The most beautiful foreign surnames. The most ancient surnames in Europe  Popular surnames in Europe

It’s hard to imagine, but it’s true - once upon a time people did without surnames. No, they had personal names (for example, among Russians, the non-church male names Wolf, Raven, Ram, Hare were popular), but surnames were inherited family names - alas. And this went on for quite a long time, even from a historical point of view. The Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations collapsed, but man remained as Ivashka, Jean or John.

Some researchers believe that the first surnames arose among Georgians (VI century) and Armenians (IV century). True, this information requires additional research to accurately confirm that the inheritance of names occurred. And the main thing is that these were the names of families, and not huge clans.

It can be more confidently stated that in Europe the origin of surnames began in Italy, in its developed northern part. This happened in the X-XI centuries. And from there the names began to “move” to France, then to England and Germany. The statistics are something like this. In 1312, in Frankfurt am Main (Germany), 66 percent of the townspeople were listed as having no last name, and already in 1351, only 34 percent.

In England, all citizens received surnames in the 15th century; in Scotland, the process continued until the 18th century. In 1526, the Danish king ordered all noble (noble) families to come up with surnames for themselves. The Swedes received approximately the same instructions in the 16th century. The once faceless, familyless (and therefore memoryless) population of Europe finally began to think about their roots, to honor and respect their already named ancestors.

In Russia, the acquisition of surnames began much later, and lasted much longer - as many as four centuries! It is believed that real family names began to appear among Russians in the 15th-16th centuries. Do not confuse them with the generic names of the boyars, which were known back in the 14th century. And, of course, first of all this affected the privileged strata - nobles and merchants. Before the fall of serfdom, huge masses of peasants were without surnames. They simply weren’t supposed to have last names! There were, however, street names, but no one recorded them, and they changed often. As a result, one family ended up with several “street surnames” at once.

How did Russian surnames arise? For the majority of the Russian population, this is the fruit of the creativity of tsarist officials. A huge, predominantly peasant state. In 1861 (the year of the abolition of serfdom) the problem of giving the population surnames arose. And the province went to write! The patronymic (father's name) or grandfather's name turned into a family name. Former serfs who lived under the princes Golitsyn became Golitsyns. Often surnames were simply made up. To do this, it was enough to have at least one official with imagination in the office. By the way, the same thing happened in our time - in the 20-40s, when the need arose to “family” the numerous peoples of the North. When issuing passports to Chukchi, Evenki or Koryaks, negligent Soviet bosses most often put the names Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov on them...

Scientists who have studied the distribution of surnames in Russia have found that the most common are the following: Ivanov - in the north-west of the European part of the country, Kuznetsov - in the territories south and east of Moscow, Smirnov - in the Northern Volga region, Popov - in the North. If we talk about the capital, then the picture is the same: in 1964, 90 thousand Ivanovs, almost 80 thousand Kuznetsovs, almost 60 thousand Smirnovs and 30 thousand Popovs lived here. As you understand, throughout the country there are millions of people with such surnames.

In general, the number of Russian surnames is very large. Perhaps more than any other nation. Compiled by the remarkable Russian philologist Vladimir Andreevich Nikonov (1904-1988), the dictionary of Russian surnames contains more than 70 thousand! Three thick volumes in the format of a large encyclopedia!

Czech linguist Jakub Marian researched the most common surnames in Europe and drew a special map. Thanks to her, interesting details were revealed.

As the researcher writes in his blog, Iceland uses the ancient Scandinavian system - the child takes his father's first name as his surname. For example, a person named Peter would have a child's last name of Peterson. This can be seen in all Scandinavian countries and concerns surnames ending in -son. Most often this was the case before, now it is an ordinary surname, it is inherited, like all others.

Jakub Morian marked all the names on the map with special colors depending on their meaning.

If the surname reflects any property of a person, for example, “small” or “unknown,” then the color red is assigned to it. Surnames related to the type of activity are marked in brown. If the surname is derived from the father's name, it is marked in blue. If the surname comes from the geographical name of the area, then it is assigned the color turquoise. Those that come from the names of natural objects are marked in green.

Statistics have shown that the most common surname in Croatia is Horvat, which is similar to the most common Slovak surname Horvath. A similar surname is also known in Hungary. In Hungarian it literally translates to “Croatian”. In fact, there are much fewer real Croats in Slovenia than there are bearers of this surname.

Where do you think the surname Ivanov is most common? In Bulgaria and Belarus, but not in Russia. In Serbia, the most popular variation of the surname Ivanov is Ivanovich (Jovanovic). This surname indicates descent from one common ancestor, whose name, apparently, was Ivan.

