All Chechen names, according to their origin stories can be roughly divided into three main groups.
Folk Chechen names.
The most ancient of them are primordially Chechen names that arose from the beliefs, traditions and ideas of the Chechen people. They are easy to pronounce and differ in that they usually consist of one or two syllables. Meaning these Chechen names reflects the connection of the Chechen people with nature, a subtle perception of the surrounding world. Most of them are formed from the names of animals, birds and plants. In male names, masculinity, speed of reaction, strength are most often emphasized - Borz (wolf), Bula (bison), Cha (bear), Nal (boar), Lecha (eagle), Makkhal (kite). Women's names are associated with the names of beautiful plants and animals, precious metals - Lu (roe deer), Zezag (flower), Kemsa (grape), Birlant (diamond), Zhovkhar (pearl).
borrowed names.
Names of Turkic, Arabic and Persian origin make up the largest group of Chechen names. In the XIV-XVIII centuries, names borrowed from the Turkic languages were used - Albek, Akhmatkhan, Mansur, Raslanbek, Khasbulat. From the middle of the 19th century, the influence of Islam in Chechnya became so strong that Muslim names with Arabic and Persian roots occupied a dominant position in the Chechen name book. Basically, these are the names of prophets and caliphs - Ibrahim, Muhammad, Mohammed, Ismail, Suleiman, Ali, Osman, Umar. Many parents began to willingly name boys Chechen names with religious value- Abdurrahman (slave of the Merciful), Abdumalik (slave of the Lord), Sayfulla (sword of Allah), Shamsuddin (sun of faith).
Among the female names, melodic Arabic names are firmly established, emphasizing the beauty and virtues of Chechen women - Maliika (angel), Yasmin (jasmine), Azaza (respected), Zukhra (flower), Kamila (perfection). And, of course, the names from the Koran, traditionally popular among all Muslim peoples - Maryam, Zuleikha, Aisha, Zeinab, Madina.
Names of modern Chechens.
Today, the vast majority of Chechens in choosing a name for a child try to adhere to established traditions. 90% of modern Chechen names are of Arabic origin. At the same time, borrowed Russian and Western names, mostly female ones, sometimes “penetrate” the Chechen name book. Some of them are even a short form of names - Lisa, Sasha, Zhenya, Raisa, Tamara, Rosa, Louise, Zhanna.
Chechens are a heroic, proud people who value their foundations and history. Chechen male names reflect the strength and spirit of the people, personify male power and honor. Among the names and nicknames of this people you will not find diminutive formulations and translations, each name reflects the meaning of masculinity and stature.
For example, Chechen male names often mean representatives of the animal world with pronounced strong-willed characteristics.
Animal world
- Bula, or Bull - from Chechen is translated as "bison".
- Borz, or Buorz, is a wolf respected by all the Chechen people.
- Scrap, Lomma - a lion and some derivatives of this word.
- Tskhogal is a cunning fox, this name personifies a person who is inclined to dodge responsibility.
- Kuyra is a hawk, a name for proud and keen-eyed men.
- Makkhal is a kite, warlike and well-aimed warrior.
- Lecha is a falcon, a proud, arrogant bird.
- Arzu - an eagle, a man of high flight.
Often, Chechen male names in translation mean a guide to action, like parting words from parents and a good wish. This is especially true of examples of the birth of weakened babies, whose lives are in danger. They are given names with wishes for a long or healthy life.
Wishes
- Waha - in translation - "live".
- Dukhavaha - "live long"!
- Wahiita - "Let this baby live."
- Visiyata - "Let him stay."
There were also cases when a newborn was given some characteristic in a name.
Character score
- Masa - means "fast, frisky".
- Dika - "that's a good guy."
- Myrsalt - "brave boy (man)".
It is a pity that many Chechen names are forgotten today. Although they carry such valuable and interesting speech turns from the native language of the people.
