Our name is what we hear most often. Perhaps that is why, in early childhood, we begin to become interested in this issue. Many pester parents with questions: "Why did they call me that?"; "What does my name mean?"; "Where did it come from?" and so on.
An important part is also the surname. It determines the individuality of a person, his family affiliation to his family, to the history of his many ancestors.
Therefore, it is not only the history of our names that matters, but also the origin of the names. Below is information about the history and origin of the surname Ilyin in accordance with ancient and modern sources.
What is a surname?
This, along with patronymic, is one of the components of our full name. It is transmitted to us from parents, that is, it is inherited. In Russia, it is traditional to transfer the surname and keep the pedigree along the male line. According to custom, a wife enters the dynasty of her husband. Thus, a surname is the name of a whole family and even a whole family.
Where did she come from?
We are now so accustomed to calling a person by name and surname, that the information that people once did not have a second seems simply absurd. However, this is only the result of progress. After all, it is so natural that each of us has his own name and his last name, even if they sometimes coincide. One curious fact is known. There are namesakes not only by first name, but also by last name - if these people are not relatives, then they are called "namesakes."
How did people do without family designation before? How did they distinguish, for example, in some church records of two neighbors by the name of Ivan, or how did they find out what kind of Marya they are, if there are eight of them in the village?
In ancient times, people were given nicknames in addition to the name - so well-fed Peter could become Pyotr Tolstyak or Pyotr Tolstopuz among the people. Later, these names were transformed and turned into surnames inherited.
Another variant of occurrence is the name by affiliation with a particular type of activity or estate. Surnames formed by this type include such as Konyukhov, Popov, Kupchin and others.
However, the most popular way of education was a denominational education, that is, it was formed by attaching a possessive suffix to the root of a particular name (usually male, since it was important to convey belonging to the owner of the house, the head of the family). The origin of the surname Ilyin is associated with this particular educational option.
It is worth noting that initially noble, wealthy dynasties acquired the names of the clan, because it was to such families that it was important to emphasize belonging to the family, transfer high status by inheritance, and preserve the clan.
Origin of Ilyin name
As already mentioned, the surname Ilyin came from the male name Ilya with the possessive suffix -in. This method of education is quite common in Russia and other Slavic countries. The meaning of such surnames is similar to the meaning of the middle name. Their meaning is to convey the person’s belonging to a family, headed by a person with an appropriate name.
For example, the nickname "Ivan Ilyin’s son" - later the word "son" was reduced, and the word "Ilyin", which became a surname, began to be inherited. In the same way, the variants of Ivanov, Efimov, Danilov and others were born.
Another version of the origin
But this is not the only hypothesis about the mode of occurrence. Also, the origin of the surname Ilyin is associated with the name of the biblical prophet Elijah. He was very revered in Russia, so many men were baptized under his auspices. By the way, the name day baptized by Elijah is celebrated on the second of August, the day of the Holy Prophet Elijah. Ilyin’s day is one of the most famous Slavic holidays.
Thus, the person received another name. The first was given to him at birth, the second - after baptism. It turned out that nee Peter, who was baptized on Ilyin’s day, became Peter and Ilya at the same time. Over time, he could be called Ilyin. Another option is “baptized Ilyin’s day, ” and we already know what happened to the “extra” words. They simply "cut off."
The value of the surname Ilyin
What does the surname Ilyin mean? The meaning can be associated with the corresponding value of the name. Ilya is the Russian version of the Hebrew name Eliyahu, which translates as "He is my God."
