Russian surnames with noble roots. Noble families of the Russian Empire

If we take the Russian nobility, then there is a special collection of genera, compiled at the end of the 19th century, where 136 surnames are mentioned. Of course, time has made its own adjustments in terms of supplementing the list based on the results of various studies, but the main data is still relevant. When it becomes necessary to establish the authenticity of one or another noble family, one must turn to this collection.

The nobility in Russia appeared around the 12th - 13th centuries as a military service estate, belonging to which could be obtained through zeal in the service of a prince or boyar. Hence the meaning of the word "nobleman" - a person "court", "from the princely court." This lower stratum of the nobility was different from the boyars, who were considered the aristocracy, and the title was inherited. In a couple of centuries, the two estates will be equal in rights, including the right of succession of titles and regalia.

When the nobles began to receive land plots under the condition of service (a semblance of a feudal militia was formed), it became necessary to designate them in the lists as independent units, and not attached to princes and boyars. We decided that it would be more convenient to do this on the basis of reference to the location of his lands. This is how the first noble families appeared: Arkhangelsk, Ukhtomsk, Suzdal, Shuisky, Belozersky.

Another version of the origin of noble surnames is from nicknames: Toothed, Persian.

Sometimes, for clarification, they made a double surname, taking as a basis the place of the allotment and the nickname: Nemirovichi-Danchenko.

Gradually, the penetration of representatives of foreign powers into the territory of Russia was also reflected in the family noble families: Matskevichi, von Plehve, Lukomsky.

The era of the reign of Peter I was marked by many changes in the structure of the Russian state, including the strengthening of the role of the nobility. It was possible to obtain the title through diligent service to the sovereign, which was used by many active and landless people of the lower classes. So the noble family of the Menshikovs appeared on the list, by the name of the tsar's associate - Alexander Menshikov. Unfortunately, the ancient family has died out in the male line, and it is this factor that is decisive in the transfer of hereditary rights.

Based on the origin and antiquity of the family, the existing wealth and proximity to the highest power, as well as the trace left in the history of the state, the nobility was divided into several categories. These are: pillar, titled, foreign, hereditary and personal. They can also be identified by their last names. For example, the descendants of the noble princely and boyar families of the Scriabins and Travins made up the branches of the ancient nobility, or columnar.

The weakening of the positions of this estate in the 19th century was due to changes in the political structure of the state, as well as ongoing reforms. The abolition of serfdom in 1861 had a great impact, after which the dominant role of the nobility weakened. And after 1917, all estates were completely abolished.

But the names are still there! True, it is possible to determine their belonging to a particular genus only after a thorough study of the documents, because over the past centuries too many events have happened. Also, for clarification, you can refer to the "List of noble families included in the general coat of arms of the Russian Empire" (there is one). And only the owners of rare surnames need not worry - they are known even without reference literature. All they have to do is meet the high rank.

Since ancient times, the surname could change a person's life, it carried the whole history of the family and gave many privileges. People spent a lot of effort and money to have a good title, and sometimes they sacrificed their lives for this. It was almost impossible for a common resident to get on the list of nobles.

Types of titles

There were many titles in tsarist Russia, each of them had its own history and carried its own capabilities. All noble families followed the family tree and very carefully selected couples for their family members. The marriage of two noble families was more of a calculated calculation than a love relationship. Russian noble families kept together and did not allow members without a title into their families.

Such genera could include:

1. Princes.
2. Counts.
3. Barons.
4. Tsars.
5. Dukes.
6. Marquises.

Each of these genera had its own history and maintained its own family tree. It was strictly forbidden for a nobleman to create a family with a commoner. Thus, it was almost impossible for an ordinary ordinary resident of tsarist Russia to become a nobleman, except perhaps for very great achievements before the country.

