patronymic, and this is not only the strength of tradition - the official respectful form of address, but also a practical necessity - distinguishing between people who have same name and last name.

), as well as among Bulgarians, Greeks and Icelanders (the latter have practically no surnames). The adaptation by Russians of names of other peoples is usually accompanied by one or another phonetic changes, and often by the appearance of a patronymic.

First names, patronymics and nicknames have been known since ancient times. At the same time, ancient sources do not always help to clearly distinguish between pre-Christian names (given from birth) and nicknames (acquired at a later age). Surnames appeared in Rus' quite late and, as a rule, they were formed from the names and nicknames of their ancestors. The first in the XIV-XV centuries. Princes and boyars acquired surnames. However, even in the 16th century, the inheritance of non-princely boyar families was very unstable. Then merchants and clergy began to acquire surnames. In the middle of the 19th century, especially after the abolition of serfdom in the city, peasant surnames were formed. The process of acquiring surnames was basically completed by the 30s of the 20th century.

Nominal formula

Compound

There are the following traditionally used components of the Russian anthroponym, from which various models of naming a person can be formed:

• Name- a personal name given at birth, usually one, but in ancient times several names could be given. Diminutive (hypocoristic) name - an unofficial form of a name, formed from a personal name using certain suffixes or truncation (Maria - Masha - Masha - Manya - Musya, etc., Alexander - Sasha - Sashka - Shura - Sanya - Shurik - Sanyok; Nikolai - Kolya - Kolyusik - Kolyan, etc.). In modern times, similar formations, bordering on nicknames, are also derived from surnames (Kislov - Kisly, Panov - Pan), which is a process historically reverse to the formation of surnames.
• Surname- patronymic, an indication of the father's name. Has the ending -(v)ich, -(v)na; in ancient times, also -ov, -in, similar to modern surnames (this has been preserved in the Bulgarian language).
• Surname- inherited from generation to generation through the male line (or through the female line). Usually, the original Russian surname ends in -ov/-ev/-ev (from the bases of the second declension: Petrov, Konev, Zhuravlev) or -in/-yn (from the bases of the first declension: Fomin, Sinitsyn); -sky/-tsky (Rozhdestvensky, Vysotsky); -oh (Tolstoy, Yarovoy, Lanovoy); less often - them/-s (Russians, Petrovs); less typical for Russians (unlike other Eastern Slavs) are surnames with a zero ending (Beaver, Sparrow, etc.).
• Nickname- an individual name that is not given at birth and is associated with certain characteristic features or events. Ancient times are characterized by a very stable and almost official use of many nicknames (for example, Ivan Kalita, Vasily Esifovich Nos - Novgorod mayor), but even now nicknames are informally widely used, especially in youth social groups, where they can actually act as the main means of nominating a person.

Models

In its most complete form (full name), the Russian name, like the full names of other peoples, is not used in oral speech, but is used in official documents. In Russia, for its citizens (not only ethnic Russians), these three elements of the anthroponym are required to be indicated in official documents. For residents, the patronymic name is not indicated (if there is none), but in the column Name both personal and middle names are indicated. In most cases, a two-component model is used. Different forms show different degrees of respect when communicating:

The previous options refer to people you know (excluding pseudonyms, e.g. Dima Bilan, Natasha Koroleva). The following are most often used when we're talking about about third parties:

• first name + nickname + last name- American version, popularized by the Comedy Club show and the way of writing the nickname on VKontakte ( Timur Kashtan Batrudinov, Dmitry Goblin Puchkov)
• first name + patronymic + last name- respectfully names a person who has not been mentioned before (for example, introduces him to the audience) ( Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, Sergei Yurievich Belyakov)
• surname + first name + patronymic- similar to the previous version, but sounds more official and is used mainly in official documents and alphabetical lists(for example, telephone directories or encyclopedias)

Personal name

The name given to a person at birth and by which he is known in society. In ancient Rus', canonical and non-canonical names were distinguished.

