What is actually encrypted in Russian surnames. Surnames that came from the profession of a distant ancestor Surnames that came from pagan names

In Rus', a person could often be called by occupation. Some forgotten and unknown professions are still found in various modern surnames.

The most common surnames of this type are - Kuznetsovs, Melnikovs, Rybakovs. But there are also less clear ones, the origin of which has been forgotten: some indicate a clear specialization and even individual stages of the technological process of past centuries.

Let's take, for example, in modern terms, textile and clothing production. The descendants of the ancient masters bear the surnames Tkachevs, Krasheninnikovs, Krasilnikovs, Sinelnikovs, Shevtsovs and Shvetsovs (from the word “shvets”, or “shevets”; Ukrainian version - Shevchenko), Kravtsovs (kravets - cutter; Ukrainian surname Kravchenko), Epaneshnikovs (epancha - a type of cloak), Shubnikovs, Rukavishnikovs, Golic-nikovs (golitsy - also mittens), Skaterschikovs, Tulupnikovs, etc.

Curious surname Pustovalov. Its original root is Don word "fat", that is, a fuller of woolen bedspreads - half. This word was simplified into “postoval”, which formed the surname Postovalov. But the meaning of the word “posted” is beyond Don regions it was incomprehensible, and the surname Postovalov was rethought, or rather, made meaningless - they began to say and write Pustovalov.
The craftsman who made the “berda” (combs on looms) was called a berdnik - hence the Berdnikovs.

Leatherwork and saddlery The ancestors of the Kozhevnikovs, Kozhemyakins, Syromyatnikovs, Ovchinnikovs, Shornikovs, Rymarevs, Sedelytsikovs, and Remennikovs were engaged in this activity.

Headwear specialists were the founders of the Kolpashnikovs, Shaposhnikovs, Shapovalovs, Shlyapnikovs.

Potters, pots, skulls engaged in ceramics. However, the inhabitants of Cherepovets were also called skulls!

Cooperage products made by the ancestors of the Kadochnikovs, Bondarevs, Bocharovs, Bocharnikovs, Bochkarevs.

There is a wide range of “flour millers” and “bakers” names. These are first of all the Melnikovs, then the Miroshnikovs, Prudnikovs, Sukhomlinovs, Khlebnikovs, Kalashnikovs, Pryanishnikovs, Blinnikovs, Proskurnikovs and Prosvirins (from proskur, prosvir or prosphora - a specially shaped loaf of bread used in Orthodox worship). It is curious that the surnames Pekarev and Bulochnikov are relatively rare: both original words entered our language later, only in the 18th century.

In the surname Sveshnikov no longer everyone guesses about the original - a candle; The ancestors of the Voskoboinikovs also made candles and other products from wax.

Production and sale of oil The ancestors of not only the Maslennikovs, but also the Oleynikovs or Aleynikovs, were engaged in: oley - vegetable oil.

Hardly any of us have met medical or veterinarians. In ancient times, our ancestors treated people Lekarevs and Balievs(baliy – doctor, healer), treatment of animals - the ancestors of the Konovalovs.

Many Russian surnames are formed from various names "trading people": Prasols and Shibais traded livestock; kramari, mosols, scrupulos and peddlers - small goods; dealers, maklaks and lighthouses walked around the villages as buyers, bourgeois sold old clothes, etc. The surname Rastorguev speaks for itself. But the Tarkhanovs seem to be descendants of the Tatars. Meanwhile, “Tarkhan” is a word, although Tatar origin, but at one time widely prevalent in the Russian environment. Tarkhans were the name given to traveling traders, usually Muscovites and Kolomna residents, and a hundred years ago on the Volga one could hear the following song:

Is it from someone else's side?
The Tarkhans have arrived,
Moscow region merchants,
All the guys are great.

The surname Tselovalnikov is also a “trade” name. Tselovalniks were people who were engaged in the government or private sale of wine at retail. It is natural to hear the question: what does the kiss have to do with it? But here’s the thing: when receiving the right to this very profitable trade, the kissers were obliged to “kiss the cross,” swearing that they would trade honestly and give the required percentage to the treasury.