In Russia, the most popular surname is Smirnov. It indicates the properties of a person and defines him as “peaceful”, “benevolent”, “calm”.

By the way, the Czech’s research completely coincides with the data of the Russian geneticist Elena Balanovskaya. She identified 257 commonly used Russian surnames. Her top five most popular were as follows:

• Smirnov
• Ivanov
• Kuznetsov
• Sokolov
• Popov.

In Moldova, the most popular surname is Rusu. She points to her place of origin - Rus'. This once again confirms that Moldovans have much more in common with the Slavs than with the Romanians. Historians believe that it traces its origins to Red Rus', which was located in the territory of modern Ukrainian Galicia and existed since the 10th century. The Poles called the inhabitants of this territory Rusnak.

The most popular surname in Romania is Popa. It originates from the type of activity of its carriers - clergy.

The surname Müller in Germany and Melnik in Ukraine came from the name of the profession. Both are millers.

European surnames boast pedigrees that go back hundreds of years. The fates of aristocrats are often intertwined with historical events. Many representatives of noble families influenced the policies of states. Tsars and emperors listened to their opinion.

1. Medici (8th century)

One of the most famous families. The name of the oligarchic clan is associated with Florence, which was ruled by its representatives in the 13th-18th centuries. Later, Medici influence spread to Tuscany. Four members of this family became bearers of the title of Pope.
The clan often played at the intersection of the interests of the masses and representatives of noble families. This allowed him to achieve political power and the love of the people. The most successful bearers of the surname are considered to be Cosimo de' Medici and Lorenzo de' Medici. Both of them were politicians.

The family also became famous for its philanthropy. The current head of the house is president of the International Medici Association, which is dedicated to the defense of art, literature and science. Ottaviano Medici pays great attention to the glorification of his ancestors.

2. Wettins (9th century)

The House of Wettin, without exaggeration, is the most extensive in Europe. The Windsor and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha branches of the family are represented by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and King Philip of Belgium.

The family estate Wettin Castle is located in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. Members of the clan bore high titles throughout the entire existence of the family name. Among them were kings and margraves, the Elector of the Roman Empire and the Duke of Warsaw, the Emperor of India and the Tsar of Bulgaria. Such a family could not help but influence political events in Europe.

3. Habsburgs (10th century)

There was no more powerful royal house in the Middle Ages than the Habsburgs. Its founders were modest property owners in Alsace and Northern Switzerland. By the end of the 13th century, they ruled Austria and were considered skilled diplomats. Members of this family at different times were the rulers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, the Kingdom of Naples and even Mexico.

The territories controlled by the family are so vast that the Habsburg crown is called the rulers on whom the sun never sets. At the end of the 18th century, the Habsburgs became related to the Romanovs. Today the clan is not so influential.

4. Zähringen (XI century)

The Swabian family of Zähringen was founded by Berthold I. The family occupied influential positions in Germany. For a century, the Zähringens were electors of the German lands, dukes and margraves. The most extensive possessions of the family are represented by the House of Baden. Napoleon's favor allowed the descendant of the family to advance. Since then, a series of successful marriages have made them part of many royal and royal families. Our contemporaries from the Zähringen family own castles in Rastatt and Karlsruhe.

5. Liechtensteins (XII century)

The owner of the small Liechtenstein castle, located in the south of Vienna, is the ancestor of a noble family. By the 16th century, this baronial family had grown stronger and gained the opportunity to influence the territories of Moravia, Bohemia, Austria and Silesia. Even the Habsburgs borrowed from the Liechtensteins for some time.

In 1719, the family bought two small fiefs from the bankrupt owners of Hohenems. They were located on the Swiss border. The Holy Roman Emperor recognized that the head of the family, Anton Florian, was a prince. Its sovereign dignity became the reason for the appearance of the Principality of Liechtenstein on the European map. Today it is run by the son of the head of the Liechtenstein house, Prince Hans-Adam II.

6. Grimaldi (XII century)

The Consul of Genoa, Grimaldo Canella, became the founder of this family. Pro-papal policies helped the family to occupy a high position for several centuries. But the dislike of the people and enmity with the Ghibellines caused the clan to be expelled from its hometown twice.

After this, the Grimaldis settled in Monaco. Spain provided them with security. Recognizing vassalage, the family found a second home here. Prince Albert II of Monaco is the head of the house today. Grace Kelly became his wife and mother of a noble house.

