Popular Georgian names. What do Georgian names mean: interpretation and history of origin

Georgian male names sing of ancient legends, heroic deeds, natural phenomena, strong animals and the best human qualities. Now there is a tendency to name children in a European way, but interest in the culture of other peoples also does not fade away.

The history of the origin of Georgian names

There are three groups of names: native, Christian and foreign.

• The original ones belong to the pre-Christian period (until the 4th century). These are “native” Georgian words that have not been influenced by other cultures.
• With the adoption of Christianity, church names with Greek and Jewish origins appeared in everyday life. Their use has become mandatory.
• Foreign words came in the course of cultural exchange. Georgians actively adopt them through literature and cinema.

List of beautiful Georgian names for boys

There are no ugly Georgian names: they are all beautiful both in sound and in meaning.

But there are a few special ones that we have included in a separate list of Georgian names:

• Berdia, Berdo - "granted by God";
• Atanas - "immortal";
• Vano - "God's grace";
• Mamuka - "sunrise";
• Janiko, Jano, Jansug - "in love";
• Lukia, Lucian - "light";
• Shota - "fire";
• Sula - "soul";
• Khvicha - "shimmering";
• Shaliko, Shalika, Shaluta - "peace".

Georgians used to have a beautiful tradition: surnames depended on baptism. For example, the parents named the child Nikoloz, in the church he was baptized as Nikolai, so his last name was Nikoladze.

Rare male names of Georgian origin

In the old days, the rural population, choosing how to name a newborn, took ideas from the outside world, life, and mythology.

For example:

• Mghelika means "wolf cub";
• Dzaglika translates as "puppy";
• Velho means "tiger";
• Jumber is a "little lion cub";
• Badri means "full moon";
• Mindia is a character from mythology who understood the language of animals, birds, plants;
• Aguna was the patron saint of winemaking;
• Morige was considered "highly revered lord of heaven";
• Armazi was recognized as the "main deity".

How beautiful these names sound! Why have they become rare? The adoption of Christianity obliged people to use the names corresponding to religion (David, Isaac, Ioane) instead of the old Georgian ones. It was possible to save the original words only thanks to the ancient folklore.

The most popular Georgian names and their meaning

According to the Georgian registry offices, the most common male name is Giorgi (“farmer”), as well as its varieties Grigoli and Iagora.

In addition, the list of popular Georgian names included:

• Genatsvale - "friend". Its carrier is self-confident, has a strong character, is clean, disciplined.
• Soso - "addition". A future outstanding scientist or creative person who is able to concentrate on one thing for a long time, thanks to which he achieves perfection in any of them.
• Irakli - "hero". A reliable comrade, a pleasant conversationalist, a defender of justice, has an excellent sense of humor.
• Zurab - "divine". The key character trait is selflessness. This man is capable of sacrificing himself for a great cause.
• Leo is "lion". Strives to be the first in everything, does not shy away from entering into conflicts in order to prove his strength and get out of the situation as a winner.
• Otar, Otia - "fragrant". He is open to the new, dreams of creating something great, extraordinary, which will make him known to the whole world. Has a high level of empathy.
• Titus, Tito, Titico - "honor". Freedom-loving, does not like to depend on anyone (including family members). Strives to be useful.
• Peto, Petre, Petrua, Petua - "stone". Character traits of their owners are not attributed to “stone” at all - they do not sit in one place, they love change, they have a sharp mind and a quick reaction.
• Sergi - "high". Aesthete, loves beautiful (sublime) things. Strives for a rich, eventful life, surrounds himself with comfort, creating a pleasant atmosphere for life.

An interesting fact: the name George in one form or another is popular in many countries. The Englishman George, the Pole Jerzy, the Spaniard Jorge, the Turk Jirjis, the Portuguese Jorge - that's all about him.

