Old Believer names for men. History of Old Russian female names

In ancient times, people believed that there was a magical connection between a person and his name. They believed that without knowing the main name, it was impossible to harm a person. Therefore, children were often given two names: the first - deceptive, known to everyone, and the second - secret, which only those closest to them knew. The secret name was hidden to protect the child from the evil eye and evil spirits. A false name was sometimes deliberately made unattractive to deceive evil spirits.

During adolescence, the ritual of re-naming took place. The young man was named according to pronounced features and character traits that were manifested by this time.

History of origin

In the pre-Christian era, Slavic names reflected the meaning attached to the naming process. Usually the name carried positive energy and expressed the hopes and wishes of the parents. There are several options for the origin of Slavic names:

From weather phenomena (Frost, Wind), time of day (Twilight, Zoryan).
From natural world: fish (Ruff, Catfish), animal (Wolf, Hare), bird (Eagle, Nightingale, Raven).
According to human qualities (Clever, Good-natured, Silent, Quiet). By character traits: Brave (brave, courageous), Veselin (cheerful, mischievous), Offended (touchy).
According to external features (Kudryash, Mal, Chernysh). Strong Old Slavic boys could be called: Dubynya (strong, like an oak), Gorislav (steadfast, like a mountain).
Names from verbs, adverbs (Zhdan, Khoten, Nayden, Daren).
By birth order: numerals (Pervusha, Vtorak, Tretyak, Shestak, Nine), and ordinal (Elder, Menshak).
From the pagan gods (Veles, Yarilo).
Negative names were chosen to protect against the evil eye (Dashing, Zloba, Nezhdan, Durak), or as a reflection of physical disabilities (Kriv, Nevzor, Nekras).
By occupation, profession - Kozhemyaka, Warrior, Villager. These names look like nicknames, but in fact they are confirmed by surviving documents.
Names are derived from the names of other peoples. From the ancient German names Hrodrik, Ingvarr, Helg came the ancient Russian Rurik, Igor, Oleg.
Compound or dibasic names made up of two roots united by a connecting vowel.

Dibasic

Most of the ancient Slavic names are represented by complex two-basic names. One root of such a name defined qualities (strength, power, might, love), and the second root showed the scope of their application (everything, people, good, gods, army). The underlying meaning of such names can be determined intuitively by ear. For example, Bogomil is dear to God, Vsemil is dear to everyone, Kazimir seems to show the world.

The inclination towards the art of war was conveyed by names with military roots - regiment, war-, rati-:

Yaropolk.
Ratibor.
Ratislav.
Vojislav.

Those inclined to study spiritual sciences added the holy root:

Svyatoslav.
Svyatomir.

Positive qualities were determined by the roots good-, sweet-, joyful-, loving-:

Lyubomir.
Dobrogost.
Radolub.

Some meanings are already difficult to determine by sound, because the meanings of words have changed. For example, the root -fat meant abundance, wealth:

Zhiroslav.
Domazhir.

The root -ostro (ost) meant brave:

Ostromir.
Witty.

The root -slav spoke of the princely origin of the name and the upper class. Craftsmen and peasants had the same names with simple suffixes and endings: -l(o), -yat(a), -sh(a), -n(ya):

Dobroslav - Dobrynya, Dobryata.
Putislav - Putyata, Putyatya.
Stanislav - Became.
Mstislav - Mestila, Mistyasha.

Evolution

Many names of ancient Slavic men were lost after the arrival of Christianity in Rus'. The Slavic pagan gods were replaced with Christianity by a single God. With the change in faith, there was a rejection of names that included the names of the old gods (Yarilo, Veles). Some ancient Slavic names were banned by the Christian Church.

Old Slavonic names replaced names from the Bible (Greek, Hebrew, Roman and others). After the adoption of Christianity, children began to be named after Orthodox saints. For example ancient name Ivan, which formed the basis of many folk tales and seems originally Russian, came from Jewish name John, and appeared after the baptism of Rus'.

Some of the ancient Slavic names remained in use as worldly household names; they were used to call a child in family circle. Some of these names gradually turned into nicknames.

