How are the names given to Armenian babies? The people of Armenia have very strong traditions. Usually, a baby that is born in the family would have the name of his/her grandmother or grandfather from the father’s side. So if you are the first child on your father’s side, and you are a boy, very likely you will have the same first name as your grandfather.
Armenians prefer giving Armenian names to their children. Most of the names, of course, are associated with famous and courageous historical figures. Not surprisingly, one of the most wide-spread Armenian names for boys is Hayk , Tigran, Armen, Aram, Ashot, etc. These are mainly the names of Armenian kings who had their say in Armenian history. For girls, you can expect to see names such as Anahit, an Armenian goddess of the pagan times, the goddess of beauty and maternity. If you go to Britan, you can see the bronze statue of this goddess in the British Museum. Nane and Mane are other common names that Armenian people give to their daughters. Ani, the name of an ancient Armenian city, which is now in the territory of turkey is also very widespread, Anna is also a very popular choice. However, Anna is not an Armenian name, and it is very hard to tell the origins of this name. Anna is one of the most common names in the world and many people prefer to give this name to their daughters. Biblical figures such as Eva and Marian are also very common among Armenians. Mariam is the Armenian name of the Virgin Mary become very popular as well. When choosing the name, people are wary about the meaning and how the name itself sounds. Most important of all, in all corners of the world, Armenian people prefer to give authentic Armenian names to their children. This is a tradition which goes from father to son, and which Armenian people take pride in. Of course, international names are also widespread in Armenia such as Mark, Erik, Alexander, for guys, Maria, and Lilly for girls and at the same time pulling out the very old-fashioned and complicated names. Armenians have a belief that it does not matter what name your child has, and it does not matter whether the baby is he or she, all that matters is that the child becomes a healthy and happy person when they grow up. The rest is just not important.
Online Armenian lessons for kids: dinolingo.com