I’ve started keeping a list of words/place names that have a cool sound but aren’t really usable as names. [name]One[/name] of my favourites is Romanov. [name]Do[/name] you like it (based on sound alone)? It sounds dashing and handsome to me
There are a few names of royal houses that have become acceptable names- [name]Bruce[/name], [name]Stuart[/name], a friend of a friend is named [name]Tudor[/name]… what makes these any more usable than Romanov? Is it because of the Revolution? I guess people tend to think of [name]Nicholas[/name] II but there were strong Romanov monarchs like [name]Catherine[/name] the Great… Would the useability of royal house names depend on what the monarchs were like? (If so, where does [name]Stuart[/name] come from?!) BTW, I love history but don’t know much compared to a lot other Berries, it seems!
Sorry this post turned out so long. I’m nowhere near having kids, just want opinions! [name]TIA[/name], Berries
I can’t separate it from the Romanov family, which definitely isn’t an association I would wish on a child. [name]How[/name] about [name]Roman[/name], [name]Romilly[/name], [name]Romello[/name] or [name]Romere[/name]? Or maybe [name]Dov[/name] or [name]Angelov[/name]?
THe Russian imperial family didn’t legally have a surname. However they were called the Romanovs since the 18thc, and the name comes from one of the earliet ancestors of the Russian Imperial family whose given name was [name]Roman[/name]. It was a patronymic that just stayed attached to the family (doubtless they liked the comparison to the [name]Roman[/name] Empire).
[name]Stuart[/name] comes for steward, actually.
As to their adoption-- well as anglophones we’ll always use English words and surnames more easily than foreign ones. Some words are more ripe for the plucking than others-- why rose versus chrysanthemum, or opal versus chalcedony? Familiarity and ease are important.
blade, I didn’t know that bit of Russian history, thanks for telling me. And good point about familiarity and ease. Though I wonder if it’s just me who thinks foreign words often sound much better partly because they’re unfamiliar and exotic.
augusta_lee, I don’t think I’d actually use Romanov. More of a guilty pleasure I guess.
If I could separate it from the imperial Russian family (which I really can’t), I would think it has a cool sound. Then again, I appreciate languages a lot and love the sound of other nationalities and cultures, if that makes sense. I think what makes [name]Bruce[/name] or [name]Stuart[/name] usable, for example, but not Romanov, is the perception of how surnamey it is. For example, the surname [name]Grant[/name] is also quite popular as a FN (quite a dashing FN, imo!), and it has similar aspects to other common FNs, imo. But something like Wlasniewski or Romanov? Wlasniewski is a lot worse than Romanov, imo, haha, but it’s just too strongly a surname, it doesn’t really sound like a FN. That’s where it gets into the whole pretentious/strange sort of area, I think. I mean, Hammitt is a GP of mine, but I wouldn’t use Hammitt any more than I would use Romanov or [name]Washington[/name] or any other too-surnamey surname.
My English class just finished reading Crime and Punishment and Romanov reminds me of [name]Rodion[/name] Romanovitch Raskolnikov, the protagonist, as well as his sister, Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikov. Romanov definitely sounds interesting as a name, but it’s probably better for the GP list.
I’ll admit Romanov does have a nice sound, but I also think it’s hard to separate from the Tsar’s family, and while there were some good Tsars (I’m partial to [name]Alexander[/name] II), it’s not a family I’d like to honour. I also think most people do know Romanov as being associated with the Tsar while [name]Stuart[/name] and [name]Bruce[/name] are common first and last names so the association isn’t so strong. I had thought the name was associated with the royal family due to the election of [name]Mikhail[/name] Romanov as Tsar in 1613. I had no idea it was linked to an archetypal [name]Roman[/name]. You learn something new every day!
I also think the -ov ending makes it very surname-y, to contrast [name]Stuart[/name] and [name]Bruce[/name]. Russian first names don’t typically end in -ov.
Wow, no. First there is the level of pretention of naming what I’m assuming is a regular kid with no Russian background (correct me if I’m wrong) the commonly-used surname of the Russian Imperial family. Honestly, why not Genghis or [name]Cleopatra[/name]? It would come off very lowbrow, I think.
Second, the wealthy class of [name]Russia[/name] caused so much suffering I can’t imagine what a poor child would bear with that name. My exboyfriend’s given name was [name]Adolf[/name]. [name]Adolf[/name] [name]Greg[/name] & he went by [name]Greg[/name], because some names are hard to separate from people who had them and did bad deeds. This is one of those names.
Third, the whole Romanov family was (probably, we assume) executed by Bolsheviks, even the children. That’s a heavy negative legacy I wouldn’t wish on any kid.
@jenna did you really know someone named [name]Adolf[/name] who was born post-1945? That’s incredible. Did you ever ask about the story behind his name?
It’s his father’s name & his father was named in Germany in the 30s. My ex’s name is [name]Adolf[/name] and his brother’s is [name]Rudolf[/name] after an uncle. Needless to say they both went by their middles. It’s also why I never worry too much about my kid getting teased about their name, especially a middle (or in this case an unused first) No one ever knew his name unless he told them.
Yeah, this was my issue with it. They were all murdered I think they’ve all been accounted for now. [name]Anastasia[/name] was the contested one but they definitely found her.
I also agree with [name]Blade[/name]. Romanov is a patronymic for [name]Roman[/name]. So [name]Roman[/name] could (and is, e.g [name]Roman[/name] Ibramovich) be a given name but not Romanov.
I agree Romanov isn’t usable, although it does have a cool sound. [name]Roman[/name] and [name]Romilly[/name] are good alternatives. If [name]Romney[/name] wasn’t attached to [name]Mitt[/name], that would be a good one too…
Thanks for your opinions and the history lesson I have to agree myself; Romanov is way too attached to the family and the execution is too sad an association to bestow on any child. I was just curious if everyone else thought that and why. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who likes the sound though.
[name]TIA[/name], Berries
I think they’ve all been accounted for now. [name]Anastasia[/name] was the contested one but they definitely found her.