How it was impossible to call children in Russia and other superstitions about names that exist today

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In the old days, parents tried to choose for a newborn not just a beautiful or sonorous name, but one that would bring him happiness. In Russia, there were many superstitions that made people pay attention to a variety of signs that promised the baby well-being and good luck in the future. In order not to bring trouble to the baby, they strictly followed the rules that grandparents told about. Read what names were not allowed to be given to children in Russia and why.

In what cases it was possible to name a baby in honor of a grandmother or grandfather

It seems that naming a child after a grandparent is a good decision. However, there were certain norms that had to be adhered to. For example, the first girl in the family was not recommended to give the name of her paternal grandmother, and the first boy - the name of her maternal grandfather. Other combinations were allowed, that is, there was room for imagination. But even here it was necessary to take into account some nuances: the name of the newborn should not coincide with the name of that saint, whose angel day was celebrated among the people shortly before the baby was born. Such superstition existed, and sounded like "you can't call back."

It was believed that if the ban is violated, then in the future the baby will develop poorly, grow, or will not start talking at the right time. Not a very pleasant prospect. It is better to choose some other name, let it be less sonorous, but happy. After all, every parent wishes his child good luck, luck, a happy life.

Do you want to be named after your parents - if you please follow the rules

There were rules that had to be applied when one wanted to give a child the name of a father or mother. What pitfalls were there? This was allowed, with one condition: the names of the parents should not be given to the first-born, both boys and girls. It was believed that in this case, the child can leave this world in the first year of his life. Or the parent after whom the child was named dies for no apparent reason. Of course, such possible events scared people very much, and they tried not to break the rules.

Many parents were so afraid of the negative consequences that they never called their children by their proper names at all. There was another opinion: if you name your son by the name of your father, then men will compete with each other all their lives. And if the daughter is called the same as her mother, then she will have to repeat her fate, and all her life will be in the shadow of the woman who gave birth to her. It is difficult to say where such superstitions came from, but they existed and sometimes appear today.

Why children were not given the names of deceased relatives

In Russia, they were afraid to call children by the names of relatives who died early. They said that when a person dies early, his unspent vital energy remains, which is capable of influencing the life of a baby born into the world. At the same time, it is impossible to know in advance what this influence will be (good or bad). It's great if it is positive energy that helps in life, but what if it is the other way around? In order not to tempt fate, parents tried not to use such names.

The unspoken person also existed in relation to the names of the sisters and brothers of the born baby who died in the first months of life. It was believed that their names should not be used, since the child may in this case repeat the sad fate of a relative. Who wants a beloved child to get sick or to have an accident? Therefore, it was better not to "revive" with the name of the deceased child, not to attract troubles to the newborn, to allow him to be an individual, and not a copy of a person who once lived.

For the same reason, the names of relatives who had recently left this world were not used. The newly departed uncles and aunts, according to the people, are also capable of bringing trouble to the baby. Let the baby live happily ever after with a different name, and let the relatives rest in peace.

There were exceptions, and they concerned those relatives who gave their lives in the war, defending their homeland. It was believed that the years that the hero did not live because of the war, the Lord would add to the life of a child named after the deceased. This sign was popular in antiquity, but it also took place in the 20th century. For example, after the Great Patriotic War, newborns were named after relatives who died at the front. The names that were in use in the 1920s again became very popular after the war.

Unlucky names that should have been avoided

But superstition was not only associated with death. There was a whole rank of so-called unlucky names. For example, superstitious parents never named their children after relatives with a difficult fate. Why attract trouble to your baby? They said that you would call the boy by the name of an uncle with poor health, and the baby would also become seriously ill. Or there is a relative whose personal life does not work out. You do not need to take his name, so that in the future the child also does not remain lonely.

The same rule applies to relatives who live very poorly or who do not know how to build a career. Intuition told the parents that relatives with a bad character, dishonest ones, who committed bad deeds in life were also unworthy of the honor of “sharing” their name with a newborn. Today, you can also come across such an opinion. Sometimes they say: “I don’t want my daughter to be called that, because an aunt pops up in my memory, who didn’t do anything good in life, but was only rude, didn’t lend money, abandoned her mother, and so on.” Perhaps a negative attitude towards a certain person is triggered here. And if there are unpleasant sensations, why distribute them to the baby?

This is about superstitions about birth. There were no less superstitions about death.