Old Russian names. Ancient names: choosing a beautiful name for a child

Traditional Arabic names are very complex. Each element of such a name has a strictly designated purpose. Classic Arabic name can tell a lot of interesting things about its host. What is the meaning of modern Arabic names?

The Bible is the most read and most quoted book in the world. Therefore, each of us is familiar with the names mentioned in it. But few people thought about the meaning of these ancient names. But all biblical male and female names have a deep meaning and contain a fairly complete description of their first bearers. First of all, this concerns Hebrew names. In classical Hebrew, words have hidden content and are associated with the essence of objects and phenomena. The similarity between the essence of a person and the name he bears distinguishes many biblical names.

Classic male Roman names were a reflection of the way of life and traditions of Ancient Rome. All of them consisted of at least two parts - a personal and family name. Sometimes personal nicknames or names of branches of the main genus were added to them.

Muslim names are a special layer of names that are permitted by Sharia law. The main part of them Arab origin, but there are names with Turkic and Persian roots.

Male Muslim names.

In Muslim countries, there are certain rules that are strictly observed when choosing a name for a child. Allah has 99 names, but man cannot bear the name of God. Therefore, the prefix “abd” (slave) is added to names - Abdullah (slave of Allah). The names of prophets and their companions are traditionally popular among Muslims - Muhammad, Isa, Musa. At the same time, Shiites do not recognize the names of the caliphs who came to power after the Prophet Muhammad (Umar), and Sunnis do not name children after the names of Shiite imams (Jawad, Kazim). Naturally, everything said concerns male Muslim names.

IN Ancient Rome the attitude towards names was more than serious. There was even a saying: “Names are not to be made public.” Therefore, the Roman priests avoided pronouncing the names of the patron gods of Rome - enemies would recognize these names and lure the gods to themselves. And slaves did not have the right to tell the name of their master to a stranger.

The warlike nature of the numerous tribes that inhabited the lands of Scandinavia in ancient times left its mark on the origin and meaning of most Scandinavian names. Even the custom of naming itself was quite harsh - the father had every right to recognize the newborn as a member of the family and give him a name in honor of his ancestors or abandon the baby.
Many ancient Scandinavian names are derived from common nouns that name distinctive features of a person, names of animals, objects, or abstract concepts. Such nicknames could change as a new individual characteristic appeared.

Soviet names that have become fashionable among residents Soviet Union in the first half of the twentieth century, they amaze with their “originality”. It is impossible to imagine that now anyone would want to name their son Uryuvkos or Jarek. What do these names mean?

Turkic names are an ancient mirror that reflects the Turkic ideas about the world, their lifestyle, relations in society. Names tell about the warlike character of their bearers, who the Turks worshiped, and what character traits they valued.

Monday, November 16, 2015 00:47 + to quote book

The champions of the strange nicknames of their rulers are, of course, the ancient Scandinavians. The harsh Vikings gave each other nicknames that “stuck” for life and served as a kind of mark by which a person was recognized. Interestingly, this tradition also applied to rulers.

Take, for example, Ragnar Lothbrok, known to many from the television series “Vikings”. "Lothbrok" translates to "hairy trousers", which alludes to the item of clothing that Ragnar always wore before battle "for good luck". These pants were made of coarse wool, so they looked very shaggy. True, there is an opinion that “Lothbrok” is more correctly translated as “hairy ass”, but it is unlikely that even among the brave Vikings there would have been a madman who would have risked calling the ferocious king that way.

Sons of Ragnar had no less interesting nicknames: Sigurd the Snake-in-the-Eye (so nicknamed for his piercing “snake” look), Bjorn Ironside (received the nickname for his insensitivity to pain and the high-quality chain mail he wore) and Ivar the Boneless (notable for his incredible flexibility and dexterity ).

Norwegian king Elvir Detolyub received his nickname not for his perverted addictions, as one might think, but for an incredible act of humanism by Viking standards: he forbade his warriors... to impale children on spears for entertainment!

Harald I, King of Denmark and Norway, was nicknamed "Bluetooth" by his subjects. He received such a strange nickname because he loved to eat blueberries. However, a more plausible version sounds that Harald was nicknamed not Blatand (“Blue-toothed”), but Bletand (“Dark-haired”). WITH Harald Bluetooth very connected interesting fact: Bluetooth technology, created by a Danish-Norwegian group of developers, is named after him.