But here is the most likely explanation of some other “professional” surnames:

Argunov– Argun (as Vladimir carpenters were called)

Bortnikov– Bortnik (a person engaged in forest beekeeping)

Bronnikov– Bronnik (gunsmith who makes armor)

Bulatnikov– Bulatnik (master who makes products from damask steel)

Voitov– Voight (village elder in some provinces of Tsarist Russia)

Vorotnikov– Collar (gatekeeper, gatekeeper)

Guselnikov– Guselnik (guslar)

Zhiveynov– Live cab driver (unlike a dray driver, he carried people, not loads)

Zemtsov– Zemets (beekeeper, beekeeper)

Kologrivov– Kologriv (servant at the royal horses (stood “near the mane”) or from the city of Kologriv)

Kolomiytsev– Kolomiets (in the old days in Ukraine, a worker mined salt, but may be a resident of the city of Kolomyia)

Commissioners– Commissioner (in the old days, an official who performed police functions)

Kukhmisterov– Kukhmister (keeper of the “kukhmisterskaya”, that is, the dining room)

Mechnikov– Swordsman (warrior armed with a sword)

Reznikov– Reznik (butcher who slaughters livestock)

Reshetnikov– Reshetnik (master who makes sieves)

Ruzhnikov– Ruzhnik (priest who received special allowance from the prince or parishioners)

Sopelnikov– Sopelnik (playing the sopel – an ancient pipe)

Serdyukov– Serdyuk (Cossack from the ataman’s guard)

Sotnikov– Sotnik (commander of a military unit - hundreds)

Stolnikov– Stolnik (servant at the royal table)

Syreyshchikov– Raw material buyer (buyer of raw meat)

Trubnikov– Trubnik (trumpet player)

Furmanov– Furman (cab driver)

Chumakov– Chumak (Ukrainian peasant who transported bread to the Don and brought salt and fish from there).

It should be added: “professional” surnames can also include those that originate not from the name of the profession, but also from the object of the craft itself. Thus, a hat maker could be nicknamed simply Shapka, and his descendants became Shapkins, a potter - Pot, a tanner - Skurat (which means a flap of leather), a cooper - Lagun (barrel). Other nicknames were given based on the tool of labor: a shoemaker could be called Awl, a carpenter - Ax, etc.

From literature lessons you know that likening by similarity is called metaphor, and likening by contiguity is called metonymy. Of course, separating metaphorical surnames from metonymic ones is not an easy task. After all, Barrel could be nicknamed for a fat man or a cooper, Shilom for a shoemaker or a sharp-tongued one. And if we know that, say, the founder of the Shilovs was both a shoemaker and a wit, then we just have to guess: which of these properties led to the formation of the surname. Maybe both at once.

And in conclusion, a logical question: Why do surnames reflect the names of new professions to such an insignificant extent? Yes, very simply: in the XVIII - 19th centuries specialists, as a rule, already had their own hereditary surnames and did not need new ones. From more or less modern surnames Mashinistovs of this kind are more common than others. But these are hardly the descendants of the first locomotive drivers. At the end of the 18th century, a machinist was a person who services any machine, that is, a machine worker or mechanic.

Based on materials from the book Fedosyuk Yu. A. “What does your last name mean?”

In Rus', a person could often be called by occupation. Some forgotten and unknown professions are still found in various modern surnames.

Let's take, for example, in modern terms, textile and clothing production. The descendants of the ancient masters bear the surnames Tkachevs, Krasheninnikovs, Krasilnikovs, Sinelnikovs, Shevtsovs and Shvetsovs (from the word “shvets”, or “shevets”; Ukrainian version - Shevchenko), Kravtsovs (kravets - cutter; Ukrainian surname Kravchenko), Epaneshnikovs (epancha - clan raincoat), Shubnikovs, Rukavishnikovs, Golichnikovs (golitsy are also mittens), Skaterschikovs, Tulupnikovs, etc.

Curious surname Pustovalov. Its original root is Don word "fat", that is, a fuller of woolen bedspreads - half. This word was simplified into “postoval”, which formed the surname Postovalov. But the meaning of the word “postoval” outside the Don regions was unclear, and the surname Postovalov was rethought, or rather, made meaningless - they began to say and write Pustovalov.
The craftsman who made the “berda” (combs on looms) was called a berdnik - hence the Berdnikovs.

