29.11.201927.05.2017

Have you ever thought about your last name? Is it rare, unusual or, on the contrary, common? As a rule, a person gets so used to it that he doesn’t think about its origin at all.

Most people don't even know what secrets their last name holds. However, you can extract a lot of interesting information from it, learn about your ancestry, where and when the surname originated, who your ancestors were and other very interesting information that 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 marriage and birth certificates, in the passport. There are no familyless people.

Specialists of various professions, cultural scientists, ethnographers, and philologists turn to onomastics to study the meaning of surnames. This is a science that allows you to recreate the origin of a surname by searching for ancestral names, determining their place of origin, exploring personal characteristics and occupation. The origin of a surname is established by identifying 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 just being created.

The origin of a surname is sometimes very difficult to find out, because almost all modern languages have undergone changes 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 a klutzy 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 apply to the family (spouses, children).

Only slaves had a surname, and they used it to designate the entire set of people who belonged to one slave owner. In Rus', the use of surnames began in the 16th century, when a special law was passed, which required boyars and princes, as well as eminent merchants and nobles, to have a surname. Peasants began to be given surnames only after serfdom was abolished. Often they were simply recorded under the name of their former masters.

In the 19th century, the word “surname” began to have a second meaning, very close to the modern one. So, in S.I. Ozhegov’s dictionary you 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 characteristic.

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

Previously, many tribes lived in Rus', each of which had its own customs, morals and beliefs. One of these beliefs was totem animals: bears, wolves, eagles, etc. People sincerely believed that by calling a person after an animal, they could convey to him all the strength, dexterity, and cunning characteristic of a representative of the animal kingdom.

In some cases, the origin of the surname is explained by the name of the area in which people lived. Some surnames come from the name of the locality. IN ancient Rus' each village had only a few courtyards, and each village had its own name. People who lived in a certain area began to be given surnames. An example would be the surnames Ozertsov and Montenegrins. Nowadays, in almost every locality you can find several namesakes. This fact is explained by the fact that during serfdom settlements were recorded in the name of the landowner who owned the land. All the people living there began to have the same surnames.

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

The analysis showed that the formation of surnames based on the type of human activity or other characteristics is less productive, but still has a place. Russian traditions in this regard do not differ from the traditions of other European peoples.

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, which take the form of adjectives or nouns, can be declined in all numbers (singular and plural). It follows from this that they change endings in exact accordance with the cases. As a result, many surnames have a large number of different forms, and any one of them has legal status. In this respect, Russian family forms differ from the strict, unchanging and unique family forms of non-Slavic peoples. In the vast majority of Slavic languages, including Russian, women's surnames are usually different from men's surnames. 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 emphasis in Russian surnames is inconsistent. So, two Russian surnames that are identical in spelling with emphasis on different syllables will be two different surnames. If you do not know how to correctly put emphasis on an unfamiliar surname, then it is recommended to ask her again, since incorrect pronunciation can easily offend and offend a person. Some people take this quite calmly, while others get angry.

However, in some languages, for example, in Lithuanian, the surname has different shapes for married and unmarried women. In addition, the surname in a person’s full name may not be used at all. Such rules exist, for example, in the Icelandic language. In Spain and countries where they speak Spanish, it is customary to use double surnames. Its first part consists of the father's surname, and the second part of the mother's surname.

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 from the father's surname. The appeal of Russian people to double surnames was originally associated with the inconclusive definition of family nicknames. In her work “Double Surnames,” researcher A. Superanskaya writes that, on the one hand, any family stood out from the entire clan, and on the other hand, in order to maintain connections with relatives, people also used a family nickname. At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries, family nicknames were finally established and double surnames began to be lost.

These are the interesting facts that the history of the origin of surnames contains. 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 the surname of your family, you will come one step closer to knowing yourself.

Not every person knows the history of his surname, but everyone for whom family values and ties of kinship matter strives to find relatives and establish connections with them. The Family Tree website is happy to help you in this good endeavor. Finding ancestors is not an easy task; for this you will need to rummage through the family archive and make all sorts of inquiries, but finding relatives on the Internet is much easier. Family sites operating within our portal are named after the surname of their founder. After looking through the list, you can find relatives by last name, if, of course, the history of the last names of the people you are interested in coincides with yours. “Who were my ancestors?” - You can search for free for those who will help with the answer on the “Family Tree”, filtering family sites by last name.

With us, searching for ancestors by last name becomes easy and fast, and most importantly, it is always free and accessible. “I want to find relatives,” new users often write to us. Well, we will definitely help you do this!

Even if a search engine is unable to help you find ancestors by last name, then “Family Tree” is at your service! The history of the surname can no longer remain a secret to you! To find your ancestors, just join us. As you know, whoever searches will find, and in your case, he will also find it quickly and for free. Communicate, interact, and very soon you will receive an answer to the question: “Who were my ancestors?”