7. Hohenzollerns (XII century)

Burchard I is considered the founder of the Hohenzollern family. The dynasty's surname comes from the name of a high rock in southwestern Swabia, on which stood the castle, which became the family seat of the family. Translated from southern German, the word “Hohenzoller” means “high rock”.

The Hohenzollerns brought Germany into the ranks of colonial powers that had powerful military-industrial potential. Emperor Wilhelm II, a representative of this noble family, became the last monarch of Germany.

One of the heirs to the Russian throne, Georgy Mikhailovich Romanov, is recognized by many monarchists as the heir to the leadership of the Russian Imperial House. He belongs to one of Hohenzollern branches, since he is the son of the Prussian Prince Franz Wilhelm.

8. Bourbons (XIII century)

The Royal House of Bourbon is one of the largest clans in Europe. The branches of the orgonomic family tree of this family are spread across the entire continent. The dynasty has different branches. Among them are the Spanish, French, Parma, Sicilian, Seville and Orleans family branches.

Some noble branches ceased. The senior Bourbon line from France witnessed and lived through the French Revolution, as well as the execution of Louis XVI. Its existence ceased with the death in 1883 of the Comte de Chambord.

The Spanish Bourbons are still in power today. Its head is King Philip VI of Spain. The Parma branch is crowned with the crown of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

9. Radziwills (XIV century)

There is a legend according to which the Radziwill family began with the high priest Lizdijk, who took root at the court of the Lithuanian prince Gediminas. Later, when Prince Jagiello started a war with Poland, members of the glorious family got the opportunity to become famous. There were legends among the people about the courage of the Radziwills. One of the representatives of the clan swam across the river, grabbing the tail of his horse. His bravery inspired all the warriors to victory. They followed the example of the brave man and won.

The Radziwills were princes of the Holy Roman Empire, patrons of the arts, military leaders and owners of factories. They influenced the economy and politics of Europe. They were respected. For her righteous deeds after death, Sophia Radziwill was canonized as an Orthodox saint. Today one of the most prominent Radziwills is the financier Maciej Radziwill.

But there were also scammers in the family. Thus, Catherine Radziwill, who lived in the 20th century, was charged with fraud. She served several years in prison, which became a black spot on the family’s reputation.

10. Orange (XVI century)

The Princes of Orange were members of an oligarchic family whose influence extended throughout the territory of the United Kingdom of Luxembourg. William I, the leader of the Dutch bourgeois revolution, became the founder of this dynasty.

In the 19th century, the family experienced several unpleasant decades associated with financial losses. After the death of King Willem II, Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna had to sell the family's property in order to pay off creditors. The male line of the dynasty died out in 1890 after the death of Willem III. Now the house is represented by descendants through the female line.

How many people, so many opinions. For this reason, it is impossible to say exactly which foreign surnames are ugly and which are beautiful. All of them contain certain information; when translated into our language, they can mean some kind of craft, the name of plants, animals or birds, or belong to a geographical area. Each country has its own euphonious surnames, so you need to choose the best ones for each region separately.

What surnames can be called beautiful?

Most people are proud of the name of their clan, although there are those who would not mind changing it to a more euphonious one. Each country has its own surnames, but their origins are almost the same. The family received its personal name from the name of its founder, his nickname, occupation, availability of land, and belonging to some status. Animals and plants are also often found. However, we choose the most beautiful foreign surnames based on their euphony, and not on the meaning of the content, which is not always known to us. In some cases, one begins to like a genus name if its bearer is an idol of millions, a historical figure who has done something good and useful for humanity.

Aristocratic surnames

Noble surnames always sounded solemn, proud and pompous. Rich people were proud of their origins and noble blood. Beautiful foreign surnames are mainly found among the descendants of noble families; people who left a significant mark on history should also be included here: writers, artists, designers, composers, scientists, etc. The names of their genera are euphonious, they are often well-known, so people are imbued with sympathy for them.

In England, the beautiful names include the names of counts and wealthy nobles: Bedford, Lincoln, Buckingham, Cornwall, Oxford, Wiltshire, Clifford, Mortimer. In Germany: Munchausen, Fritsch, Salm, Moltke, Rosen, Siemens, Isenburg, Stauffenberg. In Sweden: Fleming, Jüllenborg, Kreutz, Horn, Delagardie. In Italy: Barberini, Visconti, Borgia, Pepoli, Spoleto, Medici.