Many ancient names formed the basis of surnames (Nezhdan - Nezhdanov, Volk - Volkov, Nevzor - Nevzorov, Nekras - Nekrasov, Molchan - Molchanov, Zayats - Zaitsev, Tretyak - Tretyakov, Zloba - Zlobov, Putyai - Putin, Orel - Orlov, Ersh - Ershov).

Some Slavic names have survived to this day almost unchanged. Vladimir, Stanislav, Vyacheslav, Vladislav - remain popular and modern today. These names were borne by rulers, princes, generals and governors, so they remained relevant for many centuries. Some Old Slavonic names were canonized by the church, name days were added according to them, these names were entered into church calendars and remained in use:

Vladimir.
Bogdan.
Vsevolod.
Vladislav.
Yaroslav.

Complete list of Old Church Slavonic and their meanings

This is what the ancient names of Russian men meant:

Bazhen (desired, beloved, God's).
Bazan (screamer).
Bashilo (pampered, mischievous).
Belimir (white, bright world).
Belogor (white mountain, sublime).
Beloslav (white, bright glory).
Belyai (white, light).
Berislav (taker of glory).
Bogdan (given by God).
Bogolyub (God loving).
Bogomir (Peace be with God).
Boleslav (more glorious, most glorious).
Borimir (fighting for peace).
Borislav (fighting for glory).
Bratislav (brother, friend of glory).
Bronislav (protector of glory).
Bryachislav (glorious warrior).
Budimir (awakening, awakening the world).
Burislav (stormy glory).
Vadim (arguing, proving).
Vadimir (attracting, calling).
Velizar (great dawn, a lot of light).
Velimir (great, big world).
Velimudr (knowing).
Vesilin (cheerful, cheerful).
Vladimir (owning the world, striving for harmony).
Vladislav (owner of glory).
Vlastimir (ruler over the world).
Voislav (fighting for glory, glorious warrior).
Volodar (owner of the will, ruler).
Volga (wonder, hero).
Vorotislav (returning glory).
Vsevolod (who owns everything).
Vseslav (the most glorious, generous).
Vysheslav (above others in glory, glorified).
Vyacheslav (most glorious, most glorious).
Gleb (presented to God, given under the protection of God).
Gorazd (big, large, skillful).
Gorislav (blazing in glory).
Gradomir (creator of the world).
Gradislav (preserver of glory).
Gremislav (loudly famous).
Danislav (let him be glorious).
Darimir (giver of peace).
Dobrolyub (kind, loving).
Dobromil (kind, dear).
Dobromysl (good-thinking).
Dobroslav (glorified by good, glorifying good).
Dobrynya (kind, daring).
Dragomil (especially dear, precious).
Dragomir (treasuring the world, beloved by all).
Druzhina (friend, comrade, or army, detachment).
Dusan (mental, spiritual).
Dukhovlad (possessing the spirit).
Yeseniy (clear sky, clear).
Zhdan (desired, expected).
Zhiteslav (glorifying life).
Zvyaga (loud).
Zvenimir (ringing for peace, calling for harmony).
Zlatan (golden, precious).
Zlatomir (golden world).
Zlatoslav (golden glory).
Izyaslav (who gained fame).
Izheslav (be with glory).
Istislav (glorifying the truth).
Casimir (bringer of peace, tranquility).
Krasimir (beautiful world).
Krasislav (beauty of glory).
Labuta (clumsy, lump).
Ladimir (pacifying, in harmony with the world).
Ladislav (glorifying beauty, harmonious).
Lel (loving, passionate).
Radiant (radiant, luminous).
We love (beloved).
Lubomir ( loving world, anyone in the world).
Ljubomysl (loving to think).
Luboslav (glorifying love).
Lyudmil (dear to people).
Mal, Malyuta (small, baby).
Mieczysław (famous for his sword, glorious warrior, valiant).
Milan (sweet, gentle).
Milovan (affectionate, caring).
Miloslav (sweet glory).
Mirko (peaceful, calm).
Miroslav (glorious in the world, glorifying the world).
Molchan (silent, taciturn).
Mstislav (irreconcilable, avenging glory, glorious avenger).
Myslimir (thinking about the world).
Hope (hope, expectation).
Negomir (gentle world).
Nikola (winner, warrior).
Odinets (the only one, the first in a row).
Oleg (sacred, dedicated).
Ostromir (piercing, brave world).
Witty (sharp-minded, brave-thinking).
Overexposure (bright, bright, clear).
Polkan (strong, quick).
Polyuda (giant, huge).
Wonderful (wonderful).
Putimir (reasonable world, way of peace).
Putislav (who glorified his path, blessed road).
Radamir (rejoicing in peace, fighter for peace).
Radey (joyful, joy).
Radimir (who cares for peace).
Radislav (rejoicing in glory, caring for glory).
Radmil (sweet joy).
Radosvet (light of joy).
Ratibor (fearless warrior, winner of the army).
Rodislav (nice by birth).
Rostislav (growing fame, grown for glory).
Svetozar (illuminating with light, illuminated with light).
Svyatomir (holy world).
Svyatoslav (sanctified by glory).
Svyatopolk (fighter for a holy cause, holy army).
Slawomir (glorifying the world).
Stanislav (becoming glorious or famous by the camp).
Stoyan (steadfast, strong).
Tverdimir (solid world).
Tvorimir (creating the world).
Tihomir (quiet, peaceful, tranquil).
Tichoslav (quiet glory).
Khotislav (desiring glory, striving for glory).
Brave (brave).
Hranislav (guardian of glory).
Czeslav (famous).
Chudomil (wonderful, dear).
Janislav (glorious).
Jaromir (bright world).
Yaropolk (bright regiment, powerful army).
Yaroslav (bright, glorious, glorifying Yarila, the god of the Sun).

