Slavic names

Given names originating from the Slavic languages are most common in Slavic countries. The main types of Slavic names: Two-basic names, often ending in mir/měr (Ostromir/měr, Tihomir/měr, Němir/měr), *voldъ (Vsevolod, Rogvolod), *pъlkъ (Svetopolk, Yaropolk), *slavъ (Vladislav, Dobroslav, Vseslav) and their derivatives (Dobrynya, Tishila, Ratisha, Putyata, etc.) Names from flora and fauna (Shchuka - pike, Yersh - ruffe, Zayac - hare, Wolk/Vuk - wolf, Orel - eagle) Names in order of birth (Pervusha - born first, Vtorusha/Vtorak - born second, Tretiusha/Tretyak - born third) Names according to human qualities (Hrabr - brave, Milana/Milena - beautiful, Milosh - cute) Names containing the root of the name of a pagan deities (Troyan, Perunek/Peruvit, Yarovit, Stribor, Šventaragis, Veleslava) In pre-Christian traditions, a child less than 7–10 years old would bear a "substitutional name", the purpose of which was to deflect attention from the child and thereby to protect it from the curiosity of evil powers. The practice was largely the effect of the high mortality rate for young children at the time. A child who survived to 7–10 years was considered worthy of care and was granted adult status and a new adult name during a ritual first haircut. Traditional names remained dominant until the Slavic nations converted to Christianity. Since then, however, baptismal names came into use, which were given after the patron saint of the newly baptized. Even after that, the traditional names persisted in everyday use, while in religious matters baptismal name was involved; thus, many persons had and used two names simultaneously. This is exemplified by how the Slavic saints of that time are referred to up to nowadays: e.g. St. Boris and Gleb, in holy baptism Roman and David. As the Slavic saints became more numerous, more traditional names entered the Church calendar; but more prominent was the overall decline in the number of people bearing traditional names.