Rollon Pedestrian- the Viking Hrolf, who managed to conquer part of France and become the founder of the dynasty of the Dukes of Normandy. He received the nickname “Pedestrian” because he was so tall and heavy that not a single horse could withstand him as a rider for long. So Rollon had to walk.

King of Norway Eric I Bloodaxe earned such a terrifying prefix to his name for the fact that he consistently slaughtered his relatives, who could become his rivals in the fight for the throne. It is interesting that Erik still could not get to one of his brothers, Hakon, who overthrew him. Obviously, in comparison with Eric, even the stern Hakon looked like a real charmer and, in contrast, received the nickname “Kind”.

Few people know the following interesting fact: during his lifetime, King William I of England was often called William the Bastard(behind the scenes, of course) than the Conqueror (as they say in school textbooks). The point is that he was illegitimate son Norman Duke Robert. By the way, Wilhelm’s father also bore a very eloquent nickname - the Devil. There were rumors about Robert the Devil that even before his birth his soul was promised to Satan.

Byzantine Emperor Constantine V bore the very dissonant nickname “Kopronim” (“Called the Dirty One”) because, as a baby, during his baptism he shit directly into the font.

Emperor of Byzantium, Vasily II, in 1014 defeated the Bulgarian army at the Battle of Strymon. 15 thousand Bulgarians were captured, whose eyes were gouged out by order of the Byzantine ruler. For every hundred blinded, only one “lucky” guide was left (he only had one eye gouged out). For his sadistic cruelty towards prisoners, Vasily II received the nickname “Bulgarian Slayer”.

The Grand Duke of Vladimir Vsevolod earned the nickname "Big Nest" for being the father of 12 children: 8 sons and 4 daughters.

King of England John (John) Plantagenet due to his short-sighted policy, he lost all his possessions in France and his authority among the English knighthood. For this he was given a mocking nickname - “Landless”. Also, due to the constant defeats of the king, they teased “Softsword” - "Soft Sword" It’s interesting that impotent people were called that way in medieval England. However, in the case of John the Landless, such an interpretation of the nickname is unfounded - the king had 2 legitimate sons and 9 bastards, as well as 6 daughters - 3 legitimate and 3 illegitimate. Gossips It was rumored that making children was the only thing the monarch was good at. John's authority was so low that not a single English ruler anymore called his heirs by this name.

King of Bohemia and Hungary Ladislav received the nickname "Pogrobok" because he was born 4 months after sudden death his father from dysentery.

In the XVII-beginning 18th century ruler of Japan was Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, popularly nicknamed the “Dog Shogun.” Tsunayoshi forbade the killing of stray dogs and ordered them to be fed at public expense. It is interesting that the dog’s diet under this shogun was much richer than the peasant’s diet. By order of the ruler, contact street dogs Only “noble master” was the rule; violators were beaten with sticks. True, after the death of the shogun, his “dog lobby” ceased to operate.

French king Louis Philippe d'Orléans received the nickname “Pear” because over the years his figure began to resemble this particular fruit. In addition, the French word “lapoire” (“pear”) has a second meaning - “moron.” In general, it is not difficult to guess how much the French loved this king of theirs.

What do we know about the names that the Vikings gave to their children?

Names of defenders among the Scandinavians

Often, parents gave a name to their newborn that would embody the qualities that they would like to see when the child grows up and matures. For example, male names for boys who were supposed to become protectors of the family, clan and community:

Beinir - Beinir (helper),
Skúli - Skuli (defender),
Högni - Högni (protector),
Birgir - Birgir (assistant),
Jöðurr - Yodur (protector),
Uni - Uni (friend, satisfied).
Eiðr - Eid (oath),
Leifr - Leif (heir),
Tryggvi - Tryggvi (faithful, reliable),
Óblauðr - Oblaud (brave and brave),
Ófeigr - Ofeig (not doomed to death, one might say happy),
Trausti - Trausti (one who is trustworthy, reliable),
Þráinn - Train (persistent),

Female names for girls, which also personified future protectors and helpers of the family and the entire clan:

Bót - Bot (help, help),
Erna - Erna (skillful),
Björg - Bjorg (salvation, protection),
Una - Una (friend, satisfied).

Of course, popular names for boys there were names that meant physical and spiritual strength, courage, fortitude, endurance, that is, the qualities of a real man, a real warrior. And the owner of such a name must confirm it and have the same quality that his name meant.

Male names:

Gnúpr - Gnup (steep mountain),
Halli - Halli (stone, pebble),
Kleppr - Klepp (mountain, rock),
Steinn - Stein (stone),
Múli - Muli (cape),
Knjúkr - Knyuk (peak),
Tindr - Tind (peak),
Knútr - Whip (knot).