Old Slavic male names not only sound beautiful, but also have deep roots and sacred meanings. They carry the stamp of energy, culture and traditions Slavic people. By choosing an ancient Slavic male name, parents lay the foundations for spiritual qualities and direction life path your child, because the traits that the great ancestors possessed will be projected onto the growing boy.

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

How to choose a name for a boy

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

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

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

When choosing a name for your son, you must first try 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, firm names are suitable, since life will be difficult for them without a strong and assertive character.

Beautiful ancient Slavic names for a boy

The ancient Slavs most often gave the child a name at birth, and then during adolescence, when the main features of his individuality were already clearly emerging in the character of the young man. The name should have emphasized these qualities. If a man performed great feats, he could be given another name that glorified 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 – establisher of glory;
Tihomir – quiet and peaceful;
Jaromir is peaceful like Yarilo.

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

Forgotten and rare names of Slavic origin

The list of forgotten and rare names is very long:

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

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

Orthodox Russian male names

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

These are Russian names for boys:

Boris – fighting for glory;
Vsevolod - owner of everything;
Vladimir is great in his power, ruling the world;
Vladislav – owner of glory;
Vyacheslav - great 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. IN lately interest in old names is being revived, since modern ones have become very popular and too common, and parents do not want to name their child like everyone else. But in search rare name you need to show a lot of wisdom.

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 (Kriv, Nekras, Zloba), for even greater protection from evil ones. After all, without the key to the essence of a person, it is much more difficult to cause evil. The rite of the second naming was performed in adolescence, when the main character traits were formed. The name was given based on these traits. Slavic names were replete with their diversity; there were groups of names:
1) Names from the animal and flora(Pike, Ruff, Hare, Wolf, Eagle, Nut, Borscht)
2) Names by birth order (Pervusha, Vtorak, Tretyak)
3) Names of gods and goddesses (Lada, Yarilo)
4) Names by human qualities(Brave, Stoyan)
5) And the main group of names is two-basic (Svyatoslav, Dobrozhir, Tihomir, Ratibor, Yaropolk, Gostomysl, Velimudr, Vsevolod, Bogdan, Dobrogneva, Lyubomila, Mirolyub, Svetozar) and their derivatives (Svyatosha, 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: Svyato + sha = Svyatosha.
Of course, the names of people carry a significant part of the culture and traditions of the entire 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 the names of 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.