Unusual and forgotten names

Surprisingly, some names that seem typically Georgian are actually borrowed from foreigners:

• Vakhtang is from Persia. He has a very pleasant and life-affirming interpretation: “happiness”, “luck”.
• Rostom and Bezhan are from Iran. According to the interpretation, such people are distinguished by courage and reliability.
• Givi came from ancient Greek literature. This character is a "glorious hero."
• Jokola was adopted from the Ingush, that was the name of the famous mountain leader.
• Tatash is a hero-hero from ancient Ossetian literature.

It is important to mention one more forgotten name, this time already primordially Georgian - Archil. That was the name of the king of Imereti and Kakheti (these are the territories of modern Georgia). He contributed to the spread of Christianity and did not renounce his faith even under torture, for which he was canonized as a saint.

How to choose a name for a boy

Don't know what to start from to choose a name for the boy?

1. Religion. The dominant religions in Georgia are Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Islam. Orthodox and Catholic families are guided by the church calendar, while the followers of Islam are guided by the prophets.
2. Family history. There is a tradition of naming in honor of ancestors: grandfathers, grandmothers, more distant relatives.
3. Numerology. You can take the date of birth as a basis and pick up a name from a directory of so-called name numbers.
4. Interpretation. It is believed that the name defines a person, affects his character and destiny. Here you should first decide what kind of character traits you want to see in your son, and name him, focusing on the meaning of the name.
5. Authority. Often, children are named after their favorite Georgian actor, writer, musician or other famous person.

Remember that numerology and interpretation are beautiful symbols, but nothing more. Yes, you can resort to them to simplify the choice, but relying entirely on numbers is pointless. How the boy will actually grow up, and how his fate will turn out, will depend on upbringing, environment and circumstances, and therefore choose a name to your liking - harmonious, caressing the ear, easy to remember and pronounce.

Georgians in national clothes

In 1996, Avtandil Sigaladze and Anzor Totadze's book "Personal and Family Names in Georgia" was published in Tbilisi. It presents data on the degree of distribution of personal names in the regions of Georgia. The appendix lists the 300 most common names. They are given in Georgian spelling. I turned to the Georgian Embassy in Kazakhstan with a request to help me write down these names in Russian. I had an appointment. I arrived at the embassy mansion and, under the dictation of the cultural attache, wrote down all these 300 names in Russian graphics. Here are the names:

It is easy to see that the above list, most likely compiled on the basis of data from address bureaus, ignores the linguistic links between individual forms of names. As a result, how different names are represented, such as, for example, Nina And Nino, Elene, Elena And Lena, Kakhaberi And Kakha, Irina, Irina And Ira etc. In other words, phonetic-spelling variations of the same names, full and abbreviated forms are given separately. That is, there are fewer really different names in this list than the given forms.

The very presentation of the material departs from the tradition accepted in scientific anthroponymy to present male and female names in separate lists (in the book, male and female names are given in one list - hence the difference in their number). But if I did not combine different forms and variants of names, then I separated the male names from the female ones and give them separately for greater user convenience.

At the same time, a number of names had to be separated into a separate subgroup. Among Georgians, they exist both as male and as female. Perhaps this third group of names can be supplemented from the remaining two groups of names. In total, the list contains 131 male names, 162 female and 7, which are both male and female. As noted in the book, the list does not include residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (obviously, data for these two regions were not available to the author).

Georgian woman in national dress

Of course, the given names do not exhaust all the richness of the system of personal names of the indigenous population of Georgia. But it allows you to see the main stages in the formation of a national name-list. The names from the list can be combined into several historical and cultural layers, the penetration of each of which to the Georgians is associated with the historical stages of the people, the country.

The most ancient layer is the names associated with the living languages ​​of Georgia, formed from common nouns understandable to the masses. For example: male Bichiko'boy', Mghelika‘wolf cub’, Dzaglika‘puppy, doggy’, chichico‘little man’, female Gogol'young woman', Mzekala‘sun-maiden’, cira‘beautiful girl’.

Some of the names of primordial origin arose at a relatively late time. For example, male importance‘manly, man’ appeared as part of a pseudonym ( Vazha Pshelava) the famous Georgian poet Luka Razikashvili (1861–1915). The grandfather of this poet was the first bearer of the name Imedi‘hope’, which has become popular among Georgians.

