Old Slavonic female names are beautiful. Rare female names. The most beautiful German names and their meanings

Oleg and Valentina Svetovid are mystics, specialists in esotericism and occultism, authors of 14 books.

Here you can get advice on your problem, find useful information and buy our books.

On our website you will receive high-quality information and professional help!

Forgotten Slavic names

Ancient Slavic female names and their meaning

Previously, there were a lot of names in the Slavic name book. Currently, most Slavic names are completely forgotten.

Old Slavic names- this is not only a return to one’s roots, to one’s origins, but it is also an opportunity to improve one’s family. After all, the vibrations of a name influence a person’s character, his destiny, his future offspring.

The name plays a very important role not only in the life of an individual person, but also of all humanity, the entire Earth.

Our new book "The Energy of the Name"

Oleg and Valentina Svetovid

Our email address: [email protected]

You can also check out:

At the time of writing and publishing each of our articles, there is nothing like this freely available on the Internet. Any of our information products is our intellectual property and is protected by the Law of the Russian Federation.

Any copying of our materials and publishing them on the Internet or in other media without indicating our name is a violation of copyright and is punishable by the Law of the Russian Federation.

When reprinting any materials from the site, a link to the authors and site - Oleg and Valentina Svetovid – required.

Forgotten Slavic names. Ancient Slavic female names and their meaning

Love spell and its consequences – www.privorotway.ru

And also our blogs:

Before the advent of Christianity, Old Church Slavonic names for girls were mostly two-part. Parents were happy to give girls names such as Bazhena, Bogumila, which mean gentle, sweet creatures. It should be noted that many such Old Slavonic names for girls have survived to this day, but they are used extremely rarely. Although from time to time the fashion for Old Slavonic names returns. If you want to give your child an unusual, beautiful, ancient name, then we advise you to study our list of names for girls. Moreover, our list contains not only Old Russian names, but also the names of such Slavic peoples as Bulgarians, Czechs, Serbs, and Poles.

We are confident that with the help of our list, you will be able to choose a beautiful Old Church Slavonic name for your daughter. When choosing a name for a girl, remember that it should be consonant with her last name and patronymic. It is also important to know the meaning of the name, since the meaning of the name is reflected in the fate of a person. For example, a girl named Lyubomira will grow up to be a peace-loving, nice girl. Well, if you want your daughter to have character, then we advise you to give her the name Borimira - one who fights for peace. In any case, when choosing a name, pay special attention to its meaning.

Old Slavonic names for girls:

Alena - scarlet

Lyubomyra - peace-loving

Belava - light

Luchezara - radiant

Berislava - chosen by glory

Lana - field, allotment

Bazhena - desired

Ladomila - sweet, okay

Bogumila - dear to God

Lubislava - beloved by glory

Blessed - happy

Lada - harmony, beauty

Branislava - covered in glory

Lyubomila - beloved, dear

Beloslava - bright glory

Ladomira - peace-loving

Bogdana - given by God

Milana - sweetheart

Vereya - tied

Miloslava - sweet glory

Vladimir - who owns the world

Mila - sweetheart

Vlastimira - ruler of the world

Militsa - sweetheart

Vetrana - air

Milava - sweetheart

Velimira - great-worldly

Milorada - sweet and joyful

Vlasta - ruler

Unexpected - unexpected

Veda - knowledgeable

Negomila - gentle and sweet

Velislava - great glory

Hope - hope, expectation

Faith - knowing the light, faithful

Joy - joy

Wanda - praise

Olesya - from the forest

Vlastislava - owner of glory

Olislava - around fame

Videslava - glory of life

Ozara - illuminated

Veselina - cheerful

Ozhana - that which is compressed

Hanna - bird

Beautiful - beautiful

Godislava - in the time of glory

Pereslava - ahead of glory

Gordana - proud

Rostislava - grow glorious

Gostimira - peaceful guest

Radimila - sweet joy

Dushana - soulful

Rada - joy

Virtuous - acting

Radislava - the joy of glory

Draga - dear

Slavyanka - glory

Druzhana - friendly

Svyatava - light

Dobroslava - glorifying goodness

Snezhana - snowy

Dana - given to the world

Svetozara - illuminated by light

Darina - given by God

Svetomira - light of the world

Dobrana - kind

Svetolika - fair complexion

Daromila - sweet gift

Semislava - seven times bright

Yesenia - clear, clear sky

Svetlana - light

Zhdana - desired

Tihosava - quiet glory

Zlatoslava - golden glory

Tomira - multi-world

Zlata - golden

Umila - sweetheart

Krasimira - the beauty of the world

Ulada - getting along well

Beauty - beauty

Khranimir - keeping the world

Kupava - totality

Chayana - tea

Kraisava - beauty of the earth

Jaromila - young, sweet

Lyuba - love, beloved

Yasinya - clear

Lyudmila - dear to people

Yana - to be born, to be born

Ladoslava - beloved by glory

Yaroslava - shining with glory

Photo from kikabol.com

Old Russian names contain a whole layer of the history of Ancient Rus'. This is a rich heritage that modern parents are increasingly turning to in the hope of finding an unusual, beautiful name for their child. Choosing a suitable name for a girl is a doubly difficult task. And Slavic names for girls sound very melodious, which is why they become popular.

