How to determine the ending of surnames by nationality: features and interesting facts. Armenian surnames and their origin Why did the Armenians change their surnames to ov

In a conversation you can come across the following statement: “Here, his last name ends with -in, which means he is a Jew.” Are Susanin, Repin and even Pushkin really Jewish surnames? It’s some kind of strange idea among the people, where did it come from? After all, the suffix -in- is often found in possessive adjectives formed from first declension nouns: cat, mother. While adjectives from words of the second declension are formed using the suffix -ov-: grandfathers, crocodiles. Is it really true that only Jews chose words of the first declension as the basis for their surname? It would be very strange. But probably everything that is on people’s tongues has some basis, even if it has been distorted over time. Let's figure out how to determine nationality by last name.

Ending or suffix?

Calling the familiar -ov/-ev endings is not entirely correct. The ending in Russian is the variable part of the word. Let's see what inclines in surnames: Ivanov - Ivanova - Ivanov. It can be concluded that -ov is a suffix and is followed by a zero ending, as in most masculine nouns. And only in cases or when changing gender and number (Ivanova, Ivanovy) endings are heard. But there is also a folk, and not linguistic, concept of “ending” - what it ends with. In that case, this word is applicable here. And then we can safely determine the ending of surnames by nationality!

Russian surnames

The range of Russian surnames is much wider than those ending in -ov. They are characterized by the suffixes -in, -yn, -ov, -ev, -skoy, -tskoy, -ih, -yh (Lapin, Ptitsyn, Sokolov, Soloviev, Donskoy, Trubetskoy, Moskovskikh, Sedykh).

There are actually as many as 60-70% of Russian surnames with -ov, -ev, and only about 30% with -in, -yn, which is also quite a lot. What is the reason for this ratio? As already mentioned, the suffixes -ov, -ev are added to second declension nouns, most of which are masculine. And since in Russian surnames often originate from the name or occupation of the father (Ivanov, Bondarev), such a suffix is ​​very logical. But there is also male names, ending in -a, -ya, and it was from them that the surnames Ilyin and Nikitin arose, the Russianness of which we have no doubt.

What about Ukrainians?

Ukrainian ones are usually formed using the suffixes -enko, -ko, -uk, -yuk. And also without suffixes from words denoting professions (Korolenko, Spirko, Govoruk, Prizhnyuk, Bondar).

More about Jews

Jewish surnames are very diverse, because Jews have been scattered throughout the world for centuries. A sure sign of them can be the suffixes -ich, -man and -er. But even here confusion is possible. Family endings -ich, -ovich, -evich are characteristic of the Poles and Slavic peoples living in East Germany. For example, one of famous poets in Poland - Mickiewicz.

But the basis of a surname can sometimes immediately suggest the Jewish origin of its bearer. If the basis is Levi or Cohen/Cohan, the clan originates from the high priests - the Kohanim or his assistants - the Levites. So everything is clear with Levi, the Levitans, and the Kaganovichs.

What do surnames in -sky and -tsky tell you?

It is incorrect to assume that surnames ending in -sky or -tsky are necessarily Jewish. This stereotype developed because they were common in Poland and Ukraine. In these places there were many family estates; the surnames of the noble owners were formed from the name of the estate. For example, the ancestors of the famous revolutionary Dzerzhinsky owned the Dzerzhinovo estate on the territory of modern Belarus, and then Poland.

Many Jews lived in these areas, so many took local surnames. But Russian nobles also have such surnames, for example, noble surname Dubrovsky from Pushkin’s work is quite real. There is another interesting fact. In seminaries they often gave a surname derived from church holidays- Preobrazhensky, Rozhdestvensky. In this case, determining nationality by the end of surnames can lead to errors. Seminaries also served as the birthplace of surnames with a root unusual for the Russian ear, because they were formed from the Latin words: Formozov, Kastorov. By the way, clerk Ivan Velosipedov served under Ivan the Terrible. But the bicycle had not yet been invented! How is it possible - there is no object, but there is a surname? The solution was this: it turned out to be a tracing paper from the Latin “swift-footed”, only with the original Russian suffix.

Last name starting with -in: revealing the secret!

