Forgotten male Slavic names and their meanings. Native, ancient Slavic names

The split of the church in Rus' occurred in the middle XVII century when, on the initiative of Patriarch Nikon, a church reform with the aim of bringing the Russians religious ceremonies in accordance with Greek Orthodox traditions. But not everyone accepted the innovations, which gave rise to the Old Believers. The Old Believers still live by their own laws, in particular, they give their children special names.

What names did the Old Believers give?

In the article “On proper names in Russian confessional groups,” Dr. philological sciences, chief researcher at the Institute of Linguistics of the USSR Academy of Sciences/RAS Nikitina notes: “Intra-confessional and territorial variants of the Old Believer culture use spontaneously formed name books - a set of the most common names in a given local culture, but the common basis of all local name books is the Old Believer calendar.”

So, names were given strictly according to the calendar: for boys within the first eight days, for girls within eight days before or after the date of birth. Therefore, many Old Believers bore names that were rare and almost forgotten in our time, for example: Macarius, Procopius, Savvatiy, Fevrusa, Ulita, Ermilus, Glyceria, Kallistratus, Cornilus, Sekletinya, Hermogenes, Fotinya. Moreover, one family could have several children with same names– this was not forbidden.

Canonical and non-canonical forms

Ethnographer A.I. Nazarov in his work “Name Book of Old Believers-Priests of the Land of the Ural Cossack Army” draws attention to the fact that in the metric books of Old Believer settlements there are both canonical and non-canonical spellings of individual names. The latter, for example, include such as Aftanom, Anton, Gavrila, Efimy, Mikhaila, Stepan, Fokiy; Nastasya, Anisya, Daria, Arina, Ustina.

“Some names in the registry book for 1833 were found only in a non-canonical form,” the researcher reports, “for example, the male names Avinaliy, Anisim, Anufriy, Arefiy, Kirila (Kirilla), female names Alimpiada (Elympiyada), Uliyana (Ulyana), Uliyaniya (Ulyaniya). They correspond to the canonical forms Uvenalia, Onesimus, Onuphrius, Arefa, Cyril; Olympiad, Juliana, Juliana."

It is interesting that, according to the Old Believer canons, the name Nikolai is found only in the form Nikola, which existed before the so-called book right in the second half of the 17th century. According to sources, Archpriest Avvakum said on this matter: “Among the Germans there was Nikolai, and under the apostles the heretic was Nikolai, and among the saints there is no Nikolai anywhere.”

How have traditions changed?

According to S.E. Nikitina, although in the Old Believer environment there were often common names - Ivan, Maria, Peter, Anna, Vasily, Tatyana, Pavel, Natalya, along with them there were also less common ones in use - Savely, Evdokia, Karp, Efrosinya, Savvaty, Praskovya, Ulyana, Matryona, Pelageya, Akulina, Fedora, Mavra. Moreover, this happened already in the post-revolutionary period, as evidenced by documentation stored in the village councils of some Old Believer villages in the Urals and Siberia.

Sometimes young people changed their names without permission: for example, Fedora became Faina, Akulina - Lina, Pelageya - Polina, Fotinya - Svetlana (translation from Greek). Adherents of the old faith condemned such behavior: “The name cannot be changed without meaning: it was given according to the book (that is, according to the calendar) and has been tested for centuries.”

Only in the 60s of the twentieth century did the Old Believers begin to call their children names that are more traditional for us, although also available in the calendar - Andrei, Sergei, Anatoly, Ekaterina, Valentina, Galina.

Today, “Old Believers” names are found mainly among people from the Urals and Siberia, as well as among the descendants of Old Believers who emigrated to the West after the revolution. Moreover, S.E. Nikitina notes: “The Old Believer names among Old Believers in America are also striking in their unusualness. Here, for example, are male names: Abraham, Onufriy, Lavren, Nestor, Cyprian - diminutives are not formed from them. Such female names as Minadora and Theoktista also do not have diminutive forms. Those that have them do not always coincide with those familiar to us: Praskovya - Pana, Clement - Mitka, Evdokia - Keya (from the variant of Evdokey), Fetinya - Feta. IN Lately“American” names appear as diminutives: Sam (from Samuel), Sally (from Salome, Russian version - Solonka), etc.”

Before the advent of Christianity in Rus', there were male names that reflected the qualities of people, their various properties, for example, speech characteristics or physical disabilities. Also, Slavic male names reflected the attitude of parents towards children or the order of their appearance in the family. All this was expressed directly common nouns or figuratively, in comparison with animals, plants, etc. The child could be named Wolf, Cat, Sparrow, Pea, Birch, Ryaby, Buyan, First, Tretyak, Bolshoi, Malenshiy, Zhdan, Nezhdanny. Subsequently, these male names were reborn into modern surnames Nezhdanov, Tretyakov, Volkov, etc.

After Christianity was introduced in Rus', such male names () were gradually replaced by church names that came from Byzantium. Among them there were not only Greek, but also ancient Roman names, and Hebrew, and Syrian, and Egyptian. Each of them has his own native language had a certain meaning, but in Rus' they became proper names, not denoting anything else. So, once upon a time in Byzantium the best Greek names and names that were used in neighboring countries were collected. All of them were canonized, that is, officially legitimized, becoming church names.

Brought to Russian soil, church male names did not immediately replace the old ones. The fact that new names gradually entered Russian life is evidenced by the fact that until the 17th century, Russians, along with church Christian names, also gave worldly names, which were more familiar and understandable. It was they who eventually turned into nicknames. Ancient chronicles contain rather complex names of people, sometimes compound ones: “Fedot Ofonasyev’s son, nicknamed Cucumber,” “Alexey, nicknamed Budil, Semyonov’s son,” “Ostashko, nicknamed Pervushka,” “boyar Theodore, called Doroga.”

