Historical roots of surnames. Origin of the surname

Nowadays, every person has a surname. As the name is called, so the surname is "assigned". Most people live with their last name all their lives, and girls before marriage, after which they change their maiden name to the name of their husband. There are cases when men take their wives' surnames, but such cases are rarer. Have you ever wondered where your last name came from, how old, centuries, thousands of years old it is? After all, you can change your surname, but then the dynasty of kinship can break off, and after all, no one grants that there are still people on Earth with a surname like yours. We offer you a directory of surnames, in which you can try to find yours.

There are so many surnames that we simply cannot collect information about all the surnames. The directory contains more than 40,000 Russian surnames.

Dictionary of Russian surnames

The surname dictionary can be used as a reference, free surnames are grouped by letter. The list of surnames is quite detailed, more than 40,000. The history of a surname can go back many centuries. During its existence, the surname can undergo quite significant changes, with the loss of both individual letters and entire syllables, which can radically change the original meaning of the surname. Finding out about the origin of the surname and what it actually means, in some cases, can be quite simple. Usually, the meaning of a simple surname is easy to guess and without clues, for complex surnames, this may not be feasible at all.

It can be assumed that the origins of any surname are either a craft or personal characteristics of people who later transformed into the now known surnames. No genealogy is able to trace the real state of things. IN best case, you can find a mention of your last name in historical documents and in this way determine how old she is. The maximum that we have today is a family tree that can be traced back to no more than 10 generations.

How to find out the meaning of a surname? Unfortunately, only the very first bearers of the surname knew the original meaning of their surname, there may still be direct relatives and that's it. Then it’s just guesswork and fortune telling on the coffee grounds. Let's be realistic if you don't have reliable and detailed information about their ancestors, who they were, where they lived, then your secret of the surname may never be solved. Therefore, information about the places of residence of all your ancestors can be of great help in finding the origin of a surname. This is very important, because the same word underlying the surname different peoples and in different dialects, they can have completely different meanings. Moreover, even familiar words in the old days had meanings different from modern ones.

In this encyclopedia of surnames you will find both common and very rare surnames, of course, there are the most beautiful surnames. Naturally, the concept of beauty is very subjective and everyone will have their own opinion on this matter. Look up common last names of visitors. Pay attention to the most funny surnames with which to live real people. The most interesting thing is that they came from the depths of centuries in this form. It turns out that before, people did not see anything funny and shameful in their surnames. Only then could they survive.

In the modern meaning familiar to us, this is a component of the naming of each person, which he receives from his parents. It gives information about its belonging to a particular genus. However, the meaning of the surname is not limited to this. This, as well as its origin, structure, history will be discussed in this article. Let's start with the meaning of the last name in the dictionary.

Dictionary interpretation

What is a surname? The definition of this word in the dictionary is as follows:

1. The naming of a person, which is transmitted to him by inheritance and is added to personal name for the purpose of indicating belonging to a family. (Interestingly, in the city of Taganrog Rostov region a person lives with a very rare surname that begins with the letter "y" - this is the surname Yunpuu.)
2. The same as the genus - in the sense of the totality of generations that come from a single ancestor. (Do you know that our neighbors Obolensky belong to one of the old noble families?)
3. IN obsolete value- family, family. (The Oleinikovs, a large couple, marched decorously along the path at the head of their entire glorious family.)

Synonyms and origin

To better understand the question of what a surname is, consider synonyms for it and understand the origin. Synonyms for the word are: clan, clan, family, cell of society. Among hypernyms (similar in meaning, but of a more general nature of words) one can single out: denomination, name, naming, group.

The word takes its origin from the Latin familia, which means household and servants. There it was formed from the word famulus meaning "servant, servant." More deeply, scientists failed to trace the origin of the word "surname". From Latin it passed into Polish in the meaning of "family, genus" and in German - in the meaning of "family". It is believed that it migrated to Russian from one of the two indicated languages.