Female name: Hallótta - Hallotta (rocky). After all, girls could also be not only skilled housewives, but also excellent warriors.

When selecting and coming up with a name for the baby, parents were guided by various principles and desires of future characteristic features your child, his destiny. For example, wishing a child love and good luck, high position in society, they named their baby or baby accordingly. For example, happy parents could name their daughter like this:

Ljót - Ljot (bright and light),
Birta - Birta (bright),
Dalla - Dalla (brightness),
Fríðr - Frid (beautiful and beloved),
Friða - Frida (beautiful),
Ósk - Osk (desire, desired),
Ölvör - Elver (lucky),
Heiðr - Heid (glory).

The boys were called:

Dagr - Dag (day),
Teitr - Tate (cheerful),
Dýri - Dyuri (dear and beloved),
Ölvir - Elvir (happy),
Harri - Harri (ruler),
Sindri - Sindri (spark),
Bjartr - Bjart (bright).

Such names were not just that, wishing happiness to their child and giving him an appropriate name, parents seemed to direct the child on the path of happiness and good luck, and the happy life of even one representative of the family clan could promise good luck for the whole clan as a whole.

The times during the Viking Age in the Scandinavian countries were not easy; almost every man became, whether he wanted it or not, a real warrior in order to protect his family, his clan, his clan, his community from encroachments on the native lands of strangers. There were few fertile lands in Norway, but everyone needed it, so conflicts and wars periodically arose between the clans.

Every boy from an early age was trained in military craft in order to be able to protect himself and his loved ones, his land, therefore names for boys (and girls too, because some of them could become excellent warriors) were often given names that would characterize him as glorious warrior.

In addition, by carrying out raids, the Vikings enriched themselves, bringing slaves and gold to the family from the raid. After several raids, you can become a merchant and significantly improve the situation of the whole family, because money was needed at all times, and silver Arab dirham coins were found in Scandinavia quite a bit of. Therefore, the war was not only defensive. In addition, at all times, men have been associated with protection and weapons. The man is a warrior! A warlike character and fighting spirit for a boy, and then for a man, were not negative characteristics at that difficult time.

Names of Viking warriors and warriors

For example, there were such male names on the theme of a strong and courageous, glorious warrior:

Hróðgeirr - Hrodgeir (spear of glory),
Hróðketill - Hrodketill (helmet of glory),
Bogi - Gods (bow),
Hróðmarr - Hrodmar (renown of glory),
Hróðný - Hrodnya (youth of glory),
Hróðolfr - Hrodolf (wolf of glory, maybe a glorious wolf),
Hróðgerðr - Hrodgerd (fence of glory),
Brandr - Brand (sword),
Hróðvaldr - Hroðvald (power of glory),
Geirr - Geir (spear),
Eiríkr - Eirik (very powerful and strong),
Darri - Darri (throwing spear),
Broddi - Broddi (point),
Egill - Egil (blade),
Gellir - Gellir (loud or sword),
Gyrðir - Gyurdir (girt with a sword),
Klœngr - Kleng (claw),
Naddr - Nadd (point or spear),
Oddi - Oddi (point) or Oddr - Odd (also point),
Vígi - Vigi (fighter),
Óspakr - Ospak (not peaceful, warlike),
Vigfúss - Vigfus (warlike, eager to fight and kill),
Ósvífr - Osvivr (merciless),
Styrmir - Styurmir (formidable, even stormy),
Sörli - Sörli (in armor),
Þiðrandi - Tidrandi (looker, observer),
Styrr - Styur (battle),
Ulf - Ulf or Wulf (wolf)
Uggi - Ugg (scary),
Agnarr - Agnar (diligent or formidable warrior),
Einarr - Einar (a lone warrior who always fights alone).
Öndóttr - Andott (terrible).
Hildr - Hild ( female name, means battle). Often Hild was an integral part of various female names.

Names that symbolized protection:

Hjalmr - Hjalm (helmet),
Ketill - Ketil (helmet),
Hjalti - Hjalti (sword hilt),
Skapti - Skafti (weapon hilt),
Skjöldr - Skjold (shield), Ørlygr - Erlyug (shield),
Hlíf - Khliv (female name, meaning shield),
Brynja - Brynja (female name, meaning chain mail).

