When discussing names among the Byzantines, we can make a rough division into three categories: family names (patronymics), given or baptismal names, and monastic names. In the late Roman period the ancient custom of accepting a kinship name (nomen gentile), such as Aelius or Flavius, survived. However, Christian writers sharply criticized this tradition: John Chrysostom urged Christians to give their children the names of saints, rather than of ancestors. After the fourth century, the nomen gentile quickly disappeared. While we know the names of aristocratic lineages from the ninth century, they did not become widespread until after the turn of the millennia. They never strictly established the inheritance of family names. Children could bear not only their mother's patronymic, but also that of their maternal grandmother; in some noble families brothers might each bear a different family name.
From the period of the 11th 12th century we know primarily the family names of the ruling lineages. We can divide them into two groups: the military aristocracy and the civil nobility. The family names of the military aristocrats originated from relatively obscure toponyms (villages, fortresses) in Asia Minor and Syria (Botaneiates, Arbantenos, Dalassenos, Dokeianos, etc.), whereas among the civil nobility we encounter names derived from trade professions (Pantechnes), quarters of Constantinople (Akropolites, Makrembolites), provincial towns (Choniates), and monasteries (Manouelites). Also typical of this group are names emphasizing positive qualities, such as Aoinos ("drinking no wine"), Kaloethes ("of good character"), or Eirenikos ("peaceful"), as if nobility of second rank tried to compensate itself. Peasants sometimes assume pompous names, probably reflecting their links of dependency. Usually, however, their names differ from those of noble lineages: some have Slavic or Vlach origin, some are derived from crafts (Chalkeus, "Smith"; Raptes, "tailor'; etc).
Drawing a line between the given and family name is not always possible, since they transformed some given names (both foreign and native) into family names (e.g., Roger, Rogerios). In the earlier period the distinction between the given name and the nomen gentile appeared blurred. In any case, in the fourth century old names were frequent among the most popular names are Claudius, Florentius, Severus, Ioulianus, Marcellus, Maurus, Maximus, and Sallustius; only a few names, like Eusebios, were Christian. The situation soon changed with Christian names like John, Theodore, Paul, Theodosios, Peter, Leontios, and Alexander becoming popular. Later few biblical or "virtuous" names popular; John and Theodore being striking exceptions, while Eusebios, Paul and Peter lost their popularity. The names of other apostles were never frequently used.
On the other hand, the group of "imperial" names grew more and more fashionable: Basil and Leo imperial by etymology as well as Constantine and later Romanos, Alexios and Manuel. John, George and Demetrios are the most frequent masculine names, with Maria being the most used feminine. The formation of new names continued. The feminine name Kale is just becoming fashionable; also several feminine names ending with the letter omega (Ioanno, Leonto, etc.) have recently become widespread.
Certain families favored specific given names: Alexios was especially popular among the Komnenoi, Michael with the Bourtzes family, etc. There seems to be no strict rule of transmission as the baptismal name was sometimes transferred grandfather to grandson or from uncle to nephew.
The alteration of names accompanied assumption of the monastic habit. Usually the monastic name began with the same letter as the baptismal name. This was not mandatory: Constantine Psellos became the monk Michael. Many names are used almost exclusively as monks' names, such as: Bartolomaios, Gabriel, Gerasimos, Dionysius, Isaias, Theodoulos, Iakobos, Ioannikos,Leontios, Makarios, Meletios, Nikodemos, Niphon and Sabbas. Some early emperors changed their names at the time of their coronation to a more imperial nae (e.g., Artemios became Anastasios II). Taking new Greek and Orthodox names when they married Byzantine emperors was also customary for foreign princesses; examples are Bertha of Sulzbach and Adelaide of Brunswick both of whom became Irene.
Among the magi of the Theban Tribunal being given names drawn from Greek myth is customary. While this practice is appropriate given the total embrace of the past prevalent here, it does tend to make magi obvious just by their name alone.
For examples of names, see here.
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Last modified: Thurs Dec 10, 1998