Old Russian names gradually fell into oblivion, and by the 18th-19th centuries. Only Christian male names remained. However, they too have undergone changes, succumbing to the influence of the peculiarities of Russian pronunciation, word formation and inflection. So Diomede became Demid, Jeremiah became Eremey, Ioannikios became Aniceus, etc. A number of names even began to be used in two versions - church and civil. Church male names resembled the Greek original, while civil or folk names were more adapted to Russian pronunciation. So Sergius became Sergei, Agapius - Agap, Elijah - Elijah, Zachary (Zacharia) - Zakhar.

Let's see list of the most popular male names, and also find out their meanings. We hope that from the list presented you will find the most suitable name for your boy.

Every name once invented by people carries a meaning. Old Russian female names are distinguished by their beauty and uniqueness, because they appeared in different periods long-suffering story Ancient Rus'. The wealth of female names has appealed to modern parents, and many girls already have beautiful old names. Melody and deep meaning attract not only Russians, but also other peoples.

It is impossible to find out the origin of absolutely all ancient names, but research does not stop. Names are a source of history and traditions; with their help you can learn about the life of your ancestors, their views, and look at the world through their eyes. Names help contemporaries know how their ancestors treated people.

It is even more difficult to research Old Russian female names, because they usually had several meanings and interpretations. U different regions one name could mean different phenomena and things. Therefore, today there are several versions of one name.

Names and traditions

In the old days, children were called by names that characterized their habits or appearance. This was an ancient tradition, because people have long believed that the name contains a fateful code. This is how the girls’ names appeared: Krasava and Razumnitsa.

It is worth noting that such a tradition was not only among the Slavs. The Indians and Chinese also named children according to traditions. In India they gave characteristic names, like Ayashi (small), Evoti (great). The Chinese tried to give the child terrible name, because they believed that bad spirits could covet a beloved child, and if they named him almost offensively, the spirits would think that they did not love this child. This was more true for boys, although girls were sometimes given strange names.

The Slavs gave great importance family and occupation, some names are even associated with the sequence of birth of children. So Lydia will mean “first”. The name Pervusha was popular.

The Slavs believed that the name is the key to inner world and gave the girls two names. This is how the tradition of choosing a name for people and for the family arose. The first was told to everyone, and the second was known only to those closest to them, and it kept a secret good meaning. The first was usually ugly and repulsive, but it made it possible to protect the true from bad tongues.

The second name was given only at a certain age, when the teenager showed character. However, the tradition did not take root - usually the girl was as her first name characterized her. The second name, due to not being used, lost its meaning.

Church calendars

After the adoption of Christianity, names were entered into church calendars, and as if they were giving the child to the protection of a guardian angel. As you know, not all Slavs willingly accepted the customs of Christianity, therefore for a long time children, in parallel with Christian names, were given old pagan nicknames. Later, many of them became modern surnames.

However, the pressure of Christianity was great. Closer to the 17th century, many Old Russian female names went out of use. They were replaced by the names of states that spread Christianity or were influential at that time - Byzantium, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Syria. Many names were transformed into the Russian style, and, for example, instead of Avdotya it turned out to be Evdokia. Today, many people would be surprised at how their names sounded in the original.

Only the names of the saints remained unchanged. Ancient tradition Giving a child two names also took root in Rus', but the second name given at baptism was usually not used. The second name was often Greek.

The church list provides a choice a large number of female names. Both Christian believers and atheists can choose names. Moreover, the calendar allows you to select a name by month and even birthday. To name a child according to the Saints means to give him protection from the saint revered on this day. There is another tradition, choosing a saint on the eighth day after birth. If there are no Saints on the birthday, then choose the name of the saint honored on the fortieth day. Previously, it was on this day that a child was baptized.

It is also allowed to use a male name if there is no female name according to the Saints. That's why there are so many genderless names (Evgenia, Alexandra, Yaroslav, Vyacheslav).

Types of Russian names

The Slavs definitely loved beautiful two-basic names. For example, Svetozar, Miroslav, Lyubomir, Dobrognev, . Often girls were called names that emphasized certain traits of their character. This is how the names Arina (calm), Dobrava (kind), Varvara (wild), Svetlana (bright), Arsenia (courageous) appeared. Since the Slavs revered the cult of animals and plants, many girls’ names are taken from the world of flora and fauna. These are Azalea, Akulina, Pike.

There were names borrowed from the gods. The famous one was considered the goddess of the dawn, Apollinaria - the goddess of the sun (about ancient Greek god sun of Apollo), goddess of beauty and love Lada. Some original Russian names were modified participles (Bazhena). A separate group included names for princely children (Vyacheslav).

Today you can find old Slavic names, which in reality only had Slavic root. There were names that translated Greek and Roman.

It is impossible to compile a complete list of beautiful names of antiquity, but here are a few of the most popular:

– summer.

- giving.

Agnes is chaste.

Vesta is the keeper of the hearth.

– chosen one.

Bela is beautiful.

Ada – decorating.

- serene.

Bogdana – given by God.

Agnia is immaculate.

Dobrava - kind.

- reigning.

Beatrice - blessing.

Eupraxia is a virtue.

Kazimira - showing the world.

Ariadne - sleeping.

– protector.

Joy is joy.

Svetlana is bright.

Milana is sweet.

Joy - joy.

Goluba is meek.

Mstislava - revenge and glory.

Lyubomila – love and peace.

- cold.

Ladoslava - okay.

Lubomudra is loving wisdom.

Ognevlada is bright.

Arrow - arrow.

Mlada – young.

Snow White - snow-white.

Milonega – sweet and gentle.

Diva is divine.

Domoslava - glorifying the house.

Chaslava - aspiring to glory.

Radmila is a sweet joy.

Slavunya – glorifying.

Lyubogneva – who loves to be angry.

Rusana is fair-haired.

Delight – sweet.

Beautiful - beautiful.

Virtue - one who does good.

Vesnyana – spring.

Zhdana – desired.

Jaromila - Yarlu's sweetheart.

In the 19th century, many Old Russian names were half forgotten. Russian versions of foreign names have come into use:

- someone else's.

- comforting.

Ursula is curious.

Irma is neat.

- black-eyed.

Nellie is inattentive.

– honest.

- skillful.