Sig— and Sigr—meant victory or battle. There were quite a few compound names with this component, both male and female:

Sigarr - Cigar (warrior of victory or battle, combat),
Sigbjörn - Sigbjörn (battle bear),
Sigfúss - Sigfus (ardent bright battle),
Sigfinnr - Sigfinn (Finn of battle, warlike Finn),
Sigvaldi - Sigvaldi (ruler or ruler of victory),
Siggeirr - Siggeir (spear of victory),
Sigsteinn - Sigstein (victory stone),
Sigtryggr - Sigtrygg (victory is certain),
Sighvatr - Sighvat (victory of the brave),
Sigurðr - Sigurd (guardian of victory, perhaps guardian of battle),
Sigmundr - Sigmund ( hand of victory),
Signý - Signy (female name, meant new victory),
Sigrfljóð - Sigrfljod (female name, meaning: girl of victory),
Sigþrúðr - Sigtrud (also a female name, meaning: strength of battle),
Sigrún - Sigrun (feminine name, meaning: rune or secret of battle or victory).

Name - amulet

Very often, both in Scandinavia of the Viking Age and in Kievan Rus, children were named as amulets in order to protect the child from evil forces. In those early days, names denoting certain animals and birds were quite numerous. Some named their children after the animal so that the child would inherit its properties from it, for example, speed of reaction, dexterity, grace and others. IN in this case This animal, the bird, even became a talisman and protector of the child from evil forces and twists of fate for the rest of his life. Pagan beliefs spoke of the close connection between man and all living things, Live nature was in harmony with humans for a very long time, people drew strength from plants and animals. There was such a symbolic connection between a person and the animal whose name he bears.

Male animal amulets names:

Ari - Ari or Örn - Ern (eagle),
Birnir and Björn - Birnir and Björn (bear),
Bjarki - Bjarki (bear cub),
Ormr - Orm (snake),
Gaukr - Gauk (cuckoo),
Brúsi - Brusi (goat),
Hjörtr - Hjort (deer),
Hreinn - Hrein (reindeer),
Haukr - Hauk (hawk),
Hrútr - Hrut (ram),
Mörðr - Murd (marten),
Hrafn - Hrafn, Hravn (raven),
Ígull - Igul (hedgehog),
Svanr - Svan (swan),
Ulf - Ulf or Wulf (wolf)
Refr - Rav (fox),
Hundi - Hundi (dog),
Starri - Starry (starling),
Valr - Val (falcon),
Uxi - Uxi (ox),
Ýr - Ir (tourist).

Female animal amulets names:

Bera or Birna - Bera or Birna (bear),
Rjúpa - Ryupa (rock partridge),
Erla - Erla (wagtail),
Mæva - Meva (sea gull),
Hrefna - Hrevna (crow),
Svana - Svana (swan).

The birch tree is also considered a strong name-amulet, therefore both men and women were called by the name of the birch: Birkir or Björk - Birkir or Björk (birch). And in Russian beliefs, it was also believed that the birch tree could be not only female, but there was also a male gender: birch trees.

There were also amulets like these:

Heimir - Heimir (who has a house),
Ófeigr - Ofeig (who is not doomed to death).

Viking nicknames

Not always a name given to the child at birth, remained with him for the rest of his life. Very often, Vikings received names and nicknames that were more suitable for them, which were more appropriate for them as adults. Such nicknames could complement the name, or could completely replace it. Nicknames in adulthood could be given to a Viking in accordance with his character, his occupation, his appearance (they could give a name based on his hair or eyes at the birth of a child as well), according to his social status and even his origin.

Nicknames that could have been given by parents at birth or by acquaintances, friends or fellow tribesmen in adulthood:

Atli - Atli (rough),
Kjötvi - Kjotvi (fleshy),
Floki - Floki (curly, curly),
Kolli - Collie (hairless),
Fróði - Frodi (wise, learned),
Greipr - Grape (the one with large and strong hands),
Forni - Forni (ancient, old),
Hödd - Hödd (a woman with a very beautiful hair),
Grani - Grani (mustached),
Höskuldr - Höskuld (gray-haired),
Hösvir - Khosvir (gray-haired),
Kára - Kara (curly),
Barði - Bardi (bearded),
Narfi - Narvi (thin and even skinny),
Krumr - Krum (stooped),
Skeggi - Skeggi (bearded man),
Loðinn - Lodin (shaggy),
Hrappr or Hvati - Hrapp or Hvati (fast, ardent),
Rauðr - Raud (red),
Reistr - Reist (straight and high),
Lúta - Luta (stooped),
Skarfr - Skarv (greedy),
Gestr - Guest (guest),
Sölvi - Sölvi (pale),
Glum - Glum (dark-eyed),
Hörðr - Hörd (a person from Hördaland in Norway),
Snerrir - Snerrir (difficult, complex),
Sturla - Sturla (impatient, emotional, restless).
Gauti or Gautr - Gauti or Gaut (Gaut, Swede),
Hálfdan - Halfdan (half-dan),
Höðr - Höðr (a person from Hadaland in Norway),
Smiðr - Smid (blacksmith),
Skíði - Skidi (skier),
Sveinn - Svein (youth, guy, boy, servant),
Gríma - Grima (mask, helmet, night, possibly a name for a witch, sorceress or healer),
Gróa (Gró) - Gro (plant worker, healer, healer, woman who dealt with herbs),
Huld, Hulda - Huld, Hulda (secret, veil or even elven maiden).

Names for sorcerers, magicians, witches They also gave unique ones, based on their occupation.

Kol - translated means black and even coal.
Finna or finnr - translated means Finn or Finn (in ancient times they were considered good magicians, sorcerers, witches and sorcerers).
Gríma - translated means mask, night.

In ancient times, the Vikings gave names and nicknames to those who practiced witchcraft and magic. in different ways combined the above-mentioned parts, for example, female names: Kolfinna and Kolgríma - Kolfinna and Kolgrima or male names: Kolfinnr or Kolgrímr - Kolfinn or Kolgrim.

Viking names after gods

The Vikings adhered to the ancient pagan faith of Asatru (loyalty to the Ases), according to which there was a pantheon of gods who were ordinary people, but became gods for their heroism and perseverance, thanks to physical and spiritual strength. The Vikings and ancient Scandinavians took the gods as an example and wanted to be like them, as brave, strong, and beautiful, so the names were often associated with the gods, with the names of the main gods. Children in the Viking Age, in those distant pagan times, were called names that were associated with one or another god, thereby entrusting the fate of their child to him.

The following female names were dedicated to the god Yngvi - Frey:

Inga - Inga,
Freydís - Freydis (dis of Frey or Freya),
Ingunn - Ingunn (happy, friend of Yngwie),
Ingileif - Ingileiv (heiress of Ingvi),
Ingigerðr - Ingigerd (protection of Ingvi),
Ingvör (Yngvör) - Ingver (in charge of Yngvi),
Yngvildr - Ingvild (battle of Yngvi).

Male names in honor of the gods:

Ingi - Ingi,
Ingimundr - Ingimund (hand of Ingvi),
Freysteinn - Freystein (Freyr's stone),
Ingimarr - Ingimar (glorious Ingvi - in instrumental case),
Ingjaldr - Ingjald (ruler with the help of Ingvi),
Ingolfr - Ingolf (Ingvi the wolf),
Ingvarr (Yngvarr) - Ingvar (warrior Yngvi).

In Iceland, and in Scandinavian countries(Denmark, Norway, Sweden) most often dedicated their children to the god Thor.

Male names in honor of the god Thor:

Torov - Thorir (male name, in honor of Thor),
Þóralfr (Þórolfr) - Toralv or Thorolf (Thor's wolf),
Þorbrandr - Thorbrand (Thor's sword),
Þorbergr - Torberg (rock of the god Thor),
Þorbjörn - Torbjorn (Thor's bear),
Þorkell - Thorkell (Thor's helmet),
Þorfinnr - Thorfinn (Thor Finn),
Þórðr - Thord (protected by Thor),
Þórhaddr - Torhadd (hair of the god Thor),
Þorgeirr - Thorgeir (spear of Thor),
Þórarinn - Thorarin (hearth of the god Thor),
Þorleifr - Thorleif (heir of Thor),
Þorsteinn - Torstein (Thor's stone),
Þóroddr - Thorodd (the tip of Thor),
Þormóðr - Tormod (bravery of the god Thor),
Þorviðr - Torvid (Thor's tree),
Þórormr - Tororm (serpent of the god Thor),
Þorvarðr - Thorvard (guardian of the Thors).

Female names in honor of Thor:

Torova - Torah (female name, in honor of Thor),
Þorleif - Thorleif (heiress of Thor),
Þordís, Þórdís - Thordis (disa of the god Thor),
Þórodda - Torodda (the tip of Thor),
Þórarna - Thorarna (the eagle of the god Thor),
Þórhildr - Thorhild (Battle of Thor),
Þórný - Tornu (young, dedicated to Thor),
Þórey - Torey (luck of the god Thor),
Þorljót - Torljot (light of Thor),
Þorvé, Þórvé - Torve (sacred fence of Thor),
Þórunn - Torunn (Thor's favorite),
Þórelfr - Thorelv (river of the god Thor),
Þorvör - Torver (knowing (power) of the Torah).