Set expressions

Continuing to study the question of what a surname is, it should be noted that in the Russian language there are a number of stable combinations with this and the adjective "family" formed from it, which include:

• Maiden name (Bers - such is maiden name Sophia Andreevna - wife of Count Leo Tolstoy).
• Horse surname - catchphrase and psychic phenomenon. It originates in the story of the same name by A.P. Chekhov. It is used when some name or surname literally spins on the tip of the tongue, but cannot come to mind. Sometimes this phenomenon is called "presquevu" - from the French presque vu, which means "almost seen" (Chekhov's story "Horse Family", written as an anecdote, was published in the "Petersburg newspaper" in 1885 with the subtitle "Scene").
• Family coat of arms - a kind of emblems, which is a pictorial identification mark of a family, clan (In the pre-industrial period, family coats of arms acted as a warning system "friend or foe").
• - memorabilia great importance for the family and passed down from generation to generation (The family values ​​of these people are not so much jewelry as impeccable upbringing, good education and high morality).
• Pater familias is a term used in jurisprudence for a patriarchal Roman family, where the father of the family was, as they say, a king and a god. He had power not only over property, but also over the lives of households (If in the Roman pater familias a husband convicted his wife of treason, he had to divorce her, otherwise he could be accused of pimping).

Structure and occurrence

For a better understanding of the meaning of the surname, consider the structure of this concept. First of all, the surname consists of a root stem, which has or had in the past a certain lexical meaning. And also it can include prefixes, suffixes, endings.

Often the basis of the surname originates from a personal name or nickname, which carries some lexical meaning. Prefixes and endings in surnames, as a rule, mean the word "son" or "daughter" - translated into the original language. Or they are an indication of possession, belonging to a place, form adjective forms.

On the example of Russian surnames, it looks like this. They mainly came from patronymics: Sergey - Sergeev son - Sergeev; Volchok (nickname) - Volchkov's son - Volchkov. Somewhat rarer is the variant of origin from the name of the area: Zavolzhsky - from beyond the Volga, Belotserkovsky - from Belaya Tserkov. And also the surnames come from the occupation: Bondarenko - from the cooper, Tokarev - from the turner, Pisarev - from the clerk.

Division into male and female

At the end of the consideration of the meaning of the word “surname”, it is worth noting that in Russian (as well as in several other Slavic languages), as well as in Latvian and Lithuanian, there is a difference between female and male surnames in form. For example, in Russian: Abrikosov - Abrikosova, Naumov - Naumova, Kholodov - Kholodova.

This is due to the morphological features of the language. And also surnames can have different forms for unmarried and married women. An example is famous singer Christina Orbakaite. Her father's surname is Orbakas, and his wife's is Orbakene. Icelanders do not have surnames at all, the patronymics used instead for men end in -sson (son), and for women in -dottir (daughter).

Maria Soboleva

What does a surname mean? How to find out

What does a surname mean - everyone is interested in learning about its origin, about the history of a kind. Is it possible to find such information on your own or is it better to turn to specialists?

Surname mystery

What does a surname mean - this question can be answered by a special science called anthroponymy.

And the surname itself, what it is - the personal name of each of us, which passes from generation to generation, our family name. Even your distant ancestors were Smirnovs or Kovalenko, and now you proudly bear this name.

Specialists in the field of anthroponymy are akin to archaeologists, they are trying to get to the bottom of the origins of generic names, to find out the history of their origin. Answering the question of what a surname means, scientists learn a lot of interesting facts from history, ethnography, and geography.

Origin of the surname

There are simple and understandable surnames that do not require special explanations - it’s already clear to everyone that the generic name Kuznetsov comes from the blacksmith’s craft that was once in demand (and in Ukraine there are variations of surnames that occurred due to the profession: Koval, Kovalchuk, Kovalko).