Princes Rurikovich

Princes is one of the highest titles of nobility. Members of such a family always had a lot of land, finance and slaves. It was a great honor for a family member to be at court and help the ruler. Having shown himself, a member of the princely family could become a trusted special ruler. The famous noble families of Russia in most cases had a princely title. But the titles could be divided according to the methods of obtaining them.

One of the most famous princely families of Russia were the Rurikovichs. The list of noble families begins with her. Rurikovichs are immigrants from Ukraine and descendants of Igor's great Russia. The roots of many European rulers come from This is a strong dynasty that brought the world many famous rulers who have been in power throughout Europe for a long time. But a number of historical events that took place in those days divided the family into many branches. Russian noble families such as Pototsky, Przemyslsky, Chernigov, Ryazan, Galician, Smolensky, Yaroslavl, Rostov, Belozersky, Suzdal, Smolensky, Moscow, Tver, Starodubsky belong specifically to the Rurik family.

Other princely titles

In addition to the descendants of the Rurik family, the noble families of Russia can be such as the Otyaevs. This clan received its title thanks to the good warrior Khvostov, who had the nickname Otyai in the army, and has been going on since the year 1543.

The Ofrosmovs are an example of a strong will and a great desire to achieve a goal. The founder of the clan was a strong and courageous warrior.

The Pogozhevs are from Lithuania. Oratory and the ability to conduct military negotiations helped the founder of the family to receive a princely title.

The list of noble families also includes Pozharsky, Field, Pronchishchev, Protopopov, Tolstoy, Uvarov.

Count's titles

But surnames of noble origin are not only princes. The count dynasties also had a high title and powers at court. This title was also considered very high and gave many powers.

To receive the title of count was a great achievement for any member of the royal society. Such a title first of all made it possible to have power and be closer to the ruling dynasty. The noble families of Russia for the most part consist of counts. The easiest way to achieve this title was when conducting successful military operations.

One of these surnames is Sheremetev. This is a county family that still exists in our time. The army general received this title for his achievements in military operations and service to the royal family.

Ivan Golovkin is the ancestor of another surname of noble origin. According to many sources, this is a count who appeared in Russia after the wedding of his only daughter. One of the few count families that ended with a single representative of the dynasty.

The noble surname Minich had many branches, and the main reason for this was the large number of women in this family. When marrying, Milich women took a double surname and mixed titles.

Courtiers received many count titles during the reign of Ekaterina Petrovna. She was a very generous queen and awarded titles to many of her military leaders. Thanks to her, such names as Efimovsky, Gendrikov, Chernyshev, Razumovsky, Ushakov and many others appeared in the list of nobles.

Barons at court

Famous noble families also had many holders of the titles of baron. Among them are ancestral families and granted barons. This, like all other titles, could be obtained with good service. And of course, the simplest and most effective way was to conduct military operations for the homeland.

This title was very popular in the Middle Ages. The family title could be obtained by wealthy families who sponsored the royal family. This title appeared in the fifteenth century in Germany and, like everything new, gained great popularity. The royal family practically sold it to all rich families who had the opportunity to help and sponsor all royal undertakings.

In order to bring wealthy families closer to him, he introduced a new title - baron. One of the first owners of this title was the banker de Smith. Thanks to banking and trade, this family earned its finances and was elevated by Peter to the rank of barons.

Russian noble families with the title of baron also replenished with the surname Fridriks. Like de Smith, Yuri Fridriks was a good banker who lived and worked at the royal court for a long time. Born into a titled family, Yuri also received a title under Tsarist Russia.

In addition to them, there were a number of surnames with the title of baron, information about which was stored in military documents. These are warriors who have earned their titles by actively participating in hostilities. Thus, the noble families of Russia were replenished with such members as: Baron Plotto, Baron von Rummel, Baron von Malama, Baron Ustinov and the family of the brothers of the barons Schmidt. Most of them were from European countries and came to Russia on business.

royal families

But not only titled families are included in the list of noble families. Russian noble families headed the royal families for many years.

