Slovak names consist of a
given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...
and
surname
In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...
.
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
uses the
Western name order with the given name being listed before surname. However, there is a historical tradition to reverse this order, especially in official contexts including administrative papers and legal documents, as well as on gravestones and memorials.
Most
Slovaks
The Slovaks ( (historical Sloveni ), singular: ''Slovák'' (historical: ''Sloven'' ), feminine: ''Slovenka'' , plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history ...
do not have a middle name. The family name forms for males and females are distinct in Slovakia, making it possible to identify
gender
Gender is the range of social, psychological, cultural, and behavioral aspects of being a man (or boy), woman (or girl), or third gender. Although gender often corresponds to sex, a transgender person may identify with a gender other tha ...
from the name alone. As of 2003 there were 185,288 different family names in use among 5.4 million Slovaks, or one family name for every 29 citizens. There is an estimated 90,000 lineages in Slovakia.
With marriage, the bride typically adopts the bridegroom's surname. Slovak names are very similar to
Czech names.
Given names
Given names
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...
in
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
are called ''baptismal names'' () despite being completely different from the Christian
baptismal names. Proper baptismal names given during
infant baptism are still common in the countryside, yet they are only seldom used within the official name (if they are, they form the person's middle name). Generally, names in Slovakia can be of several distinct origins:
*
Slavic names
Given names originating from the Slavic languages are most common in Slavic peoples, Slavic countries.
The main types of Slavic names:
* Two-base names, often ending in mir/měr (''Ostromir/měr'', ''Tihomir/měr'', ''Niemir, Němir/měr''), * ...
of pre-Christian origin (e.g.
Dobromil)
*
Christian name
A Christian name, sometimes referred to as a baptismal name, is a religious personal name given on the occasion of a Christian baptism, though now most often given by parents at birth. In English-speaking cultures, a person's Christian name ...
s often inspired by
saints (e.g.
Vojtech)
* Names of past kings and rulers (e.g.
Ladislav Ladislav is a Czech, Slovak and Croatian variant of the Slavic name Vladislav. The female form of this name is Ladislava.
Folk etymology occasionally links ''Ladislav'' with the Slavic goddess Lada.
Spellings and variations
In Bulgarian ...
)
* Modern names (e.g.
Lukas)
* Names of ethnic minorities living in Slovakia (e.g.
Béla)
Surnames
Surnames differ according to gender. Normally, the feminine form is created by adding suffix "ová" to the masculine form (e.g. Bača would be Bačová). If the surname is derived from adjectives, the ''ý'' suffix is replaced with ''á''. Because Slovakia also has people with Hungarian, German, and other ancestors, some surnames in Slovakia will follow the convention of those languages and not conform to these norms.
Some popular surnames include:
*Derived from profession:
**
Kováč – Smith
**
Mlynár – Miller
**Bača – shepherd
**
Rybár – fisher
**Kráľ – king
**Pekár – baker
**
Kuchár – cook
**Mäsiar – butcher
**Holič – barber
**Maliar – painter
**Kľúčiar – key maker
**Mečiar – sword maker
**
Sklenár – glassmaker.
*Derived from adjectives:
**
Čierny – black
**Biely – white
**
Suchý – dry
**Mokrý – wet
**Slaný – salty
**Smutný – sad
**Šťastný – happy/lucky
**Malý – small
**Široký – wide
**Tichý – quiet
**Surový – raw
*Others:
**Koreň – root
**Chren – horseradish
**Repa – beet
**Slanina – bacon
**Polievka – soup
**Cibuľka – little onion
**Malina – raspberry
**Dobrovodský – good water
**Holub – pigeon
**Chrobák – beetle
**Komár – mosquito
**Medvedík – little bear
**Koleno – knee
**Mráz – frost
**Okienka – little window
**Otčenáš – our father
**Bezdeda – without a grandpa
**Dolina – valley
**Kocur – tomcat
See also
*
Slavic surnames
*
Name days in Slovakia
*
Czech name
Czech names are composed of a given name and a surname, family name (surname). Czechs typically get one given name – additional names may be chosen by themselves upon baptism but they generally use one. With marriage, the bride typically adopts ...
*
Slovak identity card
References
External links
Czech and Slovak given names
{{Names_in_world_cultures
Names by country
Slavic-language names
Culture of Slovakia