Understanding Lithuanian Names
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2024
- Names are a deeply personal thing and often are core to someone’s identity. Cultures around the world have their common and preferred names, and of course, Lithuania is no different. So today, let’s explore some of the rules around Lithuanian names, and some common trends and patterns you’ll find with these names.
Sources/Referemces:
vlkk.lt/aktualiausios-temos/a...
www.baltictimes.com/news/arti...
www.registrucentras.lt/p/853
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Male names can also end -a, but rarely (Jogaila, Skirgaila)
Thanks :)
@@LithuaniaExplained -a...then compound noun of the male name has its feminin gen +gala (power) or +gaila (penance)
Lithuanian naming logic behind "-as" and "-ė" pleasantly surprised me, it logically corresponds to general gender rules in Lithuanian language. Regarding that suffix "-ienė" for married women, Hungarian also offers such modification, where the husband's surname is borrowed and there is "-né" in the end, which came from the word "neje", meaning "his wife".
However, although it is a nice (and somewhat mandatory) rule for Lithuanian grammar, I always found hilarious that those suffixes also appear in names of foreign people, who do not apply such suffixes in general. For example, our ex-president Miloš Zeman is "translated" to Milošas Zemanas, which is funny for us, yet it serves an important space for Lithuanian grammar to work, so I understand the logic behind that.
P. S.: "Ona" name is pretty funny for me personally, since in most Slavic languages, the word means simply "she".
"-ienė" is going dodo bird, popularity for married and unmarried women to have surnames ending in "-ė" is growing
There is a common switch of consonant "a" to "o" in loanwords in Lithuanian.
Ona is localized version of Anna. And ana in Lithuanian would mean feminine version of "that", sometimes used as a crude "she". Which is funny, because it's opposite of your language.
@@shemica16 Ona is localised Hannah - hebrew name
Ona has slavic equivalent Anna
There is one interesting feature of old two-stemmed Lithuanian male names - some of them have two versions with the possibility to make two names out of one. I believe even not all Lithuanians know about this. However this is not the unique thing, there are also old Germanic, old Greek, old Slavic and old Japanese (and maybe some more nations, which I don't know, have it) which have two-stemmed names. And I believe with the same possibility of variations. But as long as we here are talking about Lithuanian names, the names are:
Vytautas - Tautvydas
Mindaugas - Daugminas
Montvila (Mantvilas) - Vilmantas
Vidmantas - Tautvydas
Tautrimas - Rimtautas
Butrimas - Rimbutas
Butginas - Ginbutas (Gimbutas)
Norvaiša - Vaišnoras
Rimantas - Mantrimas
There could be more - these are the most obvious ones. Lots of old names are not suitable for this switch and lots of old names are not popular now and remain only in historical sources.
when your name is Karolis and your second name is Karolis
Gary Neville, the ex-footballer and now Sky Sports pundit's dad was called Neville Neville.
Parents definitely named their kid that way for Sh*ts and giggles
I am from Bangladesh and love u Lithuanian people ❤
Would you have bet, that Rishi Sunak (born in Eastern Punjab, Republic of India),
became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
I would add that most of the traditional Baltic names follow a double root morphology also often found in other Indoeuropean cultures, such as Germanic, Slavic: Gott+fried, Bern+hard, Adal+bert, Vldadi+mir, Sviato+slav, Gedi+minas, Min+daugas. The name meaning "protector of the people" is Alexandros in Greek and Gintautas in Lithuanian.
Thanks :)
Clear, concise and accurate explanation. Liuks!
I always find it funny how native speakers of other languages pronounce foreign names according to their language's peculiarities. But then I remember our way of adding endings to every name and everything clicks.
In some languages (Spanish, English, etc.) nouns ending in -s are plural, so LT names confuse foreigners.