One of the oldest royal families in Russia was the Godunovs. This is the royal family, which has been in power for many years. The first of this family was Tsarina Godunova, who formally ruled the country for only a few days. She renounced the throne, and decided to spend her life in a monastery.

The next, no less famous surname of the royal Russian family is the Shuiskys. This dynasty spent a little time in power, but entered the list of noble families in Russia.

The Great Queen of Skavron, better known as Catherine the First, also became the founder of the royal family dynasty. Do not forget about such a royal dynasty as Biron.

Dukes at Court

The noble families of Russia also have the title of dukes. Getting the title of duke was not so easy. Basically, these clans included very rich and ancient families of tsarist Russia.

The owners of the title duke in Russia were the Chertozhansky family. The clan existed for many centuries and was engaged in agriculture. It was a very wealthy family that owned a lot of land.

The Duke of Nesvizh is the founder of the town of the same name Nesvizh. There are many versions of the origin of this family. The Duke was a great connoisseur of art. His castles were the most remarkable and beautiful buildings of that time. Owning large lands, the duke had the opportunity to help tsarist Russia.

Menshikov is another of the famous ducal families in Russia. Menshikov was not just a duke, he was a famous military leader, army general and governor of St. Petersburg. He received his title for the achievement and service to the royal crown.

Marquis title

The title of marquis in Tsarist Russia was mainly received by wealthy families with foreign origins. It was an opportunity to attract foreign capital into the country. One of the most famous surnames was Traversi. This is an ancient French family, whose representatives were at the royal court.

Among the Italian marquises was the Paulluchi family. Having received the title of marquis, the family remained in Russia. Another Italian family received the title of marquis at the royal court of Russia - Albizzi. This is one of the richest Tuscan families. They earned all their income from entrepreneurial activities in the manufacture of fabrics.

The meaning and privileges of the title

For the courtiers, having a title gave many opportunities and wealth. Upon receiving the title, it often carried lavish gifts from the crown. Often such gifts were land and wealth. The royal family gave such gifts for special achievements.

For rich families who earned their wealth on the generous Russian land, it was very important to have a good title, for this they financed the royal undertakings, which bought their family a high title and a good attitude. In addition, only titled families could be close to the royal family and participate in the government of the country.

The very word "nobleman" means: "court" or "a man from the prince's court." The nobility was the highest class of society.
In Russia, the nobility was formed in the XII-XIII centuries, mainly from representatives of the military service class. Starting from the 14th century, the nobles received land plots for their service, and their names most often gave rise to family surnames - Shuisky, Vorotynsky, Obolensky, Vyazemsky, Meshchersky, Ryazansky, Galician, Smolensky, Yaroslavl, Rostov, Belozersky, Suzdal, Smolensky, Moscow, Tver ... Other noble families came from the nicknames of their bearers: Gagarins, Humpbacked, Eyed, Lykovs. Some princely surnames were a combination of the name of the inheritance and the nickname: for example, Lobanov-Rostovsky.
At the end of the 15th century, surnames of foreign origin began to appear in the lists of the Russian nobility - they belonged to immigrants from Greece, Poland, Lithuania, Asia and Western Europe, who had an aristocratic origin and moved to Russia. Here we can mention such names as the Fonvizins, Lermontovs, Yusupovs, Akhmatovs, Kara-Murza, Karamzins, Kudinovs.
The boyars often received surnames by the baptismal name or nickname of the ancestor and had possessive suffixes in their composition. Such boyar surnames include Petrovs, Smirnovs, Ignatovs, Yurievs, Medvedevs, Apukhtins, Gavrilins, Ilyins.
The royal family of the Romanovs is of the same origin. Their ancestor was the boyar of the time of Ivan Kalita Andrei Kobyla. He had three sons: Semyon Zherebets, Alexander Elka
Kobylin and Fedor Koshka. Their descendants received respectively the names Zherebtsov, Kobylin and Koshkin. One of the great-grandsons of Fyodor Koshka, Yakov Zakharovich Koshkin, became the ancestor of the noble family of the Yakovlevs, and his brother Yuri Zakharovich became known as Zakharyin-Koshkin. The son of the latter was named Roman Zakharyin-Yuriev. His son Nikita Romanovich and his daughter Anastasia, the first wife of Ivan the Terrible, had the same surname. However, the children and grandchildren of Nikita Romanovich have already become the Romanovs after their grandfather. This surname was borne by his son Fyodor Nikitich (Patriarch Filaret) and the founder of the last Russian royal dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich.
In the Petrine era, the nobility was replenished with representatives of non-military estates, who received their titles as a result of promotion in public service. One of them was, for example, an associate of Peter I, Alexander Menshikov, who from birth had a “low” origin, but was awarded the princely title by the tsar. In 1785, by decree of Catherine II, special privileges were established for the nobles.

