The surname Belousov is not so common in Russia. However, it cannot be added to the list of rare ones. Fans of the Soviet stage will surely remember Yevgeny Belousov, the performer of popular love songs. And history has preserved the names of peasants, merchants and monks who bore this surname. What is its origin? The answer to this question is not as obvious as it might seem at first glance.
Features of the formation of Russian surnames
Well-known names of modern man, such as Mikhail, Alexei, Peter and others, entered the everyday life of the Slav rather late - already in the XIII – XV centuries. In an earlier period, they were "baptismal", personifying a relationship with God and providing protection for the guardian angel. They were not accepted to be called the first person they came across, therefore, other household names were used in everyday life that were associated with some characteristic feature of a person. It could be a feature of appearance, occupation, what happened once a strange event, etc.
Accordingly, when there was a need to somehow clarify their belonging to a family, a person called either his profession (blacksmith Ivan, saddler Vasily), or the nickname by which his father or grandfather was known. For example, "Ivashko, Belousov’s son." Later, an indication of kinship began to drop, and the nickname of a distant ancestor became a family name.
What does the surname Belous mean?
The history and origin of this generic name goes back centuries. The first written mention of this surname dates back to 1495. She was worn by the peasant Ivan, who lives in the Semenovsky graveyard. A well-known tradesman from Vinnitsa, whose name appeared in the annals in 1552, and some others.
Surnames Belous, Belousov, Belousovsky, etc. are widespread not only in Russia, but also in other Slavic countries: Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Bulgaria. All of them consist, which, obviously, of two roots: "white" and "mustache". This is characteristic of the Russian "clan names" and indicates the origin of the nickname given for any features to a distant ancestor.
The value of the surname Belousov may be different. The most obvious interpretation is related to the appearance of the ancestor - a man with a white mustache. However, this is not the only option.
Existing theories
In order to understand exactly what the name Belousov means, it is not enough to single out two semantic roots. It is necessary to thoroughly study the history of the family: place of residence, occupation of the ancestor, especially his appearance and character. Even the time of the appearance of the surname plays a role. For example, in the XVII-XVIII centuries, after the revolt of Bohdan Khmelnitsky and the war with the Commonwealth, it could arise due to the mistake of an official who collects taxes and is obliged to keep house lists of the population. So, “Vasily-Belarus” could easily turn into “Vasily Belous”. Rarely did anyone protest because of such descriptions, because serfs in the main part were illiterate, and it was considered honorable to have a "clan name" for the peasant.
Thus, the surname Belousov origin can lead from:
- Ancestor nicknames.
- Erroneous spelling of the ethnonym "Belarus".
- Names of estates or villages where ancestors lived - for example, Belousovka, etc.
A clue may also lie in the linguistic "nationality" of the surname Belousov. The origin of the generic names with the end of "ov" is characteristic of the lands, after the Mongol-Tatar invasion rallied around Moscow. This is a classic version of the Russian surname. But the form "Belous" is more characteristic of Belarus and Ukraine.
The answer is in hydronymics
There is another little-known version of the origin of the surname Belousov. That is the name of one of the tributaries of the Desna - a large river that flows into the Dnieper. After the accession by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich of the left-bank Ukraine, many immigrants from Little Russia appeared in Russia. Not all of them had a surname. It is likely that someone who once lived on the shores of Whitebeard, once and for all, was baptized by his neighbors with this nickname.
Two-part name
Most linguists agree that the origin of the surname Belousov is associated with the personal nickname of the founder of the clan. Unusual appearance was often the reason for assigning a public name to a person. What could be called a man whose mustache was noticeably lighter than his hair and beard? That's right, Belous. So could be called an early gray-haired man. Moreover, he might not have any vegetation on his head - in this case, the mustache became the only noticeable feature of his appearance.
"Plant" theory
The main grain crop sown in Russia was rye. It grew on all lands from the White Sea to the Danube, calmly withstood frosts down to -40 ⁰С, and prolonged droughts, and prolonged rains, which were not uncommon in Eastern Europe. Wheat was sown only in a narrow strip of temperate climate. Some of its varieties, in connection with the characteristic color of the spikelets, were popularly called the "white shovel". She rarely came to the tables of peasants - more often she went to sell or pay a quitrent. It is not surprising that a person who, for whatever reason, was forced to grow a less important grain crop instead of a rye-nurse, was doomed to wear a "talking" nickname. It is with this that the origin of the surname Belousov is connected. Literally, this can be translated as "the descendant of a person engaged in the cultivation of white squirrel."
There is another plant that could give the nickname to the ancestor. In the Slavic lands, the perennial cereal Nardus, or otherwise elous, is well known. It has been used by herbalists to treat fever, leg swelling, and even altitude sickness. It was not used in agriculture and was considered a weed. However, it was often planted in swampy areas, since the branched root system of this plant strengthens the soil. Accordingly, a person engaged in draining the territory by sowing swamps with this grass could well get the nickname Belous from the villagers.