Surnames derived from the names of birds, animals, plants

From the world of flora and fauna came many euphonious surnames that evoke affection. Their owners were mainly people who liked certain animals, birds, plants, or were similar to them in appearance or character. There are a huge number of such examples in Rus': Zaitsev, Orlov, Vinogradov, Lebedev, and they exist in other countries. For example, in England: Bush (bush), Bull (bull), Swan (swan).

Beautiful foreign surnames are often formed from the name of the ancestor: Cecil, Anthony, Henry, Thomas, etc. A lot of names are associated with a specific area with which the founders were associated: Ingleman, Germain, Pickard, Portwine, Kent, Cornwall, Westley. Of course, a huge group of family names are those associated with professions and titles. Some surnames arose spontaneously. If they evoke positive associations in people, then they can be classified as beautiful, euphonious and successful, because they are greeted by their clothes, so a good generic name helps many people to win over people when meeting them.

Spanish euphonious surnames

Spaniards usually have double family names, they are connected by the particles “y”, “de”, a hyphen or written with a space. The father's surname is written first, and the mother's surname second. It should be noted that the particle “de” indicates the aristocratic origin of the founder. Spanish law provides for a maximum of two given names and a maximum of two surnames. When women get married, they usually leave their family names.

Beautiful male foreign surnames are not uncommon for Spaniards. Fernandez is considered one of the most common; she is not inferior in attractiveness to Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Sanchez, Martinez, Perez - they all come from names. The euphonious Spanish surnames also include Castillo, Alvarez, Garcia, Flores, Romero, Pascual, Torres.

French beautiful surnames

Among the French names of childbirth, there are often beautiful surnames for girls. Foreign states acquired permanent names at about the same time as Rus'. In 1539, a royal decree was issued obliging every Frenchman to acquire a personal name and pass it on to his descendants. The first surnames appeared among aristocrats; they were passed on from father to son even before the above-mentioned decree was issued.

Today in France, double family names are acceptable, and parents can also choose which surname the child will bear - the mother's or the father's. The most beautiful and common French genus names: Robert, Perez, Blanc, Richard, Morel, Duval, Fabre, Garnier, Julien.

German common surnames

Beautiful foreign surnames are also found in Germany. In this country, they began to form back in those days. In those days, people had nicknames consisting of the person’s place of birth and his origin. Such surnames provided comprehensive information about their bearers. Nicknames often indicated a person’s type of activity, his physical disadvantages or advantages, and moral qualities. Here are the most popular surnames in Germany: Schmidt (blacksmith), Weber (weaver), Mueller (miller), Hoffmann (yard owner), Richter (judge), Koenig (king), Kaiser (emperor), Herrmann (warrior), Vogel (bird) ).

Italian surnames

The first Italian surnames appeared in the 14th century and were common among noble people. The need for them arose when many people appeared with the same names, but it was necessary to somehow distinguish them. The nickname contained information about the person’s place of birth or residence. For example, the ancestor of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci lived in the city of Vinci. Most Italian surnames were formed due to the transformation of descriptive nicknames, and they end in There is an opinion that the most beautiful foreign names and surnames are in Italy, and it is difficult to disagree with this: Ramazzotti, Rodari, Albinoni, Celentano, Fellini, Dolce, Versace, Stradivari.

English beautiful surnames

All English family names can be divided into four groups: nominal, descriptive, professional and official, and by place of residence. The first surnames in England appeared in the 12th century and were the privilege of the nobility; in the 17th century absolutely everyone already had them. The most widespread group consists of genealogical names of clans, derived from personal names, or a combination of the names of both parents. Examples include the following: Allen, Henry, Thomas, Ritchie. Many surnames contain the prefix “son,” meaning “son.” For example, Abbotson or Abbot's, that is, the son of Abbott. In Scotland, “son” was denoted by the prefix Mac-: MacCarthy, MacDonald.

Beautiful foreign female surnames are often found among English family names, derived from the place in which the founder of the family was born or lived. For example, Surrey, Sudley, Westley, Wallace, Lane, Brook. Many euphonious surnames indicate the occupation, profession or title of the founder: Spencer, Corner, Butler, Tailor, Walker. Family names of the descriptive type reflect the physical or moral qualities of a person: Moody, Bragg, Black, Strong, Longman, Crump, White.

All genus names are unique and attractive in their own way. It should be remembered that it is not the surname that makes the person, but the person the surname. Studying the history of the origin of certain family names is a very interesting and fascinating activity, during which many secrets of individual families are revealed. There are beautiful and euphonious surnames in any country, but they are different for each person. I mainly like those generic names that are consonant with the name.

The pedigree of European aristocratic families dates back hundreds of years. Noble houses actively influenced and influence world politics. Their destinies are also intertwined in the history of Russia.

