Georgian name
A Georgian name (Georgian: ქართული გვარ-სახელი, romanized: kartuli gvar-sakheli) consists of a given name and a surname used by ethnic Georgians.[1]
Given names
According to the Public Service Hall the most common Georgian names are:[2]
Males: Giorgi, Davit, Zurab, Levan, Aleksandre, Irakli, Mikheil, Tamaz, Nikoloz and Avtandil.
Females: Nino, Tamar, Mariam, Maia, Nana, Ketevan, Natela, Manana, Natia, Eka and Ana.
Surnames
Georgian surnames are derived either from
Georgian suffixes vary by region. The most common Georgian suffixes are:
- -shvili (-შვილი): meaning "child": from western and eastern Georgia. E.g. Baratashvili, Andronikashvili, Guramishvili, etc.
- -dze (-ძე): meaning "son":[3] from western and eastern Georgia.[4] E.g. Abashidze, Arveladze, Kaladze, etc.
- -eli (-ელი): meaning "Jaqeli, Tsereteli, Amashukeli, etc.
- -uri and -uli (-ური) and (-ული): from mountainous eastern Georgia.[4] E.g. Donauri, Burduli, etc.
- -ani (-ანი): Dadiani, Kipiani, etc.
- -ia, -ua, -va and -ri (-ია), (-უა), (-ვა) and (-რი): Chichua, Gvazava, etc.
- -shi (-ში): Laz surname from western Georgia. E.g. Tugushi, Khalvashi, Jashi, etc.
- -khi (-ხი): from southern Georgia. E.g. Meskhi, Lashkhi, etc.
- -oni (-ონი): from region of Bagrationi.
- -ti (-ტი): from western Georgia. E.g. Glonti, Jgenti, Jibuti, Kiuti etc.
The first recorded Georgian surnames date to the 7th–8th century. They were mostly toponymic in nature (such as Surameli, Machabeli etc.), patronymic, or derived from the profession, social status, position, or title, which was hereditary in the family (such as Amilakhvari, Amirejibi, Eristavi etc.). Beginning from the 13th century, the surnames became more frequently based upon patronymics, a tradition which became almost universal in the 17th–18th century. Some of the Georgian surnames indicate ethnicity or regional origin of the family, and are also generated as patronymics. Examples are Kartvelishvili ("child of Kartveli", i.e., Georgian), Megrelishvili ("child of Megreli", i.e., Mingrelian), Cherkezishvili ("child of Cherkezi", i.e., Circassian), Abkhazishvili ("child of Abkhazi", i.e., Abkhazian), Somkhishvili ("child of Somekhi", i.e., Armenian), Berdzenishvili ("child of Berdzeni", i.e., Greek), Prangishvili ("child of Prangi", i.e., French).
There are some very rare Georgian surnames like Jolbordi, Galogre, Lapachi, Molodini, Shermadini, Sivsive, Megvinetukhutsesi etc.
According to the Public Service Hall the most common Georgian surnames are:[4] Beridze, Kapanadze, Gelashvili, Maisuradze, Giorgadze, Lomidze, Tsiklauri, Bolkvadze, Kvaratskhelia and Nozadze.
References
- ^ (in Georgian) ქართული გვარები
- ^ Georgian names Public Service Hall
- ^ ISBN 90-272-3802-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-319-05413-1.