Moldova has long been a center of intersection of many cultures. This was reflected in the local anthroponymy, which includes heterogeneous elements. Below we will talk about what Moldavian surnames are.
Sources of surnames
There were several sources from which surnames began to take shape.
- Firstly, these are personal names.
- Secondly, the father’s nickname or his profession, occupation.
- Thirdly, the profession of man himself.
- Fourth, place of birth or permanent residence.
- Fifth, belonging to some ethnic group.
- And finally, sixth, these are personality characteristics (appearance, character, etc.).
Surname History
Surnames in the proper sense of the word appeared among Moldavians not so long ago. Moldovan surnames playing the role of nicknames for status persons have existed since about the XIII century. But these were unofficial appeals, while only names were recorded on paper. From the historical documents of that era, we know that a significant number of noble persons in Moldova were of Ruthenian origin. Most of the population received surnames only in the XVIII century, and then closer to its end. A little later, in the XIX century, Moldavians, leaving to serve in the army (Russian or Austrian troops), were to provide a surname. For lack of such, a nickname was recorded in the documents, which has since become the official name.
Description of surnames
Most of the names of the Slavic population in Moldova end in "ov", "iy", "ich", "im", "k". They are first mentioned starting from the 13th century. Further, Moldovan surnames with the suffixes “uk”, “yuk”, “ak” and the like variants are widespread. In general, Slavic, Ruthenian and Little Russian names gave rise to modern Moldavian surnames. Examples include such ones as Zaporozhan, Rusnak, Buts and others. As for the Buts form, as well as the Huts form, some modern scholars believe that they come from the word Hutsul, an ethnonym meaning the Eastern Slavs. This word is comparable to modern “katsap”, “Muscovite” or earlier “raiki”, meaning Rusyns living within Northern Bessarabia. The Moldavian surnames Raiko and Raylyan are mainly the descendants of the residents of Khotyn County. But the surname Rusnak directly comes from the self-name of the Rusyns.
The census of Moldavia in the years 1772-1774 tells a lot about the names and surnames that were common at that time. Accordingly, according to these data, one can also calculate the national composition of the then population of the country. The census was carried out by order and by the forces of the Russian army. The shortcomings of its documentation led to the fact that a person could be written down according to completely different criteria: name, or surname, or occupation, or fatherhood, or nationality. However, it is not always possible to figure out what the census is all about. For example, in the record “Ionita, Munteans” it is not clear whether this person is a highlander, how this word is translated from the Moldavian language, or whether he comes from Wallachia, which was called Montenia. The entry “Makovei, Unguryan” also applies there. It can mean, like the fact that a person comes from Hungary, and the fact that he lived there for a while. However, it can still be interpreted as an indication of nationality, without reference to the place of residence or simply as a surname.