The list of popular genus names is endless, because as many people as there are so many opinions. Each person will point to beautiful surnames that he personally likes. They can be short, long, but, according to most, the most popular are the aristocratic designations of family names. Let's see which surnames are more common and respected, and where they came from.

List of the most beautiful Russian surnames in the world

The word "surname" is translated from Latin as "family". This means that this indicates that a person belongs to the genus from which he originated. The emergence of family nicknames was often associated with the profession that the clan was engaged in from generation to generation, or with the name of the area in which the family lived, or the family name indicated character traits, specific appearance, nickname. No wonder there is a saying “not in the eyebrow, but in the eye” - the people have always hung labels very accurately.

In Russia, at first there was only a first name and patronymic, and the first surnames appeared only in the 14th century. Naturally, noble people received them: princes, boyars, nobles. Peasants received official family names only at the end of the 19th century, when serfdom was abolished. The first names of dynasties came from the names of places of residence, birth or possessions: Tver, Arkhangelsk, Zvenigorod, Moskvin.

Beautiful American generic names compare favorably with other foreign ones - they are very consonant, and the owners wear them with pride. If surnames are not inherited, then any citizen of the United States can change his family name to a more harmonious one. So, the 10 most beautiful surnames of American men:

1. Robinson
2. Harris
3. Evans
4. Gilmour
5. Florence
6. Stone
7. Lambert
8. Newman

As for American women, as elsewhere in the world, girls at birth take the family name of the father, and at marriage - the husband. Even if a girl wants to leave her family name, after marriage she will have a double surname, for example, Maria Goldman, Mrs. Roberts (by her husband). Beautiful generic names for American women:

1. Bellows
2. Houston
3. Taylor
4. Davis
5. Foster

Video: the most common surnames in the world

The most common surnames in the world seem beautiful, because their carriers are popular people, which means they are happy. For example, there are about one hundred million people on the planet who have the family name Lee. In second place in polarity is the surname Wang (about 93 million people). In third place is the family name Garcia, common in South America (about 10 million people).

Discuss

The most beautiful surnames in the world

Economic differentiation among the nobility clearly shows the heterogeneity of the nobility. An important factor dividing the nobles was also the presence of a title, the division into titled nobility (princes, counts, barons) and untitled nobility (the majority of the estate) was always present in the life of the noble society.

Family titles appeared in medieval Europe to indicate the degree of vassal dependence on the lord. In modern times, neither in Russia nor in Europe, the possession of a title did not bring its owner any special legal rights, the title made it possible to join the chosen circle, was an indicator of either the nobility of the family, or special merits before the throne.

princes

In Russia, until the XVIII century, there was only a princely title, which was inherited. The title of prince meant belonging to a family that once ruled a certain territory of the country. Among the Slavs, the leaders of the squad were called princes, and then the rulers of individual lands - principalities.