Old Russian two-part names (composite names) are well known to us from chronicles - not least because they were originally the names of the Old Russian elite. Apparently, they were the basis of many Old Russian one-component names known to us: Vadim - Vadimir, We love you - Lyubimir, Ratsha - Ratislav (Ratslav), Saint - Svyatoslav.

Actually, such two-part names are characteristic not only of the Old Russian language, but also of Slavic languages in general. Moreover, in the Czech, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian and Polish languages, much more such names have been preserved, and they are still actively used: for example, Vojislav Kostunica (Prime Minister of Serbia), Czeslaw Sabinsky (Polish director), Jaromir Jagr (Czech hockey player) Radoslav Bachev (Bulgarian football player), etc. This happened partly because on the Russian calendar Orthodox Church very few Old Russian names were included. After the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the custom persisted for quite a long time. give the child two names - the “native” Slavic and baptismal, taken from church calendar. Therefore, in ancient Russian sources a double name is often found: " Prince Theodore and Mirsky Mstislav", “Joseph, and worldly Ostromir,” “named him Vasily in holy baptism, but his worldly name Rostilo”. Yaroslav the Wise bore a Christian name Georgiy , his sons Vyacheslav, Izyaslav, Svyatoslav And Vsevolod- respectively Mercury, Dimitri, Nikola (Nikolai) And Andrey , and the son of Izyaslav Svyatopolk, founder of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv - Michael . And only a few princes who fell into Orthodox calendar, managed to “drag” along the original names - Vladimir(Vladimir the Great, in baptism - Vasily), Boris And Gleb(sons of Vladimir, in baptism - Novel And David ). But the half-brother of Boris and Gleb, Yaroslav the Wise, officially entered the calendar only in 2005 with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II.

(By the way, the custom of double naming existed among Eastern Slavs until the 17th century: for example, Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky bore the Christian name Zinovy, therefore in sources he sometimes appears as Bohdan-Zinovy Khmelnytsky).

Many two-component Slavic names found their way into the Russian calendar from other Slavic sources: martyr Lyudmila Cheshskaya, saint Vladislav Serbsky(although in the Old Russian language there was a similar name Volodislav). By the way, some names that we today consider traditionally Polish, Czech or Serbian were also common in Ancient Rus': Stanislav(one of the sons of Vladimir the Great), Boleslav(daughter of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich), Miroslav(Miroslav Gyuryatinich, mayor of Novgorod), etc. However, these names were not included in the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church, although some of them are present in Catholic calendars.

Peaceful or glorious?

Usually the meaning of Old Russian names is clear without translation: Svyatoslav - “saint” + “glory”, Vsevolod - “owner of everything”. But then we come across the name Ostromir - what kind of “sharp world” is this? And, by the way, who should a man named Zhiroslav praise? Why does Gostibor fight with guests and what does the first component of the name Izyaslav mean?

To get answers to most of these questions, it is usually enough to look into the dictionary of the Old Russian language and find out that “izyati” means “to take”, “guest” is not only a guest in the usual sense, but also a foreigner, and the word “fat” meant wealth, abundance.

The issue with Ostromir is not so easy. From the dictionary we learn that "ost" means "brave, decisive." Accordingly, Ostromir is a “brave world”? Quite a paradoxical name. Although, on the other hand, there are a lot of names with “-mir” in the Old Russian name book: Vladimir, Gostimir, Ratimir, Radomir... True, sometimes for some reason they were written with “yat”: Volodymer, Gostimer, Ratimer, Radomer and were pronounced accordingly Volodymer , Gostimer , Ratimer , Radometer . Even if we make allowances for the pronunciation of an unstressed vowel, you will agree that “peace” and “mer” are two big differences.