Also, I once was told my name sounded like a pharmaceutical drug :D
😂
It's quite funny to see how confused foreigners are when we are trying to introduce our names. Take my name for example, Erikas. Rather basic name which is super popular worldwide. Yet people are often so confused as to how exactly they are ment to pronounce it. They are most confused when they see it in a written form while I tell them to just call me Erik. It's often the case that people end up calling me Erika, which is of course a feminine version of the name. 🤦😄
Also, that's why I tend to use the name Erik instead of the Lithuanian version of it online, like on UA-cam for example. When I use Erikas, people just get too confused and sometimes I end up getting some random "go back to the kitchen" or thirst comments that ladies online tend to get, since dudes assume I'm Erika. 😂
Good video as always by the way. 👍
Thank you :) And sorry to hear about those unfortunate interactions! 😂
I do the same. Lots of names are simply taken from the region of origin with added ending for inflection. For these names, when speaking English for example, there is no need to say the ending as it serves no purpose. Like Tom and Erik(c). English speakers often don't seem to be able to grasp the concept.
To add: Surnames can tell what kind of job ancertors had, f.e. Kazlauskas would mean ancestor kept goats, or something about where they lived/some sort of they personality trait when surname was added, while Stankevičius, Petraukas and couple others are biblical in nature
Interesting. Thanks for adding :) It crossed my mind to explain surname meanings but I didn't want to make the video too long. It's interesting how it's similar to english names (Smith, Baker, Cook, Knight, etc)
Another interesting thing that more than half of Lithuanian surnames due to historical circumstances and cultural influences are of Slavic origin with -ich and -sk, -ck suffixes (despite having Lithuanian endings). This sometimes leads to funny incidents like Poles (actual Poles from Poland) desperately wanting to prove that you are Polish (in my case) and some buthurt Belorussians are desperate to prove that there are no Lithuanians in Lithuania because in one of Kaunas cemeteries he found only "belorussian" surnames with suffix -ich.
@@fidenemini111 The thing is that during Polonization (Commonwealth times) many surnames were polonised: Žukas became Žukovičius, then Russification (Russia Empire) came and many surnames where russified, so the same Žukovičius became Žukovskis or Žukovič or Žukovskij, than we back to Lithuania and Žukovičius became Žukauskas. Not always these changes accured by the person wish, especially if we talk about Russian Empire. All four surnames are the same, so especially in Vilnius region is hard to tell what your origins are. Sometimes Polish person could find that he is purely Lithuanian or Lithuanian to find it's Polish or Gudish (Belorussian) origin. People were changing even main spoken language. So it's not so simple and when you changing passport you always could change surfixes easily. The ancient surname of this case is Žukas.
Also the ancient women surnames were maid by their husband of father name with ending ė. For example Algirdė is wife or daughter of Algirdas, -ienė or ievičienė was created later, in Commonwealth. Vytautas Gediminaitis (or later called Kęstutaitis) wife Ona was called Ona Vytautė. So going back to ė, is going back to traditions, but modern case is used the husband/paternal surname.
@@fidenemini111Not only the endings in such surnames like ilgauskas are Lithuanian. For exaple: son of Jurgis (George) - Jurgelis (litle Jurgis); son of Jurgelis - Jurgelievicz in slavic texts (or Jurgelaitis, Jurgelėnas, Jurgeliūnas in pure Lithuanian), then Lithuanians add ending and it became Jurgelevičius. Many Kazlauskas were just Ožys, Oželis, slavic priests or slavic document writers just translated it to Kaziol or Kozlowski, which became Kazlas, Kazlauskas in everyday speech. Žukas was just Vabalas, or Vabuolas.
Also, many old pagan names, such as Daugirdas, became surnames when Lithuanians were baptized, and after receiving Christian names - Jonas Daugirdas. People could call his son Daugirdaitis, and Slavic writers wrote - Dawgirdowicz. The Lithuanians added the ending - Daugirdavičius..
So, it is not the case that these are just Slavic surnames with a Lithuanian endings. Often the case is as follows: Lithuanian root + Lithuanian suffix + Slavic suffix + Lithuanian ending... Also, in Lithuanian we add emdings, but in Polish or Ruthenian they remove endings: gaidelis - gajdzel, mintautas - mintovt; vaišnoras, norvaiša - voišnar, narvois... There are many such surnames in Poland, Belarus, and everywhere Lithuanians once lived.
Also in Šalčininkai district of Lithuania all Lithuanian surnames are written in this way, because locals say they are not Lithuanians anymore, they consider themselves Poles despite speaking russian.. So giedraitis is written like gedroit, or giedroyć in that area..
Thanks for the video. ☻
Wonderful video my friend , thank you for sharing , wish you a good day , big like !
Good vid. You should make a video about the 3 wars in the lithuanian wars of independence in the next vid.
Giedrė is another female name that is linked to nature, its meaning 'clear sky'.
My Grandmother's name was Justina.
And Asta. My friend is called Asta.
Love your voice. You sound just like CGP Grey.
Thanks Aurimas! I like CGP Grey's videos so I'm flattered :)
I guess I'm not the only one who thinks that he sounds like CGP Grey.
A helpful way to think about the gender specific family names in Lithuanian is to treat them like an integrated Mr, Mrs or Miss. Even the recent non-marital-status specific -ė ending corresponds to Ms.
aslo there are names which end with ius like marius
Its all fun and games until your name is tit-as and you go to england for work.
i believe vytautas is related to polish witołt and belarusian вітаўт (vitaŭt). just a little tidbit for you all :)
Because this is the same name Vytautas, transliterated in Belarusian or Polish. Even today, many Lithuanians still live in the north-east of Poland - in Sejny, Punsk, Suwałki. If they have the name vytautas, Poles write witołd in their passports. it is also done with other pagan Lithuanian names: mindaugas, gediminas, tautvydas, algirdas - mendowg, giedzimyn, towcwid, olhierd... Christian names - kotryna, marijona, petras, jonas - katarzyna, marianna, piotr, jan...
I can see that Sifia and Lukas is a very int popular name
Mindaugas here 😁
So Mendog from the East Slavs or Mindaugas?
Literally the best name in the world 🤣
@@manometras Minde irl, Mendog in the internet 😁
I am American. I changed my name to my husbands “masculine” name. When we have our daughter in Lithuania, are we able to give her the masculine surname too? As an American, I would like all of us to have the same spelling of our last names, in case we move back to America or another country.
Hey Lithuania Explained. How about you make a video about birthdays in lithuania? My birthday is in april 2 🙂
Sorry, that’s too short notice. I’ll keep that in mind for next year 🥳
Also, hope you have a happy birthday!
@@LithuaniaExplained Thanks
So is the Emporer Charlemagne!
May be he will become declared to a be Saint, in the future!
The first step, the Blessing (= Seligsprechung) was done in the past already!
My Lithuanian Grandmother had the same great bday as you 💚
Foreigners learning Lithuanian about names: It can’t get more confusing
Me who has a surname that literally translates to “World” in English and a name derived from Scandinavian word Aivar (I heard it was a god of spring or archery or a word meaning archer- correct me if I’m wrong) :*TROLLING INTENSIFIES*
Whos name is "press like, subscribe"???????
It’s a pretty common name in Canada 🙄😆
Presas Laikas Subskraibas😂
@@LithuaniaExplained
A country, in which the people eat "poutine"!
Ausra - San rise
I always thought that Dovilė came from Dobilas (clover)
For me i tought it was debilė
It is usually funny how mostly English speakers struggle with letter J, cause when you are on the other side, having learnt English as second language, you usually aware which variant of J to use. But then again, there are also French and Spanish version of J, so this letter is usually where most fun comes from.
So true. I once worked with a Croatian guy named Jakov. And it was so cringey to hear all my British colleagues pronounce it incorrectly.
French j is just ż
What is the Christian name for Titas? Greetings from Colombia.
I think it has Roman origins and would be spelled Titus in English. But I’m not 100% certain.
Did the feminine names ending in -aitė at one point have a masculine equivalent? I'm asking because I have noticed - from looking at German refugee graves from the end of WWII here in Denmark - that people from the northernmost East Prussia and the 'Memelland' often have German surnames ending in -eit, surely of Lithuanian origin.
The name Tolkien comes from this area too. Could it be of Lithuanian origin??
PS: I'm pretty sure that Mykolas is the equivalent of Nicholas.
Mykolas- Michael Nikolas- Nicholas
There is the masculine ending -aitis, but it works like any other male surname (does not show marital status). For example Prūsaitis, Gudaitis, Jokūbaitis... They have the quality of sounding, if not archaic, then at least "truly Lithuanian", as surname endings such as -vičius (like mine), -auskas, etc. are of slavic origin (-wicz (polish), -ovski (ruthenian). Such surnames where originally "fully" Lithuanian, then during Commonwealth and tsarist times gained the slavic endings, and then where re-Lithuanised again).
Meanwhile -aitis has no apparent slavic connection. There are other "pure Lithuanian-sounding" surnames ending with -a, -ė, -ynas, -ys, etc... Interestingly, all dynastic names of old Lithuanian dukes and kings end with -aitis: Jogailaitis (plr. Jogailaičiai), Gediminaitis (plr. Gediminaičiai), Mangirdaitis...
I'm not sure wheter -aitis is more popular in Lithuania Minor, but it does sound like -eit is exactly that, but germanized. Regarding Tolkien, however, I really doubt there's any connection at all. -ien is very different to -aitis / -eit to Lithuanian ears. We do have the female marital -ienė, but somehow it seems completely different, maybe a linguist could explain why. I personally never thought of Tolkien sounding Lithuanian.
Coincidentally my name is Mykolas, I've always seen it as an equivalent to Michael, but Nicholas seems as an equivalent just the same (and I'm sure linguistically they both are), but I'd go with Michael any day :D
Now that I think about it, if Tolkien does indeed come from around that area, it might be of Old Prussian origin... Not exactly Lithuanian, but very close, and I wouldn't be surprised if -ien was used in Old Prussian in some way. Although the language died out some time before surnames as such became common, as I understand. The origin could still indeed be there
@@drixcel2741 Ah, so -aitis does exist. Thanks a lot.
Yes I suppose it can be difficult to trace an Old Prussian origin of a name, given how little is preserved of that language.
@@kodilodinoza You are right. I must have confused it with Mikalojus, from Nikoláos (Nicholas).
🇵🇹👍🏻🇱🇹
When u have a pretty rare name
Mangirdas? Definitely the first time I've heard it!
Lithuanians give for their sons the names of the kings of their old kingdom: Mindaugas, Gediminas, Vytautas, but never Jogaila.
Why not Jogaila, I mean the way polish people say it is pretty rough
Thanks for sharing!
What a headache would be with names Elon Musk is giving to his children... always trying to brake the common rules..
Oh yeah - the one child is named like... X Æ A-12? Crazy.
I love the traditional, Lithuanian names - my Godson, born in 2018 has the name 'Kevinas' ..smh, I love that kid but hate the name. We baptised him 'Donatas' but it just seems weird calling a Lithuanian child, Kevinas. Oh well, at least our family here in the USA will have some 'reference' point for his name (my parents already just call him Kevin, which we hate).
Best option is to use Biblical names like mine (Elijus- eng Elijah) since they can be translated in multiple languages quite organically.
Could've mentioned names that came from pagan goddesses like Gabija or Austėja
Lithuanian culture is a Western culture.
No it’s not. Not until 1990 has Lithuania had a meaningful influence from and relationship with the West (UK, US, etc). European does not equal Western and Western does not equal European.
@@RaisonDetre96 Interesting.
@@RaisonDetre96Lithuania was part of Western Europe culture since 15th c. However, there were two serious interruptions in 1795-1918 and in 1940-1990.
@@KONSOLIUS I guess it depends on what you define as "Western European culture" and even what you define as "part of". Having relations with other countries does not necessarily make them culturally unified.
Video title is misleading. I thought it going to be a video about the actual Lithuanian names (originated in Lithuania) , though it is about the names given to Lithuanians...
AFAIK there is only one gender neutral Lithuanian name: Neris.
"-ė" is used to describe a single, lonely person of the female gender (often derogatory words for women): Vilkė(female wolf); kiškė (hare), musė (fly), kalė (bitch), kaliausė (scarecrow)
Male names in Lithuania end with -as because we like women's a**🤣
Jūsų vardai ir pavardės kartais skamba kaip iš ispanų kalbos, dėl "-as" priesagų, tai man labai patinka!
@@RichieLarpa in spanish "-as" is mostly for plural feminine words