Also, many Chechen male names carry a symbolic Muslim meaning. They are borrowed from the Arabs and history. These are the names that belonged to the companions and contemporaries of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
Names from the Sunnah of Muslims
- Muhammad (Mohmad, Mahmud, Muhammad, Magomed, Magamat) - the name of the Prophet Muhammad, translated means "glorified" or "glorious."
- Abbas is the name of the uncle of the prophet. Meaning - severe, gloomy gloomy.
- Abdulrahman - this name means "servant of the Merciful Lord." Favorite name of Muslims, an attribute of any true believer.
- Ali is the name of a friend and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, the fourth Islamic world. And its meanings are "exalted", "leading", "supreme".
Chechen male names, borrowed from the Arabs before the emergence of the history of Islam
According to customs, the names of Chechen boys are given with a certain attitude and parting words. It is believed that the name reflects the character, will, spirit of its bearer. Therefore, most of all with a strong-willed and courageous orientation.
Each nation has its own tradition of forming personal names. The Chechens are no exception. Their surnames are based on the names of birds or animals, proper names, they are of Chechen origin or are rooted in Persian or Arabic languages.
Chechen surnames - list
Have you ever wondered where your family came from? Sometimes it happens that a person does not suspect who his relatives are or does not attach much importance to this. But knowing what name his family had, you can learn a lot about your ancestors in the male or female line. If you want to know popular Chechen surnames, the alphabetical list of them is given below. Look, maybe one of your great-grandfathers was a mountain dweller.
- Azanaevs;
- Aidamirovs;
- Albagaevs;
- Amiev;
- Bogaevs;
- Borshaevs;
- Burgalaev;
- Valuevs;
- goyim;
- the Daurbekovs;
- Dudayev;
- Zavgaevs;
- Zakaevs;
- Ismoilovs;
- Kalakoevs;
- Kutaevs;
- Lorsanovs;
- Makhdaevs;
- Melardoevs;
- Omaevs;
- Rakhimovs;
- Rashidovs;
- Solgiriev;
- Sulimovs;
- Supurovs;
- Turaevs;
- Khadzhievs;
- Khidievs;
- the Tsugiyevs;
- barrows;
- Shovkhalovs;
- Yusupovs.
Chechen names and surnames
Chechen names and surnames can have both original origin and be borrowed from other languages. Of the Arabic and Persian, Chechens, like other Muslims, use such male names as Ali, Magomed, Shamil, female Aliya, Leila, etc. Chechen names have much in common with Ingush ones, the only distinguishing feature of which is the predominant use of the sound “ai”.
Russian-language versions are widespread. Feminine diminutives of names can act as full forms (Dasha, Zina). The original names are full of variety. Their meaning is based on nouns (Borz - "wolf", Ruslan - "lion"), adjectives (Daud - "beloved, dear", Zelimzan - "healthy, living long"), verbs (Toita - "stop").
The surnames of the indigenous population of Chechnya are of ancient origin. Their spelling as well as their pronunciation can be different depending on the dialect. In the days of the Soviet Union, to unify the spelling, many of them added the endings “-ov”, “-ev”, and the declension occurred according to the rules of Russian grammar. Now a large group of people are inclined to return to their original forms, which shows their respect for their roots, especially among the male population.
Beautiful Chechen surnames
Speakers of different languages have their own perception of the sounds of a foreign alphabet, so the same word is perceived differently by their ear. A distinctive feature of the phonetics of the peoples of the Caucasus is a large number of deaf and hard sounds, a sequence of several consonants. Beautiful Chechen surnames for our ear can be called those in which there is a sufficient number of vowels, and the consonants are mostly voiced. For us, such surnames of Chechens as Azizovs, Umaevs, the list of which can be continued, will be more harmonious.
Famous Chechen surnames
In Caucasians, blood relationship is of great importance. Even if your relative many centuries ago committed a significant act for his people, then his family will be honored and respected. In addition to blood ties, Chechens are proud of their compatriots. Therefore, famous Chechen surnames can be considered those that had prominent people of the country - Magomedov, Kadyrov, Visaitov, Yamadayev, Khasbulatov, etc. Among them there are people of different professions: politicians, military, artists, athletes, doctors.