Some of the original names have been preserved for centuries and are still popular today (for example, male Badri, Mindia, female Dali, Tsiala). The names of this group arose in separate ethnographic groups of Georgians (Khevsurs, Pshavs, Imeretins, Gurians, Mingrelians, Svans, etc.). Over time, some of them have gained nationwide distribution.

Throughout their history, the indigenous peoples of Georgia have been in close contact with the peoples of neighboring regions, states - the North Caucasus, Armenia, Iran, Byzantium, the Arab Caliphate, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, etc. And all these contacts have left an anthroponymic "trace" in the names of Georgians.

A significant contribution to the system of personal names of Georgians was made by Iran and the Arab Caliphate. Names were borrowed with the penetration of Perso-Arabic literature. Yes, male Rostom, Bejan, Givi– Georgian forms of Iranian names Rustam, Bizhan, Giv worn by the heroes of the Iranian epic "Shahname". That part of the epic, in which these heroes act, has become especially popular among Georgians. Of the other names of this cultural and historical layer, one can also name male Vakhtang, Zurabi, Muradi, Ramazi, female Leila, Rusudani, Turpa. At the same time, the name Vakhtang, known since the 5th century, is unknown to the Iranians themselves.

Many names appeared among Georgians in connection with the spread of Christianity (Georgians adopted Christianity already in the 5th century). These are biblical (mostly Hebrew) names, Greek and Latin in their linguistic origin. Here are some of them: Giorgi, Grigoli, David, Ioane(from John), Isak, Mose(from Moses). The names of this group were especially active among the Georgians after the annexation of Georgia to Russia (1801 - the East Georgian kingdom, 1804 - Imretia, Megrelia, Guria, 1810 - Abkhazia, 1858 - Svanetia).

After reunification with Russia, the Georgian Church lost its autocephaly (independence) for a century. The Georgian Church became part of the Russian Orthodox Church on the basis of an exarchate. However, soon there was either nothing left of autonomous rights, or only one form remained. From 1817 bishops of Russian nationality were appointed exarchs to Georgia; the church property of Georgia was also transferred to the disposal of the Russian authorities (on March 12, 1917, after the overthrow of tsarism in Russia, the Georgians themselves decided to restore the autocephaly of their church). Joining the Russian Orthodox Church contributed to the fact that the Georgians actively named their children with names from Orthodox saints. However, the anthroponymic contacts between Georgia and Russia through the churches were not one-sided. The Russian Orthodox Church included in its calendar the days of memory of a number of Georgian saints:

Men's: Abo, Aviv, Anthony, Archil, Bidzin, Gabriel, Gobron, Gregory, David, Eustathius, Euthymius, Zenon, Hilarion, Isaac, Ise, Isidore, John, Constantine, Luarsab, Michael, Neophyte, Pyrrhus, Rajden, Stefan, Dry, Tarichan, Shalva, Shio, Elizbar, Thaddeus
Women's: Ketevan, Nina, Tamara, Shushanika

Among those listed there are names that were completely unknown to the Russian Orthodox before their inclusion in the calendar ( Abo, Archil, Bidzin, Gobron, Laursab, Pierre, Razhden, Dry, Tarichan, Shalva, Shio, Elizbar; Ketevan, Tamara). Some correlated with the names already available in the holy calendar: Ise And Jesse, Shushanik And Susanna. From this group of Georgian names (the names of Georgian saints, coinciding with the names of Russian Orthodox saints, I do not take into account - Anthony, David, Michael etc.) in the Russian environment, only women's Nina And Tamara. The popularity of these names in Russian families was facilitated by the works of M. Yu. Lermontov. True, the name Nina was known to Russians even without Georgians, but as an unofficial form of a number of official Orthodox names - Antonina, Domnina, Anastasia. In A. S. Pushkin's poem "Winter Road", the lyrical hero, plunging into dreams, reflects:

Boring, sad...
Tomorrow, Nina
Tomorrow, returning to my dear,
I'll forget by the fireplace...

Who is Nina, whose name is mentioned by the lyrical hero, remains unknown.