There is a version that the component world/mer was borrowed from German-Scandinavian marr/mer, meaning "glorious, famous." Moreover, in parallel with the Slavic name Vladimir, there was a Scandinavian Valdemar/Valdimarr- "glorious ruler." Vladimir is a princely name, the first bearer of this name known to us is Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (Vladimir the Great), a descendant of the notorious Varangian Rurik. Perhaps Prince Svyatoslav gave youngest son Scandinavian name Valdemar, adapted to Slavic pronunciation: Volodymer. Moreover, to Russian ears it sounded like an ordinary two-part name - “owning the world.” Therefore, Slavicized world/mer easily took its place among other name-forming components: -slav, -bor, -love. At the same time, it is possible that some names were not formed from borrowed world/mer, and directly from Old Russian "peace"(world).

New life of ancient Russian names

The fashion for pagan ancient Russian names, like any fashion, goes away and returns with the constancy of a pendulum. The first sign can be considered the famous poet Velimir Khlebnikov, who at one time was keen on the ideas of Pan-Slavism (like many representatives of the Russian intelligentsia) and took the pseudonym Velimir instead of his passport name Victor. Once again, pagan names “resurrected” after the October Revolution, when young parents, eager to “break with the old world” by all means, began to look for any names for their children that were not associated with the traditional calendar. True, the Jaromirs and Vseslavs were significantly inferior in popularity to the Vladlens, Revolutions and Electrifications, but still the tradition was laid down seriously and for a long time.

Today Russian-speaking countries are experiencing new wave fashion for Old Russian and Slavic names. Partly - because of the massive attempt to “return to the roots”, partly - because Western names like Zhanna, Eduard or Angela have already become boring. Now children are given not only Old Russian, but also Bulgarian, Czech, Serbian, and Polish names: Snezhana,Milan,Krasimir,Boleslav,Bratislava.

Slavic names are not only borrowed, but also invented. They are successfully invented by the authors of the now fashionable “Slavic fantasy”, and numerous groups of neo-pagan Rodnovers who are trying to revive Slavic paganism as a modern religious cult also contribute to the common cause. Rodnovers, undergoing a rite of passage, change their passport names to “native” ones: Mlad, Ogneslav,Veleslav. Many Rodnoverian names are either borrowed from the Book of Veles, which most Slavic experts recognize as a fake, or are modeled after real-life composite names using Slavic and pseudo-Slavic roots: Goemysl - “one who comprehends the vital force ("goe" - the power of life and fertility)" (hereinafter interpretations are given according to " Slavic name book"A.V. Trekhlebova - author's note. ), Vladduh- “twice-born - in body and spirit, i.e., owning a deuconic (spiritual) body)”,OctoEyes- "eight eyes, all-seeing"Rostichar- "increasing the gifts of sacrifices ("chara" - sacrificial bowl: "cha" - bowl, life force, "Ra" - sun)",Pillarposvet- “a torch, i.e. a person who has a powerful energy channel of communication with the ancestral and spiritual egregor”,Bozhedom- "the dwelling place of God."(By the way, in Dahl’s dictionary the word “bozhedom” is interpreted in a slightly different way: “bozhedom, god-domka - a wretched person despised in an almshouse”).

Of course, most of the Rodnoverian names are unlikely to catch on in widespread use: few parents have the courage to name their child Pillar of Light or Vladdukh, no matter what these names mean. However, real-life Slavic names are becoming increasingly popular among us, and for good reason - for the most part they are very beautiful and, unlike names of foreign origin, are understandable without translation.

About the list of names posted on this site

Why two-part names?

In fact, there are quite a lot of Old Russian names recorded in medieval sources - only one “Dictionary of Old Russian personal names” by N.M. Tupikova gives several hundred of them. The problem is that it is very difficult to distinguish personal names given at birth from nicknames. Moreover, in official sources both could be used as a name with equal success: cf. Kornilko Fool, peasant of Yazholobitsky churchyard And Fool Mishurin, Moscow clerk . At that time, a child could actually be named Fool - there was a custom to specifically give children names with negative meaning in the hope that evil forces will not be tempted by such a “low-quality” child and will not take him away from his parents, sending him illness or some kind of misfortune. The only question is whether the peasant Kornilko the Fool was given this name at birth along with the Christian Korniliy (Kornilko) or is this a nickname he earned already at a conscious age for his unprecedented intellectual abilities?

