The origin of the surname Doronin: the spiritual path

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

If we analyze the origin of the surnames that are in circulation in Russia, we can see that there are several sources, each of which became the basis for the formation of the family name. In ancient Russia, nicknames were given, which later became a family name, such as Medvedev, Zaitsev, Sokolov, etc. And the origin of the surname Doronin has Greek roots associated with the spiritual growth of a person, which obliged its bearer to a lot. There were several reasons for getting this surname.

Spiritual regulation

In order to deal with the origin of the surname Doronin, let's turn to the historical events of the time of Peter I. By his order, the then Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich created the "Spiritual Regulations", according to which the church was administered by the Holy Synod, which was controlled by the Chief Procurator andobeyed the emperor. Some time later, this document was agreed with the bishops and the abbots who headed the monasteries.

During this period, Orthodox priests were supposed to have surnames. However, as often happened in Russia, the changes took place more often on paper, and life went on as usual. However, it can be argued that the prerequisites for the emergence of the surname Doronin, the origin of which is closely connected with the Russian clergy.

Anna Ioannovna ascended the throne in 1739 and issued a decree on the establishment of a theological seminary in each diocese. However, little money was allocated for this project, and therefore a special "teaching priest" was attached to each parish, who was charged with the duty of preparing "clergy's children" for the spiritual career. After some time, it turned out that the number of newly minted seminarians had increased significantly, and therefore there was a need for appropriate surnames for a separate class. The origin of the surname Doronin belongs to this period.

Gift of God

The spiritual estate was finally formed by the 19th century, and surnames became common during this period. However, in practice, they addressed the priest in the full form of the name with the designation of the rank, for example, "father", "father", "priest", and the surnames of the parishioners might not know. Children of church ministers most often bore the surname Popov (according to the professional affiliation of the parent) - it was naturalorder.

However, there was another possibility: the origin and meaning of the surname Doronin confirms this. It is formed, according to some researchers, from the nickname "Doron", which goes back to the Greek word doron, which translates as "gift" or "gift". This was due to a certain event or qualities of the monk of the monastery, which distinguishes him from others.

It could happen that the baby, thrown to the gates of the holy monastery, was noticed and saved, and therefore he seemed to receive a second birth as a "gift" from the Almighty. Or the student was clearly distinguished by his abilities from the rest, which testified to his giftedness, that is, that the Lord endowed him with a "gift".

Children marked in this way received a nickname, which later, by adding the Russian suffix "in" - could become the surname Doronin, which means "gifted from above." Among the Russian clergy, one can find many derivatives of nicknames that had a "supernatural" origin.

Second life

The surname, which also had a connection with a miracle, acquired a slightly different meaning. For example, when a terminally ill person, about whom they said "not a tenant" - for some inexplicable reason, suddenly went on the mend and returned to life. It was a gift of a "second life", according to which a person was given a new nickname, and after a while it was fixed as a surname.

One way or another, but it was not given by chance, and therefore itcarriers can be sure that their ancestor was either associated with the clergy, or inexplicable events occurred in his life.

Baptismal name

After baptism in Russia, the orders gradually changed, including those concerning the naming of the newborn. Many ancient pagan names were replaced by Greek ones, collected in special church books - "Saints". However, on Russian soil, these names were changed in accordance with the national color.

In particular, the ancient Greek name Doron was transformed into the Russian Dorotheus, which did not affect its meaning in any way - it still meant "God's gift". At home, Dorofei could be affectionately called "Doronya".

And one more option for education: in Russia there are many ancient settlements with the name "Doronino", from where the surname Doronin originated.

It should be noted that the metrization of the population of Russia was finally completed only by the middle of the 19th century. Representatives of the boyar and noble families already had surnames in the 16th century, but the clergy, like the rest of the lower classes, acquired this right later. Therefore, the Doronins began to be entered in the parish registers from about the 18th century.