By tradition, the days of remembrance of the listed Georgian saints are still included in the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Names of Slavic origin were also borrowed, in particular, Vladimir. It is used by Georgians not only in full form, but in abbreviated form - Lado.

Since the end of the 19th and especially in the 20th century, names from Western Europe have been spreading among Georgians mainly through literature and cinema: Albert, Maurice, Carlo, Edward, Diana, Inga, Irma and others. The Georgians did not stand aside from the names-Sovietisms (for example, Dictatorship, Communards).

Ending -O in a number of Georgian names (especially male ones - Andro, Dato, Lado etc.) represents a form of the vocative case developed in the Georgian language.

In Russian texts, the names of Georgians are often given in an adapted form - not Giorgi, A George, Not Akaki, A Akaki, Not Iuri, A Yuri, Not Vasili, A Basil etc. In general, the transfer of the names of Georgians by Russian written means creates certain difficulties. Thus, the transfer of Georgian names containing the letters ა, ე is difficult. For example, in the female names ან ა and თ ე ა, the letter corresponding to the Russian “a” is at the end. But should it be transmitted in Russian in both cases through "a"? If yes, then in this case it will be Ana And Thea. But in the Russian personal name it is more common to write Thea.

Similar questions arise when transferring names containing ე. In Russian, both “e” and “e” correspond to it. That is, is it necessary to transfer the name of a Georgian woman in Russian as Ekaterine, Ekaterine, Ekaterine or stop at the adopted spelling Catherine?

Another question is whether to double consonants in names of Georgians like Ana, Natela, Neli, which correspond to Russian names Anna, Natella, Nelly? There are no doubled consonants in Georgian orthography. If we take transliteration (letter by letter transmission of names) as the basic principle, then, of course, such a question will not arise - doubling consonants is inappropriate. But what about practical transcription?

I believe that in Georgia itself, the issue of the written transmission of personal names and surnames into other languages ​​(including Russian) is the subject of research. At least in Soviet times, for each of the written languages, principles were developed for the transfer of geographical names on geographical maps. They could be taken as a basis for the written transmission of personal names and surnames.

Certain work is also being carried out in the direction of establishing the etymology of Georgian personal names. I can recommend the following edition:

Glonti A. A. Kartvelian proper names. Dictionary of anthroponyms. Tbilisi, 1967 (in Georgian).

© A. I. Nazarov.

Georgia is a southern country with a long history. The local flavor is saturated with wonderful music and majestic architecture. Whether it is a big city or a small village, every courtyard in them is filled with bewitching polyphony and hospitality. The identity of the country is reflected in all aspects of cultural heritage. Georgian names are also filled with special melody, beauty and meaning.

Origin of names

As a result of historical events, the neighboring peoples had a great influence on the formation of the modern name of Georgia. The names that came from Armenia, Byzantium, the North Caucasus and the Arab Caliphate acquired a sound in accordance with the peculiarities of the Georgian language and harmoniously fit into the everyday life of the people. A small but significant layer is made up of the names of pre-Christian folklore.

Actually Georgian anthroponyms were traditionally used in the villages, therefore they were not canonized after the adoption of Christianity. And also they were widely used by such ethnographic groups as Mingrelians, Imeretians, Khevsurs, Pshavs, Gurians and Svans. Of the male names that have survived to this day: Mgelika, which means "wolf cub", Dzaglika - "puppy", Badri - "fidget", Mindia, meaning "marked from above." Women's names are represented by such as: Mzekala - "maiden-sun", Dali - "heart" and Tsiala - "goddess". Most of the original names, unfortunately, have been lost.

The Eastern Roman Empire quite early brought Christianity to the lands of Georgia and, along with it, religious names of Jewish and Greek origin. For example: Grigoli (derived from Gregory), Mose (Moses), Ioane (John), Ekvtime (Euphemius), Isak (Isaac) or David, remaining in its original form.

From the Slavs, the Georgians adopted the common names of them Lado (Vladimir) and Iagora (Yegor), the Ingush name Jokola firmly settled in Georgia, and Tatash came from the ancient Ossetians.

