Sokolov: the origin of the family name. History and meaning

Now it is difficult to imagine that a person does not have a surname. Some peoples may not have their patronymic in official documents. Today we will talk about the origin of the Sokolov family. Studying the history of your family will always benefit - you can learn about the ancestors and learn interesting facts from the history of the specific region where your family lived.

History of the term "surname"

The word itself has its origin in Latin and is translated as "family". It is very symbolic, since in the modern world it is the surname that represents the specific genus, which makes it possible to compile a genealogical tree.

Previously, the name was a community, where the owners and their slaves were under one, so to speak, name. So it was indicated that the servitors belonged to certain people.

But now everything is different, and the name is passed on from generation to generation. If there is a desire, then you can find the very first person, the progenitor, who initiated this family. Veneration of ancestors has always been important.

Falcon or Sokolov?

In the modern world, you can find both options. Do they belong to the same genus? It is worth finding out by looking in the genealogical tree of a particular family. The origin of the Sokol family name is usually associated with the same name.

In ancient Russia it was customary to give the child the first name for baptism and the second non-church, often associated with the animal world. For example, the Wolf, the Bear, the Falcon, the Oak and the like. This is a reference to the pagan past, and people believed that the child thus endowed with the qualities of a name. Parents hoped that this will save the child from the evil eye and spoilage, help in life. For example, a falcon is clear, a bear is strong. This is one of the variants of the origin of the Sokolov family. And this phenomenon was observed until the end of the XVII century. Exactly until the church has forbidden to give a second pagan name.

An interesting fact is the fact that children were often given bird names, not animals. Perhaps this is due to the fact that there was a kind of worship of birds. And this is not surprising. Feathers played a large role in the economy of each family, they predicted the weather. Do not forget that such a bird as a falcon, often participated in the hunt, and this was widespread among the nobility.

What is the origin of the Sokolov family? Option Two

However, not only because of the animal name could this name appear. In the XVII-XIX centuries many people still did not have names at all. If a young man went to study in a seminary, he could get a surname depending on the place of birth or residence. That is, if the village where the student came from was called Sokolovo, then, accordingly, he received the Sokolov surname. Also the name was given by the names of church holidays, icons, saints, animals, plants.

The third variant of the origin of the surname

We already know that the names were originally given to families, depending on the name that the person wore. But there are also cases when the higher authorities could change the surname. But not just so, but depending on the qualities that the person showed.

An example is the case when an exam took place in Tver province, where a young man with the last name Bukharev simply answered phenomenally the questions. The respondent was incredibly impressed by the mindset of the young seminarian and said that he was not now Bukharev, but Orlov or Sokolov. Here the reference goes again to the qualities that these predatory birds possess. This is a rather interesting case, when the name changed so unusually. This happened quite rarely, but it could have been.

The origin of the Sokolov surname, as we see, can also be associated with several variants. In order to find out exactly, you need to compile a family tree. Family documents and even archives of local libraries will help you in this. It is not excluded that you could write about your ancestor in the press of that time.

The origin, meaning and history of the Sokolov family are interesting, of course, but remember that this is one of the most common generic names. Researchers in the early twentieth century believed in St. Petersburg the number of repetitions for various names, and "Sokolov" was in seventh place.

The origin of Sokolov's surname is very important for descendants, it allows you to get deeper acquainted with the culture of ancient Russia and get to know your kind closer.