Glossary of pre-Christian Lithuanian names
A number of Lithuanian surnames evolved from the ancient pre-Christian Lithuanian personal names, such as Budrys, Girdenis, Tylenis, Vilkas, Amantas, Bukantas, Rimgaila, Vizgirda, Tarvydas. Many of them are of compound type, typically consisting of two stems, and many are of single stem. Sometimes the order of these stems may reverse, e.g., Norvaišas vs. Vaišnoras, Tautvydas vs. Vytautas.
Some two-stemmed names have a clear etymology, arising from nicknames, such as Baltakis = Balt-akys = "White eyes". Alfred Senn suggests that such transparent names are less ancient development, while those with non-evident etymology originate from the Indo-European pra-language.
A two-stemmed name may be further compounded into a patronymic cognomen/surname: Algirdas—Algirdaitis, Žygimantas—Žygimantaitis.
Much of this glossary of stems common in ancient Lithuanian names is based on Dictionary of Lithuanian Surnames, searchable online in the Lithuanian Surname Database.
A
- Al-, Alg-; several suggested etymologies
- :Algimantas, Algirdas,,, Alvydas
- Ar-
- :Arminas, Arvydas
- Aš-
- ::lt:Ašmantas, Ašvydas
B
- bu, but, associated with the verb "to be"
- :Butautas, Bukantas, Bukontas, Butigeidis, Butkintas/Butkus, Butnorius, Butrimas, Butvilas, Butvydas
- :Darbutas, Gembutas, Gimbutas, Gimbutis, Kaributas, Kintibutas, Mažbutas, Narbutas, Norbutas, Seibutis, Vembutas, Vilbutas,
D
- Dár-: from daryti, "to do", "to make"
- :, Dargis, Darvydas
- -dau-, most probably from daug, "much"
- :Daumantas, Daukantas, Dautartas, Mindaugas
G
- -gail-; from gaileti/''gailus, "sorry", or gailas, "strong"
- :Kęsgaila, Jogaila, Rimgailė, Švitrigaila
- -ged-: the root from gedḗti “to regret; to be sad”, gedēuti “to ask, to search, to inquire, when missing something; to long for; to want, to desire”.
- : Gediminas Gedgaudas Gedvilas....
- :Sirgedas
- -gird-, -gerd-; from girdeti, išgirsti'', "hear"
- :Girdenis, Girdvainis, Vizgirda
K
- Kal-
- :Kalmantas, Kalminas
- Kant-
- :Kantautas, Kantalgas, Norkantas
- Kęs, Kens-, connected with kễsti "endure", "suffer"
- :Kęsgaila, Kęsminas/Kesminas, Kęsminavičius, Kęstaras, Kęstartas, Kęstautas, Kęstutis, Kęsvilas, Kęsvinas
M
-mant- is thought to be associated with the word manyti, "to think", " to know", as in mantus, "clever", "cunning"- :Daumantas, :lt:Mangirdas, Mantautas, Mantvila/Montvila/Mantvilas/Montvilas, Rimantas, Sudmantas, Vidmantas, Žygimantas
N
-nor-: from norėti, "to want"R
- Ra-
- :Ramantas, Ratautas
- Rad-
- :Radvilas, Radvila, Radvanas, Radvinas
- -rim- from rimti, "calm down", ramus, "calm"
- : Butrimas, Tautrimas, Rimantas, Rimgaila, Rimvydas
S
- sūd-:
- :Sudmantas, Sudmantis, Sudgintas, Sudvinas
- -sur-, probably from Old Prussian sur-gi, "about"
- :Survila
T
- Tar-
- :Tarvydas, Tarvilas
- -tau-/-taut-; "-tautas" is a very common second part. The Lithuanian word wikt:tautà is a cognate of Latvian tautà and Old Prussian tauto, all meaning "land, country, region", etc.
- :Some examples: Butautas/Butautis, Mantautas, Vytautas, Tautginas, Tautkantas, Tautkus, Tautrimas, Tautvydas/Tautvidas
V
- Vaid-: Several hypotheses of Baltic roots: to see, to know; associated with the verb vaidyti "to act" ) or vaidytis.
- :Vaidila/Vaidyla/Vaidilas/Vaidilė/Vaidilutis/Vaidilutė, Vaida, Vaidas, Vaidotas/Vaidatas, Vaidutis, Vaidginas, Vaidmanas, Vaidelys/Vaidelis, Vaidulas
- -vel-, -vil- is associated with the word viltis, "hope"
- : Erdvilas, Butvilas/Butvila, Mantvila/Montvila/Mantvilas/Montvilas, Norvilas/Norvila, Radvila, Survilla, Vìlbutas, Vilmantas
- -vid/vyd- "to see"
- :Buivydas, Buitvydas, Rimvydas, Tautvydas/Tautvidas, Vidmantas
- -vin: Kazimieras Būga reports several names with this stem:
- :Buivinas, Daugvinas, Gedvinas, Kąsvinas, Kęsvinas, :lt:Lengvinas, Lingvinas, Liutvinas, Mantvinas, Mulvinas, Skirvinas, Sudvinas
Z
- Žei-
- ::lt:Žeimantas, Žeimintas