From what my surname came from. Origin of the word surname

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

Most people do not even suspect what secrets their last name keeps. Nevertheless, 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 will hardly 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 nameless people.

Specialists of various professions, culturologists, ethnographers, and 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.

The origin of the 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 the idiot official. It can be very difficult to find out the origin of the surname, despite the apparent simplicity.

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

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

In the 19th century, the word "surname" began to have a second, very close to modern, meaning. So, in SI 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 B.O. Unbegaun 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. These names include baptismal names (which a person received during baptism), and nicknames received by a person according to his place of residence, profession, or any other signs.

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

Previously, many tribes lived in Russia, each of which had its own customs, mores and beliefs. One of these beliefs was totem animals: bears, wolves, eagles, etc. People sincerely believed that by calling a person the name of an animal, one could convey to him all the strength, dexterity, 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 are derived from the name of the area. In ancient Russia, each village had only a few courtyards, and each village had its own name. People who lived in a certain area were given surnames. An example would be the names of Ozertsov, Montenegrins. Now, in almost every locality, you can find several namesakes. This fact is explained by the fact that during the time of serfdom, settlements were recorded in the name of the landowner who owned the land. All people living there began to have the same surnames.

In addition, surnames were given by occupation. So, the surname Kuznetsov, obviously, comes from the word blacksmith, and the Beekeepers, Beekeepers 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 it also takes place. Russian traditions in this respect do not differ from the traditions of other peoples of Europe.

Male and female surnames. The Russian language is distinguished by its 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 inflected in all numbers (singular and plural). From this it follows that they change the endings in exact accordance with the cases. As a result, many surnames come in many 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 among non-Slavic peoples. In the overwhelming majority of Slavic languages, including Russian, the names of women usually differ from the names 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 emphasis on different syllables will be two different surnames. If you do not know how to correctly stress an unfamiliar surname, then it is recommended to ask it again, since an incorrect pronunciation can easily offend 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 a married and unmarried woman. In addition, the surname in a person's full name may not be used at all. Such rules exist, for example, in Icelandic. In Spain and countries where Spanish is spoken, it is customary to use double surnames. The first part consists of the paternal surname, and the second part of the maternal name.

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 primordially associated with the inconclusive definition of generic nicknames. In her work "Double Surnames", the 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 contact with relatives, people also used the 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.

Such interesting facts are stored in the history of the origin of surnames. Why is it important to know all this? 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 a kind, you will come one step closer to knowing yourself.

In our time, every person has a surname. As the name is called, so the surname is "assigned". Most people with their last name live their whole lives, and girls before the wedding, after which they change their maiden name to the name of their husband. There are times when men take the names of their wives, but such cases are less common. Have you ever wondered where your surname came from, how old it is, centuries, thousands of years? After all, you can change the surname, but then the dynasty of kinship may end, and after all, no one grants that there are still people on Earth with such a surname as yours. We offer you a directory of surnames, in which you can try to find your own.

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 dictionary of surnames can be used as a reference, free surnames are grouped by letter. The list of surnames is quite detailed, over 40,000. The history of the surname can go back many centuries. During its existence, the surname can undergo quite significant changes, with the loss of both individual letters and whole 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 prompts; for complex surnames, this may not be feasible at all.

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

How do you find out the meaning of a surname? Unfortunately, only the very first carriers of the surname knew the original meaning of their surname, there may still be direct relatives and that's it. Further, it is just guesswork and fortune telling on the coffee grounds. Let's be realistic, if you do not have reliable and detailed information about the 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 the surname. This is very important, because one and the same word underlying a surname, in different nations and in different dialects, can have completely different meanings. Moreover, even familiar words in the old days had different meanings from modern ones.

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

Every person has a surname, but has anyone thought about where it came from, who invented it, and for what purpose is it needed? There were times when people had only names, for example, in the territory of former Russia, this trend was observed until the XIV century. The study of the surname can tell a lot of interesting things about the history of the genus, and in some cases even allows you to determine the ancestor. Just one word will tell about the welfare of the ancestors of the family, their belonging to the upper or lower class, the presence of foreign roots.