A name determines a person's destiny. This is the key to his inner self. After all, it is not without reason that in Rus' a person had two names, one - false, for everyone, and the other - secret, only for the person himself and his very close people. This tradition existed as protection from unkind spirits and unkind people. Often the first Slavic name was deliberately unattractive (crooked, nekras, malice), for even greater protection from the unkind. After all, without the key to the essence of a person, it is much more difficult to cause harm
. The rite of the second naming was performed in adolescence when the main character traits have been formed. The name was given based on these traits.

Slavic names were replete with their diversity; there were groups of names:

1 names from animal and flora(pike, ruff, hare, wolf, eagle, nut, borscht).
2 names in order of birth (first one, second one, Tretyak).
3 names of gods and goddesses (Lada, Yarilo).
4 names by human qualities(brave, Stoyan).
5 and the main group of names - two-basic (Svyatoslav, dobrozhir, Tihomir, Ratibor, Yaropolk, Gostomysl, velimudr, Vsevolod, Bogdan, Dobrogneva, Lyubomila, Mirolyub, Svetozar) and their derivatives (saint, Dobrynya, tishilo, Ratisha, Putyata, yarilka, Miloneg.
From the listed names, it is easy to trace the process of creating a derivative name: the second part is cut off from the two-base one and a suffix or ending is added (- neg, -lo, - ta, - tka, - sha, - yata, -nya, - ka.

Example: Svyatoslav: holy sha = holy.

Of course, people's names carry significant part culture and traditions of all people. In Russia, with the advent of Christianity, Slavic names almost completely fell into oblivion. There were lists of Slavic names prohibited by the church. Why this happened is not difficult to guess. One part of the names (Lada, Yarilo) were names Slavic gods, the owners of the second part were people who, even after the Christianization of Rus', tried to restore the cult and traditions (magi, heroes. Today in Russia only 5% of children are given Slavic names, which certainly impoverishes the already meager Slavic culture.
People are losing their understanding of truly Russian names. An example is the following not uncommon situation: the girl was named Gorislava. Neighbors, surprised unusual name They say: “They couldn’t call me something like Ira or Katya in Russian.”

List of Slavic names.

