The origin of proper names has always occupied humanity. Each of us involuntarily thought about the history of our family tree and the meaning of our surname. Even superficial historical and linguistic research in this area can lead to unexpected results. So, for example, the surname of Khazanov may turn into a person’s location in Khazanovich, Khazanovsky or Khazanovuch. Depending on the end, they judge the nationality of the person, but this is not always an indicator. Khazanovich can be Russian, and Belarus, and Jew.
Anthroponymy, a science that collects and studies the origin of proper names, will help to understand who is who in fact. It helps to understand their belonging to a certain region, where and for what reasons they appeared. Belarusian surnames and their origin are very confused, since the lands of Belarus at all times were influenced by the invasions of Poles, Russians, Tatars and Lithuanians.
The period of the first names on the lands of Belarus
Belarusian surnames can contain a wide variety of roots and endings. Anthroponymic analysis shows that the culture of the country was greatly influenced by many individual states. They occupied the land and established order according to their ideas. One of the most significant influences is considered the power of the Principality of Lithuania. It made changes not only in the development of the language of Belarusians, but also began to dignify the noble estates by their generic name.
Surnames began to appear in the late 14th - early 15th centuries, their carriers for the most part were boyars, people of high ranks. The name of the genus was influenced by the culture and language of other states. A great many roots and endings depend on the time period and the peoples who during this period rule on the Belarusian lands.
Surnames of peasants and nobility
With the family names of noble families, the situation was more or less stable and understandable. These included the most ancient and familiar to everyone Gromyko, Tyszkiewicz, Iodko or Khodkevich. Basically, the ending -wich / -ich was added to the base of the name, which indicated the noble and ancient origin of the genus. The gentry class was not distinguished by constancy in the name of the house. The surname was taken after the name of the father or grandfather, for example, Bartosh Fedorovich or Olehnovich. An interesting fact was the transfer of the names of estates and estates to the clan estate. Peasants also received their hereditary names after the owners. For example, the name Belyavsky arose due to the name of the patrimony. And the owners of the boyars and peasants were called the same - Belyavsky. It could happen that the serf family had several names. During this period, their surnames were of a sliding nature.
18-19 century
At this time, the ranges and differences in the names of both peasants and the noble class began to appear. More than half of the population had surnames ending in -ovich / -evich / -ich, for example, Petrovich, Sergeich, Mokhovich. The regions of these generic names were the central and western parts of the Belarusian lands. It was during this period of time that common proper names were formed, they are also considered the most ancient. For example, the surname Ivashkevich belongs to the 18-19 centuries in its origin.
The name can have deep roots and have a direct connection with the noble estate. Aleksandrovich - a surname that will tell not only about belonging to a noble family, but also about the name of the father of the house - Alexander, the generic name dates back to the 15th century.
Such interesting hereditary names as Burak or Nose have peasant roots. Unusual surnames were not subjected to assimilation and addition of endings adopted during this period.
Russian influence
Russian surnames, usually ending in –ovs, began to be borne by Belarusians due to the Russian invasion of the eastern lands of Belarus. A typical Moscow ending was added to the basics of names. So there were Ivanov, Kozlov, Novikov. Also endings were added by –o, which is more typical for Ukrainians than Russians. For example, the wonderful name Goncharenok turned into Goncharenko. The trend of such changes in the name of the genera is characteristic only for regions where the influence of Russians was observed - the east of the country.
Interesting and beautiful surnames of Belarus
From the depths of centuries came the most interesting and unforgettable surnames of Belarusians who have not undergone changes and assimilation. Their origin is due to the rich imagination of the peasants. Very often, people named their family in honor of weather events, animals, insects, months of the year, and human characteristics. The well-known surname Frost appeared just like that. The Nose, Windmill, March or Beetle can be attributed to the same category. These are typically Belarusian surnames, but they are quite rare.
Male names
The genus in the Belarusian lands was designated interestingly, the basis of which was male surnames. By the name of the genus it was possible to understand who is the father and who is the son. If it was a son, the ending –enok / -ik / -chik / -uk / -yuk was added to his name. In other words, for example, the names on “ik” indicate that a person is a son of a noble family. These include Mironchik, Ivanchik, Vasilyuk, Aleksyuk. So purely male surnames appeared, talking about belonging to a particular clan.
If a simple family simply wanted to designate the child as the son of their father, then the ending -en was used. For example, Vaseline is the son of Vasil. Common surnames of this etymology date back to the 18-19th centuries. They began to appear a little later than the famous Radzevich, Smolenich or Tashkevich, belonging to the 14-15 centuries.
The most common hereditary names
Belarusian surnames differ from the total mass with the endings “HIV”, “ICH”, “Ichi” and “Ovich”. These anthroponyms point to ancient roots and native Belarusian origin, indicating the pedigree class.
- Smolich - Smolichi - Smolivich.
- Yashkevich - Yashkevichi - Yashkovich.
- Zhdanovich - Zhdanovich.
- Stoyanovich - Stoyanovichi.
- Surname Petrovich - Petrovichi.
This is an example of famous Belarusian generic names whose origin dates back to the early 15th century. Their consolidation took place already in the 18th century. The official recognition of these designations dates back to the late 19th century.
The second layer of names by popularity and prevalence refers to surnames with the endings “ik”, “chik”, “uk”, “yuk”, “yonok”. These include:
- Armenianok (everywhere).
- Yazepchik (everywhere).
- Mironchik (all over the place).
- Mikhalyuk (west of Belarus).
These surnames more often indicate that a person belongs to a noble or noble family.
Russified and unusual surnames
The third layer of common surnames implies the end of "o", "o". For the most part, they are localized in the eastern part of the country. They are very similar to Russian surnames, but often have a Belarusian root and base. For example, Panov, Kozlov, Popov - it can be both Belarusians and Russians.
Surnames on "in" also belong to the eastern part of the country and have a Russian echo. Muslims were attributed "in" to the base of the name. So Khabibul became Khabibulin. This part of the country was strongly assimilated under the influence of Russians.
No less common are the names originating from the names of villages, estates, animals, holidays, plants, months of the year. These include such beautiful and interesting surnames as:
- Bathed;
- Kalyada;
- Tit;
- Bug;
- Tambourine;
- March;
- Pear.
Surnames describing the main distinguishing feature of a person and his entire family are also widespread. For example, the lazy will be called Lyanutsk, the scattered and forgetful - Zabudzka.
Prevailing stereotypes and misunderstandings
Belarusian surnames, the list of which is diverse and rich in origin, are often confused with Jewish, Lithuanian and even Latvian. Many are convinced that, for example, the name Abramovich is purely Jewish. But this is not entirely true. At the time of the formation of anthroponyms on the Belarusian land, people named Abram or Khazan added the ending -ovic or -ovichi. So Abramovich and Khazanovich went out. Often the root of the names was of German or Jewish character. Assimilation took place in the early 14-15 centuries and became the basis of the family heritage of Belarus.
Another misconception is the opinion that surnames for -vich come from Lithuanian or Polish roots. If we compare the anthroponyms of Latvia, Poland and Belarus, then it is impossible to find a similarity between them. There are no Senkeviches or Zhdanovichs in Latvia or Poland. These surnames are original Belarusian. The Principality of Lithuania and other states undoubtedly influenced the formation of family names, but did not introduce their own, original names. You can also say that many common surnames of Belarusians are very similar to Jewish.
The origin of surnames on the Belarusian land was formed over several centuries. It was an interesting and lively linguistic process. Now generic names have become a reflection of the rich and diverse history of Belarus. The multilayered culture of the country, the influence on the development and formations of which was made by Poles, Lithuanians, Tatars, Jews and Russians, can be clearly traced by the names of people. The final and official adoption of proper names in Belarus occurred only in the middle of the 19th century.