Almost every day we pronounce, read, hear and write the names of relatives, friends, acquaintances. Each citizen of Russia has his own surname. They are recorded in birth certificates, marriage, passports and other documents. But not everyone will think about how his last name came about, and how long it exists. We perceive it as something given, but very significant.
Why do you need a surname?
The very word "surname" entered our language quite late. Translated from Latin, it means "family." The main purpose of the surname is to designate a single family name, which is called the whole family, not excluding the most distant relatives.
A bit of history
Each person who lives in Russia has a first name, middle name and, of course, a surname. Of course, this was not always the case. First a name appeared, then a middle name, and only in the XIV-XV centuries did the first surnames appear. The first, naturally, were found by their boyars and princes, then in the XVI - XVIII centuries they appeared among the nobles. In subsequent centuries, they were received by service people, merchants and ministers of the church. Peasants, however, found their names only at the end of the 19th century.
Origin of surnames
Most often, the names of the wealthy estates came from the name of the possessions. For example, Zvenigorod, Vyazemsky, Tver. Since the land was inherited, respectively, passed from father to son and surname.
Many people purchased them at their place of birth and residence. For example, Arkhangelsk, Moskvin and others.
Surnames of the clergy: Zvonarev, Popov, Prayer and others. A beautiful Russian surname appeared, based on the names of churches and church holidays: Rozhdestvensky, Uspensky, Trinity. In the surnames you can hear the origins of the Russian army: Soldiers, Cadets, Captains. Very often they were given on behalf of the head of the family: Ivanov, Pavlov, Mikhailov. In addition, Russian surnames are a real storehouse on the history of life and professions, the values of which, at times, we do not even know. For example, the Melnikovs, Bochkarevs, Telegin, Argunovs ("Argun" - a carpenter).
Each surname is a mystery, which is sometimes difficult to solve.
Original Russian surnames
Undoubtedly, the most beautiful surname in Russia should be sonorous, effective, memorable. And rightly such are considered royal families, for example Rurikovich. They cause a certain thrill in the soul.
No less sonorous is the name Vasilyev, which is translated from Greek as “king”.
Smirnov is the most common beautiful Russian surname. Why is it so common? Previously, there were many children in families, and the birth of a calm, obedient child is a rarity. Therefore, such children were called Smyrny or Smyrna. Gradually, the church name was lost. Now in this surname stress is placed on the last syllable.
Another no less common surname is Ivanov. Several centuries ago, the name John encompassed almost all men, especially among peasants. In fairy tales, Ivan the Fool always wins. Now some owners of this surname insist on pronunciation with an emphasis on the letter “a”. This gives the surnames a certain nobility and sonority.
The beauty of rare surnames
The history of each surname is unique in its own way. Sometimes thousands of people are carriers of the same surname, and sometimes we are not used to hearing any surnames. Those, of course, are relatively few, but they are, and they have their own history of origin. For example, very rare one-letter last names: O, Yu and E. There are also those that consist of one syllable: An, En, To and Do. Rare beautiful surnames are consonant with geographical names: Moscow, Astrakhan, America and others. Some surnames were obtained by merging two words. Some of them sound pretty funny and cause a smile: Good afternoon, Zacheshigriva, Khvataimuha, Shchiborsch, Nepeyvoda, Eibogin and others. Perhaps the beautiful Russian surname is the one that is considered legendary. For example, Pozharsky, Grozny, Karenina and other famous.
Another group of rare surnames that did not receive suffixes, but remained consonant with nouns, verbs and adverbs. For example, Frost, Magpie, Pan, Bite, Tron, Klyuy, Generously, Nothing, Nabok and many others.
Sound surnames for men
The man is the head of the family. And it is precisely on the male line that the surname is passed from generation to generation. Naturally, each of the male representatives is proud of their last name, especially if it sounds beautiful. The masculine surnames of beautiful Russians are associated with aristocratic ones, that is, those worn by kings or nobles. For example, Romanov. This surname came from the name Roman (translated from Latin - “Roman”), and Rome, in turn, is an example of the great and the high. Therefore, carriers of this surname may well be proud. To the aristocratic can be attributed such names as: Pechora, Vyazemsky, Lermontov, Shuisky and others. Kostomarov - from the word Kostomar. So in ancient Russia they called strong, broad-bones and strong people. The majestic surnames include some "bestial". Surely, such surnames as Lvov, Sokolov or Orlov gave people with a strong character and will, those whom they respected. The surname Vinogradov was very much appreciated in Russia. She was not given to everyone and everyone. She got it only to those who particularly distinguished themselves. Another category of harmonious surnames is the military. After all, serving people always personify discipline, fit, beauty, accuracy and accuracy. Such names sound solemn: Mayorov, Gusarsky, Colonels and others.
Sound surnames for girls
Nowadays, for a girl, the surname is of great importance. Some even seek to change it. What beautiful Russian surnames for girls are the most euphonic? They can be found in “animal” or “bird” surnames. Zainkina, Zaychik, Zaychikova - the diminutive form of the word suggests that people with a similar surname are treated with fondness, well.
Lebedev, Lebedushkina. Most likely, such names were given to people who distinguished themselves by their loyalty, grace and slender figure.
Kitty, Koshechkina - suitable for people affectionate and gentle.
A beautiful Russian surname comes from the names of plants. Rozanova, Rozochkina - associated with the chic and graceful nature of the rose. Berezkina, Poplar, Topolek - suits slender tall girls. Aspen - this name was given to modest people.
The surname, descended from the Russian name Love, delights without any explanation. For example, Lyubimova, Beloved.
Surnames for girls
Surely every girl is proud of her unusual or rare surname. Belenkaya - the surname is suitable for blond girls. Interesting surnames that descended from female names. For example, Mashechkina, Anechkina, Tanechkina and others. Some beautiful surnames for girls Russians speak for themselves. These include the names of Mila, Krasavina, Kind. Good - personifies a kind and helpful person. Surnames such as Pearl or Droplet are quite suitable for girls. They sound quite unusual, but at the same time very cute and cute.
Beautiful combinations of names and surnames
Many parents, in anticipation of the baby, pick up a name for their child, combined with the surname. Indeed, it is worth considering whether the name is compatible with the surname. They should be harmonious, not cut the ear. For example, the combination of Adelaide Pupchik can cause bewilderment or a smile. In order for beautiful Russian names and surnames to be combined, it is necessary to adhere to some rules.
- Beautiful rare names are suitable for noble surnames.
- If the surname is long, then the name should be selected short. And vice versa.
- Observe the harmony of sounds for easier pronunciation (at the junction of the male name and surname there should not be combinations of vowels, as well as a large accumulation of consonants).
- Rare names do not combine with dissonant surnames (Gloria Kozlik).
- Do not turn a child into a full namesake of famous people (Eugene Onegin, Ivan the Terrible). Often such children become the subject of ridicule.
There are also beautiful surnames that have come from the names of military ranks and professions. Many will like, for example, the names of Generals, Kuznetsov. But do not hide the fact that in this case some incidents may occur. The surname Zolotarev sounds beautiful and sonorous, but it has its origins, as they say, “with a sweet spot” - a well-known fact that such people as Zolotar were engaged in in Russia. And someone may consider such famous surnames as Diaghilev, Nabokov, Tsvetaeva beautiful. As much as we would like, it is simply impossible to mention all the beautiful Russian surnames in this article. We no longer mention foreign ones, such as Montmorencier, Lamborghini, Poisson. This is a matter of taste and preference of each person individually. Surnames, like parents, we do not choose for ourselves. Unless the fair sex can prank when choosing a groom.
In any case, whatever your last name is, appreciate it and love it!