Beautiful forgotten names. Ancient names: choosing a beautiful name for a child

Psychologists say that a person’s name is not just a set of alternating sounds, but a kind of unique personality code. Hearing a name for the first time, a newborn baby's brain subconscious level begins to adapt to it, forming certain character traits.

IN Soviet times variety of names was not in honor, so residents of cities and villages were almost universally called Sergei, Maria, Valentin, Ivan, Aleksey, etc. As a result, the majority of people who had similar characteristics and lived similar lives were depersonalized.

At the end of the twentieth and beginning of our century, there was a change in priorities and a tendency arose to give children rare and long-forgotten names. They even began to publish special collections - name books that help young parents choose for their heir beautiful name. And although some mothers and fathers prefer that their son or daughter be called a “foreign” name like Angelina or Harry, the majority still turn to the roots and choose old Russian names.

Things from days gone by...

Before the introduction of Christianity in Rus', original names were used, which in essence were nicknames given for one reason or another. They were often assigned to men and women according to external signs– height, physique, manner of speaking, character traits or time of birth.

To protect against evil spirits and unkind people, there was a system of double names. The first was given to the child at birth and most often did not sound very attractive - Nelyuba, Nekras, Zloba, Kriv, but this was precisely what was supposed to scare away evil forces from him.

The second name was given already in adolescence, taking into account the character traits that had already appeared in the boy or girl. These names can generally be classified into the following groups:

By order of birth in the family - Pervusha, Vtorak, Tretyak, Osmusha and others.
According to the main character qualities - Smeyan, Stoyan, Torop, Kras, Zorko, etc.
Names reflecting the world of plants or animals - Wolf, Falcon, Oak, Pike, Walnut and others.
By body type – Vyshata, Davila, Mal, etc.
Nicknames of pagan deities - Lada, Yarila, etc.

But the overwhelming majority of Old Church Slavonic names were dibasic, that is, formed from two roots. The most often used were “slav”, “wise”, “yar”, “sacred”, “regiment”, “rad” and others: Milorad, Mstislav, Luchemir, Yaropolk, Svyatoslav. To form a diminutive form, the second part of the full name was cut off and the suffixes “neg”, “tka”, “sha”, “yata”, “nya” were added, for example, Dobrynya, Yarilka, Miloneg, Putyata, Svyatosha.

Old Slavonic male names

Our ancestors came up with male pagan names especially carefully. After all, boys have always been more desirable than girls as bearers of strength and wisdom, successors of the family, defenders of their people. At the same time, they were strictly observed following rules and prohibitions:

The child was not given the name of his father: it was believed that in this case not only advantages, but also disadvantages were doubled, which was unacceptable.
It is impossible for two people in the same family to have the same name, since one of them was soon to die.
The names of drowned people, dead children, as well as the weak-minded, crippled, robbers, and drunkards should not have been used, because negative qualities could be transmitted to the baby.

There was also such an interesting ritual. If after birth the child did not show signs of life and did not cry for a long time, they began to call him various names. The one to which he reacted became his own.

The list of forgotten names is very extensive. Some ancient Slavic names, especially men's ones, may seem pretentious and strange in our time. However, among them there are many that can be successfully used in modern world.

Agniy – fiery, light;

Bayan is the keeper of antiquity;
Berislav - taker of glory;
God-knower - one who knows the gods;
Bogodiy - pleasing to the gods;
Bogumil - dear to God;
Boeslav – victorious in battles;
Bratislav - brother of glory;
Budimil - be nice;
Bueslav - stork;
Belogor - from the white mountains;
Beloyar – furious;

Vadimir is the leader of the world;
Vsemil - dear to everyone;
Vyacheslav - glorifying advice;
Volodar – giver of will;
Gradimir – looking at the world;
Gorisvet – high light;
Dobrynya - kind;
Deyan – active;
Dan – given from above;
Daromir – giver of peace;
Daromysl – thinking;

Zhdanimir - the awaited world;
Zhdan - long-awaited;
Zhelan – desired;
Dawn - rising light;
Zvenimir – calling for peace;
Zdanimir – creator of the world;
Idan – walking;
Ivar – tree of life;
Istislav - glorifying the truth;

Krasibor – chosen from the beautiful;
Kudeyar is a magician;
Ladislav - glorifying beauty;
Ludimir - bringing peace to people;
Lyuborad – pleasing with love;
Lyuboyar - loving Yarila;
We love - beloved;
Lubodron - expensive;
Lyubogost - hospitable;
Milan - cute;
Mlad – young;
Peace lover - loving peace;
Moguta – powerful;
Mirodar – giver of peace;

Negomir – gentle and peaceful;
Found – found;
Witty - sharp-thinking;
Otcheslav - glory to the father;
Peresvet - bright;
Radey – joyful;
Ratibor – chosen warrior;

Svyatomir - holy world;
Svyatovik - light;
Svyatoboy - warrior;
Died - peace;
Khvalimir - glorify the world;
Chestimir - honor of the world;
Jaromil - dear;
Janislav is nice.