So what about ending your last name with -in? It is difficult to determine nationality on this basis. Indeed, some Jewish surnames end like this. It turns out that in some of them this is just an external coincidence with the Russian suffix. For example, Khazin descends from the modified surname Khazan - this is the name in Hebrew for one of the types of servants in the temple. Literally this translates as “overseer,” since the hazan monitored the order of worship and the accuracy of the text. You can guess where the surname Khazanov comes from. But she has the “most Russian” suffix -ov!

But there are also matronyms, that is, those that are formed on behalf of the mother. Moreover, the female names from which they were formed were not Russian. For example, the Jewish surname Belkin is a homonym for a Russian surname. It was formed not from a furry animal, but from female name Beila.

German or Jew?

Another interesting pattern has been noticed. As soon as we hear surnames like Rosenfeld, Morgenstern, we immediately confidently determine the nationality of its bearer. Definitely, this is a Jew! But not everything is so simple! After all, these are words of German origin. For example, Rosenfeld is a “field of roses”. How did this happen? It turns out that on the territory of the German Empire, as well as in the Russian and Austrian Empire, there was a decree on assigning surnames to Jews. Of course, they were formed in the language of the country in which the Jew lived. Since they were not passed down from distant ancestors from time immemorial, people chose them themselves. Sometimes this choice could be made by the registrar. This is how many artificial, bizarre surnames appeared that could not have arisen naturally.

How then can one distinguish a Jew from a German if both have German surnames? This is difficult to do. Therefore, here you should not be guided only by the origin of the word, you need to know the pedigree of a particular person. Here, you can’t just determine nationality by the end of your last name!

Georgian surnames

For Georgians, it is not difficult to guess the ending of their last names by nationality. If the Georgian is most likely -shvili, -dze, -uri, -ava, -a, -ua, -ia, -ni, -li, -si (Basilashvili, Svanidze, Pirtskhalava, Adamia, Gelovani, Tsereteli). There are also Georgian surnames that end in -tskaya. This is consonant with Russian (Trubetskaya), but this is not a suffix, and they not only do not change by gender (Diana Gurtskaya - Robert Gurtskaya), but also do not decline by case (with Diana Gurtskaya).

Ossetian surnames

Ossetian surnames are characterized by the ending -ty/-ti (Kokoyty). The ending of the surname in -ev (Abaev, Eziev) is also typical for this nationality; it is usually preceded by a vowel. Often the basis of a word is not clear to us. But sometimes it can turn out to be homonymous or almost homonymous with a Russian word, which is confusing. Among them there are also those that end in -ov: Botov, Bekurov. In fact, these are real Russian suffixes, and they are attached to the Ossetian root according to the tradition of conveying surnames in writing. These are the fruits of the Russification of Ossetian surnames. At the same time, it is stupid to think that all surnames ending in -ev are Ossetian. The ending of a surname with -ev does not determine nationality. Surnames such as Grigoriev, Polev, Gostev are Russian and they differ from similar ones ending in -ov only in that the last consonant in the noun was soft.

A few words about Armenians

Armenian surnames often end in -yan or -yants (Hakopyan, Grigoryants). Actually, -yan is a truncated -yants, which meant belonging to a clan.

Now you know how to find out your nationality by the end of your last name. Yes, it is not always easy to do this with guaranteed accuracy, even with a developed linguistic sense. But as they say, the main thing is that the person is good!