Ethnologists do not stop working to find out the origin and exact meaning of names, because this is an inexhaustible source of material on the history of long-vanished peoples, their mythology, and the characteristics of their family and social relations. The same source of valuable material are Old Russian names for girls.

It is difficult to conduct research related to the etymology of Slavic names, because Old Slavic names for girls sometimes have several regional meanings and are not interpreted unambiguously. That is why even today the meanings of some names are disputed, and cause heated discussions among specialists and those simply passionate about onomastics (a branch of linguistics whose specialization is the study of any proper names).

Origin of Old Russian female names

Before the baptism of Rus', infants were named according to ancient Russian custom with names that reflected their character and disposition. These could be Old Russian names for girls: Reasonable, Silent, Krasava, Kudryana. Many nations assigned names according to this principle, for example, the usual Indian maiden names are: Ayasha– small, miniature, Evoti- great, Litonya– fluttering hummingbird, Sly Fox. What was important for assigning a name was the main family occupation and the sequence when a child was born (First, Smallest). Similar ancient Russian names for girls reflecting birth order are Lydia- first, Aza.

Photo from the site pravda-tv.ru

After the adoption of Christianity, names began to be entered into church calendars. Since the 14th century, children were called by Christian names, but various kinds of nicknames existed in parallel. Together with baptismal names, they later formed Russian surnames (Petya - Petrov, Vol - Volkov).

Gradually, Old Russian women's names are completely replaced by church names that came from Byzantium. And by the 17th century, Greek and Byzantine names had spread so much that ancient Russian female names were falling out of use, and instead girls were called Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and even Syrian names. Very often these were not names as such, but the names of certain phenomena and elements. The names became pleasant to the ear after they were modified, adapting to the peculiarities of the Slavic languages ​​( Avdotya became Evdokia, Name Anfusa transformed into Anfisa).

Only those of the Old Russian Slavic names with which the saints were named (names given at baptism) remained unchanged. Two-basic names began to be widely used: they were called by one name, and the baptismal name (of Greek origin) was used only in the church.

Common Old Russian female names, their types:

1. dibasic: Dobrogneva, Lyubomila, Svetozara, while the root “slav” was very common: Svyatoslav, Yaroslav, Miroslav;
2. names derived from participles: Bazhena, Zhdana;
3. names taken from the world of animals and plants ( Azalea- flowering bush, Aquilina or Akulina- eagle, Aphrodite- ascended to the earth from sea foam), Pike;
4. reflecting birth order;
5. names that reflect the girl’s character traits: Arina- calm, Arsenia- courageous, Varvara– wild;
6. derived from the names of the gods ( Aurora- goddess of the morning dawn, Apollinaria– sun goddess);
7. special names used to call children of the princely family (Vyacheslav).

Photo from the site women.uol.ua

Old Slavic female names appeared that had nothing in common with Slavic names. But they had the root of a Slavic name. Thus, the names repeated the Hellenistic version. For example, names popular among Russians Faith Hope Love are prototypes of Greek names Pistis, Elpis, Agape.

Paired ancient Slavic female names were widely used, because it was believed that a woman’s name, like the name of a person in general, serves as a secret key, by choosing which one can influence the formation of the inner world. Therefore, the first name was chosen for strangers, and the second, which is kept secret and which only relatives know. It was believed that in this simple way, ancient Russian female names could protect a girl from the influence of evil spirits and unkind people. The girl’s first name or false name, as a rule, was deliberately ugly (Zloba), which became a double protection for the bearer of such a dissonant name.

A girl was called by her second and main name only when she reached a certain age. It was believed that the teenager already had clearly expressed basic character traits, and therefore it was easy to decide on a name. The tradition of calling a girl by two names quickly faded away, since the unseemly nickname with which she was called every day more often manifested itself in her character traits. And the second name did not reflect the true character, since if not used, it lost its symbolic meaning.

The beautiful Slavic names for girls that have appeared reflect the best feminine qualities:

• Darina– the one who gives;
• Dobrava- good;
• Elena– chosen one;
• Eupraxia– a woman who does only good deeds;
• Inessa- serene.

Sweet-sounding beautiful Slavic female names, a short list and their meaning

• Augusta– born in summer;
• Agnes– keeping chastity;
• Agnia- immaculate;
• Ada- decoration;
• Alexandra– the bearer of such a name is the protector of all people;
• Ariadne– always sleeping;
• Beatrice- the one who blesses;
• Bela- gorgeous;
• Bogdana– given by God;
• Vasilisa– the reigning maiden;
• Vesta- keeper of the hearth.