With the introduction of Christianity, Old Church Slavonic names were supplanted by Greek, Roman, Jewish and Arabic, and some even found themselves under the strictest ban. True, later certain names, for example, Yaroslav, Vladimir, Mstislav, were included in the Orthodox name book thanks to Vladimir the Holy, Yaroslav the Wise or Mstislav the Great, who glorified them.

Features of female Slavic names

Like male names, basic female Slavic names were not given at birth. They were often replaced with distracting nicknames, or they simply said “child”, “child”, “girl”, “little one”. Over the years, having discovered in their daughter a craving for some craft or seeing special character traits in her, her parents prepared her for the ceremony of receiving a new permanent name.

According to customs, the ceremony was carried out at the temple - an ancient Slavic sanctuary near the statues pagan gods. At first, the girl was bathed in water, washing off her old baby name, and then the Magi solemnly named it new.

This usually happened when the girl turned 16 years old. However, there were exceptions. For example, for girls from princely families the ceremony was performed at the age of 12, and for children who were destined to become witches or priestesses from childhood, at 9.

Old Russian female names have a special melody and beauty. Therefore, many of them can be used in our time, naming our beloved daughters.

Agnia – fiery, enlightened;

Bela – white, clean;
Bazhena – desired;
Bayana – storyteller;
Beloslava - glorifying purity;
Snow White - pure, white;
Belyana – enlightened;
Blaginya is kind;
Bogdana – given by God;
Bogolyuba - lover of the gods;
Bogumila - dear to God;
Boguslava - glorifying God;
Borimira - fighting for peace;
Boyana – fighting, courageous;
Bratislava - taking glory;
Bronislava is a glorious protector;

Faithful - faithful;
Vedana – knowledgeable;
Velena, Velina - commanding;
Velizhana – polite;
Wenceslas - crowned with glory;
Veselina – cheerful;
Vesnyana – spring;
Vlada - okay;
Vladislava - owner of glory;
Vlasta – powerful;
Vlastelina – ruler;
Voislava – winning glory;
Vratislava - who returned glory;
Vsemila - dear to everyone;
Vsenezha - tender to everyone;
High - high;
Vyacheslava - the most glorious;

Gala – soulful;
Galina – feminine, earthly;
Blue – tender;
Gorazda – capable;

Darena – gifted;
Daryana – courageous;
Dobrovlada – possessing kindness;
Dobroslava - glorifying kindness;
Guess - quick-witted;
Dolyana – lucky;
Blast furnace - homely, economical;
Dragana – precious;
Dushana – soulful;

Zhdana – awaited;
Zhelana – desired;

Fun is a comforter;
Zadora - perky;
Zbigniew – restraining anger;
Zvezdana – born under the stars;
Zlatoyara – strong as the sun;
Zoreslava - glorious in beauty;

Izbora – chosen one;

Irina – ascended;

Karina – brown-eyed;
Krasa – beautiful;

Lada - sweetheart;
Lagoda – soulful;
Lebedyan – slender;
Luchezara – radiant;
Love - love, beloved;
Lyubodara – giving love;
Lyudmila – dear to people, humane;

Matryona – mature;
Milada - dear to the goddess Lada;
Milana - sweetheart;
Militsa – sweet in person;
Milolika – sweet face;
Milonega – sweet and gentle;
Milorada - sweet joy;
Mironega – peaceful, gentle;
Mlada – young, okay;

Hope - hope;
Beloved - beloved;
Ogneslava – glorifying Fire;
Olesya – forest;
Olelya - beloved;
Polelya – loving;
Poleva - field;
Polina – balanced;
Beautiful - beautiful;
Prelesta - lovely;
Suitable - nice;
Radmila – caring and sweet;
Radoslava - glorifying joy;
Rogneda – abundant;
Rosana – clean, fresh;
Ruzhena – pink;
Blush – ruddy;
Rusava – fair-haired;

Svetana – light;
Svetolika – enlightened;
Svetoyara – solar;
Sineoka – blue-eyed;
Siyana – shining;
Slavia – glorious;
Smeyana – laughing;
Humble - humble;
Snezhana – white-haired;
Stanislava – constantly glorious;
Stoyana – very courageous;

Delight – delightful;
Tsvetana – blooming, tender;
Charusha – generous;
Chernava – dark-skinned;
Cheslava - glorious in honor;
Shchedra – generous;
Yadviga - nurse;
Yana – courageous;
Yarolika – sun-faced;
Jaromira – bright and peaceful;
Yaroslava - glorifying Yarila the sun.

Our ancestors attached special meaning to names. Ancient people believed that the sounds from which they are composed have magical power received from the gods and mother nature itself. Old Church Slavonic names are a huge layer of our history and culture, which modern parents are increasingly turning to, hoping to find the most beautiful name for their beloved baby.

As is believed in many cultures, the name given to a person at birth, to some extent determines his future fate. This belief was also widespread among the ancient Slavs, whose female names we will talk about below.