“King Vasya”: 125 years ago, on February 10, 1895, Wilhelm Habsburg was born - the failed king of the failed “Ukrainian Kingdom”. In the 21st century, Ukrainian ideology stands with one foot on Russophobia and hatred of everything Russian, and the other on the “history of the proud and glorious Ukrainian People’s Republic,” which was the first independent “Ukrainian state.” Well, these are well-known facts. What about the plans of the “masters and puppeteers” of the Ukrainian separatists from the very beginning of the 20th century? Did Austro-German politicians really see the future of “a certain Ukraine” in the form of a republic, and not a kingdom, which could later be annexed to their Empires?.. Let’s turn for a moment to the works of N.I. Ulyanov, who back in 1966 published a book in the USA that is now considered a classic: “For the first time, the term “Ukrainian” was used in a letter from Emperor Franz Joseph dated June 5, 1912 to the parliamentary Ruthenian club in Vienna. But the rising rumors, especially in Polish circles, forced Baron Heinold, the Minister of the Interior, to come out with an explanation, according to which this term was used by accident, as a result of an editorial oversight. After this, official Viennese circles refrained from repeating such an experience (p. 204). The Austrians, apparently, were carried away to such an extent by dreams of separating Ukraine that over time the idea arose to find a worthy candidate for the throne for the future Ukrainian kingdom, which they found in the person of Prince William of Habsburg, named Vasily Vyshyvanny. In Vienna and Lvov, interested circles convinced “Vasily” to move from the Catholic Church to the Uniate Church. The heir to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand, himself took an ardent part in this adventure (p. 215).” From the book by N.I. Ulyanov: “The Origin of Ukrainian Separatism”, New York City, USA, 1966. It turns out that the Habsburgs initially planned to create a “Ukrainian Kingdom”, and not a “Democratic Republic”! Although it is understandable: democracy is not that it is not needed - democracy is dangerous for any monarchy!.. But who was the contender for the “Ukrainian throne”? Wilhelm Franz of Habsburg-Lorraine, also known under the pseudonym “Vasil the Embroidered” (born February 10, 1895, Pula, Istria County - died August 18, 1948, Kiev, Ukrainian SSR) - Archduke of Austria-Hungary, youngest son of Karl-Stephen from the Cieszyn branch of the House of Habsburg and Maria Theresa of Tuscany-Austria, from the Tuscan branch of the same family. According to the official “Ukrainian historical science”, it is possible to find the following about Willy Habsburg brief information : served in a regiment of lancers, “formed primarily from Ukrainians”; was a member of the parliament of Austria-Hungary, where he “lobbied for autonomy for the Ukrainian lands within the empire”; in 1918 “commanded the legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen (USS) in the Kherson region”, in 1919 “he headed the department of foreign relations of the General Staff of the UPR Army, a year later he resigned in protest against Polish military assistance to Ukraine in exchange for Galicia.” According to one version, it was “Vasily Vyshivany who wanted to see S. Bandera on the Ukrainian throne.” In 1947, in the Soviet zone of occupation of Vienna, he was “arrested by Union counterintelligence on charges of collaboration with the OUN and Western intelligence services.” He died in the Lukyanovsky pre-trial detention center in Kiev “before the end of the trial.” It is very difficult to put all the comprehensive information about a person whose personality is worthy of a whole book in one small article on the Internet! This is precisely why we want to focus not on “twenty”, but even if only on three, but on three main aspects of the life of the failed “king of Ukraine”: 1). Wilhelm Habsburg was really supposed to become “the king of the Ukrainian kingdom free from Moscow oppression,” which Willy Habsburg was supposed to annex to the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a federal subject. Emperor Franz Joseph himself, as well as the heir to the imperial throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, pushed to the top and lobbied for this project. The scale of the undertaking was such that Wilhelm Habsburg moved from the Catholic Church to the Uniate Church (i.e., to the “local” church of the Galician and Bukovinian peasants), learned the Little Russian dialect of the Russian language, put on an embroidered shirt, and began to walk around in this form at high-society receptions . Just before the First World War, and very active in 1914–1915. - literally the whole of Galicia was plastered with posters of “King Vasya” in an embroidered shirt and in a “Little Russian zupan, like in a painting by Taras Shevchenko.” Austrian propaganda made every effort to make William Vasily an “icon” of the future Ukrainian kingdom, and all political Ukrainophile parties in Austria-Hungary demanded unconditional recognition of Willy Habsburg as the “leader of the Ukrainian people.” 