Children could also be dedicated to all the gods in general. For example, Ragn in translation meant power, gods. Vé - the meaning in translation was as follows: pagan sanctuary, sacred. Both male and female names were formed from these words:

Ragnarr - Ragnar (male name, meaning: army of the gods),
Ragn(h)eiðr - Ragnade (female name, meaning: honor of the gods),
Végeirr - Vegeir (sacred edge),
Véleifr - Veleiv (heir of the sacred place),
Végestr - Vegest (sacred guest),
Ragnhildr - Ragnhild (female name, meaning: battle of the gods),
Vébjörn - Vebjörn (sacred bear or bear sanctuary),
Reginleif - Reginleif (female name, meaning: heiress of the gods),
Vésteinn - Vestein (sacred stone),
Vébrandr - Vebrand (sword sanctuary),
Védís - Vedis (female name: sacred disa),
Véfríðr - Vefrid (female name: sacred protection),
Véný - Venu (female name: sacred and young).

Name in honor of glorious ancestors

There were also family names, one might say, the predecessors of surnames. Children often received names in honor of their deceased ancestors, whose spirit was reborn in a new member of his own clan, with this name the child entered the world of his clan, his family, his clan and tribe. The Scandinavians believed in the transmigration of souls, but this could only happen within one family, among blood relatives and descendants. The name was given only to those relatives who had already died, otherwise one might get into trouble. Naming a child after an existing, living relative was strictly prohibited.

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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.

The name is not an empty phrase, it is in tune with the vibrations of the native land, it carries strength Slavic Gods, the significance of the culture and traditions of the entire family from which a person comes and belongs. By calling our children strange, foreign phrases that are incomprehensible to our soul, we give our power to other clans and foreign Gods, and from this a person does not receive support from his Ancestors, Gods and native land.

My parents named me Maya. But when they were baptized according to the Christian faith, they named her Mary, well, there is no name MAYA in their faith.

And in our Old Church Slavonic there is the goddess Maya, so everything fell into place and I finally found my name.

Maya is the most ancient name on Earth. Zlata Maya is one of the first goddesses.
The goddess of spring and the spring blossoming of nature among the ancient Slavs, she was honored in the first days of May. Mention of this goddess came down in ritual spring round dance songs.

Goddess Maya among the Slavs
A lot about Maya Zlata, or Zlatogorka, is described by A.A. Tyunyaev. in the work “Ancient Rus'. Svarog and Svarog’s grandchildren"

Strong and beautiful daughter of Svyatogor and Plenka (Pleyana). Just as Svyatogor was a giant, so his daughter is considered a giantess. On the subtle divine plane, it is believed that Golden Maya was born from the ray of a bright star - the embodied love between Svyatogor and Plenka.

The star Maya is located in the constellation Taurus and is visible to the naked eye. It is a blue-white giant that emits 660 times more energy than our yellow dwarf Sun.
It was brought to our planet by the civilization of the Pleiades star system. one of two star clusters in the constellation Taurus visible to the naked eye. One of the "Seven Sisters".

The asteroid Maya, discovered in 1861, is named after Maya.

The first of May is an ancient pagan holiday. The essence of the May Day celebration is “The Awakening of Nature.” This could not be the incarnation of a man, but only the incarnation of a female deity.
The symbolism is feminine. Its visible symbol is the maypole, which is the center of all May Day celebrations. Apparently because pine and spruce are evergreen - this is a metaphor for immortality. National holiday The first of May is the legacy of our ancestors.

Ancient Maya, (mlaj, May, Maya) goddess of nature, greenery and flowers, gave the name to the month.
Maya is mainly remembered today as the goddess of spring and rebirth. “Maya” reproduces lush every spring green grass and fragrant flowers. She is praised as the “mother of magic”

Maya is called the Goddess because she became the wife of God - Dazhdbog, Tarkh Perunovich.

The couple was extraordinary; they had sons, God Kolyada (God winter sun) and Avsen (God of Autumn)

The name Maya is full of mysteries. And here is the first of them: the name Maya comes from the same root as the word “magic”. In ancient times, when the Indo-European civilization was just emerging, magic was understood as Nature’s ability to constantly change and renew itself. Centuries have passed, and the meaning of the word has become much narrower and more limited: now for us magic is the ability to work miracles, that is, to change the world in accordance with one’s desires.