There is no clear answer to this question. But the Fool is nothing compared to some of the names found in ancient Russian sources. Personalities such as the Novgorod icon painter appear quite officially there Ivan Dermo Yartsev son, native Petrusha Bzdyachiy , peasant Kirilko Byakin son-in-law (a man who had a father-in-law named Byaka), Moscow clerk Gryaznusha Kolodnich , resident of Novgorod Nezdylov's son jerked off , pop Ghoul Dashing - the first known copyist of books in Rus' and his colleague, a certain “much sinner in the foreign workshop Vasian according to the advertisement(by nickname or worldly name) Dracula ” (!). In contrast to these wondrous names, the two-part names known to us from ancient Russian chronicles, there is no doubt - these are names, not nicknames or analogues modern surnames. For readers interested in the full range of Old Russian names, I recommend “Dictionary of Old Russian personal names” by N.M. Tupikov, which you can download.

Why are there so few names on the list?

Indeed, in Slavic languages there are many more two-part names. But this list does not represent common Slavic, but Old Russian names - that is, names recorded in Old Russian sources or that left their mark in surnames and geographical names (for example, Radonezh- possessive from Radoneg). It is logical to assume that in Ancient Rus' there were many more two-part names than we know. Our ancestors could well have been called Krasimirs, Lyuboslavs and Radosvets - the laws of language fully allow the existence of such names. However, until sources are found that mention them, it is better to refrain from including them in the list.

Why are there so few female names?

Are you choosing a name for your newborn son? Parents always dream of their child being the happiest and healthiest. And the first thing you can do for him is to give correct name. After all, a name is a sign that influences not only the character, but also the fate of a person.

But the problem is that, firstly, the list of names is huge. Secondly, I would like to consider the strong and euphonious Slavic male names that have become popular again. In the article you will find out what traditions existed in naming boys in Rus' and what Slavic names meant.

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 and epics. The poem "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" presents us with a whole series 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 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 of glorious ancestors, based on the child’s character qualities.

For example, Dobrynya is kind,

Vsevolod - owner of everything,

Rodomir – the bringer of peace and many others.

The sons were named in honor of the 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, and natural phenomena: Brave, Pike, Hare, Yarilo, Lada.

Why are Slavic male names forgotten?

This was mainly influenced by the baptism of Rus', which occurred in the 10th century. Pagan beliefs were replaced by a national unified religion. With the change of faith, changes also occurred in people’s lives, their way of life, and their worldview.

Bans were imposed on the original Slavic names, so they gradually faded from memory and were forgotten. They were replaced by Hebrew, Byzantine, Greek, Babylonian, Syrian names. In the 19th century, very few Russian names remained; names of Latin origin also appeared in families. IN modern Russia According to statistics, there were only 5% of boys with Old Russian names.

How to recognize Slavic names?

Male Slavic names had a sacred meaning. They are beautiful, euphonious, and also strong-willed and strong. You can easily recognize them. Usually they consist of two bases: the first is the main one and was given at the birth of a child, the second was added when the boy grew up and had certain merits and showed himself in something. For example,

Absey - born on the first day of spring,

Vsemil - dear to everyone,

Daroslav - giver of the word,

Yaropolk is an ardent warrior.

Slavic names for boys

In the Slavic name book there used to be a lot of names. Currently, most of them are completely forgotten. So, if you want to name your baby a traditional Slavic name, then take a closer look at the following list.

Absey– talented, innate creativity.

Agnechron- strong, fast, need to dominate.

Agniy– a tendency to continuous movement, a bright person.

Aliy– active, always busy with something, vigorous energy.

Bazhen- desired, beloved.

Belimir– sacred in the world, full of love and compassion.

Belogor– white mountain, has a strong character.

Beloslav– a pragmatist, strives to milk everything himself.

Belomir– honest, active.