2). In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand first “passed on to his forefathers” from Gavrilo Princip’s bullet, and in 1916, Emperor Franz Joseph died of old age. The new young Emperor Charles I of Habsburg was so far from the “imperial habits” of his late relatives that he immediately handed over “Ukraine and all South Russian separatism” to the Emperor of the German Reich, Wilhelm II Hohenzollern, who had his own and very special plans for “pieces of crumbling Russia.” Firstly, Wilhelm II did not want to strengthen Austria with new territorial acquisitions. Secondly, Germany saw both Poland and Ukraine in the form of “republics with completely controlled parliaments” (recall that before the end of the First World War, independent Poland simply did not exist, and Warsaw was an ordinary, albeit very large city inside Russian Empire). Thus, by the end of 1916, in the plans of the German-Austrian general staffs, the “Ukrainian Kingdom” was transformed into the “Ukrainian Republic”. Later there were revolutions in Germany and Austria-Hungary, the fall of European monarchies, the creation in the South-West of Russia of not the “Ukrainian Kingdom”, and not the “Ukrainian Republic”, but the “Ukrainian SSR” as an integral part of the USSR, and the wanderings of the failed “King Vasya” over the body of old “Mother Europe”... 3). The failed “King of Ukraine Vasily Vyshyvany” was a homosexual. The biographer of “King Vasya” Timothy Snyder wrote about this in detail: “Wilhelm always loved men - perhaps even at school, probably in the trenches and no doubt - in the case of his secretary and valet. But in Paris he risked impersonating who he really was. Some of his sexual escapades involved other aristocrats, with whom he was seen leaving the ru des Acacias in the evening dressed in a lady's dress (at least that's what the press reported). The police noted that a frequent companion in William's nocturnal adventures was a member of the royal house of Spain who called himself Fernando Ducal - and was almost certainly Don Fernando de Borbon y de Madan, Count of Durcal. Although homosexual relations were not prohibited by law in France, Don Fernando was still deported from the country. But most often, Wilhelm liked to go on hikes through the city slums. He doesn't seem to have frequented the best gay clubs in Paris, such as Carrousel or Madame Arthur's in Montmartre. Instead, according to Paris police, he was "habitu" in "maisons spesiales" (a polite French term for homosexual brothels)." From the book “The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of a Habsburg Archduke” by Timothy Snyder. - Basic Books, 2008. However, in last time Wilhelm Habsburg raised the “Ukrainian theme” after the Great Patriotic War. Thus, the counterintelligence agencies SMERSH, like the French police in their time, patiently watched for two years the activities of the Archduke, who established connections with the OUN and French intelligence. It was decided to arrest “King Vasya” at the moment when he organized a meeting between the French captain Polissier and the “Bandera guide” Miroslav Prokop. By plane, from the window of which the failed “King Vasya” saw the “mother of Russian cities” for the first time in his life, he was taken to Kyiv and placed in the Lukyanovsky pre-trial detention center. There was no need to “torture” Vasya. Wilhelm Habsburg "injected" at ease, and answered all questions with great eagerness. From the meaning of his evidence, it can be understood that he met “Pavel Valyukh” (Pavel Sudoplatov, that is, a Soviet intelligence officer) and brought the latter together with Yevgeny Konovalets. “It was then that Sudoplatov gave as a “gift” to E. Konovalets a box of chocolates that contained explosives that killed the “leader of Ukrainian nationalists.” The interrogations of Soviet counterintelligence continued for about a year, and on May 25, 1948, a Special Meeting sentenced Wilhelm Franz Habsburg to 25 years in prison. While waiting to be sent to the camp, he died of tuberculosis in his prison cell. Now, in the “Ukrainian History”, emptied of inconvenient details in the 21st century, “King Vasya” is presented as a “freedom fighter”, “Ukrainian by his own choice”, “loyal to Ukraine until his last breath”, etc. etc. But, you know, we mourn something else... In fact, we regret that Willy Habsburg never became the king of the “Ukrainian Kingdom”!.. After all, if a passive homosexual had become the king of Ukraine at the very beginning of the 20th century, this “event” would put a lot of things into place in the modern politics of the Ukrainian State (UG), which treats its citizens as a homosexual treats straight people!..

