In the old days in Russia, people often called each other by nicknames, which over time could gain a foothold and become real surnames. Such nicknames may have arisen due to the nature of the person, his distinctive external features. Often nicknames were given based on the type of activity a person was engaged in. Next, we consider the question of the origin of the surname Knyazev.
Surname history
Currently, many experts are considering the origin of the surname Knyazev from various points of view, therefore there are several main possible versions:
- The serf version. For a very long time Russia was a serfdom in which the landowner or feudal lord was also the owner of the peasants attached to his possessions. Therefore, many explain the origin story of the Knyazev surname and the meaning of this surname as the nickname of the peasants belonging to such landlord princes, that is, it can be assumed that the question: “Whose is this man?”, One could get the answer: “He is a prince”.
- German version. From ancient times, Russia had close ties with Prussia, and then with Germany. Merchants often came to Russia from Germany, in the 17th and 19th centuries German soldiers were invited to exchange experiences. In this regard, some scholars associate the origin of the name Knyazev with a German name that is difficult to pronounce and adapted to the Russian language.
- The ironic version. Very often in the old days a Russian person liked to make fun of his neighbor or acquaintances, if he began to become important, for example, to behave arrogantly, to dress up. In such situations, the nickname of the prince could appear, which gradually migrated to the surname.
Other versions of the meaning and origin of the surname Knyazev
In addition to the main versions regarding the name of Knyazev, there are several others. For example, a prince could be called a child whom a peasant gave birth to from a local prince. Such nicknames were often practiced in Russia. So, in addition to the prince, there were still tsars, barinov and boyarinovy children.
It should be noted that the nickname Knyazev could get only a commoner or a person who was in the service of the prince himself. The sons of the prince themselves were princes, therefore this nickname was not applied to them. However, over time, such a title became uncommon in Russia, so the origin of the name Knyazev could be a good substitute for the kind that previously had this honorary title.