But if you are the owner of a surname that is not entirely clear to the ear and mind, then, of course, quite reasonable questions arise: what does the surname mean and how to find out?

Today on the Internet there are many sites that offer surname dictionaries, opened, read and ordered. But how true is such information and what to do if your generic name is not there?

There are two ways to go: an independent search for the truth and setting such a task for specialists.

What the surname means, your older relatives can tell you. In some families, they carefully keep the history of their kind, they know about their ancestors up to the fifth or seventh generation.

You can look through books on anthroponymy, various reference books and dictionaries. Information is also sought from the archives.

But this path is not for everyone - you need to be very meticulous, scrupulous and persistent.

There are sites on the Internet that help you create annals of your family, look for relatives, find out what a surname means and what its origin is.

Enthusiasts collect information about generic names, perhaps in this way you will find out what interests you. For example, the GenWAY resource, whose motto is “More than a family”, or the Internet project “All-Russian family tree».

Creating a chronicle of your kind is a great way to unite the family.

It is easier, of course, to seek help from specialists who will help you find out what the surname means. Firms that conduct such research have access to an extensive database - they use information from registry offices, parish archives, historical documents: military lists, merchant books, judicial records of tsarist times.


The only question is whether you have the means to pay for such services, because finding out what a surname means is sometimes not easy, and the search for the truth takes a lot of time.

But on the other hand, you will not only learn about the origin of the surname, but you will also be able to order a family tree, draw up your family tree, and receive a family diploma.

Surname Meaning

At first, representatives of noble families acquired surnames, starting from the end of the 14th century. Following the nobles, princes and boyars, artisans, merchants, and service people began to receive generic names. They entered into transactions, took on various obligations, and the document had to bear a signature confirming ownership.

But people of a lower social status did not have a surname as such. Even the head of the people's militia in 1611-1612, Minin, does not have a surname, but a designation that he is the son of Mina. It is already the descendants who inherited the name of the hero.

During their lives, people of a low class could be renamed at will by boyars, governors, clerks. He was Fedotov (after his father), became Krivoshein (according to his appearance).

Even the reforms of Peter I, who introduced the word “surname” into the Russian language and ordered to conduct “revisions” - population censuses, did not make the surname of a simple peasant permanent and inheritable.

Only with the introduction of passports in Soviet time hereditary surnames were finally established. But old surnames many have come down to us. For example, Streltsov - from the name "Sagittarius" (a soldier of the Streltsy army).

More examples: what does the surname Ordyntsev mean - this is how people were called by belonging to the Golden Horde, Tolmachev - from the word "interpreter" (translator).

Some surnames are derived from borrowed names. If Ivanov, Lukin and Fomin are familiar to our ears, then hardly anyone can guess the origin of the heroically glorified surname Susanin from the Western European name Susanna.

But the frequent surname Laktionov comes from Galaktion (just for the convenience of pronunciation, the first syllable was cut off).

What the surname means, in some cases it is easy to guess for yourself:

• from the names of animals - Zaitsev, Sokolov, Shchukin;

• from geographical names - Muromov, Dneprov, Shuisky;

• in honor of religious holidays - Assumption, Vozdvizhensky;

• according to external signs: Sukhorukov, Krivtsov, Shcherbak (devoid of front teeth);

• from family nicknames - Malyshev (from baby), Menshikov (from Menshik - the youngest in the family);

• in accordance with character traits - Molchanov, Shustrikov, Zlenko;

• by occupation - Melnikov, Rybakov, Kravchenko (from "kravets" - cutter);

• derivatives from craft objects - Shapkin, Shilov;

• from the nicknames of immigrants from other places - Nemchinov, Karelin, Tatarenko;

• "household" surnames - Kuleshov, Pirogov, Ovsyannikov, Kochergin.

What the surname means is not only interesting, but also useful to know, because the history of your family is encrypted in it.


Find out the meaning of your last name, make a genealogical tree of your family (a great birthday present for mom), so that the memory of your ancestors is passed on next generation. Everyone should know their roots.