Naming traditions in Ancient Rus'

So reverent and serious attitude the name often led to the fact that a person was named twice. One name was known to everyone and served only for communication, while the other, genuine, was not given out to anyone except the closest people, relatives and friends. Old Russian female names were also selected in accordance with this rule. Keeping them secret helped protect girls from the influence of evil spirits and harmful witchcraft. At the same time, the first name was often, as it is now called, negative. That is, it reflected any negative traits or concepts. This type includes such Old Russian female names as Zloba, Nekrasa, Kriva, and so on. It was believed that if you call a girl this way, then the property of the name will leave her. But in life the opposite will prevail, positive value. They were given this name at birth. The second naming occurred when the child reached adulthood (by ancient standards). That is, this naming was part of a person’s initiation into adulthood, into society. The name was most often chosen on the basis of the personal qualities that the girl possessed. Examples here include such Old Russian female names as Veselina and Golub.

Sources of names

The Slavs had a huge variety of names. In general, all Old Russian female names known today, as well as male names, can be divided into five groups. The first includes those that are the names of representatives of the animal world or plants. For example, according to this principle, a girl could be called Pike, Lebeda, and so on. The second group includes a list of Old Russian female names that are numerals. That is, the girl could be called serial number her birth in the family - Pervusha, Osmaya, etc. The third group assumes that the name was given to the child in honor of some goddess. For example, in honor of the goddess of beauty, the baby could be named Lada. The fourth type includes names based on a person's personal qualities. We gave examples of this type above. And finally, the fifth group is the most beautiful Old Russian female names, since they consist of two bases. What makes them especially capacious, sonorous, intricate and filled with deep meaning. Vivid examples here are the names of Yaroslav, Tihomir, Radimir. From this group, through transformation and reduction, a subgroup of simpler names arose. Svyatosha, Milonega, Yarilka are typical examples of this kind. From all the listed groups, Old Russian female names for the child were freely chosen, although hypothetically the Magi could have some influence on the choice.

Old Russian names after Christianization

The Church, expanding its influence in the Slavic lands, passionately fought against everything pagan. It is not surprising, therefore, that after Christianization most of the original Russian names were forgotten and replaced by Greco-Roman and Jewish variants. There were even lists of names prohibited by the church and subject to oblivion. First of all, it included, of course, the names of pagan gods (Lada, for example). In addition, those worn by the leaders of the pagan opposition were prohibited from use. This was done so that the memory of them would be erased. After all, if no one names a child after the disgraced sorcerer, then after the death of the hero, no one will remember the oppositionists. Unfortunately, today original Slavic names in Russia are very rare. Old Russian women's names, like men's names, have not yet come out of the shadows. Although traditional Christian versions have been replaced by Soviet ones, and now Western European forms are actively penetrating.

Old Russian female names and their meanings

Below we provide a list of the main Slavic female names. Due to centuries of oblivion, not all Old Russian female names have reached us. Full list so it won't work. But those that remain will be quite sufficient for our article.

B

Bazhena. This name means a desired child.

Beloslava. A name consisting of two bases - “white” and “glory”. Accordingly, its meaning is “white glory.”

Berislava. Means “taking glory.”

Blagoslava. Means a woman glorifying goodness, kindness. Can be shortened to Blagan, Blagin.

Bogdana. Literally means “given by God.” The short form is Bozena.

Bozhidara. Almost the same as Bogdana, only not given, but given by God.

Boleslav. This beautiful name should be understood as “glorious.”

Borislava. This is what they call a woman fighting for fame.

Boyana. In the old days, this word was used to describe storytellers who told legends and myths.

Bratislava. The name is based on two roots: “to fight” and “to praise.”

Bronislava. Means "defender of glory."

Bryachislava. The first root in the name is closely related in meaning to the modern verb “to rattle.” Accordingly, the meaning of the name is “to jingle,” that is, “to sing praises on a musical instrument.”

IN

Velimira. The name comes from the concept of “big world”.

Velislava. Literally, “most glorious.” Shortened versions: Vela, Wieliczka.

Wenceslas. “Crowned with glory” or “wearing a wreath of glory.”

Faith. A name preserved by tradition. Doesn't need translation.

Veselina. It speaks of the cheerfulness and cheerful disposition of its bearer. Female form of the name Veselin. The name Vesela has the same meaning.

G

Gorislava. Means "burning in glory."

Gradislava. Given name means a woman guarding glory.

Granislava. The literal meaning is “improving glory.”

D

Darena. Means "gifted". Darina, Dara are shortened versions of this name.

Dobromila. Obviously, he speaks of a kind and sweet woman.

Dragomira. Literally - “she who is dearer than the world.”

Dobroslava. This name can be interpreted as “glorifying kindness.” An alternative meaning is "good fame".

AND

Zhdana. The name means expected child.

Z

Zvenislava. In modern Russian it means “declaring glory.”

Golden blossom. Short form - Zlata. Obviously, it semantically correlates with the color gold.

AND

Spark. Derived from the word “sincere.”

Languor. Talks about longing. It is assumed to reflect the fact of a difficult birth of a child.

TO

Casimir. This name is common in Poland today. Means “showing the world.”