Leatherwork and saddlery The ancestors of the Kozhevnikovs, Kozhemyakins, Syromyatnikovs, Ovchinnikovs, Shornikovs, Rymarevs, Sedelytsikovs, and Remennikovs were engaged in this activity.

Headwear specialists were the founders of the Kolpashnikovs, Shaposhnikovs, Shapovalovs, Shlyapnikovs.

Potters, pots, skulls engaged in ceramics. However, the inhabitants of Cherepovets were also called skulls!

Cooperage products made by the ancestors of the Kadochnikovs, Bondarevs, Bocharovs, Bocharnikovs, Bochkarevs.

In the surname Sveshnikov no longer everyone guesses about the original - a candle; The ancestors of the Voskoboinikovs also made candles and other products from wax.

Production and sale of oil The ancestors of not only the Maslennikovs, but also the Oleynikovs or Aleynikovs, were engaged in: oley - vegetable oil.

Many Russian surnames are formed from various names "trading people": Prasols and Shibais traded livestock; kramari, mosols, scrupulos and peddlers - small goods; dealers, maklaks and lighthouses walked around the villages as buyers, bourgeois sold old clothes, etc. The surname Rastorguev speaks for itself. But the Tarkhanovs seem to be descendants of the Tatars. Meanwhile, “Tarkhan” is a word, although of Tatar origin, but at one time it was widely used in the Russian environment. Tarkhans were the name given to traveling traders, usually Muscovites and Kolomna residents, and a hundred years ago on the Volga one could hear the following song:

Is it from someone else's side?
The Tarkhans have arrived,
Moscow region merchants,
All the guys are great.

But here is the most likely explanation of some other “professional” surnames:

Argunov– Argun (as Vladimir carpenters were called)

Bortnikov– Bortnik (a person engaged in forest beekeeping)

Bronnikov– Bronnik (gunsmith who makes armor)

Bulatnikov– Bulatnik (master who makes products from damask steel)

Voitov– Voight (village elder in some provinces of Tsarist Russia)

Vorotnikov– Collar (gatekeeper, gatekeeper)

Guselnikov– Guselnik (guslar)

Zhiveynov– Live cab driver (unlike a dray driver, he carried people, not loads)

Zemtsov– Zemets (beekeeper, beekeeper)

Kologrivov– Kologriv (servant at the royal horses (stood “near the mane”) or from the city of Kologriv)

Kolomiytsev– Kolomiets (in the old days in Ukraine, a worker mined salt, but may be a resident of the city of Kolomyia)

Commissioners– Commissioner (in the old days, an official who performed police functions)

Kukhmisterov– Kukhmister (keeper of the “kukhmisterskaya”, that is, the dining room)

Mechnikov– Swordsman (warrior armed with a sword)

Reznikov– Reznik (butcher who slaughters livestock)

Reshetnikov– Reshetnik (master who makes sieves)

Ruzhnikov– Ruzhnik (priest who received special allowance from the prince or parishioners)

Sopelnikov– Sopelnik (playing the sopel – an ancient pipe)

Serdyukov– Serdyuk (Cossack from the ataman’s guard)

Sotnikov– Sotnik (commander of a military unit - hundreds)

Stolnikov– Stolnik (servant at the royal table)

Syreyshchikov– Raw material buyer (buyer of raw meat)

Trubnikov– Trubnik (trumpet player)

Furmanov– Furman (cab driver)

Chumakov– Chumak (Ukrainian peasant who transported bread to the Don and brought salt and fish from there).

And in conclusion, a logical question: Why do surnames reflect the names of new professions to such an insignificant extent? Yes, it’s very simple: in the 18th – 19th centuries, specialists, as a rule, already had their own hereditary surnames and did not need new ones. Of the more or less modern surnames of this kind, the Mashinistovs are the most common. But these are hardly the descendants of the first locomotive drivers. At the end of the 18th century, a machinist was a person who services any machine, that is, a machine worker or mechanic.

Based on materials from the book Fedosyuk Yu. A. “What does your last name mean?”

