Slavic first names

Spread of the Slavic languages ​​in Europe

First names of Slavic origin are derived from the Slavic languages and are therefore common in the Slavic-speaking countries .

Slavic first names often have a pre-Christian or medieval origin and can have a peaceful or a warlike meaning. In contrast to other cultures, they do not refer directly to gods or weapons. Exceptions are Mieczysław (from "Miecz", the sword) and names with the prefix / suffix "Bog, Boh" (God, e.g. Bogdan ).

Slavic first names usually denote character traits, combined with the desire for a happy life of the name bearer.

History of Slavic first names

In pre-Christian times, children up to the age of seven to ten years had a "substitute first name", e.g. B. Niemój (“not by me”), Nielub (“not loved”), which should reduce the value of the child in question in order to protect them from evil and malevolent forces. The reason for this was the high child mortality rate during this period. A child who survived seven to ten years received “adult status” through the ritual of the haircut.

First names of Slavic origin dominated until the Council of Trent (1545–63), when the Catholic Council decided that every Christian should have a Christian first name.

First names in Poland

In Poland , the nobility, especially the Protestants , tried to use traditional first names, e.g. B. Zbigniew and Jarosław to preserve. The others chose first names from the Christian calendar, which contains only a few saints of Slavic origin, such as Kazimierz ( St. Casimir ), Stanisław ( St. Stanislaus ), Wacław ( St. Wenceslaus ) and Władysław ( St. Ladislaus ). In addition, first names with reference to God (e.g. Bogdan , Bogumił ) were allowed.

First names in Russia

There was a similar situation in Russia . Old Russian first names were often nicknames . In the 13th century, when the number of Christian and non-Christian first names were almost equal, the popularity of Old Russian first names declined, but they were occasionally chosen as nicknames or middle names. Old Russian first names existed until the 17th century, in the nobility they were used as "everyday names".

Slavic first names today

During the national revival in Poland and Russia, traditional first names, especially those of previous rulers and historical heroes, gained popularity. In Poland, old first names were revived, such as Bronisław , Bolesław , Dobiesław , Dobrosław, Jarosław , Mirosław , Przemysław , Radosław , Sławomir , Wiesław , Zdzisław, Zbigniew and new ones created, e.g. B. Lechosław, Wieńczysław. Today traditional Slavic first names are also accepted in Christian baptisms .

Meaning of Slavic first names (examples)

Single-stem names

Female first names:

Vera (faith), Nadia (hope), Vesela (happy), Duša (soul), Zlata (golden), Zora (twilight), Sveta (light, holy or strong), Mila (love, goodness), Dobra (good) , Luba (love), Kveta, Cveta (flower), Vesna (spring), Slava (fame), Mira (peace), Rada (happy), Brana (to defend), Živa, Żywia (life), Miluša (nice) , Snežana (snow woman), Jasna, Jagoda (berry), Kalina ( mountain ash ) ...

Male first names:

Lech, Vlad (power, rule), Ognjen (fire), Dušan (soul), Vuk (wolf), Radost (happiness), Miłosz, Miloš (love), Borya (fight), Zdravko (health), Dragan (precious, beloved), Gniew (anger, angry), Darko (gift), Nemanja (without possessions), Nebojša (fearless), Goran , Lasota (forest man), Nayden (found), Plamen (fire), Yasen (ash tree), Mladen ( young)…

Two-stem names

Two-stem names are names that consist of two equal lexemes , such as the name Bogdan , which is composed of Bog (god) + dan (gift). Female equivalents usually end with the vowel 'a' (e.g. Bogusław - Bogusław a ).