Miracles don't happen, they knew that back in the day. ancient india. In Hinduism there is a philosophical category “Maya” - illusion, deception, mirage. “Under the influence of Maya, a person develops thousands of desires, which he then tries to fulfill,” say the Hindus, “and this is the cause of his misfortunes.”

The Maya are a Mesoamerican civilization known for their writing, art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. The beginning of its formation dates back to the pre-classical era (2000 BC - 250 AD)

Interestingly, among the Aztecs, the goddess of fertility wore similar name- Mayahuel. And the neighbors of the Aztecs were the Mayan people, who created an equally developed civilization. There are still Indians living in Mexico and Guatemala who consider themselves descendants of the Mayans.

But let's return to the name Maya. Since it is associated with the word “magic”, it can be translated as “sorceress”, “sorceress”, and this translation will be correct.
But incomplete: the name has other facets. Energy and Karma of the name: the energy of the name Maya has colossal emotional strength and mobility. In addition, the sufficient rarity of the name today further enhances the already powerful energy.

IN Greek mythology Maya is the goddess of Spring, a mountain nymph, the daughter of Atlas, the eldest and most beautiful of the seven Pleiades sisters, the mother of Hermes, later turned into a star by Zeus.

In ancient Italy, Maya (Maiesta) was the patron goddess of the fertile land. Majesta means “great”: Your Majesty - your majesty - this is how the British address their queen.

The English “majesty” comes from the Latin “majestas” - “greatness, dignity”, and this is a word of the same root as the name Maya-Majesta.

The Romans revered the goddess Maia and named the month in her honor, which began with her festivals.

Maya was a skilled craftswoman, she embroidered with pure gold: “I sewed the first pattern - the red Sun, and the second pattern - the bright Moon, sewed the third pattern - the frequent stars.”

Her sacred plant is the star flower aster. Zlata Maya patronized fertility and family well-being.

In the USSR, the name Maya (sometimes in a modified form - May) was often given to girls born on the May Day holiday.

Well, I’m among them...

There is also Maya the bee, the heroine of the animated series. She is smart, inquisitive, responsive and will not leave anyone in trouble.

This is such a polysemantic and multifaceted name - Maya.

IN modern Russia it is quite rare. Interpreters of names attribute to him powerful energy and charisma.

The name is of great importance for every person; it carries all the love of the parents and leaves an imprint on the formation of the child’s character. The ancient Slavs most often gave names consisting of two words; they had a deep meaning, and the name could also serve as a talisman. After accepting the Christian faith, the first name served to interact with people around him, and the second name was given at the baptism of the baby, and it was secret. The baptismal name was known only to parents, godparents and the person himself; it protected its owner from the influence and suggestion of evil. All names were selected based on the gender of the baby, so there are Old Russian names for men and women, just like everywhere else. It is not possible to cover the entire list of names in one article, so in this article we will look at the Old Russian names for boys. Let's first figure out what the name meant for the Slavs and how it was chosen.

When people began to unite in groups, such as tribes or communities, they realized that it was much easier to exist in a company rather than alone. Each group of people always had a leader, and he had to properly build the life of the tribe. But the difficulty arose in interacting with an individual member of society, and not with the entire group. Ancient man began to call out to another by some noticeable features of appearance, be it hair color or the presence of a beard, by character traits or special skills. This is how the names appeared. Later, surnames began to appear based on the same principles as exchanges. For example, there lives a family where the predominant activity is blacksmithing, others called them blacksmiths, then the blacksmiths transformed into the Kuznetsovs, and so the surname was passed on from generation to generation.

The pagans tried to name children with names that personified some desirable qualities in a child. It was believed that by giving a child a name with a certain meaning and qualities, a person would be endowed with them in the future. The name for boys was chosen especially carefully, because boys have always been more desirable than girls, they are the successors of the family, bearers of strength and wisdom, future heads of the family and leaders of the tribe. Old Slavonic names for boys were invented with special care. Old Russian male names were often derived from the names of animals in order to endow their bearer with the qualities of this animal. For example, the names Aliter (Uzbek name), Babar (India) and our Russian - Lev. I think it won’t be difficult to guess from the name of which animal this name came from. Or everyone famous wolf and its derivatives: Wulf, Wolf, Wolfgang and others.