In the pre-Christian era, that is, almost until the end of the 10th century, among the Eastern Slavs (the ancestors of modern Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians) only personal names were used, which were given to children at birth.

Correct naming was given great importance. Spelling "someone's name or nickname" incorrectly or in a derogatory manner could result in a charge of causing "dishonor." In 1675, a royal decree clarified that an error in the spelling of names due to ignorance of “the nature of those peoples in which one was born” is not a crime, and therefore “trials should not be given or sought for this,” but the offenders could not avoid punishment: for this they were subjected to “trade execution”.

Surname

The patronymic as part of the nominal formula performed a triple function: it complemented the name, distinguishing its owner (in addition to the surname) from the namesake, clarified the relationship within the family (father - son) and expressed respect (a form of politeness).

The first name and patronymic arose as a sign of respect, veneration of the worthy; first in relation to princes (in chronicles from the 11th century), then to eminent boyars, nobles, and under Peter I - distinguished merchants. In the 19th century, representatives of the upper strata of society acquired uniforms -vich. Middle names with “ev”, “ov”, “in” were given to merchants, and “ets” was given to the youngest in the family. Along with this, there are entries like: “gunner Timoshka Kuzmin son Strelkin”, “sidekick Ivashka Grigoriev”, “walking Timoshka Ivanov”; where are the forms Grigoriev And Ivanov- not yet surnames (so-called half-patronymic).

Patronymic names formed from both Russian and non-Russian names were found in the oldest Russian written monuments - cf. Burchevich." During numerous population censuses, it was necessary to record everyone “by name, fathers and nicknames.”

Historically, patronymics were divided into several categories. The slaves did not have it at all. Simply, noble people received a semi-patronymic name: “Peter Osipov Vasiliev.” As for the patronymic name in -ich, it became, as it were, a sign that the person wearing it belonged to the class, aristocratic elite. Thus, -ich stood out from the patronymic, ceased to be a suffix in full and began to be used independently, turning into a special term of privilege, birth of persons or classes. -ich began to be perceived as a title, as indicating the birth of the words “de” (in French), “von” (in German), “van” (in Dutch). In accordance with this situation, it was possible to award -vich, which is what the Russian tsars did.

Starting from the reign of Peter I - Count, "Patronymic" becomes mandatory in all documents.

However, patronymic forms in -ov/-ev in the 19th century were used only in clerical speech and in official documents. In unofficial situations, in everyday life, Russian people called each other by first names and patronymics in a form that is familiar to us now: dignification with -ovich, -evich, -ovna, -evna, -ych, -ich, -inichna not limited. Sometimes it was even used instead of a name (as sometimes now), when the speaker wanted to emphasize special respect for a person, to show a shade of affection, love.

An archaic feature that persists to this day is patronymics formed by directly adding the suffix -ych/-ich ( Silych, Titych etc.). The same form is present in the colloquial simplified version ( Nikolaich, Mikhalych). Similarly, in a conversational version they can simplify female middle names: Nikolavna, And bath (Mary Ivanna).

Surname

Russian surnames are inherited official names indicating a person’s belonging to a certain clan.

The surname, undoubtedly, was the main component of the nominal formula, since it served, in particular, for a clearer awareness of clan affiliation and its expression. As a rule, Russian surnames were single and passed down only through the male line (although there were exceptions).

Surnames were usually formed using suffixes from proper and common nouns, with the majority from possessive adjectives with the suffixes -ov (-ev, -ev), -in (Ivan - Ivanov, Sergey - Sergeev, Kuzma - Kuzmin and so on.).