You can always find more information, as well as a complete list of Old Russian female names, on the Internet. A dictionary of such names was compiled by N.M. Dead ends. In addition, there are not only calendar Old Russian female names, a complete list, but also common Slavic ones. There are not so many truly Russian names that make up the extensive list of Slavic female names. Most of the names presented in the name book come from ancient languages, such as Greek, Germanic, and Egyptian.

Church calendar and Slavic female names by month

Photo from pravchelny.ru

The church calendar or name book contains an extensive list of Slavic female names, from which parents, both believers and those who do not adhere to Christian traditions, take names for girls. The list of saints' names includes female Slavic names by month, most of which are considered anachronistic. However, many young parents prefer these long-forgotten, rare names. The Saints are that inexhaustible source of ideas that gives a child an unusual name.

What does it mean to name a child according to the Saints?

When choosing names according to the Saints, take into account the date of birth and the name of the Saint who is commemorated on this day. But another option is also possible, when the child is named after the Saint, who is also remembered on the eighth day. In the event that there is no name suitable for the child’s birthday, then the name of the Saint is taken, which falls on the fortieth day from the date of birth. On this day, the child was usually baptized.

Male names with a feminine twist

Old Russian female names in male variations are not a rare occurrence. For girls, it is allowed to choose male names, since there are few women among the Saints. Male names are easily changed to Old Russian female names (Evgeniy - Evgeniya, Alexander - Alexandra).
The difference between Old Russian Slavic names and Old Church Slavonic ones.

Old Russian names are precisely the names that are found in Old Russian sources, chronicles, and charters. These names served as the basis for modern surnames and toponyms (geographical names). Therefore, one can only guess how many two-part names existed, and how many of them have been forgotten. The list of common Slavic names is represented by a smaller number.

Unlike men's, there are few women's names in such sources. It's not hard to guess why. At that time, women did not take an active part in public life, and therefore were not included in the documents. But this is not the only reason for the small number of female names. Most of the female names were formed from existing male ones. Girls were also often called by their father's changed name.

Undoubtedly, the complete list of Old Church Slavonic female names is not just a set of beautiful names. This is a reflection of the culture of the people and a piece of the great heritage of Kievan Rus. From time to time, fashion for ancient Russian names comes like a wave, and it goes away in the same way. But now people are trying to return to their native roots, and therefore children are increasingly called not Angels, Suzannes, and Jeannes, but Slavic names, sometimes embellishing them a little or even inventing new ones.

Not all Russian names are of Slavic origin. Most modern Russian names are names from the Orthodox calendar, foreign or Russified names. But beautiful female Slavic names are not uncommon now.

Naming traditions among the Eastern Slavs

The turning point in the naming tradition among the Slavs was the adoption of Christianity. For some time, Slavic and Christian names coexisted, moreover, in naming one person: a Slavic name for everyday life, and a baptismal, Christian name for the church. Christian names used in Rus' came from Byzantium and therefore have ancient Greek roots, but some of them are of Hebrew and Roman origin. Starting from the 14th century, Slavic names began to be replaced by Christian ones, and for a long time they were perceived as pagan and became forbidden. The exception was the Slavic names of saints included in the calendar. The calendar or calendar is a church calendar with a brief indication of church holidays and days of remembrance of saints. Each name included in the calendar must belong to a saint canonized by the church. The month book was compiled in the order of the months and days of the year. Orthodox names were given to girls according to their month of birth.

In the 19th century, some Slavic names, especially those of princely origin - Vladimir, Svyatoslav, Vsevolod, became widespread among the Russian intelligentsia. The fashion for Slavic names, including women's ones, returned to Russia with the advent of the new millennium and the passion for neo-paganism. Moreover, not only East Slavic and Old Slavic names are becoming widespread, but also common Slavic names adopted by other Slavic peoples - Bulgarians, Poles, Czechs, Serbs.

Name-giving ritual among the Slavs

Interest in Slavic culture, its traditions and rituals, has revived some cult practices, including the naming ceremony, which was once common among the ancient Slavs. Followers of Slavic paganism strive to restore the lost meanings of the naming process, its magical meaning.

Ancient Slavic names always had a sacred meaning and were never accidental. The ancient Slavs knew that names reflect the deep meanings of existence, the structure of the universe, determine the fate of a person, his purpose.

In accordance with the idea of ​​​​the magical meaning of names, a person should have two names - a “secret name” and a “name for everyone.” A name for everyone is rather a nickname, emphasizing character traits, appearance, as well as shortcomings, real or, most often, imaginary. This is a false name, and it was given for protection from evil forces. A false name is often dissonant, and its meaning should scare away unkind people and evil spirits. The names Nekras, Nemil, Kriv, Zloba are unlikely to attract envious people, but will protect its bearers.