Take it, tell your friends!

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From birth, a person is given a name, and the surname, as a rule, is inherited from the parents. First of all, by last name you can determine the nationality of a person, and sometimes the occupation of his distant ancestors, if, of course, you know the language of a particular people well. IN modern world almost all people have surnames, exceptions can be made only by tribes in which communal-tribal relations have been preserved.

What is a surname? In big explanatory dictionary In the modern Russian language Ushakov, the following definition is given: a surname (Latin Familia - family, relatives) is a hereditary family name added to a personal name and passing from father (or mother) to children, as well as from husband to wife. And in the newspaper “Amazing Nearby” the following definition is given: the word “surname” in Russia appeared only in the 19th century. Translated from several European languages this word means "family". Indeed, a surname can tell a lot about the history of a particular family. The science of onomastics is engaged in the study of surnames. There is an opinion that surnames appeared in the era of Peter I, but experts believe that this is not entirely true. Surnames were widespread in Rus' already in the 15th century. At that distant time, they meant much more than in the modern world, as they were used not just to refer to a person, but determined his status in society. As a rule, surnames were formed either from the name of the head of the family, or from the name of the profession, which was passed down in the family from generation to generation. The word surname itself entered the Russian language relatively late. It comes from the Latin word for surname - family. In Russian, we sometimes use this word with the same meaning: family heirlooms, family valuables, family silver, that is, those that have long been in the possession of this family. The expression "do not disgrace our surname" means not only the family, but also the family name. But the main meaning of the word surname is to designate a special family name, which is called the whole family. This word has taken root in Russia in everyday life after the decree of Peter I. However, surnames as an element of naming Russian people existed before, but they were called nicknames, nicknames. In the same sense, the word "name" was sometimes used. The royal decrees on the conduct of population censuses usually stated that all people living in such and such localities should be recorded “by name, from fathers and from nicknames,” that is, by name, patronymic and surname.

For various community groups official surnames appeared at different times.

Representatives of the nobility were the first to receive surnames: princes, boyars (in the XIV - XV centuries). Their surnames often reflected the names of their patrimonial estates: Tver, Meshchersky, Zvenigorodsky, Vyazemsky, Kolomensky, etc. These surnames were formed according to the “common Slavic model with the suffix - sk. Similar formations can be found among other Slavs (cf. Czech Comenius, Polish Zapototsky, etc.).

Somewhat later, the names of the nobles (XVI - XVIII centuries) are formed. Among them, a large proportion are naming oriental origin, since many nobles arrived at the service of the Moscow sovereign from foreign lands: Kantemir from Turkic. Khan - Temir (temir - iron), Khanykov from Turkic. Kanyko (kan - educator, teacher, ko - son, that is, the son of a teacher), Kurakin from the nickname Kuraka (from the Turkic. Kurak - dry, skinny), etc.

There was another category of noble families such as Durnovo, Khitrovo, Mertvago, Chernago (XVII - XVIII centuries). These surnames are formed from words that have an unseemly meaning (cf. Plokhovo, Nedobrovo). In order to somehow limit them from common nouns consonant with them, the stress in surnames on - ovo was placed at the end: Sukhovo, Plokhovo, and in surnames on - it - on the penultimate syllable: Parenago. Burago, Redhead.

Chronologically, the next category of surnames belonged to merchants and service people (XVII - XIX centuries). In it, as well as in princely names, reflected geographical names, but not as the names of objects that were in their possession, but as designations for the places where these people themselves came from: Tambovtsev, Rostovtsev, Bryantsev, Astrakhantsev, Moskvichev, Vologzhaninov and others. The suffixes of this category are different than in the surnames of princes, it is easy to restore the designation of residents of certain places from these surnames: Rostovtsev is a resident of Rostov, Moskvichev is a resident of Moscow.

