Boris (first name)

Boris (Bulgarian, Russian: Борис) is a Slavic name, probably with Bulgarian roots. [ [http://www.omda.bg/engl/history/ime_Boris.htm THE TRIP OF THE NAME OF BORIS ROUND THE WORLD] ] [ [http://promacedonia.com/vz1b/vz1b_3_1.html Васил Н. Златарски.История на Първото българско царство.Междудържавното положение на България и покръщането на българите.] ] It is common in Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine and other countries. In recent generations it has also been used among English and German-speakers, even without any Slavic background. The Ukrainian form of the name is usually transcribed as Borys.

Meaning

One theory is that this name is derived from the Slavic verb for "fight", or that it is an abbreviated form of the Slavic name "Borislav", which means "one who fights for glory". [ [http://imena.guru.ua/name/59/ толкование значение тайна имени Борис именины Борис знаменитые люди с именем Борис совместимость имен выбрать имя ребенку происхождение имени ] ] Thе second is less likely, because the name Borislav appeared later than Boris. [http://litopys.org.ua/kostruba/gvl03.htm See entry for year 1152.] Another theory is that this name comes from the Bulgar language with meanings according to the different interpretations: "wolf", "short" or "snow leopard". [ [http://www.promacedonia.org/vb/vb_6.html Проф. Веселин Бешевлиев (Издателство на Отечествения фронт, София 1981)] ] Some authors, which support the "Iranian theory" about the origin of the Bulgars, derive "Bogoris" from the Iranian word "bog", which could mean "godlike". [ [http://www.protobulgarians.com/prozvishta.htm ВЪРХУ ИМЕНАТА И ПРОЗВИЩАТА НА РАННИТЕ БЪЛГАРСКИ ВЛАДЕТЕЛИ. ВЛИЯНИЕ НА ПРАБЪЛГАРИТЕ ВЪРХУ ИМЕННАТА СИСТЕМА НА СЛАВЯНИТЕ.] ]

Infobox Given Name Revised
name = Boris


imagesize=200px
caption=St. Knyaz Boris I
pronunciation=
gender = male
meaning = unclear
region = worldwide
origin = Bulgarian, Slavic
related names = Borislav
footnotes =

Origin

"Boris" is first found in written records in the case of the Bulgarian ruler Prince Boris I (852-889), who adopted Christianity in 864 AD and imposed it on his people. His name came to be known in Europe in relation to this particular act. Moreover, after his death in 907 AD he was proclaimed the first Bulgarian saint, and traces of his cult during this period can be found as far away as Ireland. The Patriarchate of Constantinople recognized the canonization of St. Boris in 923 AD. [ [http://www.bolgarok.hu/index.php?id=432&L=1 1100 години от смъртта на княз Борис І. Христо Трендафилов.] ] However, Prince Boris was not a Slav. He came from a dynasty of the Bulgars that was probably of Turkic origin. Among the Bulgars the name was known in its two forms - "Boris" and "Bogoris". [ [http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Boris Boris - Name Meaning and Origin] ] [ [http://www.behindthename.com/name/boris The etymology and history of first names.] ]

History

"Boris" owes its worldwide usage to its adoption by the Russian Slavs. It is known that the name of the Bulgarian saint reached the Russians in the late 10th century, likely during the reign of Boris II of Bulgaria (969-977), great-grandson of Boris I. In 967 the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Phocas sent to the Russian ruler Sviatoslav I of Kiev his agent, with the task of talking Sviatoslav into assisting him in a war against the First Bulgarian Empire. In the Battle of Silistra, which occurred in the spring of 968 Sviatoslav defeated the Bulgarian ruler Peter I of Bulgaria and proceeded to occupy the whole of northern Bulgaria. In spite of some temporary successes and the reconciliation with Byzantium, Bulgaria faced a new invasion by Sviatoslav in 969. The Bulgarians were defeated again, and Peter I abdicated and become a monk. His successor Boris II was unable to stem the Russian advance, and found himself forced to accept Sviatoslav I of Kiev as his ally and puppet-master. Probably by this campaign his youngest son Vladimir I of Kiev found his Bulgarian wife, who is assumed to be a daughter of Peter I, i.e. sister of Boris II. [ [http://www.magister.msk.ru/library/history/kostomar/kostom02.htm#1 Материалы русской истории.Основные материалы для изучения русской истории.КИЕВСКИЙ КНЯЗЬ ЯРОСЛАВ ВЛАДИМИРОВИЧ.] ] [ [http://74.125.39.104/search?q=cache:ZT0Bfp4-8fYJ:www.chronologia.org/tabov/tab-16.doc+%D0%93%D0%9B%D0%95%D0%91+%D0%91%D0%9E%D0%A0%D0%98%D0%A1+%D0%91%D0%9E%D0%9B%D0%93%D0%90%D0%A0%D0%A1%D0%9A%D0%90%D0%AF+%D0%94%D0%9E%D0%A7%D0%AC+%D0%9F%D0%95%D0%A2%D0%A0%D0%90&hl=bg&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=bg Киевская Русь и ее южные соседи. Киевская Русь и Болгария.] ]