Among the many factors that determine belonging to a particular people or nationality, Armenian surnames arouse great interest and numerous discussions. Their origin, history, and peculiarities of use are of concern to many native speakers and Russian-speaking representatives of the diaspora.

Origin and varieties

The process of the appearance of a surname is varied, entertaining and educational, and also contains details by which one can determine a representative of a particular nationality.

Excursion into the past

The history of the name is always confusing. It is impossible to say with absolute certainty what was the impetus. In ancient times, groups of Armenians living compactly were small in number. Everyone knew each other. In principle, there was no need for surnames; a first name was enough. If they coincided, characteristic nicknames were given.

The formation of surnames dates back to the Middle Ages. This is the time of development of trade and crafts. Names and local nicknames were no longer enough. To understand, I had to add a place of residence, type of activity or external signs.

Surnames familiar to hearing in modern sound, arose on turn of the 19th century centuries. The suffix -yan, borrowed from Persian, indicates a relationship:

• Abazyan (from the Abaza family).
• Aramyan (family of Aram).
• Bagdasaryan.
• Karapetyan.
• Mirzoyan.
• Manukyan et al.

That is why among Armenians surnames ending in -yan prevail.

The same applies to the suffixes -an and -yants, -ents and -onts. And if -yan expresses a close relationship, then -yants - a common clan affiliation. Due to their relationship with their family, many Armenian girls, when entering into a marriage, leave their maiden name.

There are also surnames that indicate where a person is from: Artikyan (city of Artik), Masisyan (Masis), Gavaryan (Gavar); or by professional affiliation: Alekyan - artist, Nalbandyan - blacksmith, Dallakyan - hairdresser, Ekimyan - doctor, Azoyan - healer, Balavyan - shepherd, Vanikyan - merchant.

There are borrowings from Turkish- Mumjyan (candlemaker - mumji), Demirchyan (blacksmith - demirchi), Bardakchyan (potter - bardakchi), as well as with Turkic, Iranian and Hebrew roots: Kocharyan, Shahinyan, Kaputikyan, Kardashyan, Parajanov, Gyulbekyan, Dolukhanov, Yedigaryan, Arshakuni, Artashesyan, Pakhlavuni, Ozanyan and others. The advantages and disadvantages were taken into account: Shishmanyan - fat, Gamburyan - hunchbacked, Barseghyan - fertile.

When Armenia became part of the Russian state, many surnames became Russified, acquired the ending -ov and began to be pronounced like this: Arutyunov, Sarkisov, Oganesov, Simonov, Petrosov, Bagdasarov, Akopov, Karapetov, Aivazov.

Class characteristics

Names carry certain information. From them it is possible to find out to which layer of society a person belongs. The suffixes -uni, -unts and others indicated belonging to the nobility e:

This also includes what the prefix “ter” means in Armenian surnames. It, like “melik”, was used at the end of the 17th - early XIX centuries. The first indicated the attitude towards the clergy, the second - towards the nobility (Ter - Oganesyan, Melik - Kazaryan). They were avoided during the Soviet era, but are now coming back into use.

Beautiful and funny

If we consider Armenian surnames in alphabetical order, then among the funny ones the following stand out::

• Aveyan - fish.
• Adaryan is a bachelor.
• Andoyan - egg.
• Babasyan is a glutton.
• Gadzhiyan - elephant, female elephant (for girls).
• Kokiyan is a cuckoo.
• Longuryan - tailed.
• Makaryan is a crocodile.
• Ushanyan - pepper.
• Khatlamajyan is a chubby guy.

There are too many beautiful ones too. Here are some of them:

Famous and Famous

There are many talented, widely known and outstanding representatives among Armenians. Their names are polyphonic. They have the following meanings:

1. Hakobyan - God bless.
2. Galustyan - coming to the house.
3. Dzhigarkhanyan - glory to the winners.
4. Martirosyan - one who accepts torment.
5. Petrosyan is fatherly.
6. Khachaturian is a crusader.

Rules of use in Russian

There are no differences by gender. If the men's is Mkrtchyan, then the women's is Mkrtchyan. The only difference is in the case forms. The declension of Armenian masculine surnames into -yan and other endings is subject to general laws: Gagik Atunyan, Gagik Atunyan, Gagiku Atunyan, but Anna Atunyan, Anna Atunyan, Anne Atunyan. That is, in males the first and last names are declined, which ends in a consonant, and in females - only the first name. This is the declension of Armenian surnames into -yan.

Of course, the culture of this wonderful people is not limited only to names. The ethnos takes good care of its own history and has preserved religion, traditions and identity. It continues to develop and plays an important role in global society.

Attention, TODAY only!

Each nation in our world has a specific type of surname, which is typical of that nation and reflects the culture and heritage of ancient civilizations. Likewise, Armenian surnames have many unique features and are worth discussing.

Armenian surnames end with the suffix -yan or -ian. In Armenian it will be -յան or -եան: For example, Petrosyan, Manukyan, Avakyan. Most surnames contain the meaning "son"; son Petros, son Manuk. Additionally, this feature can also be found at English. Namely Johnson (son of John), Stevenson (son of Stephen), Stevenson, Richardson, Williamson, etc. But the ending -yan does not always refer to the Armenian nation. At the same time, one can also find the suffixes -yan and -ian in Chinese, Indian, English or Persian surnames.