By the way

Names were also formed from the names of plants or the names of ancient gods and goddesses. Names formed from participles, such as Zhdan, Khoten and others, were very common.

At first, Old Russian male names were invented, and from them they formed the female form of the name. For example, Vladimir is the feminine form of the name Vladimir, Mstislava is the feminine form of the name Mstislav, etc. Slavic male names were endowed with enormous power, a complete list of which is very difficult to find; only a few have reached modern man. But, in fact, by what the Old Slavic male names were, one can judge the way of life of the people in Ancient Rus' and what was important for the Slavs in those days. Names are a huge layer of history for studying the life, culture, religion and standard of living of our ancestors. Later in the era of the USSR, the names will contain short Soviet slogans and the names/surnames of the leaders of the people.

Slavic names for boys and their meaning

Pagans gave their children two names to protect them from evil spirits. Often the first name was the name according to the birth number, for example, Elder or Menshak. During adolescence, the child received a lifelong name based on his character traits. After the adoption of Christianity, parents continued to give their children two names, and the second one also protected him from evil. But the true name was considered to be the second one given at the baby’s baptism, the name known to God and the guardian angel. Often, the first Christians named their children according to the church calendar, after the name of a saint born on the same day as the baby.

Ancient Russian male names before the baptism of Rus'.

Agniy – fiery, light
Bayan - keeper of antiquities
Blagomir - bringing good to the world
Bogovad - knower of the gods
Bogodiy - pleasing to the gods
Bratislav - brother of glory
Budimil - be nice
Bueslav - stork
Belogor - from the White Mountains
Beloyar - furious
Vsemil - dear to everyone
Vyacheslav - glorifying advice
Venislav – crowned with glory
Volodar - giver of will
Gradimir - looking at the world
Gorisvet - high light
Dobrynya - kind
Dejan – active
Dan – given from above
Daromir - giver of peace
Daniyar – given to shine
Daromysl - thinking
Zhdanimir - the awaited world
Zhdan - long-awaited
Desired – desired
Dawn - rising light
Zvenimir – calling for peace
Zdanimir - creator of the world
Idan – walking
Ivar – Tree of Life
Krasibor – chosen from the beautiful
Ladislav – glorifying beauty
Ludimir - bringing peace to people
Lyuborad – pleasing with love
We love - beloved
Lubodron - expensive
Lyubogost - hospitable
Milan - cute
Mlad – young
Peace lover - loving peace
Moguta – powerful
Mirodar – giver of peace
Negomir – gentle and peaceful
Found – found
Witty - sharp-thinking
Ocheslav - glory to the father
Peresvet - bright
Premislav - accept the glory
Putislav - the path of glory
Radey – joyful
Ratibor - chosen warrior
Svyatomir - holy world
Svyatovik - light
Svyatoboy - warrior
Die - peace
Khvalimir - glorify the world
Chestimir - honor of the world
Jaromil - dear
Janislav - glorious

And various variations of names derived from the names of animals, such as Falcon, Nightingale, Drozd, Wolf, Eagle Owl and others. Names by characteristics: Ghoul, Resentment, Strongman, etc. Names based on appearance: Oko, Volos, Thin, Devil, Chernomys, etc.

Ancient Russian names of men after the adoption of Christianity:

Habakkuk - God's love
Alexy – defender
Alpheus - change
Adam is the first man
Bogdan – given by God
Boris is a fighter
Bronislav – glorious defender
Vladimir - owner of the world
Vladislav - owner of glory
Vsevolod - owner of all
Vyacheslav - great, glorious
Gorislav – blazing glory
David - long-awaited
Eremey - crowned with God
Elisha - savior of the living
Zakhar - God remembers
Jacob is the second born of the twins
Izyaslav - who achieved glory
Luka – light
Makar - happy
Mstislav - takes glorious revenge
Nathan - God gave
Nahum - the pacifier
Oleg - saint, sacred
Rostislav - growing fame
Stanislav - the most glorious
Timothy - God-fearing
Jan - given by God
Yaroslav - strong, glorious

After the baptism of Rus', boys were often called after saints. Since the first Christians were Jews, the Slavs began to borrow Jewish names, and now these names are already considered originally Slavic, although this is not entirely true.

Despite the fact that Old Russian names for boys are already outdated, they are gradually coming back into fashion, as modern names have become very common and are beginning to become boring for young parents. Every person wants to name their child something that no one has named so that their baby will be different from others, so there is a return to old, but not forgotten, names.