Krasimir. “A beautiful and peaceful woman” is how this name is understood today. It will be abbreviated as Krasa.

L

Lada. The name of the goddess of beauty, love, marriage and peace.

Love. The name is still popular in Russia today. The Lyubava form is also known. No comments needed.

Lyubomir. It says that the bearer of the name loves the world.

M

Malusha. Another form is Mlada. Means small or junior.

Milana. Simply means a nice woman. Such forms as Milena, Milava, Umila, Militsa, Milada are also known.

Mstislava. Denotes a woman who glorifies revenge.

Miroslava. This is the name of a woman who glorifies the world.

N

Hope. The Nadezh form is also known. The name is still quite well known today.

Nekras. A striking example of a “negative” name. Means an ugly woman.

P

Putislava. The meaning of the name is “glorifying wisely.”

Putimir. This name consists of two stems: “world” and “put” (meaning “mind”). Accordingly, it can be understood as “a woman who has a peaceful mind.”

R

Radislava. Translated as “concerned about fame.”

Radmila. This is the name of a sweet and caring woman.

Rodislava. This name means “glorifying the family.”

WITH

Svetislava. A name that means "glorifying the light." An alternative form is Svetoslava.

Svetlana. A common name even today. He speaks about the spiritual lordship of his bearer.

Svetozara. Literal meaning: illuminating with light.

Stanimira. A name that is translated into modern Russian as “establishing peace.”

T

Tverdimir. Obviously, the name comes from the phrase “ solid world”, which can also be understood as “stronghold of peace”.

Tverdislav. Similar to the previous name, but with a shift from the concept of “world” to the concept of “glory”.

Tvorimira. This is the name of a woman who creates, creates the world.

H

Caslava. It means a woman hoping, that is, waiting for glory. Other known form this name is Cheslava.

Chernava. This is what they call a black-haired or dark-skinned woman. Another form of the name is Chernavka.

I

Yaroslav. This name is not forgotten today, although it is found mainly in the male form. Means a woman glorifying Yarilo - the sun god.

Jaromir. The interpretation of the name gives the concept of the solar world or the world of Yarila.

With the birth of a baby, every parent begins to think about what to name their daughter. I want the name to be beautiful, special and with an interesting meaning. A considerable number of people believe in the magic of the name and claim that it has a strong influence on the fate and character of the child. Traditionally, parents look for a name for their daughter in the lists of Orthodox names for girls.

How to choose a name for a girl according to its meaning

Each name necessarily has its own meaning. Once upon a time it was born thanks to certain associations that are not obvious to us now.

Any parents wish only the best for their child and approach the choice of a name with responsibility. So let's figure out what the most popular ones mean today Orthodox names.

Alina – from ancient German, “noble”;
Allah - from ancient Arabic. “letter”, ancient Greek. – “resurrection”, from Gothic – “other”;
Albina – “light”, “white”, “pure”;
Anastasia - “return to life”, “resurrection”, “resurrected”, “reborn”, “immortal”;
Angela – “messenger”;
Anna - from Hebrew. “disposition”, “favor”, “favour”;
Antonina - “extensive”, “acquisition”, “comparison” and “opponent”, from Greek. – “acquiring in return”;
Valentina – “healthy”, “strong”, “to be healthy”;
Valeria – “to be strong, healthy”;
Faith – “belief”, “truth”;
Victoria - “victory”, “winner”;
Vitalia – “vital”;
Galina – “calm”, “serene”;
Daria - “strong”, “conquering”, “possessor”, “owner of wealth”, “winner”;
Dina - from ancient Hebrew. "avenged";
Evgeniya – “noble”;
Catherine - “eternally pure”, “immaculate”;
Elena – “light”, “bright”;
Elizabeth - from Hebrew. sounds like “God is my oath”, “I swear to God”;
Jeanne - “God's mercy”;
Zinaida - Greek. “born of Zeus”, “from the family of Zeus”;
Zoya – means “life”;
Inga - means “protected by Yngvi”;
Inna – “ strong water»;
Irina - from ancient Greek. “peace”, “peace”;
Karina – “looking forward”;
Claudia - means “lame”, “lame”;
Christina – “Christian”;
Larisa - from Greek. "gull";
Lydia - derived from the name of one region in Asia Minor - resident of Lydia, Asian, from Lydia;
Love means “love”;
Lyudmila - “dear to people”;
Maya – “progenitor of the universe”;
Margarita – “pearl”, another Indian meaning. – “brave”;
Marina - from lat. "sea";
Mary - Hebrew. “resist”, “reject”, “be bitter”; “beloved”, “saint”, “stubborn”, “mistress”, “superiority”;
Nadezhda is from Staroslav. "hope";
Natalia – “native”;
Nelly – “young”, “new”;
Nina – “queen”;
Nonna - from lat. "ninth";
Oksana - from Greek. “stranger”, “foreign”;
Olga – “great”, “princess”;
Polina – “independent”;
Raisa – “light”, “carefree”;
Rimma - from lat. “Roman”, from ancient times. - “apple”, from Greek. – “throwing”, “thrown”;
Svetlana - from the word “bright”;
Seraphim - “burning”, “fiery”;
Sophia - “wisdom”, “wisdom”;
Tamara - from the word “Tamar”, which translated means “palm tree”;
Tatyana - from the word “tatto” - “to establish”, “to determine”;
Emma - from Greek. “affectionate”, “flattering”;
Julia - from lat. “curly”, “July”, “from the Yuli family”;
Yaroslav - ancient Slav. "fierce glory"

Knowing the meaning of names, you can easily name your child in accordance with your wishes and hopes regarding his future and character traits.