1. Medici (8th century)

The famous oligarchic Medici family is primarily associated with Florence, whose rulers they became from the 13th to the 18th centuries. However, the Medici extended their influence to Tuscany. Moreover, four representatives of this family were given the honor of bearing the title of Pope.

In their activities, the Medici often and very successfully played on the confrontation between the interests of the people and the nobility, thanks to which they were able to achieve political power. Cosimo de' Medici (1389-1464) and Lorenzo de' Medici (1394-1440) became perhaps the most successful politicians of the family.

Another area where the Medici left behind a legacy is philanthropy. So the modern head of the house, Ottaviano Medici, president of the International Medici Association for the Defense of Arts, Science and Literature, maintains the glory of his noble ancestors.

2. Wettins (9th century)

Wettin Castle, which is located on the Saale River (federal state of Saxony-Anhalt), became the family seat of one of the most influential houses in Europe - the Wettins. Members of this family, which dates back to the Carolingian era, bore a variety of titles - King of Saxony and Margrave of Meissen, Elector of the Holy Roman Empire and Duke of Warsaw, Emperor of India and Tsar of Bulgaria.

Representatives of the House of Wettin have repeatedly influenced the geopolitical situation in Europe. Thus, the Wettins were the first in Germany to accept the Reformation, and 5 states under the rule of members of the House of Wettin were among the founders of the German Empire.

3. Habsburgs (10th century)

During the Middle Ages and the Modern Age, the Habsburgs were, without exaggeration, the most powerful royal house. From modest owners of castles in northern Switzerland and Alsace, the Habsburgs by the end of the 13th century turned into rulers of Austria.

Through skillful diplomacy and the power of bribes and weapons, Habsburg influence quickly grows. At various times they ruled the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, the Kingdom of Naples and even Mexico. In the 16th century, the territories under the Habsburg crown were rightly called “the empire on which the sun never sets.”

In 1799, the Romanovs became related to the Habsburgs: the daughter of Paul I, Alexandra Pavlovna, became the wife of Archduke Joseph.

Representatives of various branches of the Habsburgs live today. Thus, in 2010, Ulrich Habsburg took part in the presidential elections in Austria, but, without collecting a sufficient number of voter signatures, he dropped out of the race.

4. Zähringen (XI century)

The foundation of the power of the ancient Swabian family of Zähringen was laid by Berthold I. Since his time, the family quickly achieved an influential position. For almost 10 centuries the Zähringens were dukes, margraves and electors of various states of Germany.

The House of Baden, which represented the most extensive possessions of the Zähringens, received particular fame. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Margrave of Baden, thanks to his loyalty to Bonaparte, was able to raise his title to Elector. The successful marriage of the Elector's grandson brought the Baden princesses the title of Queen Consort of Bavaria and Sweden. And Louise Maria Augusta, known in Russia as Elizaveta Alekseevna, became the wife of Emperor Alexander I.

5. Liechtensteins (XII century)

9. Radziwills (XIV century)

According to legend, the Radziwill family goes back to the high priest Lizdeika, who lived at the court of the Lithuanian prince Gediminas. However, the family was destined to become famous later - at the time when Prince Jagiello started a war with Poland. Then the young Lithuanian Radziwill, grabbing his horse by the tail, swam with him across the Vistula, setting an example for the rest of the army.

The Radziwills were prominent figures in European history. They were princes of the Holy Roman Empire, military leaders, owners of factories, and philanthropists. It is interesting that Sophia Radziwill (1585-1612), the wife of Janusz Radziwill and a descendant of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgert, was canonized as an Orthodox saint.

In the 20th century, the famous family became notorious thanks to Catherine Radziwill (1858-1941), a writer and swindler who served time in prison for fraud. One of the most famous modern Radziwills is the Polish financier Maciej Radziwill.

10. Orange (XVI century)

The Princes of Orange were once members of the influential oligarchic family of the United Kingdom of Luxembourg. One of them, the leader of the Dutch bourgeois revolution, William I (1533-1584), was destined to become the founder of the dynasty.

By the middle of the 19th century, the welfare of the House of Orange had deteriorated so much that after the death of King Willem II, his wife, the Russian Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, had to pay her husband’s debts from her own funds. However, after selling part of the property in Luxembourg, the Oranskys were able to maintain their fortune.

In 1890, with the death of Willem III, the Orange dynasty in the male line died out. Currently, the House of Orange is represented by descendants in the female line: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his daughter Katharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange.