The presence of two religious cultures had a great influence on the formation of names in Chuvashia. Initially, when Islam dominated the republic, the Chuvash names were consonant with Islamic traditions. After the transition to Christianity, the situation changed dramatically, and people checked the Orthodox books.
The influence of the national mentality of different religions
V.K. Magnitsky to write his book "Chuvash pagan names" conducted a grand study of their meaning. He paid special attention to the study of male names. In this case, it is clear that among them there are many derivatives, both from Russian and Tatar. Which is fully explained by the territorial proximity of peoples.
The most common Russian name in Chuvashia was transformed at different times into Vanyuha, Vanyush, Vanyushka.
Of particular interest is the dictionary of N. I. Egorov, for the sake of compiling of which he conducted a series of studies of female names. The main conclusion is that the main Chuvash names given to the girls were borrowed from the Tatar language.
Pagan beliefs
In ancient times, parents of newborn children often called them in honor of various animals. This was done when the family survived the death of two or more children. It was believed that in this way it is possible to deceive fate and tear the child out of the clutches of certain death.
Examples are such characteristic names of girls as Chakak, which means "magpie", or Chekes, from the Tatar - "swallow".
However, even now there are women who believe in this belief and name babies with the names of birds or animals. A pagan sign is observed in the case when a woman repeatedly miscarriages. Then the unborn child is given an animal name to protect it from dark forces.
Beautiful names of Chuvash children
With the adoption of Christianity, the Chuvash names underwent significant changes. The pagan names are almost gone, but still continue to be used.
Pre-Christian names are usually given to unbaptized children, infants from Muslim families, as well as supporters of ancient rites and traditions.
Even now they continue to use quite sonorous Chuvash names, male and female. Each of them has its own meaning:
- Sarpi is beautiful;
- Savtepi - loving;
- Ilempi - beauty;
- Salampi - affable;
- Karsak is the hare;
- Ulput - master;
- Puyang - rich;
- Ilpek is an abundance.
Modern statistics
According to the registry offices, parents increasingly began to choose old Chuvash and beautiful Russian names for their newborns. The boys are called:
- Kirill;
- Artyom;
- Egor;
- Novel;
- Alexander;
- Maksim.
When a Chuvash female name is chosen, more often parents choose Anastasia, Valeria, Anna, Sofya, Daria, Polina. Quite unusual names, such as:
- Lordin;
- Dolphin
- Madonna
- Genevieve;
- Milyaush;
- Khadija.
The last name is directly connected with Islam, because that was the name of the first wife of the prophet, and Islam firmly entered many parts of Chuvashia.
Names coming from the antiquity of Chuvashia are much behind the Russian-speaking ones. Nevertheless, adherents of traditions try not to depart from local beliefs and call their girls:
- Sinerpy;
- Pineslu;
- Pinerpi;
- Salambi.
Statistics show that names from church calendars and works of classical Russian literature are popular. So, for boys, they increasingly began to choose a name:
- Gordey;
- Prokhor;
- Elisha
- Sava;
- Demian;
- Ustin;
- Zahar
- Savely;
- Matvey.
If literally fifty years ago in Chuvashia only names coming from antiquity and associated with paganism were quite common, now an increasing number of parents choose ordinary Russians.
Famous names in Chuvashia
There are many people in the republic who prefer to honor the memory of their outstanding ancestors. Previously, the choice of a name was based on rarity, sonority or popularity, but now in remote areas of Chuvashia this issue is taken more seriously.
Increasingly, the name of great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers is chosen for the child. This trend is associated with increasing interest in the origins of the family and attempts to maintain its foundations. In particular, the following names are quite common:
- Damir;
- Luke;
- Gleb;
- Edward;
- Stepanida
- Svyatoslav;
- Taisia.
But the most famous names in Chuvashia are Setner and Narspi, from the eponymous work by Konstantin Ivanov “Narspi”.
Afterword
The history of the Chuvash names was not without outside influence. Their education took place on the basis of their native dialect, Russian, Persian and Arabic.
In the days of the ancestors and the spread of paganism, there was a curious custom. A week after the birth of the baby, he underwent a naming procedure. This rite was performed only by the oldest and wisest priest.
Up to this point, the newly born child received the name Yatsar, which means “nameless”. Only the person who performed the ceremony could choose the next name, thereby deciding fate.