Latvia Naming Customs

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Latvia

Personal Names

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

• Behind the Name: Latvian Surnames
• Behind the Name: Latvian Given Names
• Behind the Name: Russian Surnames
• Behind the Name: Russian Given Names

Surnames

• Latvian names, like in most European cultures, consist of two main elements: the given name (vārds) followed by family name (uzvārds).
• During the Soviet occupation (1940–1941;1944–1991) the practice of giving a middle name (otrais vārds) was discouraged, but since the restoration of Independence Latvian legislation again allows giving of up to two given names and it has become more common to give a middle name to children.
• There are normally different endings to family names for men and women:

• e.g. (male) KALNINŠ, (feminine) KALNINA.

• Male Latvian personal and family names typically end in -s (-š). Some may be derived from Russian names, with an -s ending:

• e.g. Vladislavs KAZANOVS.

• Female Latvian personal and family names typically end in -a or -e.

• e.g. Jelena GALANTE.

• Married women typically take their husband’s family name with the feminine ending:

• e.g. the wife of Janis KALNINŠ would be Ilga KALNINA