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Naming Customs found in Poland
Polish Naming Customs | Ukrainian Naming Customs |
German Naming Customs | Jewish Naming Customs |
Naming after Saints
Poles did not celebrate their birthdays, as we do now. They celebrated the feast day of the saint for whom they were named or the anniversary of their baptism. Many families in Poland today still observe this tradition. Note: Keep in mind that many immigrants from Poland may have given their baptismal date or feast day instead of their actual date of birth when providing
a birth date for American records.
Naming after Godparents
A list of first names and the feast days associated with them can be found HERE.
Saints and their Feast Days were very important to the Polish people. Many parents consulted their pastor and/or the Roman Calendar to name their children. The parents looked for a saint whose feast day was on or near the birth or baptismal date of their child. The feast day was unusally not more than three weeks after the birth or baptism.
Some parents named their child after one of the godparents. The custom was not as common and varied by locality. The godfather was called a kmotr or kumoter, and the godmother was called a kumoszka.
A chronological list of feast days and the saints associated with them can be found HERE.
The Ukrainian people began using Christian first names about 988 A.D., when Christianity was introduced to the Ukraine. These first names, originally of Roman, Greek, and Hebrew origin, were modified to the Ukrainian language. (For example, John became Ivan and Michael became Mykhailo.) Also, many children were given the names of Slavic or Ukrainian saints, many of them known only in Eastern Europe.
Children were named within eight days of birth. The name was often selected by the priest and not the parents. Sometimes the parents suggested a name which the priest then approved. The child's name was the name of the patron saint on whose feast day the child was born or baptized, or the name of a patron saint whose feast day fell within seven days after the child's birth. The godparents took the infant to the church. The parents were usually not present for the baptism. Often, the parents did not learn the chosen name of their child until the baby was returned home by the godparents.
In Ukrainian custom, names were chosen based on the church calendar, the Byzantine Calendar. This calendar, which starts with September, contains many different saints' names than the Roman Calendar. The dates of some feast days differ between the two calendars. Many girls were given a female version of the name of a male saint by adding an "a" to the end of the name.
A list of first names and the feast days associated with them can be found HERE.
Until the Counter-Reformation in the 16th century, both saints' names and pagan names were used. At the time of the Counter-Reformation, pagan names were abandoned and the Lutherans began to use only the names of saints found in the Bible or Old Testament names. Also, the number of names given to an infant has varied from century to century.
The custom of adding a secular name to the Christian name began in the 1500s, giving the child two first names: for example, Johann Georg and Anna Margaretha. To further complicate matters, in the 1600s children were also given two baptismal names. In the later part of the 1700s, single names were again popular, but by the close of the 1800s double names were back in style. Note: When a person had two given names, it was customary to address that person by the second name. However, church records may have used either the first or second name or both.
Parents may have kept a favorite name in the family by giving their children two first names. Sometimes all or most of the boys in one family were named Johann (or any variation): Johann Georg, Johann Wilhelm, Johann Caspar, etc. Children were often named after a godparent.
Traditionally, Jewish children were named for one of their ancestors. For religious reasons, Ashkenazic Jewish children were never named after a living ancestor. Sephardic Jews followed their own tradition of naming their children after both living and deceased ancestors.
The tradition of giving Biblical names began in the the 1100s. The custom of giving two names began in the 1200s. A religious name was given to be used in the synagogue, and a non-Jewish name was given to be used on secular occasions.
Until the 1800s, Jews in northern and eastern Europe did not use a surname. They used only their personal name and father's name. In the 1800s Jews were forced to adopt a surname, and these surnames changed with each generation.
Visit the JewishGen site for more information about Jewish research!
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