Bazhen is a desired child, desired.
The names also have meaning: Bazhai, Bazhan. From these names arose the surnames: Bazhanov, Bazhenov, Bazhutin.
Bazhena is the female form of the name Bazhen.
Beloslav - from white - white, whiten and slav - to glorify.
Abbreviated names: belyay, belyan. From these names arose the surnames: Belov, Belyshev, Belyaev.
Beloslava is a female form named after Beloslav.
Short name: belyana.
Berimir - caring for the world.
Berislav is the one who takes glory, who cares about glory.
Berislava is the female form of the name Berislav.
Blagoslav - glorifying kindness.
Slavic names - 5 Blagoslava - the feminine form of the name Blagoslav.
Abbreviated names: benefit, benefit, benefit.
Fornication - dissolute, unlucky.
One of the "Negative" names. From this name arose the surname: Bludov. Historical figure: fornication - governor of Yaropolk Svyatoslavich.
Bogdan is a child given by God.
The name also has meaning: Bozhko. From these names arose the surnames: Bogdanin, Bogdanov, Bogdashkin, Bozhkov.
Bogdana is the feminine form of the name Bogdan.
Short name: Bozena.
Bogolyub - lover of God.
From this name arose the surname: Bogolyubov.
Bogomil - dear to God.
The name also has meaning: Bohumil.
Bozhidar - gifted by God.
Bozhidara is the female form of the name Bozhidar.
Boleslav - illustrious.
Historical figure: Boleslaw I - Polish king.
Boleslava is the female form of the name Boleslav.
Borimir is a peace fighter, a peacemaker.
Borislav is a fighter for glory.
Abbreviated names: Boris, Borya. From these names arose the surnames: Borin, Boriskin, Borisov, Borisikhin, Borichev, Borischev. Historical figure: Boris Vseslavich of Polotsk - Prince of Polotsk, ancestor of the Drutsk princes.
Borislava is the female form of the name Borislav.
Borsch is one of the personified names of the plant world.
Literally translated: borscht is plant tops. The surname Borshchev came from this name.
Boyan is a storyteller.
The name was formed from the verb: bayat - to speak, tell, sing. The names also have meaning: Baian, bayan. From these names came the surname: Bayanov. Legendary personality: songwriter - Boyan.
Boyana is the feminine form of the name Boyan.
Bratislav - from brothers - to fight and slav - to glorify.
Bratislava is the female form of the name Bratislava.
Bronislav is a defender of glory, protecting glory.
The name also has meaning: Branislav. Short name: Armor.
Bronislava is the female form of the name Bronislav.
Bryachislav - from bryachi - rattle and slav - glorify.
Historical figure: Bryachislav Izyaslavich - Prince of Polotsk.
Budimir is a peacemaker.
From this name came the surnames: Budilov, Budishchev.
Velimir is a big world.
Velimira is the female form of the name Velimir.
Velimudr - knowledgeable.
Velislav - great glory, most famous.
Velislava is the female form of the name Velislav.
Abbreviated names: vela, velika, velichka.
Wenceslaus - dedicator to glory, crowned with glory.
Wenceslaus is the female form of the name Wenceslaus.
Faith - Faith, true.
Veselin - cheerful, cheerful.
Veselin is the female form of the name Veselin.
The name also has a meaning: cheerful.
Vladimir is the ruler of the world.
The name also has meaning: Volodimer. From this name came the surnames: Vladimirov, Vladimirsky, Volodimerov, Volodin, Volodichev. Historical figure: Vladimir I Svyatoslavich the red sun - Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke Kyiv
Vladimir is the female form of the name Vladimir.
Vladislav is the owner of glory.
The name also has meaning: Volodislav. Short name: Vlad. Historical figure: Volodislav - son of Igor Rurikovich.
Vladislava is the female form of the name Vladislav.
Short name: Vlada.
Vojislav is a glorious warrior.
Abbreviated names: warrior, warrior. From these names came the surnames: Voeikov, voiniki, warriors. Historical figure: warrior Vasilyevich - from the family of Yaroslavl princes.
Voislava is the female form of the name Voislav.
Wolf is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: wolves.
Raven is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surnames: Voronikhin, Voronov.
Vorotislav - returning glory.
Vsevolod is the ruler of the people, who owns everything.
From this name came the surnames: Vsevolodov, Vsevolozhsky. Historical figure: Vsevolod I Yaroslavich - Prince of Pereyaslavl, Chernigov, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Vsemil - beloved by everyone.
Vsemil is the feminine form of the name Vsemil.
Vseslav - all-glorifying, famous.
The name also has meaning: seslav. From this name came the surname: Seslavin.
Historical figure: Vseslav Bryachislavich of Polotsk - Prince of Polotsk, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Vseslav is the female form of the name Vseslav.
Vtorak is the second son in the family.
The names also have meaning: second, second. From these names came the surnames: vtorov, vtorushin.
Vyacheslav is the most famous, the most glorious.
The name also has meaning: Vatslav, Vysheslav. From these names came the surnames: Vycheslavtsev, Vyacheslavlev, Vyacheslavov. Historical figure: Vyacheslav Vladimirovich - Prince of Smolensk, Turov, Pereyaslavl, Vyshgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Vyachko is a legendary personality: Vyachko is the progenitor of the Vyatichi.
Godoslav - the name also has meaning: Godslaw. Historical figure: Godoslav - prince of the Bodrichi - Rarogov.
Goluba is meek.
From this name came the surnames: Golubin, Golubushkin.
Gorazd - skillful, capable.
From this name came the surname Muchov.
Gorislav is fiery, burning in glory.
Gorislava is the female form of the name Gorislav.
Gorynya - like a mountain, huge, indestructible.
Legendary personality: hero - mountain girl.
Gostemil - dear to another (guest.
From this name came the surname: Gostemilov.
Gostomysl - thinking about another (guest.
Historical figure: Gostomysl - Prince of Novgorod.
Gradimir - guardian of peace.
Gradislav - guardian of glory.
Gradislava is the female form of the name Gradislav.
Granislav - improver of glory.
Granislava is the female form of the name Granislav.
Gremislav - famous.
Gudislav is a renowned musician, trumpeting glory.
Short name: buzz. From these names came the surname: Gudimov.
Daren - gifted.
Darena is the feminine form of the name Daren.
Names also have meaning: Darina, Dara.
Nine is the ninth son in the family.
From this name came the surnames: Devyatkin, Devyatkov, Devyatov.
Dobrogneva.
Dobrolyub - kind and loving.
From this name came the surname: Dobrolyubov.
Dobromil is kind and sweet.
Dobromila is the feminine form of the name Dobromil.
Dobromir is kind and peaceful.
Abbreviated names: Dobrynya, dobrysha. From these names came the surnames: Dobrynin, Dobryshin. Legendary personality: hero - Dobrynya.
Dobromira is the female form of the name Dobromir.
Dobromysl is kind and reasonable.
From this name came the surname: Dobromyslov.
Dobroslav - glorifying kindness.
Dobroslava is the female form of the name Dobroslav.
Dobrozhir.
Domazhir -.
Domaslav - glorifying relatives.
Short name: domash - one’s own, dear. From this name came the surname: Domashov.
Dragomir is more valuable than the world.
Dragomir is the female form of the name Dragomir.
Dubynya - like an oak, indestructible.
Legendary personality: hero - dubyna.
Druzhina is a comrade.
It also matters common noun: Friend. From these names came the surnames: Druzhinin, Drugov, Drunin.
Ruff -.
One of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: Ershov.
Lark is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: Zhavoronkov.
Zhdan is a long-awaited child.
From this name came the surname: Zhdanov.
Zhdana is the feminine form of the name Zhdan.
Zhiznomir - living in the world.
Fatty.
Zhiroslav.
Hare is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: hares.
Zvenislava - announcer of glory.
Winter is harsh, merciless.
From this name came the surname: Zimin. Legendary personality: Ataman Zima from Razin’s army.
Zlatomir is a golden world.
Zlatotsveta - golden-flowered.
Short name: zlata.
Malice is one of the "Negative" names.
From this name came the surnames: Zlobin, Zlovidov, Zlindnev.
Izbygnev.
Izyaslav - the one who took glory.
Historical figure: Izyaslav Vladimirovich - Prince of Polotsk, ancestor of the Polotsk princes.
Sincere - sincere.
The name also has a meaning: spark.
Iskra is the feminine form of the name Iskra.
Istislav - glorifying the truth.
Exhaustion - languid (possibly associated with difficult childbirth.
From this name came the surnames: Istomin, Istomov.
Casimir - showing the world.
Casimira is the feminine form of the name Casimir.
Koschey is thin and bony.
From this name came the surnames: Koshcheev, Kashchenko.
Krasimir is beautiful and peaceful.
Krasimira is the female form of the name Krasimir.
Short name: beauty.
Kriv is one of the "Negative" names.
From this name came the surname: Krivov.
Lada - beloved, dear.
The name of the Slavic goddess of love, beauty and marriage.
Ladimir - one who gets along with the world.
Ladislav - glorifying harmony (love.
Swan is a personified name for the animal world.
The name also has a meaning: Lybid. From this name came the surname Lebedev. Legendary personality: Lybid - the sister of the founders of the city of Kyiv.
Ludislav.
Luchezar - a luminous ray.
We love - beloved.
From this name came the surname: Lyubimov.
Love is beloved.
The name also has meaning: Lyubava. From these names came the surnames: Lyubavin, favorites, Lyubavin, Lyubin, Lyubushin, lyubin.
Lyubomila - beloved, dear.
Lyubomir - loving world.
Lyubomir is the feminine form of the name Lyubomir.
Inquisitive - someone who loves to think.
Luboslav - lover of glory.
Lyudmil is nice to people.
Lyudmila is the female form of the name Lyudmil.
Historical figure: Lyudmila - Czech princess.
Mal - small, junior.
The name also has a meaning: small, Mladen. From these names came the surnames: Maleev, Malenkov, Maltsov, Malyshev. Historical figure: Mal - the Drevlyan prince.
Malusha is the feminine form of the name Mal.
The name also has a meaning: Mlada. From these names came the surname: Malushin. Historical figure: Malusha - wife of Syatoslav Igorevich, mother of Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
Mieczysław - glorifying sword.
Milan is cute.
The name also has meaning: Milen. From these names came the surnames: Milanov, Milenov.
Milana is the female form of the name Milan.
The names have the same meaning: Milava, Milada, Milena, Militsa, Umila. From these names came the surname: milavin. Historical figure: Umila - daughter of Gostomysl.
Milovan - affectionate, caring.
Milorad is sweet and joyful.
From this name came the surname: Miloradovich.
Miloslav - sweetly glorifying.
Short name: Miloneg.
Miloslava is the female form of the name Miloslav.
Peaceful - peace-loving.
From this name came the surname: Mirolyubov.
Miroslav - glorifying the world.
Miroslava is the female form of the name Miroslav.
Molchan - taciturn, silent.
From this name came the surname: Molchanov.
Mstislav - glorifying revenge.
Historical figure: Mstislav Vladimirovich - Prince of Tmutorakan, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Mstislava is the female form of the name Mstislav.
Hope is hope.
The name also has a meaning: hope.
Nevzor is one of the “Negative” names.
The surname Nevzorov comes from this name.
Nekras is one of the “Negative” names.
From this name came the surname: Nekrasov.
Nekrasa is the feminine form of the name Nekras.
Eagle is one of the personified names of the animal world.
From this name came the surname: Orlov.
Osmoy is the eighth child in the family.
The name also has a meaning: osmusha. From these names came the surnames: Osmanov, Osmerkin, Osmov.
Ostromir.
Peredslava - the name Predslava also has meaning. Historical figure: Predslava - wife of Svyatoslav Igorevich, mother of Yaropolk Svyatoslavich.
Overexposure - very light.
Historical figure: Peresvet - warrior of the Battle of Kulikovo.
Putimir is reasonable and peaceful.
Putislav - glorifying intelligently.
The name also has meaning: Putyata. From these names came the surnames: Putilov, Putilin, Putin, Putyatin. Historical figure: Putyata - Kyiv governor.
Radigost - caring for another (guest.
Radimir is someone who cares about the world.
The name also has meaning: Radomir. Short name: Radim. From these names came the surnames: Radilov, Radimov, Radishchev. Legendary personality: Radim - the progenitor of the Radimichi.
Radimir is the female form of the name Radimir.
The name also has meaning: Radomira.
Radislav - one who cares about fame.
The name also has meaning: Radoslav.
Radislava is the female form of the name Radislav.
Radmila is caring and sweet.
Radosveta - sanctifying joy.
Joy - joy, happiness.
The name also has a meaning: Rada.
Reasonable - reasonable, reasonable.
From this name came the surname: Razin. Historical figure: Razumnik - student of Cyril and Methodius.
Ratibor is a defender.
Ratmir is the defender of peace.
Rodislav - glorifying family.
Rostislav - growing glory.
Historical figure: Rostislav Vladimirovich - Prince of Rostov, Vladimir - Volyn; Tmutarakansky; the ancestor of the princes of Galicia and Volyn. Rostislava is the female form of the name Rostislav. Sbyslava Svetislav - glorifying light. The name also has meaning: Svetoslav. Svetislava is the female form of the name Svetislav. Svetlana - light, pure soul. Svetlana is the female form of the name Svetlana. Svetovid - seeing the light, perspicacious. The name also has meaning: sventovid. The name of a Western Slavic god. Svetozar - illuminating with light. Svetozar is the female form of the name Svetozar. The name also has meaning: Svetlozara. Svyatogor - indestructible holiness. Legendary personality: Svyatogor - epic hero. Svyatopolk is the leader of the sacred army. Historical figure: Svyatopolk I Yaropolkovich - Grand Duke of Kiev. Svyatoslav - sacred glory. Short name: saint. Historical figure: Svyatoslav I Igorevich - Prince of Novgorod and Grand Duke of Kiev. Svyatoslav is the female form of the name Svyatoslav. Slavomir is a peace-glorifying person. Nightingale - personified.

