What is in a reputation? Above you could count on! Family labels can take clues to children’s origin or families interactions, appeal, occupations, locations, and also relationships to royalty. When you have Armenian history, comprehension Armenian surnames can help you relate with your family members when you learn the Armenian genealogy and family history. Have a look at information on Armenia when you look at the FamilySearch wiki to assist you manage your hunt!
Armenian Surname Construction
Most Armenian surnames consist of a-root and one or even more suffixes. The basis vel, or it could be a title, personal feature, career, or place-name. Types of roots in addition to their definitions through the utilizing:
- Kade (magistrate, assess, cadi)
- Kabasakal (having a rough or bushy beard)
- Baghdasar (a€?Balthasara€? in English, meaning guard in the master)
- Zeytounts (a city in historical Armenia)
Armenian Surname Suffixes
By far the most frequently employed suffix was -ian and its own variants, instance -yan, -jan, ians, among others. This suffix suggests a€?issued froma€? or a€?family of.a€? Including, somebody with the surname Zakarian will be the kid or descendant of Zakar.
- -li, which indicates a location term. For instance, the surname Sivaslian indicates a link to your city of Sivas. (keep in mind that this surname enjoys two suffixes: a€?li,a€? referring to the place-name, and the changed a€?ana€? for a€?ian.a€? So this surname shows someone who may be the child or descendant of a person linked to Sivas.)
- -tsi, which points to a location of source. For instance, the surname Shirakatsi shows a family beginnings of Shirak.
- -ji or -chi, which denotes a business.
- -ter or -der is a subject of admiration for a priest. A surname such Ter-Petrosyan indicates that anyone had an ancestor who was simply a priest.
- -uni show children link with Armenian nobility. Examples include Pahlavuni and Mandakuni.
Patronymics in Armenian Surnames
The -ian and similar suffixes originate from the patronymic naming system utilized for a long time in Armenian surnames. In this system, the surname of this youngster is dependant on the first title of the father. Very, as an example, a man known as Samvel Petrosian will be the daughter of Petros. And Samvel’s daughter Alex was known as Alex Samvelian.
Patronymics steadily decrease out-of use in the first 1900s as Armenians, like other people, began utilizing the same surname over multiple generations.
An innovative new Land, another Label
For those who have forefathers who immigrated to your United States, you have read tales about immigration authorities assigning new surnames to immigrants. Perhaps it happened in some instances. But specialist parece on many ship manifests, in which he receive a€?no evidence that any person of Armenian ethnicity is arbitrarily allocated an a€?American’ name about ship manifest.a€?
Instead, he uncovered different causes immigrants chose to changes their unique labels. Often they wished to adjust to another culture and language. Also, some thought we would reduce their lengthy surnames. Samourkashian might be Samour, or Aznavourian might be Aznavour. Often Armenian surnames are merely translated-Ohannisian might come to be its English similar, Johnson. In other cases, surnames happened to be altered to a similar-sounding English word with no linguistic connection to the original-for example, Buyukian (Buyuk implies a€?large persona€?) might be Bacon.
Dictionary of Armenian Surnames
The most useful resources for understanding Armenian surnames could be the Dictionary of Armenian Surnames, a work of really love by C. K. Garabed. By his own accounts, Garabad isn’t a linguist or philologist; the guy began recording Armenian surnames as an interest. Over the years, the guy built-up over 10,000 brands possesses mentioned meanings for many on the root. The dictionary consists of very long lists of Armenian surnames, structured alphabetically. It is fascinating also to flick through this dictionary.