The origin of the word "surname"

Many are interested in what the surname came from, what it meant and for what purposes it was used. It turns out that this word has a foreign origin and originally had a completely different meaning than it is now. In the Roman Empire, the term did not refer to family members, but to slaves. A specific surname meant a group of slaves belonging to one Roman. It was only in the 19th century that this word acquired its present meaning. Nowadays, a surname means a family name that is inherited and added to a person's name.

When did the first surnames appear in Russia?

To find out where the surnames came from, you need to go back to the XIV-XV centuries and delve into the history of Russia. In those days, society was divided into classes. It was this conventional division that was reflected in the future surnames, representatives of different strata acquired them at different times. The first family names were acquired by princes, feudal lords, boyars, a little later this fashion came to merchants and nobles. Ordinary people did not have surnames, they were addressed only by their first name. This privilege was enjoyed only by the wealthy and influential estates.

How the surname originated can be determined by its meaning. For example, the family names of many feudal lords have something in common with the name of their lands: Vyazemsky, Tverskoy, etc. The lands passed by inheritance from father to son, respectively, the family kept the name of its founder. Many family names had foreign roots, this was due to the fact that people came from other countries and settled on our lands. But this is typical only for the wealthy estates.

Surnames of former serfs

It turns out that even in the 19th century, having your own surname was an unaffordable luxury that the poor could not boast of, and until the cancellation took place in 1861, the common Russian people used names, nicknames, and patronymics. When they found freedom and began to belong to themselves, and not to the nobles, it became necessary to come up with a surname for them. During the census in 1897, the census takers themselves came up with the names of the former serfs, as far as imagination was enough. For this reason, a huge number of namesakes appeared, because the same names were attributed to hundreds of people.

For example, where did the surname Ivanov come from? It's very simple, the fact is that its founder was named Ivan. Very often in such cases, the suffix "ov" or "ev" was added to the name, thus it turned out Aleksandrov, Sidorov, Fedorov, Grigoriev, Mikhailov, Alekseev, Pavlov, Artemiev, Sergeev, etc., the list can be continued indefinitely. Where did the surname Kuznetsov come from? Here the answer is even simpler - from the occupation, there are a lot of them: Konyukhov, Plotnikov, Slesarenko, Sapozhnikov, Tkachenko, etc. Some peasants took their favorite animal names: Sobolev, Medvedev, Gusev, Lebedev, Volkov, Zhuravlev, Sinitsyn. Thus, by the end of the 19th century, the majority of the population had their own surnames.

The most common surnames

Many are interested not only in the question of where the surnames came from, but also which of them are the most common. There is an opinion that Sidorov is also the most common. Perhaps this was the case before, but today it is outdated information. Ivanov, although one of the three leaders, is not in the first, but in the honorable second place. The third place is taken by Kuznetsov, but the leadership is held by Smirnov. The aforementioned Petrov is in 11th place, while Sidorov is in 66th.

What can prefixes, suffixes and endings tell you about?

As already mentioned, the suffixes "ov" and "ev" were attributed to names, if they are discarded, then a person will receive the name of his ancestor-founder. Much depends on the stress, if it falls on the last syllable, then the surname belongs to the peasant, and on the second - to the eminent nobleman. The clergy changed the name of the clan, for example, Ivanov became Ioannov.

For a long time there was no unambiguous answer to the question of where the surnames with the suffix "sky" came from. Today, researchers agreed that such names belonged to nobles of Polish blood, as well as ministers of churches dedicated to the Epiphany: Znamensky, Epiphany, Holy Cross. They are associated with such holidays as the Exaltation of the Cross, Epiphany, dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God "The Sign".

The suffixes "in" and "yn" mainly belong to Russian Jews: Ivashkin, Fokin, Fomin. Ivashka could dismissively speak of a Jew, and Foka and Thomas are purely diminutive suffixes "uk", "chuk", "enk", "onk", "yuk" belong to Slavic surnames. They are mainly found in Ukraine: Kovalchuk, Kravchuk, Litovchenko, Osipenko, Sobachenko, Gerashchenko, etc.

