Sergey - What This Name Is All About

Sergey is a popular name in several Slavic Eastern European countries. Not particularly used among Russian Imperial royalty, it’s famous for being the name of numerous talented artistic people, such as Sergei Rachmaninoff or Sergey Diaghilev. The name is variously transcribed as Sergei or Sergey, occasionally even using its French spelling Serge.   

So, let’s see:

• where this name comes from
• what it means
• what is the history behind it
• fun trivia associated with the name Sergey

Origin and Meaning of the Name

The name derives from the Roman patrician family name (nomen) Sergius. This family claimed that it originated from the mythological Sergestus, friend of Aeneas. According to Roman myth, he was a Troyan, who came to Italy together with Aeneas after the fall of Troy. The name is often interpreted to mean “guard, protector" or "servant” in Latin but it’s also possible that it is of more ancient Etruscan origin.

Brief History

St Sergius of Syria was a 4th-century Roman officer who was martyred for his faith. He is considered the patron saint of Christian desert nomads by the Catholic Church. Sergius became a very popular name in the Eastern Orthodox countries (especially, as Sergey, in Russia). It is occasionally found in Western Europe as well, but mostly in countries speaking Romance languages. Serge, for example, is a French form, while Sergio is a Spanish and Italian form of the name.

Sergey is one of the most popular names in Russia. It was introduced as an Orthodox monastic name usually given in honor of the 14^th century St Sergius (Sergey) of Radonezh, and only started being used regularly as a given name in the 19^th century. It saw most frequent use in Russia in the 1960s and while its popularity has decreased somewhat, it nonetheless remains in the top 30 names for boys in 2022.

 St Sergius the Builder (St Sergius of Radonezh). 1925. Nicholas Roerich

Trivia

• The mythological Sergestus, friend of Aeneas, is mentioned in Virgil’s epic poem Aeneid.
• St Sergius (Sergey) of Radonezh (c.1314-92) is one of the most famous of all Russian saints, which accounts for the great popularity of the name in Russia.
• Sergey Brin (1975- ) is one of the co-founders of Google.
• Sergey (Serge) Diaghilev (1872–1929) was the Russian ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes.
• Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was a Russian musician and composer.
• Sergei Esenin (1895-1925) was a famous Russian poet. 
• One unusual theory about the name links the name Sergestus, from which Sergey derives, to the Semitic noun שריג (sarig) “branch, tendril, or vine”[1].  
  

Sergei Esenin with birches, a favorite motif in his poetry

Bibliography:

Vokrug Sveta magazine, 19 Jan. 2023, https://www.vokrugsveta.ru/articles/vechnaya-klassika-10-samykh-rasprostranennykh-imen-v-rossii-id861747/

Kod Vashego Imeni. E.O.Belikova. Nauka-Press, 2006

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[1] https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Sergius.html

Nicholas: What This Name Is All About

In its many forms, Nicholas is one of the most common names in Europe[1]. It’s a name that evokes winter, snow, and gifts – associated as it is with St Nicholas (Santa Claus). But there’s more to this name's origin – from its connection to the sea to its ancient Greek roots.

Let’s find out:

• where this name comes from
• what it means
• what is the history behind it
• fun trivia associated with the name Nicholas and its variants

Origin and Meaning of the Name

Nicholas is a Greek name. Its original form Νικολαος (Nikolaos) comes from Greek νικη (nike) "victory" and λαος (laos) "people" – probably meaning something like "victory of the people" or “victorious people”. The first element could also be interpreted as the name of the goddess of victory, Nike. Then, the name’s meaning would be “Nike’s people” or “people of Victory”. 

 

Nike of Samothrace is a famous sculpture of the Greek goddess of victory in the Louvre (marble, 2nd century BC)

It’s interesting to note that the word laos in Greek originates from the root word “λας” (-las). It’s also found in “λα-τομεῑο”, which means “stone, rock”. This is because in Greek mythology, it was believed that all humans were formed from the stones that Deucalion and Pyrrha – the only survivors of a devastating flood – threw over their shoulders. The stones turned into humans and this is how the earth was repopulated after the great flood according to Greek myth.

History

St. Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Anatolia. According to legend, he once rescued the daughters of a poor man from lives of poverty and prostitution by providing them with dowries so that they could marry. He formed the basis for the figure known as Santa Claus (created in the 19th century from Dutch Sinterklaas) – the bringer of Christmas presents.

Due to the renown of the saint, this name has been widely used in the Christian world where children were often traditionally named after popular saints to ensure their protection. St Nicholas is the patron saint of (among others):

• children
• brides
• sailors
• merchants
• wolves
• the falsely accused 
• Greece
• Russia

Although Nicolas was very popular among monks in Anglo-Saxon England, it became a common favorite only after the Norman Conquest (1066). As the name of a popular Catholic saint, the name Nicholas became less common in Protestant countries after the Reformation, but never disappeared entirely from use. The name was and continues to be extremely popular in Russia in its Russian form Nikolay. This was the name of two Russian tsars, including the last tsar – Nicholas II.

In Greece, the name and its derivatives are especially popular in maritime regions, as St. Nicholas is considered the protector of seafarers.

The Roman Catholic and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". The Eastern Orthodox Church is divided on this – some Orthodox countries celebrate on December 6, while others celebrate on December 19.

Trivia

• Nicholas Flamel was the name of a scribe, manuscript-seller, and famous alchemist, who lived in Paris in the 14^th century.

• The name gained the ‘ch’ spelling around the 12th century. It became firmly established at the time of the Reformation, although Nicolas was still used.

• Nicholas Nickleby is the name of the main character in Charles Dickens’ novel of the same name.

• Famous people include actor Nicolas Cage (1964-), Russian painter Nicholas (Nikolay) Roerich (1874-1947), and writer Nicholas Sparks (1965-).   
• A book[2] from the 1900s describes the character of the name Nicholas as: “Popular, amusing, hard-working, competent. Is inclined to be selfish and to worry unduly.”

• The Greek popularity of the name Nicholas and its variants is alluded to in the 2002 comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Niki seems to be the name of half of the main character’s family.  

• Unrelated-sounding names can also be variants of Nicholas. Colin used to be a medieval form of Nicholas. Now it’s used exclusively as an independent given name[3]. Famous Colins include Colin Craven from the novel The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett, Colin Creevey from the Harry Potter series, and British actor Colin Firth.

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[1] https://forebears.io/europe/forenames

[2] The Meanings of Christian Names. Anonymous. Duff Press, 2011. ISBN 1446536440, 9781446536445

[3] Scottish Christian Names. Leslie Alan Dunkling. First published 1978. Johnston & Bacon, Stirling. Pg. 108