With the development of cinema and the spread of literary works in Georgian cities, such names as Edward, John, Carlo, Maurice - among men took root. And for women - Diana, Irma, Inga.

The translation of the “Book of Kings” by the Persian poet Firdousi, which received the name “Rostomiani” from the Georgians, replenished the anthroponymic stock with names: Bezhan, Rostom and Givi. Of the female names of Arabic origin, Leila and Turpa are still popular.

Popular female names

Georgian female names and their meanings are reminiscent of wonderful music that flows from heaven over majestic mountain peaks and stormy rivers. According to statistics, the most common among them is currently the name Nino., derived from the Sumerian word for "lady".

Also common:

And this is a small part of the whole variety of beautiful and unusual female names.

Common male names

They are filled with euphony and special meaning Georgian male names, the list of which should begin with the most common - the name George (farmer). Followed by:

The list is endless. There are modern Georgian male names that have gained particular popularity in recent decades: Zurab (ruby), David (beloved), Heraclius (derived from Hercules), Sando (protector), Kakha (Kakhetian), Nikoloz (winner), Saba (breeze) , Gregory (peppy) and Vakhtang (wolf body).

How to name a girl

When a daughter is born, it is difficult for parents to decide what to name the baby.. But there are rare and beautiful Georgian names for girls that will give the image of the future girl a special meaning:

Georgian baptismal names

It is a tradition in Georgia to name children after their ancestors, so often in the same family, representatives of several generations of the same sex are namesakes. They also name babies, focusing on Georgian saints. Christianity came to the country in the fifth century, increasing the nominal stock of Georgia. And in the 19th century, when the Georgian church lost its independence due to joining Russia, the names indicated in the Orthodox calendar began to appear among the people often. In turn, the Russian church calendar was replenished with the days of commemoration of Georgian saints - Nina, Shushanik, Tamara.

As a result, the modern Georgian calendar of saints combines the days of memory of Orthodox saints mentioned in the Russian church calendar and the dates of commemoration of their own saints. For example, a boy born in September can be named Bidzin in honor of the holy martyr Bidzin Cholokashvili. The October newborn can be called Evdemon - in memory of the patriarch of the 17th century, and the one born in November - Vakhtang, choosing for him the patron saint of the Iberian king of the 5th century.

funny nicknames

Sometimes in Georgia you can meet men with funny names. Cause a smile such as: Chichiko (little man), Avto (derived from Avtandil - sunny), Mom (father), Mountain or Gulya (derived from George). Mingrelian names sound funny: the male name Zaza (God multiply) or the female name Tutu (security).

Russian names adapted to the Georgian language undergo interesting metamorphoses: Valiko (Valentin), Andro (Andrey), but the name Alexei is pronounced, as in the Orthodox calendar - Alexy.

The secret of any name is hidden in the difficult fate of the Georgian people. For every inhabitant of Georgia, a name is not only a nickname with a melodic sound, but a piece of their history, a link with their ancestors. Maybe that's why their appeal to a person resembles a sweet-voiced song and penetrates into the very heart.

Attention, only TODAY!

A correctly chosen name has a strong positive impact on the character and fate of a person. It actively helps to develop, forms positive qualities of character and state, improves health, removes various negative programs of the unconscious. But how do you pick the perfect name?

Despite the fact that there are interpretations in culture of what male names mean, in reality, the influence of the name on each boy is individual.

Sometimes parents try to choose a name before birth, making it difficult for the baby to form. Astrology and numerology of choosing a name have squandered all serious knowledge about the influence of a name on fate through the ages.

Calendars of Christmas time, holy people, without consulting a seeing, perspicacious specialist, do not provide any real help in assessing the influence of names on the fate of a child.

And the lists of ... popular, happy, beautiful, melodious male names completely turn a blind eye to the individuality, energy, soul of the child and turn the selection procedure into an irresponsible game of parents in fashion, selfishness and ignorance.

Beautiful and modern Georgian names should first of all suit the child, and not the relative external criteria of beauty and fashion. Who don't care about your child's life.