It is believed that surnames with the suffixes “-ov” or “-ev” are mainly of family origin. At first they came from patronymics. For example, Peter, the son of Ivan, was called Peter Ivanov. After surnames came into official use (and this happened in Rus' in the 13th century), surnames began to be given by the name of the eldest in the family. That is, Ivan’s son, grandson, and great-grandson already became Ivanovs.

But surnames were also given by nicknames. So, if a person, for example, was nicknamed Bezborodov, then his descendants received the surname Bezborodov.

They often gave surnames based on their occupation. The son of a blacksmith bore the surname Kuznetsov, the son of a carpenter - Plotnikov, the son of a potter - Goncharov, the son of a priest - Popov. Their children also received the same surname.

Surnames with the suffix “-in”, or, less commonly, “-yn” could also come from the names and nicknames of ancestors, from the names of their professions, and in addition, from words ending in “-a”, “-ya” and from nouns feminine ending in a soft consonant. For example, the surname Minin meant: “son of Mina.” Orthodox name Mina was widespread in Rus'. And in our time, the surnames Ilyin, Fomin, Nikitin are common. The surname Rogozhin reminds us that this man’s ancestors sold matting or made it.

Where did the surnames derived from the names of animals come from - Volkov, Medvedev, Kozlov, Zaitsev, Orlov? Genealogists believe that many “animal” surnames could come from secular names that were given to children in the pre-Christian era. By giving the child the name of this or that animal, parents hoped that this would give him the traits inherent in this animal. So, the name Bear was supposed to bestow strength, Wolf - courage, Fox - cunning, Boar - power and stubbornness, Goat - fertility, Crow - wisdom, Swan - beauty and fidelity, Nightingale - the ability to sing well. Subsequently, from these names came the Medvedevs, Volkovs, Lisitsyns, Kabanovs, Kozlovs, Voronins, Lebedevs, Solovyovs.

The origin of “animal” surnames could also be connected with a person’s occupation. Thus, a fan of chasing pigeons was called Golub, and his descendants were subsequently given the surname Golubev.

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

Why look for the origin of a surname?

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

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

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

What does a pedigree search allow you to do? You will be able to find out:

your family history;
what characteristic features your family possessed;
where did the ancestors live?
what they did and were interested in;
where distant relatives live with whom contact has been lost;
all information about ancestors;
which family traditions and legends 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, and our ancestors (great-grandfathers and grandfathers) became the people from whom our surnames originated. Who was your ancestor? What secrets does the surname hide? Maybe your ancestors were noble people, but you don’t know about it yet, 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 very hot topic for all citizens not only of the Russian Federation, but also of the world. We will help you solve the mystery of your surname, its formation and distribution throughout the earth.

The word "surname" is of ancient Roman origin, according to many researchers. They claim that another concept was hidden behind this word. So the residents Ancient Rome called a group of people, a community, which 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 occurred 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 surnames was hidden under cover of secrecy for many centuries. How did the formation of surnames proceed in the Middle Ages?

Let's look at the history of this phenomenon by country:

The terminology becomes widespread in various Italian regions only 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 are still hotly arguing about this. 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 borders began to expand and citizens of neighboring countries began to communicate closely. The surnames could also have arisen due to the political claims of Italy, which considered itself the most powerful state, and therefore wanted citizens of other countries to obey its subjects.
After some time, the French residents also picked up a new trend, a number of special institutions were created that specialized in compiling pedigrees. In those days, this service was provided only by wealthy noble families.
The adoption of surnames in England lasted longer. The end of this process occurs in the 15th century. In remote Scottish and Welsh regions, the formation of surnames continued for many more decades.
Citizens of Germany, Denmark and Sweden established their own family institutions at the end of the 16th century, as they were forced to play the game according to general rules, because in that time period a person who did not have a last name was considered an inferior member of society.
Authorities of Central European States a definition such as “surname” was forcibly introduced. But after some time, people quickly seized on new opportunities, although for several centuries the surname had only a nominal designation.

Surnames became widespread at the end of the 18th century.

What does the meaning of surnames depend on?

It is difficult to overestimate what a surname means to a person. From the time a child enters the 1st grade of school, they no longer call him simply Katya, Sasha or Sonya, but also begin to call him Volkova, Belov, Romanova. This important “increase” becomes the starting point that leads to human maturation. The differentiation of people by surname occurs from this time. The exception is close relatives, friends and acquaintances.

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

History of the origin of the surname in Rus'

Surnames in Rus' began to appear in the 12th-13th centuries. This process became widespread in the 16th century, and its completion occurred at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. Experts can determine for certain where this or that surname came from, but they distinguish several variations that unite several hundred surnames.

Nicknames led to the origin of the surname:

Begin to form at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries. The names of the parents, where the person was born, and 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.
During the 14-15 century period, numerous boyar and noble families began to be named. It was during this time period that noble family names appeared: Shuiskys, Gorbatovs, Travins, Trusovs, Kobylins.
At the same time, surnames appeared, derived from nicknames which are characterized by negative traits of appearance or character. For example, Kosoy, Krivosheev and others.
Peasant surnames begin their formation from family nicknames. For example, Lyubimov, Zhdanov.
Since ancient times, the name has been considered a kind of amulet that guides a person’s destiny in the right direction.. Therefore, surnames came from given names in order to correct human karma. For example, from the name Nekras the Nekrasov family appeared, Golod - the Golodovs.
Surnames derived from the father's name have become widespread. For example, the descendant of Vasily began to be called Vasilyev, the descendant of Peter - Petrov, the descendant of Sidor - Sidorov.

Close contact between Western and Eastern countries, which occurred towards the end of the 15th century, served as the beginning of the formation foreign names. At the same time, Turkic borrowings occurred in Rus'. Similar surnames appeared until the beginning of the 20th century. Thus, the tribal communities of the Yusupovs, Karamzins, and Baskakovs arose.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Peter the Great introduced “travelling letters” indicating the first and last name (or nickname), that is, from that time on, almost everyone living in Russian territories had a surname, albeit unofficially. But this phenomenon was widespread only in the central Russian regions. On the outskirts, citizens did not have a last name until the mid-30s of the 20th century, when residents of the country began to be given passports.

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

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

Their education often depended on which parish or church the priest served in. For example, Pokrovsky, Kosmodemyansky, Blagoveshchensky and others. Until this time, they were called Father Vasily, Father or Priest Ivan. Their children were called Popovs when necessary. Some clergy acquired surnames when they graduated from the seminary.

They became Athenian, Palminovsky, Cypress, Myagkovsky, Gilyarovsky. If students excelled in their studies, they received euphonious surnames with a positive connotation. They were called Brilliantovs, Dobromyslovs, Speranskys, Dobrolyubovs. If a student received bad grades, then he received a dissonant surname. For example, it was called Gibraltar. In addition, the student could receive a surname that was formed on behalf of a negative biblical character, including he could be called Saulov, Pharaoh.

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

First, each person can make an attempt to find his roots. Parents, grandparents and other older relatives can help you with this matter. You can write down all the data on your ancestors in a notepad. You can find out about relatives on both the maternal and paternal side. When will it be accumulated? large number information, you can put everything on a piece of Whatman paper.

In the upper part, indicate the data that you were able to find out by first names, patronymics, and last names, indicating when they were born and where their oldest 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.

The type of activity of your ancestors will provide a lot of information. For example, your ancestor was a shoemaker, so you are Sapozhnikov. Or there was a service person in the family, so you, for example, are Bombardiers. If your ancestor was a fisherman, then now you are called Sturgeon. Or maybe you are the bearer of a family trait, obtained due to the peculiarity of your appearance, which is why you began to be called Ears, Nosovs.

If there is insufficient 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 resources ask you to enter any amount of money, this may lead to funds being withdrawn from you, and no assistance will 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 them, you can find out information about where the family began.

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

Professional research into the origin of the surname

If your independent searches could not help you find out the history of the origin of the surname, feel free to contact our specialists who will help resolve all your questions regarding this problem.

We provide the following services:

At the first stage, professionals will be able to verify all the data you have collected by talking with your relatives, as well as filling in the missing information. This stage is carried out within 2 to 4 weeks.
At the same time as the first stage, specialists systematize the information received, enter the data into a special program and build a prototype family tree.
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 over a 2-4 week period.
Searching for information in archives.
Analysis of the information received and drawing up an estimate.
Drawing up reporting information, as well as creating a family tree with 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 by our specialists, a report can be presented in the form:

compiled family tree;
compiled genealogy book;
a movie about the history of the origin of your family's name.

Let's look at each point in more detail.

Compiling a family tree

In our company, a family tree of a 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, drawn on canvas, or 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 the report can also be decorated with various ornaments.

If the client wishes, LED lighting can be installed inside the frame. All materials undergo processing to prevent their premature failure. Family tree can be kept in your family for a long time.

Compiling a genealogy book

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

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

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

For every family, a film in which all its members play the main roles is important. Our company can offer a film based on events that actually 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 that explores the essence of the origin of the surname;
narratives about the hard times of war or about events occurring in the hero’s childhood;
a fascinating genre documentary story covering the events that happened to the hero;
documentary reconstruction of past events;
modern life events.

During the work on the film, professionals will be involved. The film will be shot by directors, screenwriters, cameramen, editors, sound engineers, composers and recorded on the media itself high quality. The finished masterpiece will be recorded onto your hard drive. Your personal life will become a source for filming an exciting, exclusive film.

Full cost of family pedigree

Before all work is carried out, our specialists will be able to calculate the full cost of the services provided. Conducting a genealogical examination costs 95 thousand rubles. If DNA examination is carried out by specialists, 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 information about the history of your family name!

In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, it is customary to call people by their personal name, patronymic and surname. The reason for this phenomenon becomes clear if we consider the long history of the emergence of Russian patronymics.

In almost all European countries, it is customary to name people using a pair of names: a personal name and family name(last names). This tradition dates back to the times of Ancient Rome. An exception is Iceland, where instead of a family name, a patronymic is used, that is, the name of the parents, father (patronym) or mother (matronym). The famous Icelandic singer Björk, for example, is actually called Björk Gvüdmündsdóttir (daughter of Gvüdmünd).

Thus, Icelanders do not have surnames.

But in the East Slavic states there is a different tradition. In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus full name a person consists of a personal name, patronymic and surname: Philip Bedrosovich Kirkorov, Alla Borisovna Pugacheva. This custom is a little surprising to other Europeans, but seems quite reasonable to people in the Middle East, where the father's name is often added to the personal name. The mighty genie Hasan-Abdurakhman ibn Hottab (that is, the son of Hottab) in Soviet Moscow simply became Hasan Hottabovich, old man Hottabych.

IN Slavic languages The role of the Arabic word “ibn” is played by the suffixes “-vich” (for men) and “-ovna/-evna/-ichna” (for women). Therefore, for example, Serbian and Bosnian surnames are very similar to Russian patronymics: Bregovich, Voinovich, Vukovich and even Karageorgievich. During times Kievan Rus Greatness by patronymic was the privilege of only noble people: princes and their squads.

There are a lot of examples in Russian epics: Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha Popovich, Nastasya Mikulichna. Even Tugarin’s enemy is called by his patronymic: Tugarin Zmeevich. Yes, and Nightingale the Robber, although a damned bastard, is also Odikhmantiev’s son. That is, Odikhmantievich. Perhaps the only exception is when the plowman is called by his patronymic in epics - Mikula Silyaninovich. Well, yes, Mikula is an exception in many respects.

Exception from general order There was also Veliky Novgorod. Rich and, by the standards of that time, a completely European free city, it loved to live independently, according to its own laws.

So the Novgorodians introduced a special order: to address each other by patronymic, that is, in a princely manner. Even when Tsar Ivan III destroyed the Novgorod Republic and resettled the proud Novgorodians throughout different cities, they have preserved this custom, expressing mutual respect. Moreover, they passed it on to others.

The fashion for surnames came to Rus' from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Back in the 12th century, Veliky Novgorod established close contacts with this state. Noble Novgorodians can be considered the first official owners of surnames in Rus'.

Earliest of famous lists victims with the names: “Novgorodets are the same: Kostyantin Lugotinits, Gyuryata Pineshchinich, Namst, Drochilo Nezdylov son of a tanner...” (First Novgorod chronicle of the older edition, 1240). Surnames helped in diplomacy and in recording troops. This made it easier to distinguish one Ivan from another.

Boyar and princely families

In the XIV-XV centuries, Russian princes and boyars began to take surnames. Surnames were often formed from the names of the lands. Thus, the owners of the estate on the Shuya River became the Shuiskys, on Vyazma - the Vyazemskys, on Meshchera - the Meshcherskys, the same story with the Tverskys, Obolenskys, Vorotynskys and other -skys.

It must be said that -sk- is a common Slavic suffix; it can be found in Czech surnames (Komensky), and in Polish (Zapototsky), and in Ukrainian (Artemovsky).

Boyars also often received their surnames from the baptismal name of the ancestor or his nickname: such surnames literally answered the question “whose?” (implied “whose son?”, “what kind?”) and included possessive suffixes.

The suffix -ov- was added to worldly names ending in hard consonants: Smirnoy - Smirnov, Ignat - Ignatov, Petr - Petrov.

The suffix -Ev- was added to names and nicknames that had a soft sign at the end, -iy, -ey or h: Bear - Medvedev, Yuri - Yuryev, Begich - Begichev.

The suffix -in- was given to surnames formed from given names with the vowels “a” and “ya”: Apukhta -Apukhtin, Gavrila - Gavrilin, Ilya -Ilyin.

Meanwhile, the granting of patronymic names to people from low classes turned into a royal reward. Starting from the 15th century, the title of “eminent people” appeared, who, for special merits, were allowed by royal decree to be called by their patronymic. The honor was great. In the 17th century, for example, the only merchant family awarded a patronymic was the Stroganov merchants.

For other humble people (or, as they said then, people of “vile rank”), patronymics, if necessary, were formed according to the model “Ivan son of Sidorov” or even simpler “Ivan Sidorov”. Thus, a significant part of Russian surnames were formed from patronymics. By the way, it is precisely according to this model that, if necessary, patronymics are formed in the Bulgarian language: Philip Bedrosov Kirkorov.

And now let’s remember about Peter Alekseevich, that is, about Tsar Peter I. Among his other merits is the reform of the sovereign service. Instead of the loose system of orders that existed during the time of his father, Alexei Mikhailovich, the emperor introduced a European-style slender pyramid of service hierarchy, a “table of ranks.” He, of course, did not invent it himself, but “copied” it from the Prussian system civil service. The Prussian origin of the “report card” is evidenced by the “assessors”, “fendricks” and “equipmen” who settled in it.

Without a doubt, the famous Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz pointed out the power of the “table of ranks” to Peter I. Leibniz was delighted with the “Prussian project,” during which a shabby kingdom, dependent on its powerful neighbor Poland, became a prominent state in Europe in just a few years. And at the same time, Prussia did not have any resources other than human ones.

But all the people were assigned to the place and together performed their service, military or civilian. Each was an inconspicuous cog or gear, and together they made up a smoothly working state mechanism. Naturally, the mind of a mathematician and philosopher could not help but admire such perfection. The emperor's mind too.

Among other bonuses, the “table of ranks” guaranteed service people, after reaching a certain rank, nobility, first personal and then hereditary. As a result of the expansion of the base of the nobility, people with suspiciously “mean” surnames began to appear among the serving nobles: Ivanovs, Mikhalkovs, Ilyins. How to distinguish them from the bourgeois Ivanovs, the merchants Mikhalkovs or the peasants Ilyins?

Catherine II tried to do this.

According to her decree, it was proposed to introduce different spellings of patronymics for officials or officers of different classes.

Officers and officials of low classes, from 14 to 9 inclusive, were recorded in official documents without a patronymic - Nikita Mikhalkov. (Class 9 corresponded to the military rank of captain or the civil rank of titular councilor).

Officers and officials from grades 8 to 5 inclusive were to be called: Nikita Sergeev Mikhalkov. (The 5th class ranks were state councilor and brigadier - although high ranks, they were not yet generals.)

Finally, officials and officers who held general ranks (4th grade and above) were named in official documents by their patronymic: Nikita Sergeevich Mikhalkov. It seems that it was in those years that a phenomenon arose that led to the prevalence of patronymic names in Russian anthroponyms. In official correspondence, everything was written as Catherine II ordered.

But in unofficial correspondence, every nobleman referred to himself as a general, with a patronymic: Staff Captain Konstantin Aleksandrovich Bagration-Mukhransky.

A bad example is contagious. Patronymic naming was picked up by other classes, burghers, merchants and even rich peasants. By the time of the fall Russian Empire, in February 1917, almost all its inhabitants had patronymics in their passports.

Why are the Romanovs - Romanovs?

The most famous surname in the history of Russia - the Romanovs. Their ancestor Andrei Kobyla (a boyar from the time of Ivan Kalita) had three sons: Semyon Zherebets, Alexander Elka Kobylin and Fyodor Koshka. From them descended the Zherebtsovs, Kobylins and Koshkins, respectively.

After several generations, descendants decided that a surname from a nickname was not noble. Then they first became the Yakovlevs (after the great-grandson of Fyodor Koshka) and the Zakharyins-Yuryevs (after the names of his grandson and another great-grandson), and remained in history as the Romanovs (after the great-great-grandson of Fyodor Koshka).

Aristocratic surnames

The Russian aristocracy initially had noble roots, and among the nobles there were many people who came to Russian service from abroad. It all started with surnames of Greek and Polish-Lithuanian origin at the end of the 15th century, and in the 17th century they were joined by the Fonvizins (German von Wiesen), the Lermontovs (Scottish Lermont) and other surnames with Western roots.

Also, the surnames that were given to illegitimate children of noble people have foreign language bases: Sherov (French cher “dear”), Amantov (French amant “beloved”), Oksov (German Ochs “bull”), Herzen (German Herz “heart” ").

By-product children generally “suffered” a lot from their parents’ imagination. Some of them didn't bother to come up with new name, but simply shortened the old one: so from Repnin Pnin was born, from Trubetskoy - Betskoy, from Elagin - Agin, and from Golitsyn and Tenishev the “Koreans” Go and Te came out. The Tatars also left a significant mark on Russian surnames. This is exactly how the Yusupovs (descendants of Murza Yusup), the Akhmatovs (Khan Akhmat), the Karamzins (Tatar punishment “black”, Murza “lord, prince”), the Kudinovs (distorted Kaz.-Tatar. Kudai “God, Allah”) and other.

Surnames of servicemen

Following the nobility, ordinary service people began to receive surnames. They, like the princes, were also often called by their place of residence, only with “simpler” suffixes: families living in Tambov became Tambovtsevs, in Vologda - Vologzhaninovs, in Moscow - Moskvichevs and Moskvitinovs. Some were satisfied with the “non-family” suffix, denoting a resident of a given territory in general: Belomorets, Kostromich, Chernomorets, while others received the nickname without any changes - hence Tatyana Dunay, Alexander Galich, Olga Poltava and others.

Surnames of clergy

The surnames of the priests were formed from the names of churches and Christian holidays (Rozhdestvensky, Uspensky), and were also artificially formed from Church Slavonic, Latin and Greek words. The most interesting of them were those that were translated from Russian into Latin and received the “princely” suffix -sk-. Thus, Bobrov became Kastorsky (Latin castor “beaver”), Skvortsov became Sturnitsky (Latin sturnus “starling”), and Orlov became Aquilev (Latin aquila “eagle”).

Peasant surnames

Peasants' surnames late XIX centuries were rare. The exceptions were non-serf peasants in the north of Russia and in the Novgorod province - hence Mikhailo Lomonosov and Arina Rodionovna Yakovleva.

After the abolition of serfdom in 1861, the situation began to improve, and by the time of universal passportization in the 1930s, every resident of the USSR had a surname.

They were formed according to already proven models: the suffixes -ov-, -ev-, -in- were added to names, nicknames, places of residence, and professions.

Why and when did they change their names?

When the peasants began to acquire surnames, for superstitious reasons, from the evil eye, they gave their children surnames that were not the most pleasant: Nelyub, Nenash, Nekhoroshiy, Blockhead, Kruchina. After the revolution, queues began to form at passport offices from those who wanted to change their surname to a more euphonious one.

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