Random surnames

Not all surnames can tell about an ancient, glorious family. The fact is that most of them were simply invented by people, so such names do not even contain information about the name, occupation or place of residence of the founder. Sometimes there are very curious cases telling where the surnames came from. In the Soviet Union, there was an active formalization, so anyone with a dissonant name could easily change it. Many people from the villages (mostly young boys and girls) received their surnames along with their passports. So, a policeman asked one guy: "Whose are you?" - “Papanin” was written down in the document. And there are a lot of such stories. Be that as it may, but now every person has a surname, which can tell a lot of interesting things about the whole family.

Many are interested in finding out how their surname originated, the secret of which is hidden behind the antiquity of the years. By visiting our website, you can find out the origin of the surname in general, and also find out how it appeared in Russia.

Why search for the origin of the surname

For a person, the surname plays an important role, which is comparable to the name and date of birth. The history of the surname affects the human character and fate, as the wheel of fortune turns in different directions, guided by family vibrations and energy.

Are you interested in the history of its origin and want to pull off the veil of mystery? Do you want to know what exactly your last name means? Or maybe you want to find out where the ancestral root of your family came from?

By contacting us, you can find out all the secrets concerning the family tree of your family. If you have to change your surname, then you need to keep in mind that this can change your fate radically. Our experts will help you determine the history of the origin of the ancestral roots of the family in various ways, as well as find out what secret is hidden from you.

So what does a pedigree search do? You will be able to find out:

• your family's history;
• what are the characteristics of your family;
• where the ancestors lived;
• what they were doing and interested in;
• where do distant relatives live with whom you have lost contact;
• all information about ancestors;
• what family traditions and traditions exist in the family.

What does the surname mean and when was it formed?

When a person is born, he is given a name, but the surname is inherited. Our names are chosen by our fathers and mothers, the ancestors (great-grandfathers and grandfathers) became the people from whom the surnames originated. Who was your ancestor? What secrets does the surname hide? Maybe your ancestors were noble people, but you still do not know about this, since after the revolution it was not customary to openly talk about your noble origins.

Therefore, the history of the origin of the surname is now considered a very relevant topic for all citizens of not only the Russian Federation, but also the world. We will help solve the mystery of your surname, its formation and distribution throughout the world.

The word "surname" is of ancient Roman origin, according to many researchers. They also argue that behind this word was hidden another concept. This is how the inhabitants of Ancient Rome called a group of people, a community that included people belonging to a rich and respected class, as well as their slaves.

The unification of people and their formation into certain group communities took place thanks to the word Familia, even with this meaning. A simple solution to any financial and political issues on the territory of a large state took place on the basis of this definition. In addition, the lower strata of the population were easily controlled.

When the Great Roman Empire collapsed, information about the surnames was hidden under cover of secrecy for many centuries. How did the formation of surnames go in the Middle Ages?

Consider the history of this phenomenon by country:

1. The terminology only gained acceptance in various Italian areas at the end of the 10th century.... The country was at that time the most powerful and influential European power. What is the reason for this? Scientists argue hotly about this to this day. The emergence of the institution of inheritance in Italy is the most plausible and reasonable variation of the answer to the question of the origin of the surname. This is due to the fact that the borders began to expand and citizens of neighboring countries began to closely communicate. Surnames could also arise because of the political claims of Italy, which considered itself the most powerful state, and therefore wanted citizens of other countries to obey its subjects.
2. After a while, a new trend was also picked up by the French inhabitants., a number of special institutions were created that specialized in drawing up a pedigree. In those days, this service was provided only by wealthy noble families.
3. The adoption of the surname in England lasted longer. The end of this process falls on the 15th century. In remote Scottish and Welsh regions, the formation of surnames continued for many decades.
4. Citizens of Germany, Denmark and Sweden family institutions were organized at the end of the 16th century, as they were forced to play the game according to general rules, because at that time a person who did not have a surname was considered an inferior member of society.
5. Central European authorities such a definition as "surname" was forcibly introduced. But after a while, people quickly seized on new opportunities, although for several centuries the surname had only a nominal designation.

Surnames have become widespread since the end of the 18th century.

What determines the meaning of surnames

What does a surname mean for a person is difficult to overestimate. From the time a child enters the 1st grade of school, they stop calling him just Katya, Sasha or Sonya, and they also begin to call him Volkova, Belov, Romanova. This important "increase" becomes the starting point that leads to human maturation. The distinction between people by last name comes from this time. Close relatives, friends and acquaintances are an exception.

The first impression about a person comes from the surname. For example, hearing the surname, you can almost accurately determine the nationality of its bearer. If you know the meaning of the surname, you can get a lot of knowledge about your ancestors, ancestors. Where the person lived was tall or small, noisy or quiet, his occupation can be found out by the name of his surname. The root of the surname is hidden in a personal name or a human nickname, professional skills, and place of residence.

The history of the origin of the surname in Russia

Surnames in Russia began to appear in the 12-13th centuries. This process became widespread in the 16th century, and its completion falls on the end of the 19th - the beginning of the 20th century. Where this or that surname came from, experts can determine for certain, but they distinguish several variations that combine several hundred surnames.

Nicknames led to the origin of the surname:

1. Beginning to form at the turn of the 12-13th centuries... The names of the parents, where the person was born, what he did, were contained in the root part of the resulting word. What can be traced in the family ending -ich or -ov. For example, Petrovich, Popov.
2. During the 14-15 century period, numerous boyar and noble families begin to be called... It was during this time period that noble family names appeared: Shuisky, Gorbatov, Travins, Trusovs, Kobylins.
3. At the same time, surnames appear, derived from nicknames., which are characterized by negative features of appearance or character. For example, Kosoy, Krivosheev and others.
4. Peasant surnames begin their education from generic nicknames... For example, Lyubimov, Zhdanov.
5. Since ancient times, the name was considered a kind of amulet, directing the fate of a person in the right direction.... Therefore, surnames originated from names in order to correct human karma. For example, on behalf of Nekras, the family of Nekrasovs appeared, Golod - Golodovs.
6. Surnames formed on behalf of the father have become widespread. For example, the descendant of Vasily began to be called Vasiliev, the descendant of Peter - Petrov, the descendant of Sidor - Sidorov.

The close contact between Western and Eastern countries, which took place by the end of the 15th century, was the beginning of the formation of foreign surnames. At the same time, Turkic borrowings took place in Russia. Similar surnames appear until the beginning of the 20th century. Thus, the tribal communities of the Yusupovs, Karamzins, Baskakovs arose.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Peter the Great introduced "travel letters" indicating the name and surname (or nickname), that is, from that time on, almost everyone living in the Russian territories had a surname, albeit unofficially. But a similar phenomenon was common only in the central Russian regions. On the outskirts, citizens did not have a surname until the mid-30s of the 20th century, when they began to hand over passports to the inhabitants of the country.

What a person did and where he lived also contributed to the appearance of the surname. In the 16-19th centuries, surnames appeared based on what a person was doing. This is how the Rybins, Kovalevs, and Goncharovs appeared. Surnames appear in the place where the person was born or lived at the moment. In particular, many surnames appeared at the moment when the lands located beyond the Ural Mountains were settled. For example, the Ustyugovs, Verkhoturtsevs.

Among the clergy, the appearance of surnames occurred in the middle of the 18th century.

Their education often stemmed from the parish or church in which the priest served. For example, Pokrovskie, Kosmodemyanskie, Blagoveshchenskie and others. Until that time, they were called Father Vasily, Father or Priest Ivan. Their children, if necessary, were called the Popovs. Some clergymen acquired surnames when they graduated from the seminary.

They became Athenian, Palminovy, Cypress, Myagkov, Gilyarovsky. If the students distinguished themselves in their studies, then they received euphonious surnames with a positive connotation. They were called Brilliant, Dobromyslov, Speransk, Dobrolyubov. If a student received poor grades, then he received a dissonant surname. For example, it was called Gibraltar. In addition, the student could get a surname, which was formed on behalf of a negative biblical character, including he could be called Saul, Pharaoh.

How to find out the history of your last name: simple and professional ways

At first, each person can make an attempt to find their own roots. Parents, grandparents and other older relatives can help you with this matter. You can make notes in a notebook of all data on ancestors. You can learn about relatives both on the maternal side and on the paternal side. When a large amount of information has been accumulated, everything can be stated on a sheet of Whatman paper.