Name for daughter according to the Orthodox calendar

After the baptism of Rus', it became customary to baptize newborns, and they were named after saints according to the calendar. To decide on a name, first of all you need to have a calendar with the days on which it is customary to honor saints, in accordance with the year the child was born.

If no saint is recorded on the baby’s birthday, they usually take the name indicated on the next day or in the next 8 days after the birth of the child.

Beautiful Orthodox names for girls in alphabetical order

There are many Orthodox beautiful and euphonious, as well as rarely encountered names. They will very advantageously distinguish the girl from among others and make her different from everyone else, that is, special.

Anastasia – translated as “immortal” or “resurrected”, is very kind and trusting, with a good imagination.
Angelina is a “messenger” or “angel”, it is very difficult to convince her of anything, she is a born commander. School lessons do not interest her, but she is quite independent and is engaged in self-development.
Asthea is an amorous girl, inclined to become attached to people, a perfectionist in everything and quite demanding.
Animaida is a gifted, talented person.
Varvara means “foreigner” from ancient Greek, she is a born family man, she appreciates the beauty that is in people, she is an idealist.
Veveya is capable of making sacrifices for someone, but often does not notice her mistakes. Loyal to family and loved one.
Gaina is frank, sincere and sensible, a born family man.
Glyceria - sometimes it seems to others that she is aloof, because she is characterized by loneliness. Be careful about spending money.
Dominica is sociable and cheerful, has many friends, as it is easy for her to make new acquaintances, but at the same time she is always faithful only to her “best friend.”
Damara is somewhat slow, which is not always good. Sincere, frank and ready to help at any moment.
Euphrosyne - loves to dominate, often blames herself for problems that are not always her fault, and is prone to self-examination.
Evdokia is sincere, ready to help a friend, and feels responsible for her loved ones.
Julia – has self-esteem, the main desire is to love and be loved.
Kirien - wise, owner of great inner strength, she is characterized by extraordinary intuition.
Kasinia is a brave and independent girl, very inquisitive as a child.
Lyudina is reliable and feels responsible for the fate of people close to her.
Love is faithful to its loved ones, but can be too lenient towards family and friends.
Melania is a sociable girl, easily makes new acquaintances, and is able to deeply analyze situations. Loves order and cleanliness.
Mariam is reliable, loves to be useful and actively takes part in all areas of activity.
Nonna dominates always and everywhere, is devoted and faithful to her chosen one, and has a strong character.
Pulcheria is an idealist and perfectionist, has excellent intuition. Has the ability to “attract” help at the right time to achieve goals.
Poplia is not particularly sociable, feels the need not to lose composure and always behave with dignity.
Rufina will always come to the rescue, does not tolerate fuss, is sometimes domineering and ruthless, but at the same time kind and knows how to sympathize.
Stefanida is a perfectionist and falls in love easily. It has good health, but this difference may be weakened by hard work and negative emotions.
Solomiya is outspoken and active in various public and sporting events.
Seraphima is a brave girl; as a child she was characterized by excessive curiosity.
Favsta - has innate talent, is capable of strong love and affection for her chosen one in life.
Feodora is a charming and attractive girl with a great interest in life.
Feofaniya is always busy with something, very active, and constantly in the lead. I'm used to doing, not talking.
Chrysia is a restless person, prone to continuous movement through life. Often loses interest in what does not change, constantly looking for change.
Cecilia - has an innate creativity, in search of constant ways of self-expression, sociable.

As you can see, these rare and beautiful Orthodox names are quite unusual, which is what makes them unique. They are not often heard in everyday life.

Pick up correct name you need to carefully combine it with the child’s middle name. This verbal tandem should sound coherent, and not complicated, difficult to pronounce and remember.

Unusual Russian female names

If you want to call your girl some old name, then we have prepared a list of Russian Orthodox female names just for you.

In it you will definitely be able to find the “same” name intended specifically for your child, because the list of Russian names for girls is quite diverse:

Adelina, Agnessa, Aurora, Alexandrina, Alena, Arina, Asya;
Berta, Bogdana;
Verona, Venus, Violetta, Violanta, Valeria, Victoria, Vladlena, Vitalina;
Greta, Galina;
Daryana, Daria, Diana;
Evdokia;
Zara, Zlata, Zarina, Zoryana;
Inna, Ivona, Ilena, Irma;
Ksenia, Clara;
Lyalya, Lada, Lyubava, Lira, Lika, Lesya;
Maya, Mary, Marta, Mila, Milana, Maryana;
Oktyabrina, Olesya;
Praskovya, Polianna;
Ruslana, Regina, Romana, Radmila;
Sima, Snezhana, Svyatoslav;
Ustinya, Ulyana;
Fiza, Feodosia;
Harita, Hilda, Helga;
Edda;
Juno, Juliana;
Yaroslava, Yadviga, Yana, Yasmina, Yanina.