One of the sons of Vladimir I was given the name "Boris". As evidenced by the Russian Primary Chronicle, Boris and Gleb were sons of Vladimir I, born to him by his Bulgarian wife. During Vladimir's reign in 988 the conversion of the Kievan Russia to Christianity took place. In this conversion both ordinary priests and prelates from Bulgaria played a significant part. [ [http://www.protobulgarians.com/Statii%20ot%20drugi%20avtori/Goran%20Blagoev%20-%20Pokraastvaneto%20na%20rusite.htm ПОКРЪСТВАНЕТО НА КИЕВСКА РУС И БЪЛГАРИТЕ, д-р Горан Благоев, БНТ.] ] Also, with the adoption of the Byzantine calendar and the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar the cult of St. Boris entered the Russian Orthodox Church. [ [http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life6470.htm Святой благоверный и равноапостольный царь Борис Болгарский.] ] In 1015 the princes Boris and Gleb were killed by their stepbrother Sviatopolk I of Kiev, who usurped the throne. Within a short time Boris and Gleb were canonized and ever since they have been the native soldier-saints most revered among the Ukrainians, Russians and Byelorussians. [ [http://www.roca.org/OA/76-77/76s.htm Princes Boris and Gleb: Proto-martyrs and Passion-Bearers of Old Russia] ]

preading

From the lands of Kievan Russia the name "Boris" went over to the neighbouring countries. An example of this is the case of the Hungarian prince Boris Kalamanos (1112-1155), son of the Magyar king from his marriage with Euphtimia, daughter of the Kievan prince Vladimir II Monomakh. For a fairly long period men named Boris were found predominantly in the courts and among the nobility, but eventually the name became popular among all strata in the Russian Empire, including Siberia and Alaska. So it reached gradually the two Americas and Australia. In the present day, one can meet a Boris even in Africa.

Notable people named Boris

* Knyaz Boris I of Bulgaria (852–889) was the first Christian ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire, canonized after his death.
* Tsar Boris II was ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire.
* Tsar Boris III was ruler of the Kingdom of Bulgaria in the first half of the 20th century.
* Boris and Gleb were Russian princes, murdered 1015, and first Russian saints.
* Boris Magdic also known as Zlojed, a mythical person from Slovakian history.
*Boris Bardsley (Dales) Bass player in The Machiavellis
* Boris Becker, German professional tennis player
* Boris Berezovsky, businessman and Russia's first billionaire
* Boris Berezovsky (pianist), Russian pianist
* Boris Berman, Russian pianist
* Boris Briker, Ukrainian-American author and professor
* Boris Christoff, Bulgarian opera singer
* Boris Diaw, NBA basketball player for the Phoenix Suns
* Boris Dlugosch, house music producer
* Boris Godunov, tsar of Russia during the late 16th and early 17th centuries
* Boris Grebenshchikov, Russian singer-songwriter and the leader of the band Aquarium
* Boris Grishayev, Soviet marathon runner
* Boris Jordan, US-born investor involved in Russia's economic privatization in 1992
* Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, former MP for Henley-on-Thames and former Shadow Minister for Higher Education
* Boris Yuliyevich Kagarlitsky, Russian academic and political dissident
* Boris Karloff, actor in many horror films
* Boris Kodjoe, American actor
* Borys Lyatoshynsky, Ukrainian composer
* Boris Mikšić, Croatian businessman and politician
* Boris Pasternak, Russian author and a Nobel Prize Winner
* Boris Pribich, Serbian born founder of the American Defense League
* Boris Said, American race car driver
* Boris Shleifman, Russian computer expert. Known as 'The Gnome'.
* Boris Sidis, Russian Psychiatrist
* Boris Spassky, Russian chess player
* Boris Starling, British novelist and screenwriter
* Boris Tadić, Serbian president
* Borys Tarasyuk, Ukrainian politician
* Boris Titulaer, Dutch singer
* Boris Trajkovski, former Macedonian president
* Boris Vallejo, Fantasy artist
* Boris Vian, French polymath.
* Boris Williams, British musician and former member of The Cure
* Boris Yeltsin was the first democratically elected president of Russia. He served in office from July 1991 to December 1999.
* Boris Zaychuk, Soviet hammer thrower

Arts and entertainment

* Boris, the Soviet hero unit in the video game
* Boris, a character from the Balto movies.
* "Boris", song by The Melvins.
* Boris, the debut album by progressive rock band, Yezda Urfa.
* "Boris the Spider", song by The Who,
* Boris (band), a Japanese rock band.
* Boris Badenov, a villain in the 1960s animated cartoons The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
*Boris Grishenko, a fictional Russian hacker working for terrorists in the James Bond movie Goldeneye.
*Boris Kerpackter, a fictional Jewish character from the television show Rugrats.
* Boris, mightiest of the Warriors of Loathing in the Times of Old, from the internet game "Kingdom of Loathing"

Footnotes