Azganun Ev Makanun

[Arpa]

Azganun ev Makanun.

Azganun means "dynastic surname" and Makanun, even if it suggests "toponym" is actually used to mean nickname. The latter often describes physical featurs, sometimes isnultful and pejorative while the former is often based on familial or ancestral names, and sometime locations.

 

Persian Friend wrote on Nov. 14 ;

 

http://armenians.com/forum/index.php?showt...=80entry65594

Hello Guys:

 

You know I always come to you with questions?

Are there any Armenian names that do not end in _ian?

The only Armenian that I know whose name does not end in _ian is the famous Persian-Armenian Tennis Superstar Andre Agassi.

His father used to box for Iran's olympic game several times.

What is interesting about his last name is that is also a Persian last name. One of the famous Persian folklore singer's name is Aghassi:

I would appreciate if you could elaborate.

Thanks.

Yes, Persian Friend, here is another Armenian for you; Ayatollah Shahzadeian :) Not really. I just made it up, although it is not too farfetched as many Persians do use the -ian.

 

First this piece of trash;

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp...id=121&letter=B

 

From the below site;

SURNAMES

ORIGIN & HISTORY

European surnames first occurred between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, with some patronymic surnames in Scandinavia being acquired as late as the nineteenth century

History of Surnames; http://www.intl-research.com/surname.htm

 

Obviously the above writer knows nothing about Armenians and Armenian history and culture.

 

Then this;

http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/armenians/...gratuni_p1.html

 

Armenians have always had surnames and nicknames. I may be lying when I say "always". We don't know if Haik and Ara had surnames, yet it would not be necessary as there was only one Haik and one Ara. If there were more than one Haik then it would have been necessary to distinguish them. One would have been Haik Masisian and the other- Haik Yerevanian denoting their place of origin. Not really. I doubt if that time the -ian ending was extensivley used. The latter custom seems to be a reltively new phenomenon. I would have dared say that it is a post-Kilikian custom but I won't since we see it used as far back as 400 AD. Here is some of the surnames during the 451 AD Battle of Avarayr of the Vardanank.

Of course, the commander was none other than Vardan MamikonIAN himself.And the rest were (a partial list); Nershapuh Artsruni, Khoren Khorkhoruni, Artak Paluni, Vahan Aamatuni, the Vahevuni-s, Tatul Timaksian, Arshavir Arsharuni, Shemavon Atzevatsi, Tajat Gntuni, Atom Gnuni, Khosrov Gapeghian, Garen Saharuni, Hmayak and Kazrik Timaksian, Nerseh Kachberuni, Barsam Mandakuni,Arsen Untzayetsi, Ayrouk Sughuni, Vren Dashratsi, Barsam Artsruni, Khours Srvantstiants, The Akean-s, the Turpatuni-s and the Rushduni-s.

We also know that the opposition was led by Vasak Syuni.

Above we see that at that time many forms of toponyms and patrynims were in use, i.e Armenians did have surnames. We can go even further back and see that Tigran the Great himself, even if it would be unneccessary, had an ancestral surname of Ervanduni.

Did KIng Trdat have and ancestral surname? Was it Arshakuni?

I don't know but his contemporaries seemed to have them. Grigor the Illuminator's surname was Pahlavuni (301 AD).

How many Mesrops and Sahaks were there in year 400 AD? We don't know but the Mesrop we know is from Masht therefor he was known as Mesrop Mashtots, and the Sahak we know is the Sahak Partev (the Partian).

 

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION SINCE WE WILL CITE MANY FORMS OF ARMENIAN SURNAMES AS WE GO ALONG. WE HAVE MENTIONED SOME ABOVE ALREADY.

 

Then comes along the most celebrated Armenian, Movses. Which Movses you ask? You mean MosJan? Yes, him also! :) But the Movses we are talking about is the one from the village of Khoren, Movses Khorenatsi, the father of Armenian histriography. Then follows a whole list of -tsi-s like Mkhitar Heratsi, Amirdovlat Amasiatsi etc. (Mkhitar Gosh was named such to distinguish him from other Mkhitars as he was bald/hairless[gosh]).

Then came the most disgusting era of our history when Armenians, true to thier heritage would still have surnames while their overlords would be known by their patrynims like -oghlu (son of), we had surnames like Yeghia Demirji-bash(master ironmonger), writer poet. Of course, we did not like the (turkish)sound of it so we added the -ian and now we know him as Yeghia Demirjibashian (disgusting!!!). Daniel Chbukyarian did not like his surname either so he changed it to Daniel Varouzhan. Many other Armenians did not like their nicknames so they changed Armen Eshekoghlu to Armen Eshekoghlu-ian. :)

After the Genocide the thing relly hit the fan and since then one owuld find very few Armenians without the -ian ending. That is when the orphan gatherers decided that every Armenian must have an -ian surname so they gave us names like Cholak-ian, Topalian-ian and the most ridiculous- Chrkin(ugly)-ian based on nicknames (ften isulting) that the children could only remember.

Then came the likes of Misak Medzarents. The -ents, -unts and -onts ending is typical of southern Armenia ans Syunik where one would see names like Aksel Bakunts and Armen Atonts which simply means "from the family/place of", not unlike Mesrop Mashtots.

Some Armenians use no discerning qualification even if most of them may be pseudonyms or pennames, such as Paruyr Sevak and Yeghishe Charents.

 

Then there are Armenians in various countries that adopt the local customs of nimenclature. Ovannes Ayvazian becomes Ivan Ayvazovsky, Armen Agopian become Agopovich and Zara Dulukhanian becomes Dulukhanova. There were many old (pre-Genocide)Armenians in Aleppo, some of whom actually spoke Armenian but their surnames were Hajjar(stonecutter), Sabbagh(dyer), Dabbagh (tanner), Fattal (wickmaker) etc.

 

Armenians of India; Hovsep Emin was an Armenian from India, originally from Isfahan(New Julfa, Nor Jugha).

http://www.menq.am/history/chap2_part03.htm

 

Does this mean that the Chincinian family (an actual name)are from China? :)

 

Then there are Persian Armenians many of which use the typical Persian ending of -ni (from) like Isfahani etc. Look below.

 

Persian Armenians?; http://www.worldlounge.com/profile.asp?UserSid=143657

 

This is no way is a complete story of Armenian surnames.

All are welcome to contribute.

[Arpa]

First we had Haik Nahapet, and after 4000 years of experimenting we came full circle and now we have Mark Geragos. :)

 

I also forgot ot mention that among the old Armenians of Aleppo there was a family whose surname was Giragos.