From the 11th century the princely title belonged only to the descendants of Rurik, who ruled in various lands. In the XIV century. the descendants of the Lithuanian grand-ducal dynasty - the Gediminoviches - pass to the Russian service. In the Muscovite state of the XVII century. the princely title was held by the descendants of these two families - the Rurikoviches (Obolensky, Volkonsky, Repnin, Odoevsky, Gagarin, Vyazemsky, etc.), the Gediminoviches (Kurakins, Golitsyns, Khovansky, Trubetskoy), as well as some descendants of the Golden Horde nobility and Caucasian families (Urusovs, Yusupovs , Cherkassky). In total there were 47 princely families.

Until the 18th century the princely title was transmitted only by inheritance, it could not be obtained as a royal favor. The granting of a princely title for the first time occurs under Peter I, when A.D. Menshikov in 1707 began to be called Prince of Izhora.

Under Catherine, a number of princely awards from the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire took place - to G. A. Potemkin, P. A. Zubov, G. G. Orlov and others.

Under Paul, 5 people were elevated to princely dignity, among them A. V. Suvorov, called the Prince of Italy. Suvorov was later granted the title of the Most Serene Prince. The most serene princes (among them were M. I. Golinishchev-Kutuzov, N. I. Saltykov, A. K. Razumovsky) were called "your grace"; hereditary princes, unlike them, had the title "your excellency."

By the end of the XIX century. due to the suppression of some clans (Bezborodko, Lopukhins, Razumovskys), the number of princely families that received the title through an award was about 20.

New princely families arose in the 19th and early 20th centuries. also as a result of morganatic marriages. So called the marriages of members of the imperial family with persons who did not belong to the sovereign houses. Such marriages were legal, except for inheritance rights. If the husband was a member of the imperial family, then the wife and children had a different surname, being the founders of a new family.

Counts

The title of count originally existed in Western European monarchies. It has appeared in Russia since the time of Peter the Great. In 1706 B.P. Sheremetev became the first proper Russian count. Among the first nobles elevated to the dignity of a count were G. I. Golovkin, F. M. Apraksin, P. A. Tolstoy.

The first morganatic marriage in the Russian royal dynasty was the union of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich with the Polish Countess Grudzinskaya, who later became known as the Most Serene Princess Lovich.

In 1880, the family of princes Yuryevsky appeared, this title was bestowed on E. M. Dolgorukova, with whom Emperor Alexander II entered into a morganatic marriage. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna awarded the title of count to the brothers Razumovsky and Shuvalov, Catherine - to the brothers Orlov.

Noble families

Some surnames are transformed from foreign ones, the owners of which arrived in Russia from other states. So, the Russian noble family of the Golovins descended from the famous Byzantine family of the Khovrins, and the nobles Empress Elizaveta Petrovna awarded the Razumovsky and Shuvalov brothers with the title of count, Ekaterina - the Orlov brothers.

The favorites of emperors and empresses, the closest relatives of the imperial family, people who distinguished themselves on the battlefields, in the diplomatic and public service often became counts at that time.

These representatives of the nobility often stood closer to the throne than the descendants of the old, dying princely families, therefore, in the 18th century. the title of a count was sometimes valued higher than that of a prince. At the beginning of the XX century. 320 count families were taken into account.

Barons

The baronial title also came to Russia from Western Europe in the 18th century. Among the first Russian barons were P. P. Shafirov, A. I. Osterman, the Stroganov brothers. Traditionally, the baronial title was granted to financiers and industrialists (Fredericks, Stieglitz) and foreigners who distinguished themselves in the Russian service (Nikolai, Delvig, Bellingshausen).

Most of the hereditary baronial families were of Baltic origin. Among the most famous Baltic barons are Wrangels, Richters, Palens. By the beginning of the XX century. in Russia there were more than 250 baronial families.

At all times, among the nobility, the antiquity of the family was still valued above any title, therefore the most honorable was the title of pillar nobles, leading their noble genealogy for more than 100 years.