In the 19th century, the names of the Russian clergy were formed. Among them are many artificially formed from various words not only in Russian, but also in Church Slavonic, Latin, Greek and other languages. A significant group is represented by surnames formed from the names of churches and church holidays: Uspensky, Bogoyavlensky, Rozhdestvensky. A number of surnames are formed by translating their stems into Latin and adding the suffix -ov or -sk to the Latin stem and the endings -y: Bobrov - Kastorsky, Orlov - Akvilev.

The largest part of the Russian population - the peasantry did not have legally fixed surnames until the 19th century, and some representatives of the peasants received surnames only after October revolution, in connection with the passportization carried out by the Soviet government in the early 1930s.

My family can be attributed to both Russian and Mordovian ethnic groups. To determine whether this was reflected in the surnames of my ancestors, I had to study the indicators not only of Russian surnames, but also of Mordovian ones.

Before christian names at present, the Mordovians are almost forgotten, since in the course of Christianization, which began in the middle of the 16th century. , among it began to spread church names. Of course, in the Mordovian languages, having undergone appropriate adaptation, they began to sound somewhat different. For example, the name Fedor took the form in the Erzya language of Kvedor, Philip - Kvile, Foma - Coma, Fedosya - Kvedo, Fyokla - Kekla, Martha - Markva, Efrosinya - Okro, Nnknfor - Mikikor, Nikolai - Mikol, Khariton - Kariton, Zaxap - Zakar, Agafya - Oga, Aksinya - Oksya, Arina - Oryo or Oryai, Akulina - Okol, Elena - Olyo or Olena, Avdotya - Oldo or Oldai, Daria - Daryo, Maria - Maryo, Anisya - Anse, Vasilisa - Vasya, Matrena - Matryo, Natalya - Natal, Lukerya - Lukir, etc.

However, Mordovian pre-Christian names did not disappear without a trace. Most of them continue to be preserved in a number of modern Mordovian surnames: Kirdyashov, Kirdyashkin - Kirdyash; Kudashov, Kudashkin - Kudash; Uchvatov, Uchvatkin - Uchvat; Nuyanzin - Nuyanza; Kolomasov, Kolomaskin - Kolomas; Kazeev, Kazeiknn - Kazei; Suraev, Suraikii - Surai; Kemaev, Kemaikin - Kemai; Tingaev, Tngaikin - Tingai; Yangaev, Yangaikii - Yangai; Pnksaev, Piksaikin - Piksai; Surodeev, Surodeikii - Surodey; Kildyushov, Kildyushkin - Kildush; Simdyaiov, Simdyaikin - Snmdyan; Viryasov, Viryaskin - Viryas; Vedyashov, Vedyashkin - Vedyash; Pivtsaev, Pivtsaykin - Pivtsay; Rezaev, Rezaikin - Rezai; Kezhvatov, Kezhvatkin - Kezhvat; Kulyasov, Kulyaskin - Kulyas and others.

How did these and similar Mordovian surnames arise?

They appeared in connection with Christianization. Russian missionary priests, giving a Christian name to this or that Mordvin during baptism, his surname, which was recorded in church documents, was produced from the personal name of his father - a “pagan” following the model of Russian surnames on -ov, -ev, -in, - (k) in. The son of Kirdyash became Kirdyashov or Kirdyashkin (from Kirdyashka-o), the son of Kudash - Kudashov or Kudashkin (from Kudashka-o), the son of Mares - Maresyev or Mareskina (from Mareska-o), the son of Kochemas - Kochemasov or Kochemaskin (from Kochemaska-o ) etc.

Some Mordovian anthroponyms still exist as names of related groups (kudoyurtoni lemt), consisting of one or another number of separate, related families, descending from one common ancestor, who at one time bore a pre-Christian name. So, to the question “Throw tone?” (“Whose are you”) in the Erzya village of Ivantsevo, Gorky region, you can get the answer: “Kezhain” (from Kezhai), “Lyamain” (from Lyamai), “Bubushkan” (from Bubush), etc. A similar phenomenon can be observed in other both Erzya and Moksha villages.

