The ancient type of Slavic tribal names was formed from the full form of the baptismal church name of the ancestor. Most of the Russian surnames came from baptismal names, which were contained in the church calendar - Saints. According to Christian tradition, the child was named after a saint, revered by the church on the birthday or baptism of the baby. Christianity came to Russia from Byzantium, which borrowed religion from Rome, and it entered the Roman state from the Middle East. For this reason, most of the baptismal names were borrowed by the Slavs from ancient languages: Arabic, Jewish, Latin, Greek. Studying the history of the name is a fascinating and difficult task, which allows you to learn a lot of interesting things about the culture, life and traditions of our distant predecessors. The article will discuss the history, origin and meaning of the name Anisimov.
History of the formation of a generic name
The name Anisim is a form of the baptismal name Onisim, which in translation from the ancient Greek language means "beneficent, useful." Thanks to the dialect, the letter “o” was replaced with “a” over time.
The name Onesimus was given to the kids in honor of the saints whose namedays are celebrated by the church on February 15, September 28, May 10, and January 4.
It is generally accepted that the origin of the Anisimov surname is associated with the name Onisim or Anisim, derivatives are also known that were no less popular in ancient times: Onisifor, Anisior, Onisimus.
Patron saints
The holy protector of the family name is the Apostle Onesimus, who was a slave. Pursuing his lord, he was frightened of punishment and fled to Rome, where he met by chance with the apostle Paul and converted to Christianity. After baptism, he went to his master with a request to forgive him, and received not only forgiveness, but also freedom. He returned to Rome and unquestioningly carried out all the instructions of Paul.
The Anisimov’s ancestor, most likely, could receive a name in honor of the holy great martyress Anisya, who lived in Soluni during the reign of Emperor Maximilian.
It was believed that surnames that were formed from baptismal names received protection from a guardian angel, so this was the most popular and common type of formation of tribal names.
What does the name Anisimov mean?
In ancient times, the name Anisim was quite common. This is evidenced by the Russian names Anisimov and Onisimov formed from him.
Since about the 19th century, the name has become rare, in the end it has generally disappeared from use.
The surname Anisimov consists of a root (has a lexical meaning) and a suffix -ov, which indicates Russian origin.
The emergence of family names on the territory of the Russian state
In Russia, around the 15-17th centuries, surnames began to appear in aristocratic circles and classes. They reinforced the right of descendants to inherit property. Among such generic names was the surname Anisimov, formed on the basis of the baptismal name.
For example, historical documents repeatedly mention the Anisimov nobles, the landowners Anisimovs are listed in census books of the late 15th century, Grigory Anisimov participated in the Livonian campaign (1559), Adrian Anisimov served as a clerk in the Estate, in addition, about six to seven Anisimov families at the end of 17 centuries owned estates and serfs.
Among people of the lower classes in those days nicknames and worldly names were used; they, as a rule, did not acquire generic names.