Prefix or suffix	meaning	Examples
bent, boh	God, destiny, rich, happiness	Bogna , Bogdan , Bohumil , Bogusław
boron	Fight, fighter	Borislav , Velibor , Ratibor , Sambor
bron, bran	defend, fight	Bronisław , Branimir , Barnim
ciech, tech, tješ	happy, enjoyment	Wojciech , Sieciech , Božetech , Tješimir
cze, cti, ča, če	honor	Czesław , Ceslaus , Ctibor
dan, dar	Gift, gift	Božidar , Damir , Slobodan
dobro	well, goodness	Dobrogost, Dobroslav , Dobrawa
dom	House	Domasław , Domoľub , Domamir
drag, threaten, threaten	precious, loved	Predrag , Dragutin , Dragan , Dragoslav , Drogomysł
gnev, hnev, gniew	Anger, angry	Zbigniew , Gniewomir , Spytihněv
gost	guest	Radogost , Dobrogost , Gostomysl
jar	Sun, spring, shine	Jaromir , Jaroslav , Jaropolk , Jarmila
lub, ljub, l'ub	Love, favor	Ljubomir , Luboš , Ljubow , Slawoljub
lud, ljud	People	Ludmila , Ludomir
mil, mił	Love, favor	Milena , Milan , Miloš , Ludmila , Jarmila
me, měr, mierz	Peace, world, prestige	Vladimir , Jaromir , Sławomir , Ljubomir , Kasimir , Miroslav
mysl, mysł	thought	Premysl , Gostomysl , Przemysław
polk, pluk, pełk	army	Svätopluk , Jaropolk , Jaropełk
wheel	Joy, effort	Radomir , Radosław , Radmila , Milorad
slav, slaw	Fame	Stanislaw , Bronislaw , Wladyslaw , Boleslaw , Rostislaw , Zdzislaw
svjat, svet, svät	Light, holy, strong	Svyatoslav , Svetopluk , Svetlana
vjače, wence, vac, więce	more, great	Wizlaw , Václav , Vjačeslav , Wiesław
vlad / volod / wład	Power, rule	Vladimir , Wladyslav , Vsevolod , Rogwolod
voj, woj	War, warrior	Wojciech , Vojislav

In Germany: Upper Sorbian examples

Female first names:

Božena , Dobysława, Lubina , Ludmila , Měrana, Milena , Milenka, Mječisława, Rodźisława, Wjacława , Wojćisława ...

Male first names:

Bohuměr, Bronisław , Česćiměr, Dobysław, Horisław, Jaroměr , Milan , Mirko , Mirosław , Mječisław, Radoměr, Stani, Stanij, Stanisław , Wjacław , Wjeleměr, Wójsław ...

Footnotes

1. ↑ Imiona słowiańskie na ziemiach polskich. (Polish) ( Memento of the original from March 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ Imiona słowiańskie na ziemiach polskich. ( Memento of the original from March 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Polish) 
3. ↑ Obrzędy związane for narodzinami. (Polish)
4. ↑ Imiona słowiańskie. (Polish)
5. ↑ Imiona słowiańskie na ziemiach polskich. ( Memento of the original from March 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Polish) 
6. ↑ Personal Names: Name Frequency in the Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters.
7. ↑ Imiona słowiańskie na ziemiach polskich. ( Memento of the original from March 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
8. ↑ Discussion: Upper Sorbian first names # Upper Sorbian first names (examples)
9. ↑ Discussion: Upper Sorbian first names # Upper Sorbian first names (examples)

literature

• A. Cieślikowa (red.): Słownik etymologiczno-motywacyjny staropolskich nazw osobowych. T. 1, Kraków 2000, ISBN 83-87623-23-7
• A. Cieślikowa: Derywacja paradygmatyczna w staropolskiej antroponimii. Kraków 1991, ISBN 83-900261-7-1
• A. Brückner: Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego. Warsaw 1985
• M. Malec: Imię w polskiej antroponimii i culture. Kraków 2001, ISBN 83-87623-27-X
• M. Malec: Obraz rodziny w słowiańskich imionach złożonych. Rozprawy slawistyczne, No. 16, Słowiańskie composita antroponimiczne, Lublin 2000

Web links

• Vladimíra Darvašová, Slovanská antroponymie v zrcadle etymologie , diploma thesis, Masaryk University 2008 (Czech)
• List of Polish given names of Slavic origin ( Memento from September 6, 2013 in the Internet Archive )