Various characteristics according to statistics - positive features of the name, negative features of the name, choice of profession by name, the impact of the name on business, the impact of the name on health, the psychology of the name can only be considered in the context of a deep analysis of subtle plans (karma), energy structure, tasks for life and kind of a particular child.

The theme of the compatibility of names (and not the characters of people) is an absurdity that turns inside out on the interactions of different people the internal mechanisms of the influence of a name on the state of its carrier. And it cancels the entire psyche, the unconscious, energy and behavior of people. It reduces the entire multidimensionality of human interaction to one false characteristic.

The meaning of the name has no literal effect. For example, Vazha (courageous, knight) does not mean that the young man will be strong, and the bearers of other names will be weak. The name can weaken his health, block his heart center and he will not be able to give and receive love. On the contrary, it will help another boy to solve problems for love or power, it will greatly facilitate life and achieve goals. The third boy may not bring any effect at all, whether there is a name or not. Etc. Moreover, all these children can be born on the same day. And have the same astrological, numerological and other characteristics.

The most popular Georgian names for boys in 2015 are also a delusion. Despite the fact that 95% of boys are called names that do not make life easier. You can focus only on a specific child, deep vision and wisdom of a specialist.

The secret of a male name, as a program of the unconscious, a sound wave, vibration, is revealed by a special bouquet, primarily in a person, and not in the semantic meaning and characteristics of the name. And if this name destroys the child, then there would be no beautiful, melodious with a patronymic, astrological, blissful, it would still be harm, destruction of character, complication of life and aggravation of fate.

Below is a hundred Georgian names. Try to choose a few, the most suitable in your opinion for the child. Then, if you are interested in the effectiveness of the impact of the name on fate, .

List of male Georgian names in alphabetical order:

Abo - in honor of the holy martyr Abo Tbileli, who converted to Christianity
Auto is the heart of the motherland
Anton - warrior, leader
Avtandil - the heart of the motherland
Amiran - ruler, tall
Archil - correct, open
Alika - defender
Aliko - protector
Alex - protector

Badri - full moon, perfect creation
Baram - exorcist of the demon Veretre
Beso - the son of a beloved wife, the son of the right hand
Besarion - wooded gorge
Berdia - given by God, gift of the Lord
Berdo - given by God, gift of the Lord
Bitchiya - a young man, a boy
Bijo - young
Bichiko - boy

Vano - the grace of God
Vaso - royal
Vakhtang - wolf body, wolf
Vazha - courageous, knight
Vepo - tiger

Genatsvale - friend
Geronti - old man
Gia - farmer
Gogi - brave
Giorgi is a farmer
Gogita - farmer
Gocha - old man, small
Guram - exorcist of the demon Veretre

David is beloved
Dato - beloved
Daniel is the judge of God
Jano - in love, with a burning heart
Jansug - in love, with a burning heart
Janico - in love, with a burning heart
Jumber - young lion
Dursun - remaining

Zaza - old man, old man
Zviad - arrogant, arrogant
Zurab - red gem

Iago - following someone
Elijah - the fortress of the Lord
Elijah - the fortress of the Lord
Irakli is a hero, the glory of Hera
Heraclius - hero, glory of Hera
Ivane - the grace of God

Kakha - from Kakheti, winner
Koba - follower

Lado - who owns the world
Lasha - light, light
Levan - lion
Lomi - lion
lion - lion
Leon is a lion
Lefter - free
Luke - light
Lucian - light
Lukia - light

Malkhaz - prince
Mamuka - sunrise
Mgheliko - wolf cub

Nicholas - conquering people
Nikoloz - victorious people
Nicandro - conqueror of husbands
Nugzar - very young

Otar - fragrant, medicine
Otia - fragrant, medicine

Pavle - small, small
Pavlia - small, petty
Pavlik - small, small
Petra - stone, rock
Patria - stone, rock
Petia - stone, rock
Peta - stone, rock
Peto - stone, rock
Petrua - stone, rock
Petua - stone, rock

