MALE AND FEMALE NAMES OF UMAN RESIDEN TS IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of the semantic and etymological characteristics of male and female names of Uman residents. It analyzes the ethnic composition of the town’s population in the years 1920–1925 and provides a brief overview of prior research on the anthroponymicon (collection of anthroponyms) of the Podillia region and the Jewish diaspora in Europe.The study is based on digitized civil status records from 1920–1925, available through the online resource FamilySearch. The research follows the principles of academic etymology. A total of 84 male and 73 female names (excluding derivative forms) were recorded, amounting to 192 male and 157 female name instances. The male and female names were classified by origin into nine etymological groups, with the characteristics of each group described in detail.The study compares the anthroponymicons of Ukrainians and Jews. It explores the integration of certain Jewish names into the European anthroponymicon and traces how their phonetics were altered under the influence of Greek and Latin. Additionally, it examines the effects of russification policies on the name repertoire of Uman’s population.The findings reveal that the Jewish community of Uman almost exclusively used ancient Hebrew names. Among the Ukrainian population, ancient Greek names overwhelmingly prevailed, reflecting the predominantly Orthodox Christian faith of local Ukrainians.The research concludes that anthroponymic systems formed within different cultures can remain relatively insulated or be subject to external influences. It was established that Uman’s early 20th-century anthroponymicon was heterogeneous due to the dominance of the Jewish ethnic group in the town. The insularity of the Jewish community helped preserve its name repertoire from outside linguistic influences. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian anthroponymicon, composed of Slavic and borrowed names (with the latter quantitatively prevailing), proved more vulnerable to the effects of russification policies.