Conclusion, Notes, and Bibliography
Conclusion
This survey of the names found in the Birch-Bark Letters shows the
diversity in Russian naming practices. And some curious facts emerge. The
name "Vladimir," considered such a quintessentially Russian name, does not
appear in the Birch-Bark Letters. Its familiarity is due to the fact that a
considerably large number of Rurikid Princes bore that name (and therefore
it figures prominently in history books), but its absence in the Birch-Bark
Letters seems to indicate that it was rarely used otherwise. Unexpected
words were used as given names, but two-word names (for instance
noun + adjective) do not appear in the Birch-Bark Letters,
even though they can be found in other period Russian sources. All in all,
the wide variety of Old-Russian names provides those wishing to find a
Russian name with an opportunity to exercise their wit and imagination.
1. The Bulgars were a Turkic people who lived on the upper Volga river. Novgorod maintained contact, and especially remained in commercial association, with their kingdom for as long as it existed. When the Bulgar kingdom collapsed, many Bulgar craftsmen appear to have established themselves in Novgorod. They are not to be confused with the Bulgarians of Central Europe, a Slavic people, who also found their way to Novgorod at one time or another. (Back to main text)
2. Bondaletov, p. 105, provides the following chart (simplified for our purpose):
| Native names | Christian Names | |
| To X century | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| XI century | 67.9% | 32.1% |
| XII century | 65.4% | 34.6% |
| XIII century | 47.45% | 52.55% |
| XIV century | 15.5% | 84.5% |
3. Birch-Bark Letters: The birch-bark letters are a collection of various documents, mostly fragments, scratched on "sheets" of birch bark with styluses. The largest number were discovered in the northern Russian city of Novgorod, where a bog-like ground allowed their preservation. They include personal letters, notes, lists of debtors or clients, etc.(Back to main text)
4. Marem'iana: This is the same name as "Marianna," but only the Old Russian variant "Maremiiana" and "Marimiiana" appear in the birch-bark letters. (Back to main text).
5. SR: A small number of birch-bark letters was found in the town of Staraia Rusa near Novgorod. They have been catalogued separately as "Letters from archeological excavations in Staraia Rusa," but they were published in the same volumes as the Novgorod birch-bark letters. They are designated here as "SR" followed by their number. (Back to main text).
6. Fools: A sweet, pudding-like dish made of fruit, berries, milk, etc., with a thickener. Still a favorite today, but there are no period recipes, and no indication what thickener may have been used (potato starch is today's preferred thickener). (Back to main text).
Artsikhovskii, A. V. and Borkovskii, V. I. Novgorodskie gramoty na bereste (iz raskopok 1953-1954). [Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters (from the 1953-1954 excavations).] Moscow: Nauka, 1958. (Letters #84-136)
Artsikhovskii, A. V. and Borkovskii, V. I. Novgorodskie gramoty na bereste (iz raskopok 1955). [Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters (from the 1955 excavations).] Moscow: Nauka, 1958. (Letters #137-194)
Artsikhovskii, A. V. and Borkovskii, V. I. Novgorodskie gramoty na bereste (iz raskopok 1956-1957). [Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters (from the 1956-1957 excavations).] Moscow: Nauka, 1963. (Letters #195-318)
Artsikhovskii, A. V. and Ianin, V. L. Novgorodskie gramoty na bereste (iz raskopok 1962-1976). [Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters (from the 1962-1976 excavations).] Moscow: Nauka, 1986. (Letters #406-539)
Artsikhovskii, A. V. and Tikhomirov, M. N. Novgorodskie gramoty na bereste (iz raskopok 1951). [Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters (from the 1951 excavations).] Moscow: Nauka, 1953. (Letters #1-10)
Artsikhovskii, A. V. Novgorodskie gramoty na bereste (iz raskopok 1952). [Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters (from the 1952 excavations).] Moscow: Nauka, 1954. (Letters #11-83)
Artsikhovskii, A. V. Novgorodskie gramoty na bereste (iz raskopok 1958-1961). [Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters (from the 1958-1961 excavations).] Moscow: Nauka, 1963. (Letters #319-405)
Bondaletov, V. D. Russkaia onomastika. [Russian Onomastics.] Moscow, 1983.
Ianin 1986: Ianin, V. L. and Zalizniak, A. A. Novgorodskie gramoty na bereste (iz raskopok 1977-1983). [Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters (from the 1977-1983 excavations).] Moscow: Nauka, 1986. (Letters #540-614)
Ianin, V. L. and Zalizniak, A. A. "Berestianye gramoty iz Novgorodskikh raskopok 1990-1993." ["Birch-Bark Letters from excavations in Novgorod, 1990-1993").] In: Voprosy Iazykoznaniia. [Issues in Linguistics.] No 3, May-June, Moscow, 1994. (Letters #710-752)
Ianin, V. L. and Zalizniak, A. A. Novgorodskie gramoty na bereste (iz raskopok 1984-1989). [Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters (from the 1984-1989 excavations).] Moscow: Nauka, 1993. (Letters #615-710)
Sreznevskii, I. I. Materialy dlia slovaria drevnerusskogo iazyka po pismennym pamiatnikam. [Materials for an Old-Russian Dictionary Compiled from Written Sources.] 3 vols. Saint Petersburg, 1893-1909.
Superanskaia, A. V. "Imia i epokha." ["Names and Times."]. Istoricheskaia onomastika. [Historical Onomastics.] Nauka: Moscow, 1977.
Unbegaun, B.O. Russian Surnames. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972.
Wickenden of Thanet, Paul [a.k.a Goldschmidt, Paul W.]. A Dictionary of Period Russian Names, Second Edition. Mountainview, CA: Free Trumpet Press, 1996.
Editted and published by Arval Benicoeur