Adherents of Slavic traditions believe that a child should receive a true name not immediately after birth, but at the age of nine to twelve years, when he realizes his destiny. The naming ceremony must be performed by a sorcerer (priest). This is a kind of initiation, after which the child acquires a true name, hidden from everyone (except him and the priest) and a common name, which becomes his public personal name. A true name determines a person’s destiny, harmonizes him with the world, preserves and protects his inner harmony.

Groups of Slavic names

Old Slavic names are divided into the following groups:

• names associated with the time of birth of the child (Winter, Frost);
• names that emphasize the characteristics of the physical appearance (Chernysh, Malyuta, Golovach, Tolstoy);
• numerical names (Perva, Vtorak, Tretyak);
• names associated with distinctive character traits or temperament (Brave, Stoyan, Smeyana);
• names from the animal or plant world (Hare, Eagle, Nut, Wolf, Pike);
• names of gods and goddesses (Yarila, Lada, Veles);
• names reflecting the desire or undesirability of a child (Nezhdan, Nechay).

Under the influence of Christianization, these nicknames were forced out of use, becoming the basis for the formation of surnames.

Princely names stand apart among the old Slavic names. Almost all of them are two-basic - Vladimir, Yaroslav, Mstislav, Svyatopolk and others. The meaning of such names is based on words symbolizing power and glory. The use of princely names by mere mortals was prohibited. By the 15th century, representatives of the ruling Rurik dynasty already bore Christian names as their main name. The Vladimirs and Svyatoslavs are replaced by Ivans, Vasilys, and Alexandras.

Female princely names are also two-basic - Yaroslav, Vysheslav, Dobroneg, Pereyaslav. Basically, these names were derived from male names. Unfortunately, few female Slavic names have reached us. The reason for this is the insignificant role of women in medieval Rus' and, perhaps, the earlier spread of Christian names than among men.

The meaning of Slavic female names

The sound of Slavic female names is beautiful and melodic, and the meaning is clear and close to any Slav. Their popularity is growing every day, and the list of Slavic female names chosen for girls is becoming wider:

• Arina - according to one version, Arina is a form of the Slavic name Yarina, formed on behalf of the god Yaril;
• Bazhena - desired, respected, sweet, beloved;
• Berislava - taking glory;
• Blagoslava - blessing kindness;
• Bogdana – given by God;
• Bogumila - dear to God;
• Boleslava - more glorious;
• Bozena - God's, blessed;
• Branislava – protector of glory;
• Bratislava - brotherly glory;
• Bronislava is a glorious protector;
• Wenceslas - more glorious;
• Velimira – big world;
• Veselina – cheerful;
• Vladimir - who owns the world;
• Vlada is a short form of Vladislava;
• Vladislava - owner of glory;
• Vseslava - all glory;
• Gordislava - proud glory;
• Gorislava – burn or grief + glory;
• Goritsa – forest;
• Gradislava – protecting the world;
• Gremislava - thundering glory;
• Darina – gifted;
• Dobronega - kind bliss;
• Dobromila – kind and sweet;
• Dobroslava - good glory;
• Dragomira - dear to the world;
• Zhdana - long-awaited;
• Zvenislava - ringing glory;
• Zlata – golden;
• Lada – dear, beloved;
• Lyubava - beloved;
• Lyubomila - beloved, dear;
• Lyubomyra - lover of peace;
• Lyudmila - dear to people;
• Malusha – small;
• Milana - sweetheart;
• Militsa – pretty;
• Miloslava - glorious by mercy;
• Miroslava - glorious in peace;
• Mlada – young;
• Mstislava - avenging glory;
• Unexpected - unexpected;
• Pereslava - strive for glory;
• Prebyslava - to remain in glory;
• Rada – joyful;
• Radimira – caring for the world;
• Radmila – caring, sweet;
• Radoslava - joyful glory;
• Rostislava - growing fame;
• Svetozara – illuminating with light;
• Svetoslava - glorifying the light;
• Svetlana – light;
• Svyatoslav - holy glory;
• Snezhana – snowy, cold;
• Stanislava - asserter of glory;
• Tikhomira – quiet, peaceful;
• Cheslava - honest glory;
• Yarina - possibly from the god Yaril;
• Yaroslav - ardent, strong glory.

Famous Russian female names - Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov - are not Slavic in origin, but are a copy of the ancient Greek words meaning Faith (Pistis), Hope (Elpis) and Love (Agape).

It’s interesting, but some modern Slavic names, including women’s ones, are the fruit of literary and cult fantasies. Representatives of the currently popular “Slavic fantasy” genre and neo-pagan Rodnovers are happy to invent new names, most often two-base ones.