Names of Soviet origin


Given names of Soviet origin appeared in the early history of the Soviet Union, coinciding with the period of intensive word formation, both being part of the so-called "revolutionary transformation of the society" with the corresponding fashion of neologisms and acronyms, which Richard Stites characterized as a utopian vision of creating a new reality by means of verbal imagery. They constituted a notable part of the new Soviet phraseology.
Such names may be primarily found in Russian persons, and sometimes in Belarusians and Ukrainians, as well as in other minorities of the former USSR.

History

The proliferation of the new names was enhanced by the propagation of a short-lived "new Soviet rite" of Octobering, in replacement of the religious tradition of child baptism in the state with the official dogma of Marxist–Leninist atheism.
In defiance of the old tradition of taking names from menology, according to the feast days, many names were taken from nature having patriotic, revolutionary, or progressive connotation: Beryoza, Gvozdika, Granit, Radiy. A peculiarity of the new naming was neologisms based on the revolutionary phraseology of the day, such as Oktyabrin/Oktyabrina, to commemorate the October Revolution, Vladlen for Vladimir Lenin.
Richard Stites classifies the Soviet "revolutionary" names into the following categories:
  • Revolutionary heroes
  • Revolutionary concepts
  • Industrial, scientific, and technical imagery
  • Culture, myth, nature, place names
Most of these names were short-lived linguistic curiosities, but some of them fit well into the framework of the language, proliferated and survived for a long time.

Common new names

The following names were quite common and may be found in various antroponymic dictionaries.
Name TransliterationOriginComments
Вил, Вилен, Владлен, ВладленаVil, Vilen, Vladlen / Vladlena, VladilenВладимир И'льич Ленин "Vilen" or "Vilén" is also a traditional Finnish and Swedish surname.
МэлMelМаркс, Э'нгельс и Ленин
МэлсMelsМаркс, Э'нгельс, Ленин и Сталин
Баррикад, БаррикадаBarrikad / Barrikada BarricadeRefers to the revolutionary activity
Ревмир, РевмираRevmir / Revmira Революция мира Means "The revolution of the World"
ГертрудаGertrudaGertrude reinterpreted as Герой труда Means "The Hero of Labour"
МарленMarlen Marlene reinterpreted as Маркс и Ленин
СтэнSten, StanStan reinterpreted as Сталин и Энгельс
Те́льманTelmanTelman is a tribute to German Communist Ernst Thälmann
КимKimKim reinterpreted as К'оммунистический интернационал молодёжи Young Communist International

People with Soviet names

Marx/Engels/Lenin