Were in 1915 and, therefore, under these conditions, Armenians were spread throughout the world. In fact, there are many Armenians with different unique surnames in many countries. Diaspora Armenian communities used surnames for this purpose. They were looking for Armenians and contacted them. However, many people living outside of Armenia have changed their last names, they have changed the ending or simply dropped it. By way of illustration famous singer, who is Armenian, lives in France, changed his last name; he shortened it from Aznavourian to Aznavour. As a rule, Armenians living in Russia change endings to "OV"; this includes Sergei Parajanov, Airapet.

In fact, Armenian surnames have many amazing and unique features. One of them is the fact that last names have 5 meanings; this includes subsections, Traits, Occupations, Aristocracy and Geography.

5 characteristics of Armenian surnames

Parent

Most Armenian names are taken from the first names of their ancestor; for example Oganesyan, “son of Hovhannes” Gevorkyan “son of Gevorg.” Until the 19th century names had religious origins, so now many surnames are religious too.

Trait

Many surnames are derived from some characteristic of an ancestor. These surnames include Chapooryan (eg smallpox), Topalian meaning "son of a cripple", Sirekanyan "son of a lover", Karagozyan (man with black eyes), Titizyan, etc. In fact, Armenian surnames are too long. In this case, people shorten the ending of the surname, because for other countries it is very difficult to pronounce Armenian surnames, and sometimes even given names too, for example, Haykanush, Tagui, Vazgansuh, Yughaber, Nrane.

Occupation

Some names refer to the profession of the ancestor. Those. Darbinyan is the son of a blacksmith, Nazaryan is the son of a coward, Najarian is the son of a carpenter, Julhakyan is the son of a tailor, Kardashian is the son of a man who processes stone, etc.

Aristocracy

Some Armenian surnames contain the meaning of rank, class of descendants; it includes Mirzoyan, Nakhararyan, Pashinyan, Beknazaryan, Rshtuni.

geography

At the same time, there are many surnames that relate to the place. You can still find these kinds of surnames to this day.

When people migrated from Armenia, they missed their hometown, and for this reason they tended to take the name of the place where they lived.

Namely: Urfalian is a person who is from Urfa, Marashlian is a person who is from Marash, and Vanetzian is a person who is from Van, Shirak (a person from Shirak).

shortening

As noted above, nowadays many Armenians shorten or change their surnames. In particular, they are making changes to help non-Armenians pronounce the surname. Examples include:

Aznavourian – Aznavour
Musaelyan - Musa
Vardanyan Vardan-
Samourkashian - Samur.

In other words, you cannot guess the nationality of these people and recognize them as Armenians.

/Ter

Der/Ter is a social rank in religion, and it indicates that one of the person's ancestors was a "married parish priest". It is important to understand that Der was used by the western and Ter by the eastern Armenian people; Der Hovhannes I.G., Ter-Hakopyan, der-Makhdas Mkhitaryan, Ter Zargaryan and Ter Zakaria.

20 most common Armenian surnames

• Harutyunyan

• Mkrtchyan

• Oganesyan

• Hakobyan

• Avagyan

• Avetisyan

• Grigoryan

• Hayrapetyan

• Margaryan

• Vardanyan

• Stepanyan

• Sargsyan

• Zakarian

• Minasyan

• Gasparyan

• Karapetyan

• Nersisyan

• Gevorkyan

• Poghosyan

• Petrosyan

30 Interesting Armenian Surnames

1. Kardashian is a man who works with stone
2. Zmbayan is a person who works with iron tools
3. Ajemena – a foreigner who speaks a different language
4. Donabedian – chapter from events/vacation
5. Sarafyan - banker
6. Kasabian - butcher
7. Moushian - one who lived in the city of Moush
8. Bozoyan is the son of a married man who lives an immoral life
9. Brnadatvatsian – son of a man who was thrown into prison
10. Sasuni - a special rank given to a noble person
11. Khanzadyan - son of khan
12. Ghulyan - servant
13. Shageldyan - means the king is coming
14. Gyozquchakyan - a person with small eyes
15. Gyodakyan - short person
16. Gharibyan is a foreigner
17. Baghmanyan - gardener
18. Dallaqyan – witch doctor
19. No – Sotnik
20. Chobanyan - shepherd
21. Boyajyan – dyer
22. Dalalyan – Mediator
23. Gezalyana – beautiful
24. Alaverdyan – a child is given by God
25. Korkhmazyan - brave
26. Terlemezyan is a person who is dying to get sweat soon
27. Aghlamazyan is a man who does not cry
28. Altunyan – gold
29. Elimasyan – diamond
30. Berberyan