Among the pre-Christian Mordovians, not only original, purely Mordovian, personal names were in circulation, but also names borrowed by Mordovians from other peoples. Among the borrowed there are many pre-Christian, non-Christian Old Russian, Russian names, there are also anthroponyms of Turkic origin. These names in the Mordovian languages, as well as later Christian names, also adopted from Russians, changed their appearance to one degree or another, adapted to the peculiarities of Mordovian pronunciation, inflection and word formation. The penetration of Old Russian, Russian pre-Christian, non-Christian names into the Mordovian environment could begin at a fairly early era(from the 1st millennium AD), in the 2nd millennium AD. e. Russo-Mordovian ties have strengthened. Of the most popular Russian non-Christian, original in origin, names that were in circulation among the Mordovians, we can name the following: Nesmeyan, Lyubim, Named, Burnai, Late, Chudai, Zhdan, Walk, Malka, Nine, Raday, Nadezhka, Durai, Durnay, Budi , Milush, Pervush, Zhadey, Zhivay, Petai, etc. Many of these names also formed the basis of modern Mordovian surnames.

It is known that in the past, Russian personal names, and according to their type, Mordovian ones, were written and also pronounced by Russians often with the Russian diminutive suffix -ka (o). In Russian chronicles and acts, Russian names of the type are often written - Lyubimka (o), Nezhdanka (o), Ostashka (o), Pervushka (o), million Mordovian ones - such as Vechkushka (o), Veshutka (o), Kolomaska ​​(o), Inzhayka (o), Uchaika (o), Kudaika (o), Sudoska (o), Pureska (o), etc.

Chapter ΙΙ Surnames of my family

Different peoples and cultures often have different surname endings peculiar only to them. Here is a list of nationalities in alphabetical order and the endings of surnames inherent in these peoples:

Abkhazians: -ba, -ua, -ipa

Azerbaijanis: -zade, -li, ly, -oglu, -kyzy

Armenians: -yan, -yants, -uni

Belarusians: -ich -ov -uk -ik -ski -ka

Bulgarians: -ov

Gagauz: -oglo

Greeks: -pulos, -kos, -go

Georgians: -shvili, -dze, -uri, -ia, -ua, -a, -ava -li, -si, -ni

Italians: -ini

Lithuanians: -te, -is, -not

Moldovans: -sku, -u(l), -an

Mordva: -yn, -in

Germans: -man, -er

Ossetians: -ti

Poles: -ski -tski -dzki

Russians: -ev, -ov, -skih

Romanians: -sku, -u(l), -an

Serbs: -ich

Turks: -ji, -oglu

Tatars: -in, -ishin

Ukrainians: -ko, -uk (-yuk), -un, -ny (-ny), -tea, -y, and

After analyzing the surnames of a kind, I found out that out of 16 surnames, 8 have Russian origin, 2 Mordovian and 6 origin could not be established.

Verin. The surname ends in -a, the suffix -in is used: Vera → Verin. In the dictionary there is a litter - (Rus), but, as we see, from the table above, it is possible to refer to a Mordovian surname. Vasilisin, Vasilisov - rare surnames, from female baptismal names. Vasilisa - royal (Greek). The surname, most likely, is formed from the female name Vera. Patronymics and surnames by female names were given in cases where the woman was the head of the family or brought up the child alone. The name Vera is Russian, from the calendar, a translation of the Greek Pistis or an abbreviated form from Veronica

Bugrov Everyone knows the word "bump" - a hillock, but a tumor, a blister, was also called a hillock. The owner of a permanent growth in a conspicuous place received, according to the Dictionary of Russian Surnames, the nickname Bugor, his children became Bugrovs. (Rus)

Kusakin - according to the final suffix, it can be attributed to the Russian and Mordovian surnames. However, the dictionary explains that in most cases such surnames are of Russian origin, but they can also be Belarusian or Ukrainian. Such surnames are formed from the name, nickname, occupation or place of residence distant ancestor man in the male line. Such a surname may come from the name or nickname of an ancestor in the female line, for example, a person's great-great-grandmother. In some cases, this surname is of Jewish origin and comes from the name or nickname of an ancestor in the female line, for example, a person's great-great-grandmother.

