Bulgaria Naming Customs

Online Tools

 * Behind the Name: Bulgarian Surnames
 * Behind the Name: Bulgarian Given Names

Surnames

 * Bulgarian naming traditionally consists of three names:
 * the first name (the given name)
 * the middle name (traditionally the father's name)
 * the last name (surname/family name)


 * In the early 1800s, the majority of Bulgarians were known by only their first names, occasionally accompanied by an occupation as an additional identifier.
 * Before 1880, family names/surnames began to come about, typically based on the paternal grandfather's name (a practice not common today).
 * Many surnames are the adjective form of the masculine given name, formed by adding -ov/-ev for males, or -ova/-eva for females.

Given Names

 * Traditionally, children were often named after an older relative, so as to keep that relative's name in the family. This practice is not binding today.
 * Masculine given names can end in a variety of letters, such as "l", "r", "n", "o", "i", etc. whereas feminine names more commonly end in "a" and occasionally "i".
 * Traditionally, the Bulgarian given names are either of Slavic origin or from Greek, Latin or Hebrew when reflecting Christian faith (e.g. Petar, Maria, Ivan, Teodora, Georgi, Nikolay, Mihail, Paraskeva, Dimitar).
 * The Slavic names may describe the appearance or character of the person, may constitute a wish or even stem from pre-Christian conjuring rituals and meant not to attract the evil spirits.

For Further Reading

 * Bulgarian Names - Naming Patterns
 * Bulgarian name