What is the most common surname in Latvia?
Bērziņš
Bērziņš, the most common surname in Latvia, derives from the Latvian “bērzs”, meaning “birch”, and denotes someone who lives among birch trees. Patronymic suffixes are often a good way to tell which part of Europe someone is from.
How do Latvian surnames work?
Surnames. Latvian names, like in most European cultures, consist of two main elements: the given name (vārds) followed by family name (uzvārds).
Do all Latvian names end with S?
First, technical. Latvian has six noun declensions and the first declension includes all masculine nouns which end with -s or -š in Nominative case. This means that some male names might not end with -s, such as Ivo or Hugo, which are perfectly normal names in Latvia.
Is Janis a Latvian name?
Jānis is a Latvian masculine given name. The first written use of the name Jānis dates back to 1290.
Is Latvian similar to Russian?
Not identical but very close. They are in the same Baltic Slavic language group. Ethnical Latvians don’t like to admit the fact but the only other language closer to Latvian than Russian is Lithuanian. Similar grammar (not identical but very similar), roughly one third of Latvian words are related to Russian.
Who is Latvia named after?
During the time of the Crusades, German—or, more precisely, Saxon—overseas expansion reached the eastern shores of the Baltic. Because the people occupying the coast of Latvia were the Livs, the German invaders called the country Livland, a name rendered in Latin as Livonia.
What is Janis short for?
Acronym. Definition. JANIS. Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies.
Is Janice an Irish name?
Janice in Irish is Síne.
Are Vikings Dutch?
Vikings were people from southern Scandinavia (modern-day Sweden, Denmark, and Norway) who raided, pirated and settled throughout parts of Europe from the late 8th to late 11th centuries. They were the ones who first explored Greenland and Iceland. The impact of the Vikings on Europe can be observed even today.