Fate scattered the Chechens around the world. Some of them fled during the war, a large number were deported during the Soviet Union (the lists number hundreds of thousands of people), some left the country on their own, leaving for the Arab states or Europe. Many of them have achieved fame outside of Chechnya, but they are still honored and respected, because they do not forget about their roots.
Video: Chechen female names
Naming is the first, main event in the life of a newborn baby. Many people believed and still believe that the name plays an important role in the fate of a person. Therefore, the Chechens, like many representatives of other nationalities, treated this event with great seriousness and attention. But times pass and the legacy is lost, just like many of the traditions of the concept of Islam. In our time, the name is sometimes the only sign by which we can assume what denomination and sometimes nationality this or that person is.
Names are the historical heritage of the people. Unfortunately, many original Chechen names are undeservedly forgotten and become a thing of the past. Names carry a part of the history, culture, faith of their people.
Classification of names by origin
Some traditional Chechen names, which arose on the basis of his original lexical fund, reflect the attitude to the surrounding life. There are also specific names associated with the plant and animal worlds or which are attributive names. There are also names borrowed from other languages.
The next part of the names, which is by far the most common, are names of oriental origin. They took root in the territory of the Chechen people for the most part during the spread of Islam. Basically, these are the names of the Prophets and Messengers, the Prophet Muhammad. His associates, students, followers. Also, based on many hadiths, we learn that the best names are those consisting of the prefix "Abd" - a slave and one of the epithets of Allah. For example, Abdullah is the servant of Allah, Abdurrahman is the servant of the Merciful.
The most common names.
Modern Chechen names include both native Chechen anthroponyms and those borrowed from Persian, Arabic and Russian. The original names often denote birds and animals: Lecha (“falcon”), Kokha (“dove”), Kuyra (“hawk”), Tskhogal (“fox”), Cha (“bear”).
But more often they reflect a specific verb form: Vakha - “live”, Yahiita - “let live”. Often there are beautiful Chechen names formed from participles and adjectives: Dika - “good”. These anthroponyms reflect the attitude of people to life, flora and fauna: Zelimzan (“healthy, real”), Lu (“roe deer”), Mayrsault (“brave”), Nokhcho (“Chechen”), Suli (“Dagestan”). Such names are not as popular today as those borrowed from neighbors.
Names borrowed from other cultures
A lot of Chechen names were borrowed from Arabic and Persian languages: Ali, Umar, Yakub, Magomed, Akhmat, Shamsuddin, Sayfulla, Mukhsin, Ihsan, Zaman - common Chechen male names. And female: Jamila, Zuhra, Maimuna, Nazira, Savda, Leila, Amanat, Rebiat, Safiyya, Fazil, Halima, Yasmin. Names can also be compound, in which elements such as “bek” or “soltan” are attached to the main part. This part can be at the beginning or at the end.
Many Chechen female names were also borrowed from Russian: Liza, Raisa, Rosa, Louise, Zinaida, Zhanna, Tamara, Dasha and others. Often, the diminutive form of the name is recorded as the official one. For example, Sasha or Zhenya, which is quite common among mountain peoples.
Depending on the dialect spoken by the inhabitants of Chechnya, the pronunciation and even spelling of the same name varies: Akhmad - Akhmat, Yunus - Yunas, Abuyazid - Abuyazit.
Recently, names of Arabic origin have become increasingly popular among the highlanders.
Factors in the formation of Chechen names
Original Nakh names reflect the attitude to the surrounding life. The Chechen language has a certain number of personal names that have arisen on the basis of its original lexical fund. These names are very specific and related to flora and fauna and attribute names. Original names represent the most ancient layer in Chechen anthroponymy, they are the property of the Chechen language and rarely penetrate into other languages.
