Dictionary Update: Armenian Names

The Armenian language, part of the Indo-European family, stands out and forms its own branch. Created in 405 AD, the Armenian script comprises 38 letters, and the alphabet was designed to precisely represent Armenian phonetics, which was previously written in Greek and Syriac scripts. The language has two main dialects: Eastern Armenian, spoken in Armenia and parts of the Caucasus, and Western Armenian, maintained by the diaspora. Despite their differences in pronunciation and vocabulary, both share the same script, ensuring a unifying connection among Armenians worldwide.

The Armenian naming system typically consists of one given name and one surname, though in some cases, individuals might also have a middle name. Many names are inspired by the Bible, such as Mariam, Hovhannes (John), or Grigor (Gregory). Names like Tigran (after Tigran the Great) or Ani (an ancient Armenian city) highlight pride in Armenian heritage, and names like Lusine (moonlight) or Nare (pomegranate flower) are inspired by nature.

Armenian surnames, which are passed down through generations, often end in -yan or -ian, meaning “son of” or “descendant of”. The surname often traces family lineage, occupations, or geographic origins: Petrosyan, meaning the descendant of Petros, or Artsakhyan, which refers to someone from the Artsakh region.

We have added 8,800 new Armenian names to our graph database, which now includes approximately 19,700 Armenian terms: 4,900 given names and 14,800 family names. NameAPI services enable parsing, matching, and identifying the gender of Armenian names in both Latin and Armenian scripts. Here are a few examples:

• The Name Parser can analyze names like: “Ohanjan Margosyan”, where Ohanjan is the given name and Margosyan is the surname. • The Name Genderizer can now identify names such as “Azganuysh Keosayan” (female), “Hrachik Terzyan” (male), and “Vosgi Yeritsyan” (neutral). • The Name Matcher can now identify a match between “Vahan Mangasarian” and “Vahancho Mangasarian”, where Vahancho is the diminutive form of Vahan.