PARIS, Jan 16 — Many Ukrainian children have been born since the Russian armed forces invaded the country. And some parents have been inspired by the war, or by Ukrainian history, when choosing a name for their newborn.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice recently published the list of names given to children born in the country in 2022, as reported by the online daily Ukrainska Pravda. It shows that many parents chose to embrace tradition by naming their child Sofia, Maria, Mark or Artem. Others preferred classics such as Maksym, Oleksandr, Viktoria or Anna.
Many Ukrainians were inspired by the national history of their country when naming their child. Some, for example, were tempted by Kyi, an ancient name that refers to one of the four legendary co-founders of the city of Kyiv.
Javelina/Javelin were also popular names for Ukrainian babies born last year in certain regions.
They reference the Javelin man-portable surface-to-air missile, one of the first pieces of US military equipment sent to Ukraine, even before Russia launched its full-scale invasion. This weapon helped the Ukrainian army to modernize, as did the Bayraktar TB2 armed drone.
This Turkish weapon has inflicted such damage on several Russian convoys that a song in its name has become popular throughout Ukraine. And, more surprisingly, some Ukrainians have also chosen to name their babies after it.
While military names are proving popular in the country, the justice minister advises parents to think carefully when naming their child. “Be as responsible as possible when choosing your child’s name.
Do not forget that the name affects the fate of a person,” he said in a statement seen by Ukrainska Pravda.
Unlike some countries, like Spain and Iceland, Ukraine gives parents a lot of freedom when it comes to choosing what to call their baby. They can choose any name they like, no matter how unusual it is.
If they change their mind, they can legally change it at any time, according to the online newspaper. Children can also change their name without their parents’ consent from the age of 16. — ETX Studio