Old Russian names They sound very beautiful, they are melodic and euphonious. All female Slavic names can be divided into several types, the most common of which were:

Dibasic. In such names we can very often see the root - slav Miroslav, Yaroslav. But he was not always present, for example, there are two-basic names Svetozar and Lyubomil.

Based on participles - Zhdana.

Taken from the surrounding world of plants and animals.

Reflecting the personal qualities of a person.

Derived from the names of the gods.

Special names were usually given to princely children.

The naming ceremony itself was performed at the temple; it was done by a sorcerer. During the ritual, the child’s previous name-nickname was washed off, as it were, and then a new one was given. It is noteworthy that the rituals were different for boys and girls: for example, the name of a boy was “washed off” in the river, and that of a girl in the lake. That is, standing or flowing water was needed.

Under certain circumstances the name could be changed. Most often this happened when a person, among the people, was assigned a new name. The situation is approximately the same as what happens with nicknames.

Slavic names for boys by date of birth. What were boys called in Rus'?

Our ancestors, the Slavs, were strong and beautiful people. Rus' was famous for its heroes, and their names were bright. We learn about this from folk tales, epic. The poem "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" presents us with whole line wonderful heroes with memorable names.

When choosing a Slavic name for a boy, our ancestors paid special attention to its meaning. It had to necessarily reflect the character traits of the future man, warrior or successor of the family - grandfather, father. The names of men differed from the names of the peoples of other countries in their connection with the forces of Nature, gods and clan.

Slavic names for boys were chosen by parents depending on the type of employment, in honor glorious ancestors, based on the child’s character qualities.

For example, Dobrynya is kind,

Vsevolod - owner of everything,

Rodomir – peace-bringer and many others.

The sons were named after pagan gods: the name Jaromir consists of two roots - Yarilo (sun god) and peace.