Revaz - great, outstanding
Rezo - great, outstanding
Reziko - great, outstanding
Growth - a hero
Born a martyr
Rustam - hero, mighty

Saba - an old man deprived of freedom
Sergi - high, highly esteemed
Sergo - high, highly esteemed
Sergia - high, highly esteemed
Soso - addition, increase
Sula - soul
Suliko - darling

Tamta - dedicated to God, strong, courageous
Tamazi is a twin
Tamaz is a strong rider
Tariel - king-hero
Tengiz - great, strong
Temur - iron
Timur - iron
Titus - honor, honor
Titia - honor, honor
Titiko - honor, honor
Tito - honor, honor
Tornike is the winner

Khvicha - shining, shimmering
Chichiko - little man

Shalva - peace
Shavela - peace
Shaliko - peace
Shalika - peace
Shaluta - peace
Shota - fire
Shukri - farmer

Iago - following someone

Remember! Choosing a name for a child is a huge responsibility. A name can both greatly facilitate a person’s life, and harm.

How to choose an absolutely right, strong and suitable name for a child in 2019?

If you want to give a child a strong name that would improve the weak qualities of the child, support him in life, and protect him from birth problems. In general, you want the chosen name to help the child be better, more successful, more efficient and have fewer problematic situations in life.

Find out right now how the name will affect the fate, strength of character and life of the child.
I will make you a free analysis of the 1st name - write to whatsapp +7926 697 00 47
Or come to me in the center in Moscow, at the Red Gate.

Name neurosemiotics
Yours, Leonard Boyard
Switch to the value of life

The anthroponymy of the Georgians reflected all the difficulties of their historical path. The sources of the Georgian personal name are very diverse. In the conditions of close and long-term communication of Georgians with the peoples of neighboring regions and state formations (the North Caucasus, Armenia, Iran, Byzantium, the Arab Caliphate), foreign names were included in the Georgian anthroponymic "repertoire" in the traditions of local cultural and linguistic features. The early adoption of Christianity from Byzantium brought church names that became mandatory.

Names dating back to folklore were distributed mainly among the masses and, as a rule, were not canonized, for example: male Mgelika “wolf cub”, Dzaglika “puppy”, “dog”, female. Mzekala "sun-virgin". The names of this type also include such as the still popular male Badri, Mindia, female Dali, Piala.

Most of them are the product of the actual Georgian (Kartvelian) word formation. Especially numerous is the fund of Georgian anthroponyms that existed in the past in certain ethnographic groups of the Georgian people (Khevsurs, Pshavs, Imeretins, Gurians, Mingrelians, Svans); over time, these names gained nationwide distribution.
A feature of Georgian anthroponyms of foreign origin can be considered that they sometimes exist exclusively among Georgians. Such, for example, is the history of the name Vakhtang, which arose in the 5th century and is associated with the Iranian cultural world, although it is completely unfamiliar to Iranians. In the period of the developed Middle Ages, when close cultural contacts were established between the peoples of Transcaucasia and Iran, old Iranian names began to revive in Georgia and new ones began to penetrate. And in this case, we are faced with the peculiarities of borrowing names by Georgians. For example, husband. Rostom, Bezhan, Givi - Georgian forms of the Iranian names Rustam, Bizhan, Giv, which are the names of the heroes of the Iranian epic "Shahname". These names, unusual for the Iranians themselves, became widespread among the Georgians, since that part of the famous Iranian epic, in which the named heroes act, was especially popular among the Georgians and even became part of their folklore (“Rostomiani”). With the penetration of Perso-Arabic literature into Georgia, still popular female names of Persian and Arabic origin began to be borrowed from it: Leila, Turpa.