In the upper part, indicate the data that you managed to find out by first names, patronymics, surnames, indicating when you were born and where the most ancient ancestors lived. In addition, it is worth recording the number of marriages of the grandparents with the names of their wives and husbands, as well as the number of children they have and the dates of their birth.

A lot of information will be given by the occupation of your ancestors. For example, your ancestor was a shoemaker, so you are Shoemakers. Or there was a serviceman in the family, so you, for example, Bombardiers. If your ancestor was a fisherman, now you are called Sturgeon. Or maybe you are a bearer of a family trait, obtained due to the peculiarity of appearance, therefore, they began to be called Ukhovs, Nosovs.

If there is not enough information collected from relatives, you can turn to the World Wide Web. On various sites, you can find out the essence of the origin of your family name. If the resources ask you to enter any amount of money, then this may lead to the fact that you will be charged with funds, and assistance will not be provided. On our website, you can find out where your family branch came from. Here you can find distant relatives, by writing a message to which, you can find out information about where the family originated from.

Our experts will help you find out everything about rare family data. Having previously learned the information from the historical and archival information, our employees will professionally draw up a genealogical tree.

Professional research into the origin of the surname

If your independent searches could not help with clarifying the history of the origin of the surname, feel free to contact our specialists who will help solve all the questions that have arisen on this problem.

We provide the following services:

1. At the first stage, professionals will be able to verify all the data you have collected by talking to your relatives, as well as filling in the missing information. This stage is carried out in a period of 2 to 4 weeks.
2. At the same time as the first stage, specialists systematize the information received, enter the data into a special program with building a prototype of the family tree.
3. Conducting a genealogical examination of the information received, including DNA, during which it is determined whether there is enough information for research, as well as where to find the missing data. This stage takes place within 2-4 weeks.
4. Search for information in archives.
5. Analysis of the information received with the preparation of estimates.
6. Compilation of reporting information, as well as the creation of a family tree with the subsequent registration of the results of the work performed. This stage takes place within 2-3 months.

How to use the information

After receiving and processing all the information, our specialists can submit a report in the form of:

• a compiled family tree;
• a compiled pedigree book;
• a film about the history of the origin of your family's surname.

Let's dwell on each of the points in more detail.

Compilation of a family tree

In our company, the family tree of the surname can be ordered in the form of paintings, diagrams, panels, as well as shezhere. The customer can decide how the report should look. It can be depicted schematically, painted on canvas, or it can be carved on a wooden board and look like a panel. In addition, the coat of arms, local attractions, cartographic fragments, photographs can be presented, and you can also decorate the report with various ornaments.

If the customer wishes, LED lighting can be installed inside the frame. All materials are processed to prevent their premature failure. A family tree can be kept in your family for a long time.

Compilation of a genealogy book

All collected information can be formatted as a pedigree book. In addition to information about the surname, it will contain family legends, family traditions, documentary photocopies, as well as photographs highlighting the history of the origin of the surname.

This book, which includes the most valuable information, will be an invaluable encyclopedic storehouse of knowledge passed down from generation to generation.

Making a film about the history of the origin of your family's surname

For every family, a film is important, in which all its members play the main roles. Our company can offer a film based on events that really happened to you and your family.

We offer documentary films in the form of:

• family portrait film;
• dedication to one person or a married couple;
• a movie, during which the essence of the origin of the surname is investigated;
• narratives about the war years or about the events that take place in the childhood of the hero;
• a fascinating genre documentary story that sanctifies the events that happened to the hero;
• documentary reconstruction of past events;
• modern life events.

Professionals will be involved in the work on the film. The film will be shot by directors, screenwriters, cameramen, editors, sound engineers, composers and recorded on media of the highest quality. The finished masterpiece will be recorded on a hard disk. Your love life will become a source for filming an exciting, exclusive film.

Total cost of family pedigree

Before carrying out all the work, our specialists will be able to calculate the full cost of the services provided. Genealogical examination costs 95 thousand rubles. If specialists carry out a DNA examination, then its cost is 85 thousand rubles.

Contact our company, and in just 2-3 months you will be able to find out all the data about the history of your surname!