In Rus', surnames were formed from the name of the ancestor and patronymic (Ivanov, Petrov); from a place or from an epithet at the place of residence of an ancestor ( Zadorozhny, Zarechny); from the name of the city or locality from which the person came ( Moskvitin, Tveritin, Permitin); from the occupation or position of the ancestor ( Sapozhnikov, Laptev, Clerks, Bondarev); from the birth order of the ancestor ( Druzhinin , Tretyakov, Shestakov); from the ethnic origin of the ancestor ( Khokhlov, Litvinov, Polyakov, Tatarinov, Moskalev). Most often, surnames were based on the nickname or patronymic of some member of the clan who distinguished himself in some way, moved to another area, became the owner of an estate or the head of a particularly large family.

In different social strata, surnames appeared at different times. Princes and boyars were the first to acquire surnames in the 14th and 15th centuries. They were usually given by the names of their patrimonial possessions: Tverskaya, Zvenigorodsky, Vyazemsky. Among them there are many surnames of foreign, especially eastern origin, since many nobles came to serve the king from foreign lands. The methods of forming noble families (surnames of ancient noble families and families that served the nobility with ranks after the introduction of the Table of Ranks) were diverse. A small group consisted of the names of ancient princely families, derived from the names of their reigns. Until the end of the 19th century, of the number of such clans that traced their origins to Rurik, five survived: Mosalsky, Eletsky, Zvenigorod, Rostov (the latter usually had double surnames) and Vyazemsky. From the name of the estates came the surnames of Baryatinsky, Beloselsky, Volkonsky, Obolensky, Prozorovsky, Ukhtomsky and some others.

IN XVIII-XIX centuries surnames began to appear among servicemen and merchants. They often reflected geographical concepts based on the fact of birth. The clergy began to acquire surnames only from the middle of the 18th century, usually derived from the names of parishes ( Preobrazhensky, Nikolsky, Pokrovsky and so on.).

However, even now people can get a semi-official nickname, or come up with one for themselves.

Sometimes the nickname is still used officially today, becoming a surname (for example, Alexander Pankratov-Bely and Alexander Pankratov-Cherny).

see also

Literature

• Bondaletov V.D. Russian name book, its composition, statistical structure and features of change (male and female names) / V. D. Bondaletov // Onomastics and norm. - M.: Nauka, 1976. - P. 12-46.
• Yu. A. Rylov. Roman and Russian anthroponymy
• N. I. Sheiko. Russian names and surnames
• V. P. Berkov. 2005. Russian names, patronymics and surnames. Rules of use.
• N. I. Formanovskaya. Sociocultural space of the Russian personal name and modern media.
• N. M. Tupikov.// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• N. M. Tupikov. Dictionary of Old Russian proper names. - St. Petersburg, 1903.
• A. V. Superanskaya. Dictionary of Russian names.
• M. Moroshkin. Slavic name book or collection of Slavic personal names in alphabetical order. - St. Petersburg, 1867.
• B. O. Unbegaun. Russian surnames / Transl. from English / General ed. B. A. Uspensky. - M., 1989; 2nd ed. 1995; the same: Unbegaun B. O. Russian surnames. Oxford, 1972.

"REAL RUSSIAN" NAMES

V. Fainberg

Soviet Jews had some problems with personal names (and for those who remained in the CIS, they continue to this day). Not very big, there were also more serious ones - but still...

Really, what to name the child? Traditional names like Sarah and Abram, which have been used for millennia, began to sound “off topic”, or rather, sound like teasers. I had to adapt to Russian names, but this was not easy either. They did not always combine successfully with the biblical patronymic and treacherous surname.

However, as always, the Jews adapted. They began to prefer generally accepted names, therefore, “Russian”, “like everyone else”, but at the same time not quite, with a slight touch of foreignness: Albert, Mark, Arkady, Eduard, Zhanna, Ella... Or they resorted to sometimes to a small acoustic deception: the child was named Misha instead of Moshe, Boris instead of Baruch, Rita instead of Rivka... Ordinary Russian names. And at the same time - almost Jewish. No problem.

But what are ordinary Russian names? Let's not engage in onomastics, just remember known facts.