Maria Soboleva

What does the surname mean? How to find out

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

The secret of the surname

What does a surname mean? This question can be answered by a special science called anthroponymy.

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

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

Origin of the surname

There are surnames that are simple and understandable, not requiring any special explanation - it is already clear to everyone that the family name Kuznetsov comes from the once in demand craft of a blacksmith (and Ukraine has its own variations of surnames that arose 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 dictionaries of surnames, opened, read and ordered. But how accurate is this information and what to do if your generic name is not there?

You can go in two ways: searching for the truth on your own and posing such a task to specialists.

Your older relatives can tell you what the surname means. Some families carefully preserve the history of their family, they know about their ancestors up to the fifth or seventh generation.

You can look through books on anthroponymy, various reference books and dictionaries. They also turn to archives for information.

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 chronicles of your family, search for relatives, find out what a surname means and what its origin is.

Enthusiasts collect information about family 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 bring your family together.

It’s 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, legal codes of tsarist times.

The only question is whether you have the funds to pay for such services, because finding out what a last name means is sometimes not easy, and searching 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 own pedigree, and receive a family diploma.

Last name 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 family names. They entered into transactions, took on various obligations, and the document had to have a signature confirming ownership.

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

People of low class during their lives could be renamed by boyars, governors, and clerks at their will. He was Fedotov (by his father), became Krivoshein (by his appearance).

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

Only with the introduction of passports into Soviet time hereditary surnames were finally established. Although many ancient surnames have survived to our times. For example, Streltsov - from the name “strelets” (a soldier of the Streltsy army).

More examples: what does the surname Ordyntsev mean - that’s what people were called by belonging to the Golden Horde, Tolmachev - from the word “interpreter” (translator).

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

But the common surname Laktionov comes from Galaktion (the first syllable was simply cut off for ease of pronunciation).

What a surname means, in some cases it’s easy to guess for yourself:

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

from geographical names - Muromov, Dnieper, Shuisky;

in honor of religious holidays - Assumption, Vozdvizhensky;

according to external signs: Sukhorukov, Krivtsov, Shcherbak (lost 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 nicknames of people from other places - Nemchinov, Karelin, Tatarenko;

“everyday” surnames - Kuleshov, Pirogov, Ovsyannikov, Kochergin.

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

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

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

What does the meaning of surnames depend on?

The importance of a person's surname is difficult to overestimate. From the moment a child crosses the threshold of school, he ceases to be just Petya, Natasha or Dima, but also becomes Zaitsev, Romanova, Belov. With this important “increase” our growing up seems to begin. Apart from close relatives, friends and acquaintances, we distinguish people primarily by their last names. The surname helps to make a first impression about a person - for example, with a high probability of being hit, it is possible to guess his nationality. Knowing what the surname means, you can learn a lot about the ancestor, the ancestor. Where he lived, what he did, whether he was tall or small, noisy or quiet. The roots of surnames lie in the personal names or nicknames of people, their professions, and the names of places that existed at the time when surnames began to be formed. On the territory of Russia, this process became widespread in the 16th century, and was completely completed only at the beginning of the 20th century.

What does your last name mean?

It is interesting that the interpretation of surnames very often comes as a complete surprise to their owners. Thus, the sonorous surnames Emeralds and Tulips, similar to an artistic pseudonym, were given not to a jeweler and a gardener, but, most likely, to students of a church school or seminary. Surnames with meanings associated with the names of animals and birds are usually among the most ancient. They were formed at a time when, along with personal names, nicknames were also in use - Crow, Bear, Pig. Many surnames come from nicknames-amulets that ward off evil spirits. Parents often called their child a fool with the hope that he would grow up smart, and malice - kind. So, the ancestors of the Fools were not fools at all, and the Zlobins were gloomy and embittered. By the way, the famous surname Nekrasov also originates from the nickname Nekras, that is, the expectation that the child will grow up beautiful and handsome. So, you shouldn’t feel complex because of “discordant” surnames, much less form a negative opinion about the owners based on them.
Of course, it is not always possible to determine with one hundred percent certainty which meaning of a surname was originally true. Some surnames were born from distorted foreign language borrowings, others - from words that can no longer be found in modern dictionaries. However, interest in one’s surname makes one learn more about one’s ancestors, and therefore get in touch with the history of one’s family.

Numerology of the last name

Finally, a numerological analysis of a surname can tell about a certain general mood of the family, hereditary abilities, potential “family” opportunities for success or failure, and methods of communication with the outside world developed by generations of one “dynasty.” Each representative of the surname simultaneously strengthens it with his energy and receives support from it. It is no coincidence that people's destinies change dramatically when they change their last name.
A free online surname analysis will help you get closer to secrets that you may not have even suspected.

The meaning of surnames by nationality

Below is a list of nationalities, by going to the pages of which you can find out some details and the meaning of the surname depending on the country in which they appeared.