Petkelev - most likely formed from loops (pestle) - a stick with which grain is pounded in a mortar. Given surname clearly of Mordovian origin.

Ovtov - a name with a stem denoting the name of the oatmeal: Ovtov from ovto "bear". This surname, of course, is of Mordovian origin.

Frolov Patronymic from the form Frol from the church male name Frol (lat. Florus - "blooming"). Found only in dictionary with tag (Rus)

Efimov Patronymic from the everyday form Efim, formed in turn from the canonical male name Evfimy (Greek Euphemos - “pious, sacred”). Litter found in the dictionary (Rus)

Gusev A surname formed from a non-church name or nickname Gus, Gusak. "Bird" names were not rare in Russian villages, therefore, in the dictionary of the litter (Rus)

Soldiers Words that turned into nicknames, and surnames are formed from them in the future: Soldiers → Soldiers (Rus)

Yakovlev Patronymic from the name in the everyday Russian form Yakov (from the church Jacob). The possessive adjective Yakovlev ("son of Yakov") is formed by the suffix -ev. (Rus)

Gurov The surname is widespread, it was a patronymic from a derivative form of Gur from the canonical male name Gury. (Rus)

The origin of the surnames Yushin, Shakhmaev, Chubrikov, Skorkin and Rusyaykin has not yet been established.

Conclusion

Completed research allowed to make many interesting scientific observations and enriched knowledge important facts. We were convinced that the surname itself is an interesting linguistic phenomenon and is closely related to history and culture. home country. By studying the patterns of existence of certain surnames in their own way, you can learn a lot about the life, life, history of your ancestors.

Have you ever thought about your last name? Is it rare, unusual, or vice versa, often found in you? As a rule, a person gets so used to it that he does not think at all about its origin.

Most people do not even suspect what secrets their surname holds. Nevertheless, you can extract a lot of interesting information from it, learn about your pedigree, where and when the surname originated, who your ancestors were and other very important things. interesting information, which is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. Every day we hear, pronounce, write, or read dozens of names of our acquaintances, friends, relatives and colleagues. Every citizen of our country has a surname, which is recorded in the marriage and birth certificates, in the passport. There are no homeless people.

Specialists different professions, culturologists, ethnographers, philologists turn to onomastics to study the meaning of surnames. This science, which allows you to recreate the origin of the surname, resorting to the search for ancestral names, determining their place of origin, exploring personal characteristics and occupation. The origin of the surname is established by highlighting the so-called root word on the basis of which it was created, and by establishing the meaning that this word had in the old days, when surnames were still being created.

It is sometimes very difficult to find out the origin of a surname, because almost all modern languages changed over time. It happens when the meaning of the word, which is the basis of the surname, has changed, or is completely lost. Moreover, the surname could be changed by the person himself or by the idiot official. Finding out the origin of a surname, despite its apparent simplicity, can be very difficult.

Research usually shows that there may be more than one interpretation of a surname, including the most possible explanations recorded in reference books and dictionaries for various dialects. Translated from Latin, the word "surname" means family. In the Roman Empire, the surname did not belong to the family (spouses, children).

Only slaves had a surname, and they used it to refer to the entire population of people who belonged to one slave owner. In Rus', surnames began to be used in the 16th century, when a special law was adopted that ordered boyars and princes, as well as eminent merchants and nobles, to have a surname. Peasants began to be assigned surnames only after it was canceled serfdom. Often they were simply recorded under the name of their former masters.

In the 19th century, the word "surname" began to have a second, very close to modern, meaning. So, in the dictionary of Ozhegov S.I. one can read the following interpretation of this word: "A surname is a hereditary family name added to a personal name." The famous scientist and researcher Unbegaun B.O. in his book "The Origin of the Surname" he writes that Russian surnames come from personal names that are given to this or that person. Such names include baptismal names (which a person received at baptism), and nicknames received by a person according to his place of residence, profession, or some other sign.

In some cases, the origin of the surname is explained by the influence of the nickname: people called a person with one word, which most capaciously characterized his essence. It is from the nicknames that such surnames as Dolgoruky, Khmyrov, Krivosheev originated.

Previously, many tribes lived in Rus', each of which had its own customs, customs and beliefs. One of these beliefs were totem animals: bears, wolves, eagles, etc. People sincerely believed that by naming a person by the name of an animal, one can convey to him all the strength, dexterity, cunning inherent in the representative of the kingdom of animals.

In some cases, the origin of the surname is explained by the name of the area in which people lived. Some surnames are derived from the name of the area. IN ancient Rus' in each village there were only a few households, and each village had its own name. People who lived in a particular area were given surnames. An example would be the names Ozertsov, Montenegrins. Now in almost every village you can find several namesakes. Explained given fact the fact that in the days of serfdom settlements were recorded in the name of the landowner who owned the land. All the people who lived there began to have the same last name.

In addition, surnames were given according to occupation. So, the surname Kuznetsov, obviously, comes from the word blacksmith, and the Pchelovodovs, Pasechnys once bred bees.

The analysis showed that the formation of surnames, based on the gender human activity or other signs less productive, but also the place to be. Russian traditions in this respect do not differ from the traditions of other peoples of Europe.

Men's and female surnames. The Russian language has a developed morphology. He has a tendency to designate any semantic category with a special feature. Russian surnames that take the form of adjectives or nouns can be declined in all numbers (singular and plural). From this it follows that they change endings in exact accordance with the cases. As a result, many surnames have a large number of different forms, and any of them has a legal status. In this respect, Russian family forms differ from the strict, unchanging and only family forms among non-Slavic peoples. The vast majority Slavic languages, including Russian, the surnames of women usually differ from the surnames of men. For example: Petrov - Petrova, but Petruk (he) - Petruk (she), etc. The reason must be sought in the morphological features of the Russian language.

Another formal feature that should not be forgotten is that the stress in Russian surnames is inconsistent. So, two Russian surnames of the same spelling with an accent on different syllables will be two different surnames. If you don’t know how to correctly stress an unfamiliar surname, then it is recommended to ask it again, since a wrong pronunciation can easily hurt and offend a person. Some take it quite calmly, while others get angry.

However, in some languages, for example, in Lithuanian, the surname has a different form for married and unmarried woman. In addition, the surname in the full name of a person may not be used at all. Such rules exist, for example, in the Icelandic language. In Spain and countries where they speak Spanish, commonly used double surnames. The first part of it consists of the paternal surname, and the second of the maternal.

Double surnames. In countries where the main language is Portuguese, similar surnames are also used, but here the order of use is exactly the opposite of Spanish: the first part consists of the mother's surname, the second of the father's surname. The appeal of Russian people to double surnames was originally associated with the inconclusive definition of generic nicknames. In her work "Double Surnames", the researcher Superanskaya A. writes that, on the one hand, any family stood out from the whole clan, and on the other hand, in order to maintain contact with relatives, people also used a generic nickname. At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries, family nicknames were finally established and double surnames began to be lost.

Like these ones Interesting Facts keeps the history of the origin of surnames. Why is it important to know all this? Yes, because the surname is the common generic name of the whole family, all relatives. The surname unites entire generations of people, binds them into a single whole. Having learned the origin of your family name, you will come one step closer to knowing yourself.