In ancient times, the term "surname" had a different meaning than today. In the days of the Roman Empire, a surname was a community of slaves owned by a certain master. And only at the end of the 19th century the term acquired its modern meaning. Currently, there are a huge number of generic names, the origin of each of them is associated with professions, occupation, regions of residence, nicknames, names, traditions, customs, way of life, and the nature of our ancestors. There are surnames, the origin of which is associated with the appearance of a person or the circumstances of his birth. A large group of surnames is formed from given names or nicknames.
Each surname is unique, with its own interesting and unique destiny. The article will reveal the secrets of the origin and meaning of the name Safronov.
Origin of family name
The origin of the name Safronov is connected with the centralregions of Russia. This is an old Russian naming, which has been known since the 16th century. Over time, the carriers of this generic name settled and live in our time everywhere throughout Russia.
The origin of the surname Safronov refers to the ancient type of native Russian generic names, which are formed from the full form of the church name. The surname was based on the name Safron.
The vast majority of primordially Russian family names are formed from Christian names, which are contained in the Saints (church names). Orthodoxy required that the child be named after a saint - a legendary image that is revered by the church on a strictly defined day. Christianity came to Kievan Rus in the 10th century from Byzantium, which, in turn, borrowed religion from the Roman Empire; it came to Ancient Rome from the Middle East. That is why most of the personal names are borrowed from the ancient Greek, Hebrew and Latin languages.
For example, the name Safron is of Greek origin, it means "prudent", in some dialects "sapron" is used in the meaning of "crook, ignoramus".
Toponymic version of the origin of naming
It is possible that the origin of the name Safronov is directly related to the geographical name, and belongs to the ancient type of Russian generic names. That is, it was formed on behalf of a person in connection with his place of residence or birth.
The emergence of "toponymic" surnames can be traced back to the 14th century. The percentage of noble families in this group is higher than in any other.
Safronov is a resident or native of the village of Safronovo, Safonovo, Safonovskoe. Such nicknames were added to church names and played the role of secular ones during the spread of the tradition of two names in Russia. These names were often replaced by baptismal ones, and in official documents there are often records of the nickname Sofronets or Safronovets. These nicknames were preserved for life and passed down through generations. Over time, they received the status of a family name.
The patron saint of the family name: the church version of the origin of the Safronov family name
The patron saints of the name are Archbishop Sophronius of Cyprus (was awarded the gift of miracles) and Patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem (defended Orthodoxy from heretics). Safroniy's memorial day is December 22. It is possible that when a child was born on this day, he was named after these saints.
The following family names were formed from the baptismal name: Saprontsev, Sofronsky, Saprygin, Sapronenko, Sofrontiev, Sopronets.
Prevalence of generic naming
The nationality of the surname Safronov in 50% of cases is associated with Russian origin, in 10% - with Belarusian, in 5% - with Ukrainian and in 30% is associated with the languages of the peoples of Russia (Mordovian, Bashkir, Tatar, Buryat), in 5% comes from Serbian and Bulgarian.
The surname is rare in Russia. ATIn historical letters, the owners of this family name in the 16th century were important personalities from the Pskov merchant class, who had the royal privilege.
The historical roots of this generic name can be found in the census of the population of Ancient Russia during the time of Ivan the Terrible. The great sovereign had a list of beautiful, princely surnames, which were bestowed upon the courtiers as an encouragement. It is for this reason that the family name is rare.
In any case, the origin of the surname Safronov is associated with a proper name, nickname, place of residence of a distant ancestor. The process of formation of generic names was long, so it is difficult to establish the exact time and place of their origin today. We can only say with certainty that the surname Safronov is ancient.