Forgotten and rare Orthodox names for girls

Among the rare Orthodox female names you can find:

Augusta, Agapia, Aglaida, Adelaida, Akulina;
Beatrice;
Vasilida, Vassa, Vincentia, Viviana;
Galatea, Glafira, Gloria;
Denisia, Dosithea, Drosida;
Evmenia, Evfalia, Emelyan;
Zeno;
Isis, Iphigenia, Iolanta, Isidora;
Casimir, Concordia, Cornelia;
Leocadia, Leonia, Libya, Lolla, Longina;
Mavra, Matilda, Matryona, Militsa, Mikhailina;
Neonilla;
Pavlina, Petrina, Pulcheria;
Renata;
Selina, Stepanida;
Thekla, Fedora, Fedosya, Feofaniya;
Harita;
Celestina;
Ennafa, Era;
Junia, Justina.

There are names that not only sound beautiful and are rare, but also have very interesting meanings.

Among them, the following stand out:

Artemis – has the meaning “whole”, “unharmed”, “inviolable”. This name once belonged to the goddess of the hunt,
Venus - the name has Latin roots and means “love.”
Vesnyana - definitely suitable for girls born in spring, as the same name means “spring”.
Hera – literally translated as “lady”.
Dahlia is a beautiful name; a girl is named after the flower.
Miya – means “rebellious”;
Palmyra - "palm tree"
Juno – Greek name, given to the goddess of marriage and love.

By naming your daughter one of these rare names, you are not just giving her a beautiful name, but to some extent determining her character and destiny. Approach your choice consciously and responsibly.

Women's names for baptism

Taking a responsible approach to the rite of baptism and choosing a female name for this, many of us turn to the World Wide Web for help. Some are looking for the answer in Orthodox calendars, someone is consulting with the priest...

We offer our own selection of female names for baptism:

Agafya, Anisia;
Glafira;
Zinaida;
Ilaria;
Larisa, Lydia;
Matron;
Nina;
Paul;
Raisa;
Salome, Sosanna;
Taisiya;
Juliana.

The above names are the rarest known Orthodox variants.

For baptism, many also choose names that are very common today in Slavic countries:

Alexandra, Anna;
Valentina, Valeria, Varvara, Veronica, Vera;
Daria;
Zoya, Zlata;
Ivana, Irina;
Kira, Christina;
Marina, Maria, Melania;
Natalia;
Olga;
Sofia.

This article contains many different names for girls - both rare and very popular, Russian and widespread far beyond the borders of our country, as well as special significance. As already mentioned, the name has a strong influence on the development of the character and fate of the girl, therefore parents have a huge responsibility for the future of the child, even in such a seemingly symbolic moment as choosing a name.

Every name once invented by people carries a meaning. Old Russian female names are distinguished by their beauty and uniqueness, because they appeared in different periods long-suffering story Ancient Rus'. The wealth of female names has appealed to modern parents, and many girls already have beautiful old names. Melody and deep meaning attract not only Russians, but also other peoples.

It is impossible to find out the origin of absolutely all ancient names, but research does not stop. Names are a source of history and traditions; with their help you can learn about the life of your ancestors, their views, and look at the world through their eyes. Names help contemporaries know how their ancestors treated people.

It is even more difficult to research Old Russian female names, because they usually had several meanings and interpretations. U different regions one name could mean various phenomena and things. Therefore, today there are several versions of one name.

Names and traditions

In the old days, children were called by names that characterized their habits or appearance. This was an ancient tradition, because people have long believed that the name contains a fateful code. This is how the girls’ names appeared: Krasava and Razumnitsa.

It is worth noting that such a tradition was not only among the Slavs. The Indians and Chinese also named children according to traditions. In India they gave characteristic names, like Ayashi (small), Evoti (great). The Chinese tried to give a child a terrible name, because they believed that bad spirits might covet a beloved child, and if they named him almost offensively, the spirits would think that this child was not loved. This was more true for boys, although girls were sometimes given strange names.

The Slavs gave great importance family and occupation, some names are even associated with the order of birth of children. So Lydia will mean “first”. The name Pervusha was popular.

The Slavs believed that the name is the key to inner world and gave the girls two names. This is how the tradition of choosing a name for people and for the family arose. The first was told to everyone, but the second was known only to those closest to them, and it contained a secret good meaning. The first was usually ugly and repulsive, but it made it possible to protect the true from bad tongues.

The second name was given only at a certain age, when the teenager showed character. However, the tradition did not take root - usually the girl was as her first name characterized her. The second name, due to not being used, lost its meaning.