There were names indicating the order of birth of a child in the family: Pervusha, Vtorak, Tretyak.

The most common group is represented by two-basic names: Bogdan, Vsevolod, Svetozar, Svyatoslav, Ratibor, Tihomir, Yaropolk.

There were names associated with mythical characters, representatives of flora and fauna, natural phenomena: Brave, Pike, Hare, Yarilo, Lada.

Co school years we all know that the Russian language belongs to the eastern branch Slavic group Indo-European language family. And what place do Proto-Slavic, Old Church Slavonic and Old Russian languages ​​occupy in the genealogical classification?

1. Proto-Slavic (also known as Common Slavic, Proto-Slavic base language) is the oldest in this series. It arose as a result of the unification and development of a group of dialects of the Proto-Indo-European language around the second - mid-first millennium BC. Proto-Slavic is the ancestor of all Slavic languages and hypothetically restored on the basis of their comparative historical study. Modern Slavic languages ​​have a lot in common with each other; By comparing them and other related languages, linguists restore the appearance of the words of the ancestor language. Moreover, all reconstructed words are of a speculative nature, since the Proto-Slavic language is not recorded in written monuments. Not a single book or inscription has survived in which it would be reflected.

It is customary to write down restored Proto-Slavic words with Latin letters and put an asterisk in front. This star sign indicates that the word has been reconstructed. Examples:

*golva – head, *zemja – earth, *mogti – be able (verb).

The Proto-Slavic language was spoken by tribes named in the works of European historians of the 6th century as Ants, Wends and Sklavins.

The fact that all Slavs once had a single language is also stated in the oldest Russian chronicle - “The Tale of Bygone Years”.

Experts in the field of comparative historical linguistics have long drawn attention to the significant similarity between the Slavic and Baltic languages ​​(Latvian and Lithuanian languages ​​have survived from this group to this day). The fact of similarity is explained in different ways, and scientists have not yet come to a consensus. One of the hypotheses suggests that the Proto-Balto-Slavic (Proto-Slavic) language first emerged from the Proto-Indo-European language, which later split into Proto-Baltic and Proto-Slavic. Other researchers believe that Proto-Slavic was formed directly from Proto-Indo-European, but over time it developed in close proximity to the Proto-Baltic language.

Proto-Slavic language survived long time(according to various estimates, from one to two thousand years). As a result of the extensive settlement of Slavic tribes and the increasing isolation of their dialects, it broke up into separate languages, and the formation of the eastern, western and southern branches of the Slavic language group began. The collapse of the Proto-Slavic language, according to most scientists, occurred in the 5th – 7th centuries AD.

2. The Old Russian language, also known as East Slavic, was formed as a result of this collapse. Language of the East Slavic tribes, language Kievan Rus... It existed until the 14th century and became the direct “parent” of the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian languages, i.e. the entire eastern branch of the Slavic language group.

Sometimes people who have just begun to study the history of the Russian language confuse Old Russian with Old Church Slavonic and consider these terms to be synonyms. But this opinion is wrong. Old Russian and Old Church Slavonic - different languages, although related to each other.

3. Old Church Slavonic belongs to the southern branch, and not to the eastern; it is closer to the Bulgarian and Macedonian languages ​​than to Russian. This is a bookish language, dead from the very beginning of its history.

Old Church Slavonic was created in the middle of the 9th century as a language into which Greek liturgical books were translated for the Slavs. It is based on one of the Macedonian dialects of the ancient Bulgarian language. This dialect was spoken by the Slavic population in the vicinity of Thessaloniki, hometown Cyril and Methodius. As we all remember, these brothers were preachers, inventors Slavic writing and translators of Greek church books into Slavic. Kirill knew the Solunsky dialect well, so he used it for translation. But it cannot be said that the Old Church Slavonic language is a simple recording of this dialect. No, as a result of the activities of Cyril, Methodius and their followers, essentially a new Slavic language arose. Bookish, literary processed, reflecting many achievements of a highly developed Greek language. Thanks to this, Old Church Slavonic already in the earliest texts known to us has a very rich vocabulary, developed syntax, and well-developed stylistics.

It has been used as the language of the church by various Slavic peoples and inevitably absorbed some features of their native, living languages. These local varieties of Old Church Slavonic are called Church Slavonic in one version or another. Thus, we can talk about Church Slavonic texts written in Russian, Serbian, Moravian-Czech and other versions.

Over time, secular texts began to appear in the Old Church Slavonic language, but its main sphere is still liturgical.

Old Church Slavonic has had a significant influence on many Slavic languages. In addition, it is of particular value for researchers in the field of comparative historical linguistics, since it is the earliest Slavic language recorded in written monuments.

A simplified diagram of the origin of the Slavic languages ​​is presented in the figure.

Below are the list of Slavic male names:

Slavic male names starting with the letter B:

Bazhen - desired, dear
Belogor – related to the heights of the spirit
Beloslav – white, glorify
Belovod - a fair ruler
Belozar - enlightened
Belomir – pure in thoughts
Belotur – light power
Bogdan – given by the gods
Bogorod - akin to the gods
Bogumil - pleasing to the gods
Bogumir - bringer of peace
Boeslav - glorious in battle
Bozheslav – glorifying the gods
Boleslav – bol – (more) and slav – (glory)
Boris - fight, fight
Borislav – fight, fight
Borimir - fight, fight
Boripolk is the winner
Boyan is a fighter
Blagomir - bringer of good
Blagoslav - goodness, glory
Blagoyar – fair
Bratislava – fight
Bratimir – striving for peace
Bretislav (Breslav) – who gained fame
Bronislav - protect, protect
Budimir - wake up - (wake up) and the world - (peace)
Budislav - wake up - (wake up) and slav - (glory)
Bueslav - assertive
Burislav - indestructible, like a storm

Slavic male names starting with the letter B:

Vasilko - royal
Vaclav - the most famous
Vedagor - in charge
Vedamir (Vedomir) – in charge
Vedislav - glorifying knowledge
Velimir – veli - (great, large) and peace - (peace, peaceful)
Veleslav - led - (great, big) and slav - (glory)
Velibor – ready for achievements
Wenceslaus - the most famous
Vitoslav - ancestral glory
Vladimir - vlad - (to own, power) and peace (peaceful), owning the world
Vladislav - owner of glory
Vlastislav - owner of the world
Voibor - victorious in battle
Vojislav - a glorious warrior
Voisvet – fighting for justice
Vsevolod - all - (all) and volod - (to own); owner of everything
Vsemil - dear to everyone, everything - (all) and dear - (darling)
Vseslav - all - (all) and slav - (glory), all glory
Vysheslav - higher - (height, high) and slav - (glory)
Vyacheslav - vyache - (more) and slav - (glory)

Slavic male names starting with the letter G:

Godimir – useful to people
Godislav – useful to people
Gorisvet - clear
Gorislav - burn - (burn) and slav - (glory)
Gostislav - hospitable
Gostimir – caring
Gostomysl – gost - (guest) and thought - (think, thought)
Gradimir - creator of the world
Gremislav - famous

Slavic male names starting with the letter D:

Dalebor - participant in military campaigns
Danislav – given for glory
Daniyar – given for shine
Daromir - the giver of peace
Daromysl – thinker, thinker
Divislav is amazing
Dobran - good giver
Dobrovit – cheerful
Dobroslav - kind - (kind, good) and slav - (glory), good glory
Dobrynya - kind, good
Dragovit – valuing life
Dragolub - kind, beloved
Dragomir – drag - (precious) and peace - (peaceful)
Dragorad - joyful

Along with Slavic names, it is worth paying attention to Russian male names. Perhaps among them lies wonderful name for your baby.

Female names Slavic origin for the most part they have been lost through the centuries. The most popular of them have reached us.

Vladislava - owner of glory. Vladislav may not have strong health, get sick a lot. But at the same time, the girl will have a very strong spirit, a core. She can show humility, especially to her beloved man, but still remain unconvinced.

Polina is captivating. Polina has no equal in her excellent sense of humor and ability to see the positive even in very unpleasant situations.

Miloslava is sweet and nice. Calm, even a little meek, Miloslava has influence on those around her. With it, everything stabilizes, people feel harmony and calm.

Yaroslava - bright, sunny, glorious. Yaroslava girls are lively, active, restless. In childhood they will encourage other children to do all sorts of adventures; in adulthood they can lead people with them. Yaroslava loves children, and therefore will become a caring and wise mother.

Names in Old Church Slavonic. Slavic Names

The material below, in the opinion of the editors, deserves attention and may seem interesting to someone. The article reflects the author’s opinion about the history of Slavic names and coincides with the opinion of the site’s editors.

Most modern names were borrowed in the 9th-13th centuries along with Christianity. These foreign names were declared “correct”, “real” and included in the “saints”. After the introduction of Christianity in Rus', it was allowed to give names only through the church, at baptism. Despite the fact that these names have been given for almost a millennium, they still remain alien to our people: after all, they arose on foreign soil and were artificially transplanted to Slavic soil. The now familiar names Ivan, Semyon, Mikhail were as unusual to the ears of our ancestors as the names Matomba, Ngkhuru-Nghoro and others now sound to us.
However, it was dangerous to argue with the church (until the 14th century, they could be burned at the stake for baking a pancake, and in the 16th century they were burned for such a trifle as reading foreign books), so our poor great-great-grandmothers and great-great-grandfathers, diligently pronouncing outlandish names, distorted them beyond recognition . So Johanaan turned into John, and then into Ivan. Shimon became Semyon, and Iulina became Ulyana. So the Russians later changed it German surname Kos von Dahlen to Kozlodavlev, and Pogenkampf to Pogankin. People forcibly converted to Christianity had a hard time parting with their Slavic names, so in chronicles and decrees one can often find such references as “Boyar Theodore, called Doroga,” “... named Miloneg, Peter by baptism,” etc. From the 17th century, Slavic names begin to lose their meaning, turning into nicknames, until they finally disappear from use.
Many names have come down to us thanks to nicknames (surnames).
Vorobyov, for example, received such a surname not at all because his great-great-grandmother sinned with a sparrow, but because Vorobyov’s actual ancestor bore the personal name Vorobey.
The same applies to other “animal”, “bird” and “fish” surnames. Some readers reproached me for not separating names from nicknames, leaving “offensive” names, they say, what if someone calls their son Fool or Stupid? If this suddenly happens, it will be fair, because you cannot expect a good tribe from a bad seed. As for nicknames, where is the line that separates a name from a nickname? Is Red Wolf (Rudolph) a nickname or a name? Is Vtorishka a name or a nickname? More like a nickname, although this is the real name - Second Semenov. However, I must warn the reader that not all the sources I used earned my complete confidence. So go by the saying: trust, but verify.
In ancient times, a real name was given to a person by a sorcerer upon reaching adulthood according to his services to the family: Ogneved, Ratibor, Yaroslava, etc. “More often, many people come to sorcerers and sorcerers... More often, sorcerers and sorcerers, writing demonic (i.e. Slavic - V.K.) names, give them ordinary people, commanding them to bear names..." (A. Afanasyev. Poetic views of the Slavs... vol. III, p. 431) Those who did not show themselves in any way remained with the names they received in childhood: Nejdan (unexpected child), Budilko, Plaksa (hence the surname Plaksin), Nenash (a name that was given for protection from evil spirits: spirits will come and spoil the child, but he is “not ours”). “From the first births and times of man... until a certain time, I gave to my children names as the father and mother willed their children: either from sight and nature, or from a thing, or from a parable. Likewise, before their baptism, the Slovenians also gave names to their children: Bogdan, Bozhen, First, Second, We Love, and Other Names. Goodness is the same thing.”
Over time, the good or bad meaning of many names was forgotten; they began to be given because that was the name of their father or grandfather, whose name really corresponded to some quality of theirs.
But, in the end, the names from the “saints” that zealous churchmen forced them to name their children won out. And it happened this way: “The mother in labor was given the choice of any of the three, which one she wants to choose: Mokkia, Sossia, or name the child in the name of the martyr Khozdazat. “No,” thought the deceased, “the names are all the same.” To please her, they turned the calendar in a different place; Three names came out again: Triphilius, Dula and Varakhasiy. “This is the punishment,” said the old woman, “what are all the names; I really have never heard of anything like that. Let it be Varadat or Varukh, or else Trifgshiy and Varakhasiy.” They turned the page again and out came: Pavsikakhy and Vakhtisy. “Well, I already see,” said the old woman, “that, apparently, this is his fate. If so, it would be better if he were called like his father. The father was Akaki, so let the son be Akaki"

Old Slavonic names For girls, they are mostly beautiful and sweet-sounding. It's no surprise that some parents want to give them to their daughters.

