The names worn by the inhabitants of Ukraine are generally close to Russian and Belarusian. However, they have their own specifics, which we will discuss below, analyzing in detail Ukrainian female names.
The proximity of Ukrainian names to Russian and Belarusian
The fact that the onomasticon of Ukraine is similar to Russian and Belarusian is not surprising. All three states are heirs to a common East Slavic pagan culture. In addition, they were equally affected by Christianization with the prevailing importance of Eastern Orthodoxy. Together they constituted the USSR, the cultural traditions of which were also reflected in the names of all three countries.
Slavic pagan names
The first category of names is associated with an ancient national culture. These are the original Slavic versions that were in use before Prince Vladimir initiated the Christianization policy in Russia. These Ukrainian female names consist of familiar roots and almost never require translation. They are distinguished by a special melody and national color, and therefore are easily recognized from the general mass. Unfortunately, after Christianity was established in Russia, and paganism fell into decay, many Slavic names came out of widespread use. Some of them are very rare, while others were completely lost without a trace.
East Christian names
The political orientation of the principalities, on the territory of which modern Ukraine is located, led to the fact that it was the Eastern Christian tradition, that is, Orthodoxy, which does not consist in communion with Rome, that was established on their lands. With regard to the name-list, this was reflected in the fact that the inhabitants began to be baptized with names that were characteristic mainly of the Greeks. So, many Ukrainian female names are adaptations of the original Greek names. Among them, however, are Latin and Semitic variants.
West Christian names
But Orthodoxy alone does not end the religious life of Ukraine. Its geographical location and proximity to other states have made it a meeting place for a variety of cultural and religious traditions. Being throughout the history of its existence the arena of political games between Russia and neighboring Western European states, Ukraine has absorbed a considerable stratum of Western European culture. Despite the prevailing Orthodoxy, the influence of Catholicism in these lands was and remains quite significant, and therefore, unlike Russia, Ukrainian female names include many European - Latin, German, and other options.
History of names in Ukraine
Initially, many residents of Ukraine bore two names - Slavic pagan and Christian. This was especially popular during the period of dual faith, when people, still adhering to paternal traditions, were already involved in the orbit of Christianity. The Christian name in the minds of people provided them with protection and patronage of the saint of the same name - a kind of heavenly patron and patron. The pagan name likewise made it possible to count on the mercy and help of the gods. In addition, it served as a kind of amulet given by parents, the essence of which was revealed in its meaning. Over time, the names of the church clergy became familiar and began to be perceived as relatives. Gradually, they almost completely replaced the original forms.
Pronunciation specifics
Accepting foreign names, Ukrainians, however, often changed their sound, so that they actually Ukrainized. Ukrainian female names were particularly susceptible to this process.
For example, church and Jewish Anna began to pronounce as Gann. Similar processes always occurred when the name began with “a”. This is due to the fact that in the Ukrainian language an ancient rule is maintained that does not allow a word to begin with this sound. Therefore, they began to either precede the aspiratory "g", or change to "o". So, Alexandra turned into Oleksandra. Although there are exceptions. For example, Antonina is most often used with "a", although the variant with "o" also exists, but is extremely rare.
Another interesting point is that in ancient times in the Slavic language there was no sound "f". Because of this, the names that have it in their composition began to sound in a new way.
Some Ukrainian women's names and their meanings are correlated with other names from which they come from, but still represent independent forms. This is made possible by, for example, the diminutive suffix added to the original form. Thus, for example, the name Varka appeared, which has the name Varvara as its source. But officially these are two different names.