Church calendars

After the adoption of Christianity, the names were entered into church calendars, and, as it were, the child was given over to the protection of a guardian angel. As you know, not all Slavs willingly accepted the customs of Christianity, therefore for a long time children, in parallel with Christian names, were given old pagan nicknames. Later, many of them became modern surnames.

However, the pressure of Christianity was great. Closer to the 17th century, many Old Russian female names went out of use. They were replaced by the names of states that spread Christianity or were influential at that time - Byzantium, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Syria. Many names were transformed into the Russian style, and, for example, instead of Avdotya it turned out to be Evdokia. Today, many people would be surprised at how their names sounded in the original.

Only the names of the saints remained unchanged. The ancient tradition of giving a child two names also took root in Rus', but the second name given at baptism was usually not used. The second name was often Greek.

The church list provides a choice a large number of female names. Both Christian believers and atheists can choose names. Moreover, the calendar allows you to select a name by month and even birthday. To name a child according to the Saints means to give him protection from the saint revered on this day. There is another tradition, choosing a saint on the eighth day after birth. If there are no Saints on the birthday, then choose the name of the saint honored on the fortieth day. Previously, it was on this day that a child was baptized.

It is also permitted to use male name, if according to the Saints there is no female. That's why there are so many genderless names (Evgenia, Alexandra, Yaroslav, Vyacheslav).

Types of Russian names

The Slavs definitely loved beautiful two-basic names. For example, Svetozar, Miroslav, Lyubomir, Dobrognev, . Often girls were called names that emphasized certain traits of their character. This is how the names Arina (calm), Dobrava (kind), Varvara (wild), Svetlana (bright), Arsenia (courageous) appeared. Since the Slavs revered the cult of animals and plants, many girls’ names are taken from the world of flora and fauna. These are Azalea, Akulina, Pike.

There were names borrowed from the gods. The famous one was considered the goddess of the dawn, Apollinaria - the goddess of the sun (about ancient Greek god sun of Apollo), goddess of beauty and love Lada. Some original Russian names were modified participles (Bazhena). IN separate group included names for princely children (Vyacheslav).

Today you can find Old Church Slavonic names that in reality only had a Slavic root. There were names that translated Greek and Roman.

It is impossible to compile a complete list of beautiful names of antiquity, but here are a few of the most popular:

– summer.

– giving.

Agnes is chaste.

Vesta is the keeper of the hearth.

– chosen one.

Bela is beautiful.

Ada – decorating.

- serene.

Bogdana – given by God.

Agnia is immaculate.

Dobrava - kind.

- reigning.

Beatrice - blessing.

Eupraxia is a virtue.

Kazimira - showing the world.

Ariadne - sleeping.

– protector.

Joy is joy.

Svetlana is bright.

Milana is sweet.

Joy - joy.

Goluba is meek.

Mstislava - revenge and glory.

Lyubomila – love and peace.

- cold.

Ladoslava - okay.

Lubomudra is loving wisdom.

Ognevlada is bright.

Arrow - arrow.

Mlada – young.

Snow White - snow-white.

Milonega – sweet and gentle.

Diva - divine.

Domoslava - glorifying the house.

Chaslava - aspiring to glory.

Radmila is a sweet joy.

Slavunya – glorifying.

Lyubogneva – who loves to be angry.

Rusana is fair-haired.

Delight – sweet.

Beautiful - beautiful.

Virtue - one who does good.

Vesnyana – spring.

Zhdana – desired.

Jaromila - Yarlu's sweetheart.

In the 19th century, many Old Russian names were half forgotten. Russian versions of foreign names have come into use:

- someone else's.

- comforting.

Ursula is curious.

Irma is neat.

- black-eyed.

Nellie is inattentive.

– honest.

Even before the birth of a child, future parents are puzzled by the issue of choosing a name for the baby. Slavic names for girls have now once again reached the peak of their popularity. The latter were practically forced out of use by the Byzantine and Greek variants of names that replaced them. What Slavic names are popular among modern newborn girls? And what should you consider when choosing a female name?

How to choose a name for a girl

Modern methods of choosing children's names are somewhat different from those practiced in ancient times.

A little history. In Rus', even before the sacrament of infant baptism, it was customary to call by names that characterize personal qualities or a person's appearance. This is how the Molchans, Kudryavs, Krasavs, etc. appeared. With the adoption of Christianity, the names of newborns began to be included in the church calendar. Already in the 14th century, children began to be called Christian names. A little later, Russian surnames, formed from names (Petr - Petrov) and so on, began to join them.

In the modern world, when choosing a name for a baby, parents take into account various factors: relevance, combination with surname and patronymic, meaning of the name, personal preferences. The church calendar has not lost its relevance - the tradition of choosing a name according to the calendar. The original zodiac calendar, which compares names with the zodiac circle, is also gaining increasing popularity. According to him, the name is matched to a specific zodiac sign. In this case, it is best that the name and sign are endowed with the same or similar characteristics.

Table of correspondence between female name and zodiac sign

Beautiful Old Slavonic names for girls

Old Church Slavonic names for girls are mostly beautiful and sweet-sounding. It's no surprise that some parents want to give them to their daughters.