In most cases, Russian names originate from the Greek language (Nicholas - “winner”, Vasily - “tsar”, etc.) or - much less often - from Latin (Valentin - “strong”, Innocent - “innocent”). Russians have so few truly Slavic names that they can be counted on one hand: Vladimir, Svetlana, Lyudmila, all kinds of “glories” - Svyatoslav, Yaroslav, etc. That’s probably all. Slavic origin other names are already doubtful. Oleg (Olga), Gleb, Igor probably came to Russia along with the Varangians. Vadim (“the last Russian Slav,” as Lermontov says) is a Persian name.

The non-Russian origin of Russian names is quite understandable: children were named by the church at baptism, religion came to Rus' from the Greeks, and, of course, the previous, “pagan” names were eradicated and replaced by Philippi and Alexander. Over time, the alien names have become so Russified that no one now thinks about their origin and meaning.

Among the many names currently used in Russia, we single out “real Russians.” In our minds, these are names coming from the outback, from the depths, homespun, simple, Orthodox, folk, not spoiled by fashion, education and foreignness, those that were worn, for example, by the characters in Ostrovsky’s plays: Avdey, Agey, Savely, Ivan, Gavrila ... Let's take a closer look at them.

Gave names Orthodox Church- It's right. But she named her children in honor of the ancient biblical righteous people or saints and martyrs. And these saints, in turn, often received names, again, in honor of biblical heroes and prophets. The latter, as one might guess, were Jews, and therefore Jewish names penetrated the Russian (and, of course, not only Russian) language and firmly entrenched themselves there. Russia accepted some of them almost without changes, while others are not always easy to recognize: first they were changed into the Greek style, then into the Slavic one. However, if you look closely, you can guess the prophet Jeremiah in Erem, and it is much easier to identify Isaiah in Isaiah.

Due to the dissimilarity of languages ​​and imperfect translation, biblical names often sound in Greek, and then in Russian, differently than in Hebrew.

The sound “b” usually turns into “v” (Bartholomew, Benjamin); however, in Hebrew there is the same alternation of sounds. The sound “x”, conveyed by the letters “het” and “hey”, in the Greek-Russian version disappears completely or (as sometimes in Hebrew) is conveyed by the sound “a” (“ya”). So, instead of the prophet Eliyahu, Elijah the prophet appears. "F" sometimes turns into "t" or "v". The Greeks did not know how to pronounce the sounds “sh” and “ts”, so instead of Moshe they said Moses, instead of Shlomo - Solomon.

For the same reason, the Russians used Susanna instead of Shoshana (in other languages ​​- Suzanna). In Hebrew, this name comes from the word “shesh” - six (it also found its way into the Russian language) and means a lovely, pure, white six-petalled lily. When I was studying at the institute, there was a girl in our group with this name, and she was very ashamed of it... With the beginning of emancipation, Jews began to replace the lily with the “international” sounding Rose; that's why this name was so common somewhere in Odessa.

Now we understand how the name Elisha (“salvation in God”) turned into the Russian Elisha, familiar to everyone from Pushkin’s fairy tale about dead princess and seven heroes.

Here, by the way, let’s talk about the combination of letters “el”, which is often found both at the beginning and at the end of the name. It means "God". For example, Raphael is “God’s healing.” In the Russian-Greek tradition, the ending “el” sounds like “il”: Michael (“who is like God”; the name Micah has the same meaning), Gabriel (i.e. Gabriel), etc. The latter has at its root the word “Gever” is a “man” and means “man of God.” So the famous lines “Gavrila served as a baker, Gavrila baked rolls” clearly do not suit this name.

The name Daniel (Danila) - “the judge of God” (the word “dan” means “judged”) belongs to the same group. Bible scholars remember how Daniel masterfully judged the incident with Susanna (Shoshana) and the elders, which became the subject of paintings by many first-class painters, including Russians (a rare case when biblical story gives an excuse to depict nudes female body). Lazarus also belongs to the “el” family (Eliazar - “helping God”).