Some of these surnames are funny, but on the other hand, they are unique surnames in the Armenian language. For this reason, they are close.

Many children use last names to refer to adults, and this is also practical in formal environments. In PARTICULAR, people use last names as family names. Armenian surnames typically consist of 2 to 5 syllables and contain various meanings. In Armenia, it is common to call someone by their last name to identify and distinguish a particular person from other people who have the same name.

The first thing to remember is that someone should not be proud of their last name, regardless of whether they like its meaning or not. Surnames contain ancient stories of our ancestors. These stories should never be forgotten and our history should never be lost.

Origin of Armenian surnames

The surname, in Armenian “azganun”, means the name of the clan. In the Middle Ages, generic names practically did not exist. If there was a need for a name, it happened like this: if several Arams or several Anaits lived in one settlement, then the residents defined them in different ways: for example, Aram, the grandson of Garnik, or Aram, the grandson of Hayk. Sometimes, for nicknames, worldly nicknames were used that characterize a recognizable feature of a person, for example, the lame Amayak or Anahit, who has twelve children.

The need to form surnames arose due to the development of society and increased migration of the population. People began to move more often from one area to another, so it became necessary to give people “stable” nicknames, which over time evolved into Armenian surnames. In those days, it became common to indicate along with the name the place where the person came from, for example: Grigor Tatevatsi, Anania Shirakatsi, etc. Or, to name a person, they used his profession - Mkrtich Nakhash, Nikohayos Tsakhkarar, David Kertoh, Grigor Magistros and etc.

Similar processes occurred during the formation of surnames among almost all peoples of the world. For example, from the names of the area where a person was from, Russian surnames such as Kazantsev (from the city of Kazan), Novgorodtsev (from the city of Novgorod) were derived. From a person’s profession came such Russian surnames as Kuznetsov, Goncharov, or the Ukrainian surname Kovalenko (Koval means blacksmith in Ukrainian).

Types of Armenian surnames. Endings in Armenian surnames

Over time, already in the Middle Ages, surnames began to appear in aristocratic Armenian families - Mamikonyan, Artsruni, Amatuni, Rshtuni. When mentioning noble families, the words “azg” (“clan”) or “tun” (“house”, “smoke”) were added to the surnames. For example, “Clan of Mamikonyans”, “Clan of Rshtuni”, or “House of Artsruni”, etc.

Over time, family nicknames appeared among peasants and artisans. For example, Khatstukhyan (baker), Voskerchyan (jeweler), Kartashyan (mason), etc.

Armenian surnames also reflect a person’s nickname, characterizing his appearance or character traits (Chakhatyan - fox, Karchikyan - dwarf) and others.

In most cases, Armenian surnames are derived from the name of the founder of the clan, to which a prefix or suffix was added, expressing kinship, or affiliation, or - “yan”, “yantz”, “ents”, “unz”, “onts”, “uni”.

The most common surnames ending in “yan” (Chakhalyan, Aramyan, Zhamkochyan), etc. “Yan” was formed from the form “yants”, and also means “ents” (Margaryan - Margaryants - Margarents, that is, belonging to the Margara family).

Armenian surnames with the suffix “uni” were characteristic of Naharar families (Bagratuni, Amatuni, Rshtuni), as a feature of belonging to a noble Armenian family.

Armenian surnames with the suffixes “ents”, “unz”, “onts” are common in Zangezur, for example, Adonts, Bakunts, Mamunts, Kalvarents and also mean belonging to a noble family.