Significant reflection in the personal Chechen names receives the animal world:
God (buozh) - a goat;
Bula (bul) - bison;
Borz (buorz) - wolf;
Ovlur - lamb of winter cattle;
Other names of predatory animals are used as nicknames that reflect one or another trait of a person:
Cha is a bear;
Peel - elephant;
Nal - boar;
Boar - strength is emphasized;
Tskhogal - a fox, cunning, flattery, servility are emphasized;
Dhaka - a mouse, the ability to go everywhere and avoid trouble is emphasized;
Tsitsig - a cat;
Lu (lu) - roe deer;
Sai - a deer, elegance, beauty, grace are emphasized;
Often in Chechen names there are names of domestic and wild birds:
Khokha - dove;
Moma (muom) - partridge;
Chovka - rook;
Kuyra - hawk;
Durgali - white-bellied swift;
Makkhal - kite;
Olhazar - a bird;
Hyoza - sparrow;
Lecha - falcon;
Arzu - eagle;
The following bird names are used as nicknames expressing evaluative characteristics:
kotam (kuotam) - chicken;
bad - duck;
kyig - crow;
atyokh - hoopoe;
alkhanca—starling;
The names of insects and reptiles are used as nicknames:
Churk - mosquito;
Moza is a fly;
Zingat - ant;
Sesa - tadpole;
Tsaptsalg - grasshopper;
The formation of personal names from the names of the plant world is a common occurrence in every language:
Zhola - a small shrub;
Dushta (duushto) - ash;
Zezag - flowers;
Zaza - flowering;
Datta - rowan;
There are also names in the Chechen language formed from the names of precious metals and stones:
Deshi - gold;
Children are silver;
Birlant - a diamond;
Jovhar - pearls;
Mokhaz - flint;
In the Chechen language, there are also names that reflect natural phenomena, cosmic bodies:
Marha - a cloud, a cloud;
Seda (shieda) - a star;
Batta - lunar;
Malkh - azni - sunny beauty;
Cameta - camet;
Qilba - south;
In Chechen anthroponymy, a large place is occupied by spell names formed from verbs. Male names:
Waha - live;
Dukhavaha - live long;
Vahita - let him live;
Visa - stay;
Visiyata - let him stay;
Women's names:
Yaha - alive;
Yahyita - let him live;
Yisa - stay;
Such names were given in families where children did not survive. The difficult economic situation, poverty and hunger led to high infant mortality. And then the desperate mountain family turned to names-spells. When there were many girls in the family, they gave names-spells:
Saciyta, Toita - enough, let him stop;
Chechens attached great importance to names. The name was taken care of. Chechens say that "The name is the glory of the strong, the name is the shame and misfortune of the weak."
There are names in the Chechen language formed from adjectives:
Dika - good;
Masa - fast frisky, Mayra, Mayrbek;
Mayrsalt - brave (bek);
Sutarbi - greedy;
Khaza - beautiful, (Khazabika);
Kurbika - proud (bika);
More about Nakh names
The semantics of many names on the material of the Nakh languages is not clear today. Unfortunately, many primordially and traditionally Nakh names are undeservedly forgotten and become a thing of the past. Yes, life changes and, reflecting these changes, names change, not just the words used as names, but what was meant by these names. There are many borrowed names in the Chechen language from other languages. It is generally accepted that among the peoples who converted to Islam, mainly Arabic names are common. This is not entirely true. In fact, these peoples have preserved several dozen names that were worn by the Arabs in the first century after the adoption of Islam. Of the proper Arabic names, only those that were in one way or another associated with the name of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and welcome, remain in use. And the names of his associates and students.
Many of the names that the Chechens bear are oriental names, there are names borrowed from the Russian language and through it from other languages. Consider the etymology of some names:
Laila (Layla) - the name means lily.
Malik - the meaning of the name - owning, ruling.
Malika name meaning is queen.
Mansur name meaning is victorious.
Muhammad (Mohmad, Mahmud, Muhammad) - the meaning of the name is glorified, glorious.
