Considering the origin of the surname Kononov, it should be noted that it is quite common in our country. In the list of the 250 most common generic names, she ranks 191st. Interestingly, there are several versions of its origin. Details about the origin and meaning of the surname Kononov will be described in the article.
Greek name
According to the main version of the origin of the surname Kononov, it is based on one of the Greek names. This can be attributed to many other generic names in Russia. In this case, we are talking about the church Orthodox name Konon, which is contained in the calendar. In the old days it was very common. In translation, it means "hardworking", "working".
Religious traditions required that the child be named after a historical or legendary person who is revered by the church on a certain day. Those who received the name Konon had not one, but several patrons in heaven at once. To thembear this name:
- Reverend Abbot Pentukla.
- Another saint called the Isaurian.
- The holy martyr, nicknamed Gradar, that is, a gardener.
- Martyr, nicknamed the Roman.
The first two will be discussed in more detail below.
Noble person
According to the assumption of linguists, the history of the surname Kononov suggests that the bearer of this name, who was the founder of a whole family, belonged to the nobility. This is evidenced by the fact that this name is formed from the full form of the name.
This mainly refers to the social elite, the nobility or the family, which was highly respected by others. While the lower strata mostly had nicknames or diminutive forms of the name.
Adding a suffix
According to the existing tradition, family names expressed family seniority. A very common way to form surnames on the territory of the Russian state was to add the suffix "ov" to the name of the father. He indicated the presence of family relationships.
The origin of the surname Kononov refers by linguists to just such an option. On behalf of Konon, by adding “ov” to it, the studied generic name was formed. So they could call a son, grandson or nephew, that is, a relative in a descending line. In the future, this nickname began to refer to the family. He was officially registered as a surname.
Becausethe translation of the name from Greek was previously considered, now we can answer the question of what the surname Kononov means. She is interpreted as "the son of a hard-working man."
Other versions
Considering the origin of the name Kononov, one cannot but mention them.
Some researchers do not exclude that this generic name may have not Greek, but Turkic roots. It is based on the analysis made by etymologists of surnames dating back to the 15th-16th centuries.
He showed that the surname Kononov was also recorded among representatives of the Tatar people. Moreover, it is found repeatedly. So, in the cadastres of Kazan there is an entry dating back to 1568, which mentions Pervush Kononov, an interpreter, that is, a translator who spoke the Tatar-Kazan language.
If the surname is of Turkic origin, then there is a possibility that it is formed from the noun "kon". It has two meanings. One is “beauty” and the other is “day.”
There are also opinions that the surname under study could be formed from other personal male names that are canonical. This is Nikon and Kondraty.
At present, it is quite difficult to talk about the exact time and place of origin of the Kononov family name. However, linguists with a greater degree of confidence still speak of the first of the versions discussed above.
Orthodox saints
Let's consider episodes from the life of two saints, bearing the name from which the surname under study was formed. The first of them is Konon, who was the abbot of Pentukla. His memorial day refers to 19February. He baptized people who passed by the monastery. But at the same time, out of fear of temptation, he refused to smear women with holy ointment.
John the Baptist, who once appeared to him, promised to help with prayers to fight temptations. But despite this, when a beautiful girl from Persia came to him, he could not christen her naked. Not finding another woman in a deserted place so that she could help him in chrismation, the saint decided to leave the monastery. However, John the Baptist blocked his path, saying that Conon was rewarded for his struggle with temptations.
After the command of John, the ascetic returned to the monastery and baptized the Persian, not paying attention to the fact that she belongs to the female sex. After that, Konon lived in the monastery for another 20 years. He achieved complete fearlessness and died around 555
Another martyr is Conon of Isauria. His memory is celebrated on March 5. Archangel Michael was his patron. A related episode also deals with relationships with the female sex. His parents insisted that he marry a girl named Anna. However, the newly-made husband convinced her to remain a virgin. They lived like brother and sister, devoting themselves entirely to the service of God.