Evolution of Armenian surnames

During the census and certification of the population, the surnames of some Armenians living in Russia “Russified”, the ending “ts” was sometimes discarded. This happened for dubious reasons, either as a result of a copyist's error, or as a result of a conscious choice. The history of each Armenian surname is interesting and original. Surnames did not just appear. Every surname is based on interesting story its formation with its principles, stages of evolution, lies in every Armenian surname certain meaning, the solution of which is being studied by modern philological science - onomastics.

History of Armenian surnames, using the example of the surname Chakhalyan

The Research Institute “Center for the Study of Surnames” has been engaged in scientific research of the surnames of the peoples of the world, including Armenian surnames, for many years. Our Center has carried out work to study several hundred Armenian surnames. We invite you to familiarize yourself with an example of the Armenian surname Chakhalyan that we researched.

At the Research Institute "Center for the Study of Surnames" you can order a scientific study of the Armenian surname, as well as the surnames of other peoples of the world as a gift to yourself, your family, friends and loved ones!!!

The surname Chakhalyan is one of the very rare Armenian surnames, the origin of which is associated with the borrowing of words from the languages ​​of the peoples neighboring Armenia.

Armenians (self-name - hai) - one of ancient peoples world, the formation of which as a nation began in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. The ancient core of Armenia was the population of the northeastern part of Asia Minor. This country was called Armatana in Hittite inscriptions (XVI-XV centuries BC), and later (XIV-XIII centuries BC) Hayasa. Since ancient times, Armenia had to fight with numerous conquerors. They were the Cimmerians, Scythians, Persians, Romans, Parthians, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks. In the fight against them, the Armenian nation strengthened and developed. The era of Turkish rule left the most difficult mark on the history of the Armenian people. But despite everything, the Armenian people created a high and unique culture that entered the treasury of world culture.

According to the time of their origin, Armenian surnames are among the most ancient in the world. The surname (“azganun”) in Armenian means the name of the clan. Armenian surnames, as a rule, are formed from the name of the revered ancestor, to which is added an ending expressing belonging to the clan - “yan”, “yantz”, “ents”, “unz”, “onts”, “uni”. The most common surnames are those ending in “Yang”. “Yan” was formed from the form “yantz”, which goes back to the ancient form “ents”, which means “from such and such a family.” The surname Chakhalyan therefore means “from the Chahal family.”

However, neither the word nor the name Chahal is in the Armenian language. The nickname Chahal, apparently, was formed on the basis of other languages. There are two versions of the origin of the Chakhalyan surname: Crimean Tatar and Persian.

It is known that even in ancient times, Greek colonies were formed on the banks of the Crimea, Kuban and the Caucasus. They existed until the Middle Ages, and some, for example, in Crimea, much longer. They were multinational in composition. Communities of Armenian merchants and artisans were also a prominent ethnic group. From the Greek word “chukalas” the Crimean Tatar word “chakala” was formed, which in the Crimean cities was used to describe skilled pottery masters who made clay vessels of the finest workmanship, very popular among the Crimean Tatar nobility. It is possible that the nickname Chahal may go back precisely to the word “chakala”, and means “skilled potter”. What is surprising is that in this case the surname Chakhalyan is close in origin and even consonant with such a well-known Russian surname too Tatar origin, worn by the great Soviet pilot Valery Chkalov. His surname is also derived from the Crimean Tatar word “chakala”.

Another, more romantic and, perhaps, even heroic version of the origin of the Chakhalyan surname is quite likely. Translated from Persian, the word Chahal, which, by the way, entered the Turkish language, means “jackal.” We must assume that this is exactly what the Persian and Turkish conquerors called the Armenian rebels who tried to fight with arms in their hands for the independence of their homeland. Among them was the founder of the Chakhalyan family, who took the nickname Chahal. After all, it is well known that an insult from the lips of an angry enemy is the best praise for a warrior.

Over the long centuries of our bright and eventful history, much has been forgotten, ancient traditions and customs have become a thing of the past, crafts have disappeared, and the language has changed. It is all the more important and interesting for descendants to preserve the memory of the reasons for the appearance of a name or nickname that became the basis of their surname - a precious monument of national culture.

Bibliographical sources:
Garibyan A.S. Short course of the Armenian language. Yerevan, 1960

Bryusov V.Ya. Chronicle of the historical destinies of the Armenian people. M., 1918

Baskakov N.A. Introduction to the study of Turkic languages. M., 1969

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