Names of this type are divided into several varieties:

1. Originating from the natural or plant world: Akulina - eagle, Azalea - blooming, etc. Such names are recognized as symbolic, because the ancient Slavs loved and revered nature and everything connected with it.
2. Reflecting the character of the baby (Arsenia – courageous, Varvara – wild). The choice of names of this type should be approached very carefully and carefully, because many experts are sure that it is this name that determines the character and future fate person.
3. Derived from the names of deities (Lada - the deity of beauty, Mara - the goddess of the night). As in the case of the calendar, such a name, according to the beliefs of the Slavs, brought the person named by it closer to the deity of the same name.
4. Dibasic: Lyubomila, Svetozara, Svyatoslav, Yaroslav, Miroslav.

This is interesting. Since ancient times, the Slavs have formed the custom of naming newborn girls double names. Our ancestors were sure that a name is a secret key, and it should only be owned by its owner and no one else. Therefore, the first name became publicly available to people, while the second was kept strictly secret. It was believed that in this way the girl could be protected from the evil eye and words. The first name, which for people was usually not distinguished by its beauty and pleasant sound: Dobrogneva, Zloba, etc. It was believed that the bearer of such a dissonant name was reliably protected from evil people. The girl received her middle name when she reached a certain age, usually adolescence. It was much more euphonious than the first.

The tradition of double naming gradually disappeared; many of the second, beautiful names are still popular today:

• Darina – gift giver;
• Dobrava - kind;
• Eupraxia is the creator of good deeds;
• Agnes - chaste;
• Agnia – pure;
• Ariadne - sleeping;
• Beatrice - blessing;
• Bogdana – given by God;
• Vasilisa - regal;
• Ada is a decoration.

Old Russian names. Naming an Old Russian name among the Slavs: Native Traditions

In Ancient Rus', the name had a special meaning among the Slavs. The ancestors believed: giving a person a name is fateful and influences events in his life and the outcome of each of them, attracts good luck, gives strength, and has a protective meaning. That is why the Slav had from three to twelve names, depending on his activity and time spent in Yavi.

Let’s make a reservation right away - all the names given by people and the Family were Nicknames. Even now, the tradition of calling a person with any word that most accurately defines him to identify a person in society has been preserved. All the ancient Russian names chosen by him and the Gods were True and sacred.

The meaning of the Old Russian name and its role in the life of a Slav

The child received his first Slavic name immediately at birth or even long before. It was given by the Father of the Family and had the property of being tied to the Family, an instrument for the Elders to protect their Descendant. All rituals to nourish, cleanse, and heal the child took place through this name. Such Old Russian names most often looked like a characteristic and wish for those character traits or physical virtues that, in the opinion of the Parents, were needed or had already been reflected in their sons and daughters. Milolika, Zabava, Bogodar, Svetomir - all these and many other ancient Russian names reflect the emotions and kind message of the Elders of the Family to their child.

The ritual of the Slavic naming of the Native Gods was carried out on children when they reached twelve years of age. A girl or boy was accepted into the Family as full members, leaving the full paternal protection, although they remained forever bound by the Roots of the Tree. This sacrament was performed using the Power and Knowledge of the priest. With the help of a special ritual and turning off the internal dialogue, turning to the Gods, he looked through the emerging character, destiny and heard the name that was given to the person from above.

This is Slavic, ancient Russian name was the most important thing for a boy or girl throughout his life, and was not subject to disclosure. It was communicated by the priest tête-à-tête during the purification of the child in the river and initiation into the Family, and was then used only when communicating with the Gods or performing magical or egregorial rituals for personal protection, health, strength, and good luck. In the world, a person continued to call himself by a community name, a nickname by birth.

Separate Old Russian name was chosen or given to a person when he was initiated into any profession, when he began to engage in a business of a certain orientation: agriculture, architecture, cattle breeding and other craftsmanship areas. The process of naming in this case, as a blessing and protection, bestowing prosperity and success, consisted of communicating with the Native Gods themselves or with the help of a wise priest.

Priests also received unique Slavic names when they began serving the Pantheon. Moreover, the name itself often contained a root that reflected the essence and name of the Native God whose patronage he chose. Often there were several Patrons, therefore one sorcerer, priest or sorcerer also had several Old Russian names. They served as an energetic link between Slavi’s worlds. Reveal and Rule, made it possible to safely and unimpededly perform rituals and ceremonies at the temples with the idols of the Family and the Russian Gods.

The same few personal Slavic names were given for ancient Russian warriors. The first is when making a decision to protect your Motherland and Family. The second and subsequent ones are before decisive battles and campaigns. Each of these ancient Russian names contained a powerful information and energy message to the Gods, their support and protection in combat. For example, for a shield warrior, inflexibility of spirit, body and will was important; for a scout - a quiet step and the ability to be invisible, fast, and for a commander - the ability to lead an army and draw up a wise plan of attack or defense.

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 last name 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 to “try it on” stranger, 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, solid 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 - aspiring to great glory;
• 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;
• Peace lover - loving peace;
• 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 - establishing 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 fame, 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 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, Tretyak, 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. Recently, there has been a revival of interest in old names, since modern ones have become very popular and too common, and parents do not want to name their child like everyone else. But in search rare name you need to show a lot of wisdom.