Names of this type are divided into several varieties:

Originating from natural or flora: Akulina - eagle, Azalea - blooming, etc. Such names are recognized as symbolic, because the ancient Slavs loved and revered nature and everything connected with it.
Reflecting the character of the baby (Arsenia – courageous, Varvara – wild). The choice of names of this type should be approached very carefully and carefully, because many experts are sure that it is this name that determines the character and future destiny of a person.
Derived from the names of deities (Lada - the deity of beauty, Mara - the goddess of the night). As in the case of the calendar, such a name, according to the beliefs of the Slavs, brought the person named by it closer to the deity of the same name.
Dibasic: Lyubomila, Svetozara, Svyatoslav, Yaroslav, Miroslav.

This is interesting. Since ancient times, the Slavs have formed the custom of naming newborn girls double names. Our ancestors were sure that a name is a secret key, and it should only be owned by its owner and no one else. Therefore, the first name became publicly available to people, while the second was kept strictly secret. It was believed that in this way one could protect the girl from evil eye and words. The first name, which for people was usually not distinguished by its beauty and pleasant sound: Dobrogneva, Zloba, etc. It was believed that the bearer of such a dissonant name was reliably protected from evil people. The girl received her middle name when she reached a certain age, usually adolescence. It was much more euphonious than the first.

The tradition of double naming gradually disappeared; many of the second, beautiful names are still popular today:

Darina – gift giver;
Dobrava - kind;
Eupraxia is the creator of good deeds;
Agnes - chaste;
Agnia – pure;
Ariadne - sleeping;
Beatrice - blessing;
Bogdana – given by God;
Vasilisa - regal;
Ada is a decoration.

Modern Russian female names

At all times, there has been a certain “demand” for names given to newborns. The Moscow Civil Registry Office has established interesting statistics on names for 2016. According to her, modern popular Russian names for women are as follows: Anna, Elizaveta, Victoria, Polina, Anastasia, Maria, Daria.

Numerous Orthodox names are undeniably popular.

Forgotten and rare names

Although relevant in one era, many women's names were forgotten in subsequent years. Gradually returning to oblivion, they again took off on the crest of a wave of popularity, and this continues to this day.

Rare and beautiful names of our time include the following list:

Bella – beautiful;
Venus – love;
Ida - fruit-bearing;
Oya – violet;
Liliana - lily;
Olympics - Olympic;
Stella is a star;
Junia – in charge of marriage and love;
Palmyra - palm tree.

Orthodox Russian female names - saints

The tradition of naming newborns after saints has come to us since ancient times, namely, after the adoption of Christianity. Choosing a name for a newborn church calendar, people believed that they were paying a kind of tribute to the saint revered in the family, after whom the child was named. In the modern world, not all parents are guided by piety when choosing a name according to the calendar - most often this choice is dictated by the desire to name the child an unusual, euphonious name.

When determining a name according to the calendar, the baby’s date of birth is usually taken into account, compared with the name of the saint commemorated on that day. Available Alternative option: a baby or baby is named after a saint on the 8th day after birth. If during this time suitable name was not found, in the old days they chose the name of a saint that fell on the 40th day after the birth of the child. It was believed that it was at this time that the baby should be brought to the temple where the sacrament of baptism took place. In some cases, as an exception, it was possible to name a baby in honor of any saint revered in a particular family.

It should be noted that most of the names in the calendar are male. For this reason, it is acceptable to call girls by the female equivalent of the names of male saints, if one exists. For example, if the birth of a baby occurred on the day of remembrance of Victor, Valery or Evgeniy, the girl, accordingly, can be named Victoria, Valeria or Evgeniya. The girl's patron is a saint who shares her name.

Unusual Slavic names

But not all parents are guided by considerations of the relevance of the name or its prevalence. Some, on the contrary, are ready to give the child the most intricate and rare name.

Fans of unusual names will certainly like the options Ustinya, Aurora, Leya, Malvina, Lyubava, Vesna and others.

Along with rare variants of names, parents are increasingly choosing unusual ways name your daughters. Most of the names sound unusual to the ears of a Russian person, however, you can be sure that the baby’s name will not appear among the majority of her girlfriends in the future. According to personal statistics, the most rare names over the past 5 years, Russia, Legend, Joy, Byzantium, Moon, Oceana, etc. are considered.

Advice. Rare and unusual sounding name- this is certainly original and unusual. However, in pursuit of atypical options, parents should not forget about moderation. So, the name should be harmoniously combined with the baby’s surname and patronymic. In addition, it would not be superfluous to inquire about the meaning that each specific name has.

Parents generally want only the best for their children. According to many specialists and esotericists, you can make a small (and in the future a large) person happy by choosing a suitable name for him. To do this, you can use modern Russian and foreign nominal options or refer to the list of names popular since the times of the ancient Slavs. When choosing a name, you should think about the compatibility of the latter with the surname and patronymic. You should also pay attention to the sound and ease of pronunciation of the name - too long and cumbersome, it is unlikely to properly decorate the girl’s life in her life.