The unpronounceable name of God is also conveyed by the letter “Hey,” which is sometimes preceded by the letter “Yud.” In Russian, these letters are really not pronounced or they sound like the ending “iya” or “ya”: Zechariah (Zakhar) - “remembering God”, Jeremiah (Eremey) - “exalted by God” (the letters “r” and “m” make up the root of the word “to raise”; for example, “frame” is “height”). The name Isaiah (Isaiah) means “God’s salvation” (does Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn know about this?), and Avdey means “God’s servant” (in Hebrew he corresponds to the name Obadia). "Awad" is a slave; It is related to the word “avodah” - work; However, who in Israel does not know this word?

As they say, where Avdey is, Matvey is there. What does Matvey have in common with scrambled eggs? Nothing. The proverb says so directly: “Don’t confuse God’s gift with scrambled eggs.” Matthew is called Matthew in Greek (for example, “Gospel of Matthew”). The "F" in Matthew is not "f" but "phyta", which in Greek is called "thet" and sounds like "t". Add to this the indirect designation of the name of God “x”, and we get “Matateyahu” - “God’s gift”. The famous historian Joseph ben Matateyahu, recorded in Roman metrics as Josephus Flavius, would have been listed simply as Joseph Matveevich in a Soviet passport.

The outstanding artist of the 17th century Nikitin, who created the world-famous frescoes in the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Yaroslavl, bore the name Gury. The name is quite common. The most popular vaudeville in Russia is called “Lev Gurych Sinichkin”. We’ll talk about Leo later, and Gury means “puppy” or “lion cub” in Hebrew. It turns out that Lev Gurych is “a lion - the son of a lion cub.” As if sensing this absurdity, the Leningrad Comedy Theater, led by the wonderful director Akimov, created the vaudeville turnabout “Gury Lvovich Sinichkin.”

By the way, Akim (Joachim) is also a Hebrew name meaning “placed by God” (“kam” - stand up). However, not all names contain the designation of God. For example, the name Agey has as its root “khag” - holiday, and the name Amos (this is also now found more often in the form of the surname Amosov) - “heavy”. Another popular Russian name (and an even more common surname) is Nazar: “detached, abstemious.” The Hebrew words “minzar” - monastery, “nazir” - monk, etc., belong to the same root.

It is easy for those who know at least a little Hebrew to understand that the name Savely comes from the word “saval” - “to endure, to suffer.” And you don’t need to know Hebrew at all to guess that Savvatey is simply “Sabbath.” The hero of Russian epics, the legendary Sadko, also bore a Jewish name. After all, Sadko is a Slavic form of the name Sadok, related to the word “tzaddik” (“righteous man”). The name Benjamin (Benjamin) naturally means “son of the right hand”, Semyon (Shimon) - “heard”, Ephraim (Ephraim) - “fruitful”, Jonah - “dove”, Babyla - “mixing” (the name has the same meaning city ​​in which the legendary “Babylonian pandemonium” took place).

The name Samson, or Sampson, has gone out of fashion now, but previously it was very common, and even now it is often found as a surname. In St. Petersburg there is Sampsonievsky Avenue, named after the ancient Sampsonievsky Church. A Russian is buried in her yard statesman Artemy Volynsky, executed under Empress Anna. Then Sampsonievsky Avenue was crossed into Karl Marx Avenue, and now it has become Sampsonievsky again.

Samson (Shimshon) is a very ancient name, perhaps still pagan, and it means “sunny.” The main, largest and most famous fountain of Peterhof, built by order of Peter the Great, is a sculptural group “Samson tearing the mouth of a lion”. It symbolizes Russia's victory over Sweden in Northern War, which gave the Russians access to Baltic Sea. This is probably the only monument in the world to the legendary Jewish strongman. Could anyone have thought that the hero of the wars against the Philistines would become a symbol of Russia?

If I were a member of some nationalist Russian partnership, this article would not have made me happy. Fortunately (I would think) there are at least one truly Russian name, the embodiment of Russia and Russianness. This name was borne by both “the founder of a great power, the Tsar of Moscow Ivan Kalita” (Korzhavin), and Ivan the Terrible, popularly nicknamed the Fourth for his violent temper (as historian Mark Petrov joked). Ivanushka the Fool, Vanka-Vstanka, Ivan, who does not remember his kinship, Midsummer Night, shouting to the whole of Ivanovskaya, Russian Ivan... How many associations!

But John (Johanan) is a classic Hebrew name. It is based on the root “han” (“hen”), meaning “good, joy,” and it itself is translated as “ God's grace"(the same root and the same meaning for the name Ananiy and the surname derived from it, very common in Russia).

The name Ivan (like many other Jewish names) entered all European languages ​​in the form John, Jean, Juan, Johann, etc. Remember how Kozma Prutkov featured (of course, in an ironic context) the philosopher “Ivan-Yakov de Rousseau” "?

By the way, “Yakov” means “heel, footprint.” Jacob, as we know, was the twin of Esau, with whom he had a dispute over the birthright. He was supposed to be born first, his heel had already appeared, but then it disappeared, and Esau was the first to emerge from the womb, and Jacob “followed” him. Here are two explanations for this name.

Ivan reminds us that it's time to move on to female names. What does Ivan have to do with it? Communication is very simple. The name Jochanan has a female equivalent - Hana (with the same translation). Hana is the Russian Anna. In Ukraine and Poland, this name retained a form closer to Hebrew - Ganna. I wonder if the great friend of the Jews, Gogol, thought about this when he gave this name to the clear-eyed heroine of “May Night”?

Anna, as you know, was the mother of the Virgin Mary (Miriam). Also not the rarest Russian name. It probably means “madam.” Mary's friend was Elizabeth (Elisheva - “who worships God”), the mother of John the Baptist. Thousands of years later, another Elizabeth replaced another Anna on the Russian throne...

However, there are not so many female names in the Bible - hundreds of times fewer than male ones. This is quite understandable: great book was primarily interested in the head of the clan and his deeds; the rest of the household was mentioned, as a rule, in passing, in the form of a formula like “and his cattle, and his children, and his wives.”

True, there are Sarah, Ruth (Ruth), and Esther in the Russian calendar, but they did not take root in Russian soil, although often found in the West. To the above names we can only add Tamara (“palm tree”), who came from Hebrew to Russia through Georgia, the previously mentioned Susanna, Seraphim (“fiery”) and, perhaps, Paradise.

And finally, one more interesting detail. Jewish names sometimes passed into Greek and Latin, and from there into the Russian language, not only in explicit, but also in hidden, translated form. For example, everyone knows the original Russian, but in fact Greek, name Fedot. It means " God given" There is indeed a Russian equivalent of this name, accurately translated from Greek - Bogdan. However, “Fedot” is also a translation from Hebrew of the name “Netanyahu.” It is found in Russia (mainly among Jews) in its original form “Nathan”. It’s really Fedot, but not the same one!

In the same way, Makar is a translation into Greek name Baruch - "blessed." In Latin, this name takes the form Benedict (Benedict). The name Chaim (“life”) sounds in Latin (and in Russian) like Vitaly, etc. It is possible that the name “Lion”, common among Jews, is a translation of the popular name Aryeh in Hebrew.

IN European languages There is a saying “Change Saul to Paul.” Its meaning is approximately this: there is no reason to call the same thing by different names, to exchange an awl for soap. The saying is based on the fact that the once Roman Jew commander Saul (Saul), having converted to Christianity, took for himself a new humble Latin name Paulus (“small, insignificant”); he later became the famous Apostle Paul.

But should other Jews change the names of their children from Saul to Paul? Really, Jewish names are no worse than others. And much older. But if, nevertheless, a resident of Moscow or Ryazan “Israel Finkelstein” wants to give his son a real Russian name, let him first carefully read this article.