A sonorous, and at the same time very gentle name, in which the murmur of a brook, the rustle of fresh foliage is heard, a breath of warm spring breeze is felt. Even 20–30 years ago, three out of ten girls were called Natasha, Natusya, Natki. For some reason, today the name Natalia is found less and less. Perhaps the parents can not decide what to name the daughter? After all, there are two options: Natalia and Natalia. What is the difference, and are there any semantic differences in these names? Let's try to figure it out.
Name Origin History
The name Natalia in Latin means "native, born." For example, the Italian Santa Claus name is Babbe Natale ─ Christmas grandfather. It is no coincidence that family planning medical facilities are called perinatal centers. In the root of "natal", a connection with motherhood, birth is clearly traced. The name in various variations is found in many peoples of the world. In England, in France, in Germany - this is Natalie. In the Spanish-speaking countries, as well as in Greece, Italy, Hungary, Romania ─ everything is the same, familiar to us, Natalia.
Where did the soft sign come from
Why is there a variant of the name with a soft sign in the penultimate syllable in Russia, and throughout the post-Soviet space? The version that Natalya is a vernacular name, and in the noble families of girls was called exclusively Natalia, does not withstand any criticism. It is enough to see the biography of the wife of the great Pushkin: N.N. Goncharova, like her mother and daughter, was called Natalia. Most likely, the difference between the names Natalya ─ Natalia is useless to look for, and is there any? It is possible that a soft sign appeared in the ending for ease of pronunciation. In other languages, such a letter is simply absent.
Famous women bearing the name Natalya
Scrolling through paper magazines and Internet pages, you can find information about the many of our contemporaries, whose name is Natalya. These are famous actresses, and journalists, and politicians. Let us recall at least the brilliant stars of Soviet and Russian cinema: Krachkovskaya, Gundareva, Kustinskaya, Selezneva, Varley, Gvozdikova. Of course, we won’t be able to look into their passports, but in those sources that are accessible to the general public, their name is written with a soft sign ─ the same way as model Natalya Vodyanova, former Crimean prosecutor Natalya Polonskaya, TV presenter Natalya Semenikhina. One can not ignore the beloved domestic viewer Natalia Oreiro.
And the singer Natasha Koroleva is named at birth by the name Natalia. And although the Russian pop diva is Ukrainian by nationality, this does not explain anything. Except for one - such was the will of the parents of little Natasha. In Slavic languages, the line between the meaning of the names Natalya and Natalia has almost been erased. What is the difference, only the appeal to Christian traditions will help to explain.
Spelling of female and male names according to church canons
In the holy books describing the lives of the saints, many names are inscribed somewhat differently than when used in social life. Compare: Sofia and Sofia, Maria and Marya, Tatiana and Tatiana. As you can see, the soft sign is not used anywhere. From this, names acquire a more elevated, solemn sound. The same applies to masculine names, even when there is no soft sign in them, consonants are replaced with vowels, “and” with “e”, or vice versa: Alexey and Alexy, Ilya and Ilya, Ivan and John, Semyon and Simeon.
From the fact that words are perceived by ear in a different way, their semantic load does not change. Under this rule, the names Natalya and Nataliya obviously fall. What is the difference, it is not difficult to answer ─ in spelling and pronunciation. But this does not mean that these names are interchangeable. If the parents named the girl Natalia, then you need to adhere to this option in all official identification documents.
Spelling proper nouns following the letter of the law
Despite the fact that some names are identical, one should not allow letters to be replaced when filling out passport forms, graduation certificates, university diplomas and other documents. Often such a mistake is made by employees of state institutions. From a legal point of view, Natalia and Natalia are two different names. For example, a woman with a driver’s license in the name of Natalia Ivanova can rightly be accused of an offense if her passport says that she is Natalia.
Similar problems often arise when withdrawing funds from bank accounts, receiving pensions and benefits, inheritance disputes, issuing foreign passports and travel documents, and in many other cases when some negligent officials shrug their shoulders in surprise: “Natalia and Natalia? What is the difference? ” But when you contact another government agency, this difference will be immediately noticed, and paperwork with re-issuance of documents will be delayed indefinitely. Sometimes you have to make such changes in court, they certainly know how to do it right: the name Natalya or Natalia must be recorded in exact accordance with the data indicated on the birth certificate.
Natalyin day in Orthodoxy
Maybe not everyone knows, but Natalia has her day of the year (September 8), dedicated to the memory of Natalia of Nicomedia and her husband Adrian. These Great Martyrs belong to the early Christian saints. Events that occurred with a married couple date back to the 4th century AD. It is described that Natalia, being raised in God's obedience, married a pagan named Adrian. The Christians were then persecuted, and the emperor of those lands Maxim Galerius brutally cracked down on the followers of the new doctrine.
Natalia’s husband served as the head of the courtroom, where martyrs were brought for interrogation for the faith of the Lord. Imbued with the stamina of these people, Adrian also converted to Christianity, for which he was tortured and executed. To the last, Natalia supported her husband in his sufferings and asked that he, once in the kingdom of God, implore death from God for her too. A few days later, after burying her husband’s body, the woman died. And although she did not suffer physical torment, the church ranked Natalia to the list of Saints for the torment she suffered. The great martyrs Adrian and Natalia are considered the patrons of the family and a happy marriage.