Beloyar– sacred rage, vibrant personality, thirsts for everything a person can possess.

Bogdan- a confident, loyal friend.

Boeslav– handsome, confident and has a strong character.

Bozeslav- friendly and polite.

Bogolep- Created by God.

Bohumil- dear to God, reliable.

Bogumir- a friend to everyone.

Blagomir– capable of maneuvering and changeability.

Blagoslav– has the ability to forgive and high spiritual qualities.

Boleslav– glorified, most glorious, hearing.

Borislav- fighting for glory, an extraordinary mind.

Bratislava- sociable, cheerful.

Bronislav- purposeful, persistent, principled.

Budislav- will be nice, master of the matter, sociable.

Bueslav– like a storm, indestructible.

Budimir– kind, loves nature, has a sense of beauty.

Vadislav– possessing fame, strong-willed, strong, successful.

Velibor- a great fighter.

Venislav– crowned with glory, prudent, successful.

Vitoslav- a symbol of reliability.

Vladimir- ruler of the world, leader.

Vsevolod– omnipotent, gift of persuasion, courageous, firm.

Vseslav- all-glorifying, famous.

Vyacheslav– glorifying, desire for leadership, sociable.

Gradimir– a good organizer, sociable.

Gleb– lump, decisive, fair.

Godimir– needed by the world, idealist, strives to improve the world.

Gorisvet– clear, intelligent, balanced.

Gorislav– blazing glory, healthy, strong, hardy.

Gostimir– talented, cheerful, versatile.

Daniyar- intelligent, knowledgeable.

Daromir– independent, courageous.

Divislav– amazing, full of energy, active.

Dobrolyub- kind and loving.

Dobroslav- famous for goodness.

Dobrynya- kind, daring, the best.

Drogoslav – strong personality, purposeful.

Yeseniy– practical, reliable, love science.

Zhelislav– brave, independent, decisive.

Zhiteslav– fair, active, strong.

Zvenislav– wise, self-sufficient, successful.

Zelislav– cheerful, sociable.

Zlatoslav– philosophical way of thinking, easily learns foreign languages.

Zlatozar– selfless, developed intuition, honest.

Igor- careful, attentive.

Krasimir– beautiful and peaceful.

Ladislav– balanced, reasonable, successful.

Luboslav- brave and independent.

Miloslav– glorifying peace, glorified by peacefulness.

Oleg– the soul of the company, decisive, reliable.

Peresvet– independent, courageous, strong character.

Radim– talented in art, sports, cheerful.

Radislav- reliable, conscientious, sensible.

Ratislav – strong-willed, loves power.

Ratmir– a warrior of peace, hospitable, purposeful, cunning.

Svetozar– persistent, independent, sociable.

Svetoslav– Diplomatic, practical, has willpower.

Tihomir- peaceful, good-natured, friendly.

Yarilo- sun, god.

Jaromil– confident, positive, friendly.

Jaromir– calm, balanced, cheerful.

Yaroslav– athletic, persistent, strives for victory and success.

Yaropolk– a glorious warrior, leader, independent, leader, has strong energy.

Of course, this list cannot be called complete, but it gives an idea of what the ancient Slavic male names were like.

Male Slavic names are back in fashion

Having analyzed the meanings of ancient Slavic names, you will, of course, agree that they sound melodious, full of nobility, courage, and strength. They contain deep meaning and powerful positive energy. The more men with such names, the better and healthier the world becomes. This is also a return to one’s origins and roots. Slavic names are energetically much stronger than foreign ones. And what more people bear names with positive energy, the better and purer the energy-informational background of the Earth.

Of course, no one is calling on you, parents, to completely abandon your usual names, such as Danil, Maxim, Arthur, Artyom, Egor, Arseny, Nikita, Semyon, Konstantin, Alexander, Nikolai, Kirill.

It’s just that among the ancient and forgotten there are many beautiful and noble ones. By giving your child an ancient Slavic name, you strengthen your family, make it stronger and cleanse it of bad energy. This is the power of a person’s name. The choice is yours.