Bulgaria Naming Customs: Difference between revisions

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*Traditionally, children were often named after an older relative, so as to keep that relative's name in the family. This practice is not binding today.
*Traditionally, children were often named after an older relative, so as to keep that relative's name in the family. This practice is not binding today.
*Masculine given names can end in a variety of letters, such as "l", "r", "n", "o", "i", etc. whereas feminine names more commonly end in "a" and occasionally "i".
*Masculine given names can end in a variety of letters, such as "l", "r", "n", "o", "i", etc. whereas feminine names more commonly end in "a" and occasionally "i".
*Traditionally, the Bulgarian given names are either of Slavic origin or from Greek, Latin or Hebrew when reflecting Christian faith (e.g. Petar, Maria, Ivan, Teodora, Georgi, Nikolay, Mihail, Paraskeva, Dimitar).
*The Slavic names may describe the appearance or character of the person, may constitute a wish or even stem from pre-Christian conjuring rituals and meant not to attract the evil spirits.<ref>"Bulgarian name", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_name, accessed 2 March 2021.</ref>


==For Further Reading==
==For Further Reading==

Revision as of 14:22, 2 March 2021

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Understanding customs used in surnames and given names can help you identify your ancestors in records. Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names.

Online Tools[edit | edit source]

Surnames[edit | edit source]

  • Bulgarian naming traditionally consists of three names:
  • the first name (the given name)
  • the middle name (traditionally the father's name)
  • the last name (surname/family name)
  • In the early 1800s, the majority of Bulgarians were known by only their first names, occasionally accompanied by an occupation as an additional identifier.
  • Before 1880, family names/surnames began to come about, typically based on the paternal grandfather's name (a practice not common today).[1]
  • Many surnames are the adjective form of the masculine given name, formed by adding -ov/-ev for males, or -ova/-eva for females.

Given Names[edit | edit source]

  • Traditionally, children were often named after an older relative, so as to keep that relative's name in the family. This practice is not binding today.
  • Masculine given names can end in a variety of letters, such as "l", "r", "n", "o", "i", etc. whereas feminine names more commonly end in "a" and occasionally "i".
  • Traditionally, the Bulgarian given names are either of Slavic origin or from Greek, Latin or Hebrew when reflecting Christian faith (e.g. Petar, Maria, Ivan, Teodora, Georgi, Nikolay, Mihail, Paraskeva, Dimitar).
  • The Slavic names may describe the appearance or character of the person, may constitute a wish or even stem from pre-Christian conjuring rituals and meant not to attract the evil spirits.[2]

For Further Reading[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Bulgarian Naming Patterns, http://www.bulgarica.com/2012/03/12/%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8/bulgarian-naming-patterns/, accessed 2 March 2021.
  2. "Bulgarian name", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_name, accessed 2 March 2021.