After all, a title, even a princely one, could be acquired, and noble ancestors, if they do not exist, cannot be given by any power. An illustrative example is the noble family of the Naryshkins, who never had any titles, but were among the first among the nobles and courtiers.

Noble families

Noble dignity in the Russian nominal formula was not expressed in any way, there were no special prefixes indicating noble origin (for example, background in German or de in French names). The very possession of a name, patronymic and surname at a certain stage already spoke of a noble rank.

Other estates did not have surnames at all for a long time. For the nobles, belonging to a certain surname meant tribal self-identification.

The surnames of the ancient noble families often came from the names of the places of reign. This is how the names of Vyazemsky, Beloselsky, Obolensky, Volkonsky, Trubetskoy associated with the names of rivers, lakes, cities and villages appeared. Often the surnames of the whole family came from some ancient ancestor who left a mark on history (Golitsyn, Tolstoy, Kurakin).

Some surnames are transformed from foreign ones, the owners of which arrived in Russia from other states. So, the Russian noble family of the Golovins descended from the famous Byzantine family of the Khovrins, and the nobles of the Khomutovs had the Scottish Hamilton as their ancestor.

The German surname Levenshtein eventually turned into a Russian one - Levshins, and the descendants of people from Florence, Chicheri, began to be called Chicherins in Russia. Many surnames originated from Tatar noble families - Godunovs, Karamzins, Kudashevs.

Usually surnames in Russia were single, but sometimes, especially among the nobility, there was a doubling of surnames. The reasons for this could be different, sometimes the surname of a separate branch was added to the surname of a large family.

An example is the princes of Rostov, whose various branches became known as Buynosov-Rostov, Lobanov-Rostov, Kasatkin-Rostov. In order not to lose the well-known extinct surname, it was attached to its heirs along the female or lateral line. This is how the Repnin-Bolkonsky, Vorontsov-Dashkov, Golitsyn-Prozorovsky, Orlov-Denisov, etc. appeared.

Another group of double surnames arose as a result of the award of a higher title and the addition of an honorary prefix to the family surname.

Often such prefixes were given for military victories, as a result, these famous names became part of Russian history: Orlov-Chesmensky, Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, Potemkin-Tavrichesky, Suvorov-Rymniksky.

Family ties

The nobleman never lived on his own, he was always a member of the family, he always felt belonging to a certain family, he thought of himself as the successor to his many ancestors, he was responsible for his descendants. For the noble world in this regard, close attention to family ties and relationships, sometimes very complex, is very characteristic.

The ability to understand all the intricacies of kinship was caused by necessity, because the title of nobility, and family titles, and, finally, lands and property were inherited according to the kinship principle.

In addition, noble families were, as a rule, numerous, in each generation they entered into family relations with several clans.

The basis of noble family ties was belonging to a certain family; the concept of "kind" meant that people of different generations had one common ancestor - the ancestor.

The figure of the ancestor is rather arbitrary, because he also had ancestors. Usually the ancestor was the earliest ancestor, about whom information has been preserved, who committed some high-profile deeds, who has merits to the fatherland or who came to serve in Russia from foreign lands.

With the general scarcity of the nobility, family ties could be an obstacle to marriage, because the church banned marriages between close relatives. Therefore, knowledge of one's own and others' family circle was the most important part of noble life.

The tribal generation, or tribe, consists of descendants who are at an equal distance from a common ancestor. If kinship is transmitted through the male line, and this was precisely the tradition among the Russian nobility, the descendants of the brothers form different branches of the family.

In the event that one of the representatives of the clan received the title, his descendants represented a special line of the clan - count or prince.

So, in the Orlov family tree, three lines were noted: noble (most of the representatives of the family), count (descendants of the five Orlov brothers, who became counts under Catherine II), princely (heirs of A. F. Orlov, whose title was granted in 1856 by Alexander II).

Based on the materials of the book "Noble and merchant families of Russia" Zhukov A.V.