Bulgaria Naming Customs

Bulgaria

Personal Names

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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

• Behind the Name: Bulgarian Surnames
• Behind the Name: Bulgarian Given Names

Surnames

• 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).
• 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

• 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.
• Traditions to name a child after the parents' best man or maid of honor or the saint on whose name day the child is born also exist.
• 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.
• In addition, some Bulgarian names may be of Thracian (e.g. Neno, Dako, Boto, Geto) or Bulgar (Boris, Boyan, Biser) origin.
• Since the Bulgarian National Revival and the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878, names of successful medieval Bulgarian rulers, like Asen, Asparuh, Ivaylo, Samuil, Simeon or Krum, have also gained a lot of popularity.
• 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".

For Further Reading

• Bulgarian Names - Naming Patterns
• Bulgarian name