Even in the early Middle Ages, the now popular names of biblical and Greek-Byzantine origin were also widely used among Georgians: David, Isak (Isaac), Mose (Moses), Ekvtime (Euphemius), Ioane (John), Giorgi (George), Grigoli (Gregory ). However, here we again encounter the peculiarities of Georgian borrowings. For example, the common female name Eteri comes from the Greek word aither "ether". This word in the Georgian form - eteri - as a colorful epithet, is found in ancient Georgian literature. Thus, the name arose from "foreign material", but received a purely local national coloring. (Eteri is the heroine of the famous medieval Georgian love epic "Eteriani".)
Georgian names, especially male half-names, are often used in the form of the vocative case developed in the Georgian language, for example: Andro (from Andria), Dato (from David). Nicknames have long been popular in Georgia: husband. Bichiko "boy", Chichiko "man"; female Gogol "girl", Tsira "beautiful girl"; metaphorical names like Raindy "knight", etc. You can even set the time of occurrence of some of them. For example, the first bearer of the now popular name Vazha "courageous man" was the famous Georgian poet Luka Razikashvili, who had the pseudonym Vazha Pshavela (1861-1915). It is noteworthy that for the first time among Georgians, the name of Imedi "hope" was called by King Erekle II (1748-1796) the grandfather of Vazha Pshavela, who initiated the popularity of this name among Georgians.
With the accession of Georgia to Russia (1801), the penetration into Georgian anthroponymy of Russian names and names popular in Russia began. And the newly borrowed anthroponyms receive a purely Georgian design. For example, the name Vladimir (Georgian Vladimiri), which has become widespread in Georgia, in the half-name Volodya in Georgian began to sound like Lado.

By some names, one can also judge the conditions of contact between Georgians and Russians at the time of borrowing one or another name. Thus, the Georgian name Iagor penetrated into Georgia through live communication from South Russia, where it sounded in the form of Iagor (from Egor - the Russian version of George).
Among the Georgian names there are many that testify to the ties of Georgians with neighboring peoples at various stages of their history - the names of ancient Ossetian, ancient Vainakh (Vainakhs are the ancestors of modern Chechens and Ingush) origin, these include: Zaur from Saurmag "black-handed", Tatash from Tatraz - one of the heroes of the Ossetian Nart epic, Jokola from the anthroponymic fund of the Ingush, and others. "Turkishization" and who were usually called "Turks" in Georgia.

Since the end of the 19th and especially in the 20th century, as a result of Georgia's accession to European culture, the names of the heroes of Western European literature have become widely popular among Georgians: Albert, Maurice, John, Carlo. After the victory of Soviet power in Georgia (1921), the Georgians paid tribute to the general trend of that time: artificial anthroponyms appeared, which, in essence, never took root: Dictatorship, Kommunari. In the process of the struggle for peace, which took on a particularly massive character after the Second World War, names like Omismteri "enemy of war" began to be popular.

There are extremely rare cases when the same name is given to men and women (Russian Vasily - Vasilisa, Valentin - Valentina). A rare, if not the only, exception is the name Suliko “darling” (there is no category of grammatical gender in the Georgian language), which entered Georgian anthroponymy thanks to the well-known song of the same name to the words of A. Tsereteli (1840-1915).

The ethno-tribal diversity of the Kartvelians was first of all reflected in the Georgian families. For example, the Georgian surnames of the plain zone, as a rule, end in -dze in its western half and in -shvili in the eastern half. These anthroponymic formants are known even in the earliest period of ancient Georgian writing and are translated as "son", "descendant". For the surnames of the mountainous regions of Eastern Georgia - Pshavia, Tusheti, Khevsureti and some others, the ending -uri, -uli is characteristic. This formant, which generally plays an active role in the Georgian language, indicates a territorial or clan affiliation. In Western Georgia, and especially in such regions as Guria, Imereti, Adzharia, the same -dze and -shvili, as well as -eli, which plays the same role as in Eastern Georgia -uri, -uli, have been preserved. The Megrelochan subgroup has still retained three anthroponymic formants -ishi (performing the same functions as -uri, -uli, -eli), -ava and -ia, for example: Jashi, Tandilava, Kiria. The last two suffixes are probably of late origin, and their anthroponymic functions are not entirely clear. The typical endings of Svan surnames are -iani and -ani, for example: Kopaliani, Gulbani; the functions of these formants are the same as -uri, -eli, that is, they indicate territorial or clan affiliation.