Mis nime andsid aadlikud oma lastele? Kõige prestiižsemad nimed ajaloos

Did you know that noble names hold a rich history and cultural heritage? They often conveyed a person’s social status, background, interests, and heritage to society. Some of them reflected the era and cultural trends of different periods in history.

Historian, writer, translator, member of the Russian Society “Znanie”

“It is more correct to speak not of noble, but of “noble” names. It is this nuance that allows us to understand how naming differed among different estates. A person of noble origin was meant to live “in plain sight”. That is why his name corresponded to such a high social role”.

Noble names continue to be a significant part of modern culture, despite the changes in society. They carry echoes of the past and continue to influence modern cultural norms and perceptions. For example, many of them are associated with grandeur, sophistication and are used in art to create a certain image or atmosphere. In addition, they are still popular among parents, thus preserving their cultural heritage.

Historical aspects

Among the Old Russian nobility there are many names of both Slavic or Scandinavian origin and Greek. It is enough to look at the first Rurikovich. Oleg, Igor, Olga – Scandinavian names. Svyatoslav and Vladimir – Slavic. However Olga in christening became Greek Elena, and Vladimir – Basil. At the same time subjects were admonished with a lower status. For example, a peasant’s son or a young boyar was never called Vladimir (owning the world).

If we return to the traditions among the nobility, in Russia for a long time there was a division into typically “monarchical” and more “simple” names. The situation was similar in Europe. Already in the early Middle Ages, monarchs chose pathos names. The rise to power in England of the Plantagenet dynasty in the second half of the 11th century had an effect akin to the Baptism of Russia. Many Anglo-Saxon or Scandinavian names disappeared from tradition overnight.

William, Charles, Henry, Louis, Edward, and Philip were found in almost every royal house in the world, albeit in different national forms. Not all names, however, went to the people. In England, for example, William, Charles, Henry, Edward became noble names. Some of them began to be given to children from middle-class families. On the other hand, Thomas or John were clearly of “biblical” origin, but were not suitable for kings. Herbert and Robert were ideal for nobles.

Slavic names went out of use among princes and nobles as the church strengthened and princely power was consolidated. For example, Yaroslav, Mstislav and Svyatoslav disappeared from fashion. Their place was taken by Greek, biblical ones – Michael, Daniel, Ivan. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, long names began to prevail among Russian autocrats. Elizabeth, Catherine, Alexander, Nicholas became fashionable.

Male and female noble names

The main feature of pre-Christian Russia was the refusal to name a son after his father or grandfather, if the latter were alive. Therefore, before the Baptism there was an amazing variety of options. The situation when a son was called by his father’s name happened once. We are talking about Prince Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny. However, in the future, every person, especially of a noble kind, had two names: secular and baptismal. Christianity has brought the certain freedom from installations of pagan and tribal epoch.

Rurikovich and Romanovs tried to pick up a name so that it was consonant to a secular name. This tendency became a tradition. Tsarevna Sofia has been tonsured in nuns Susanna. Two sons of Peter I from Evdokia Lopukhina were named Alexei and Alexander. Future parents followed the combination, and also delved into the family history. In particular, there was another trend: to name a child in honor of relatives, namely an uncle or aunt.

Those from the upper class were severely restricted in their choices. Their task was to preserve culture and traditions. This is partly due to the popularity of translating Russian names in a foreign manner in the XIX century. Pierre, Nicolas, Hélène, Serge, Georges are a consequence of such decisions.

The only tradition remained unchanged. Russian male nobles were given the names of warriors(Alexander, Dmitry) or major saints(Sergei, Michael, Pavel, Peter). Among girls were popular “biblical” names: Anna, Maria, Elizabeth, Sophia. A little later, Catherine ja Alexandra became popular.

Noble names and culture

The main influence of noble names was reflected in the recognition of “high” and “low” style in naming. Merchants of the first guild and prominent industrialists began to honorably name their children. Sergei, Dmitry, Elizabeth became fashionable.

Such a decision indicated the position that this economic class sought to take in the life of society. Perhaps the most striking example is Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky (Alekseev). He came from a noble merchant family, but had the most royal, even imperial name.

In addition, the role of naming was greatly overestimated in society. This was promoted by those who came from the nobility. In the common people believed that modest names should protect a person from unnecessary attention. Noble names turned into a kind of pledge of success and recognition. Undoubtedly, a beautiful and euphonious name helps a lot in career and life, but upbringing and education are the only prerequisites for real success.

Modern trends

Today in the families of the descendants of the noble family still retain certain traditions. For example, to call a son by his father’s name. So a succession of “Mikhailov-Mikhailovich”, “Alexander-Alexandrovich” is formed. Parents also continue to pay attention to more noble and euphonious names. If you look at how things are abroad, then and there you can find their conventions.

In Great Britain, Rupert or Robert is always called a baby belonging to the middle class and above. Kevin, Gavin, Sean, Mike, Damien are common among the working class. The lower down the social ladder, the greater the chance that the name will be simpler or taken from a different cultural context.

However, it’s not as simple as it may seem at first glance. Princess Anne named her daughter Zara Ann Elizabeth. The former has Greek roots and means “magnificent flower.” Her mother may have chosen it to immortalize the lineage of her father, Prince Philip.

Anne’s husband, Michael Phillips, was a stranger. For this reason, royal family titles were not passed on to children. The second and third are the names of the mother and grandmother respectively. An interesting picture is also formed with Kate Middleton. Catherine Elizabeth – suggests that the parents long before the birth of their daughter envisioned themselves as members of the royal family.

Noble names are of great importance for the correct perception of various events and culture of the peoples of the world. They are the key to understanding the social hierarchy, family ties and even political alliances of the past. Each of them carries a story and can reveal much about the social status, origins and cultural traits of a particular era. The study of noble names will also provide a better understanding of past processes: migration, changes in power, and even fashion in certain periods.