The scientist said that centuries ago, surnames were formed according to the distinguishing feature of people (traits of character, appearance), as well as depending on the place of residence or name.
“A man limped, at first he might have a nickname, and then a surname - Khromykh ... All the peasants in the village of Petukhovo turned out to be for the inhabitants of the neighboring village - the Petukhovs. Or the Krasnoyarovs, if they lived in the Red Yar, ”Mosin gave an example.
At the same time, he warned that the literal interpretation of surnames can be misleading, and their formation did not always occur precisely on the above grounds.
According to him, among the peasants surnames could be formed on the basis of belonging to the landowner or based on occupation.
“Where do you think the name Kablukov came from? The fact is that it is based on the element of shoes, characteristic in the XVII century for the servicemen. Talking surnames - Melnikov and Kuznetsov, ”the chairman of the RAS commission explained.
He also said that surnames constantly transformed over time.
In order to find out the origin of his family tree, Mosin advised first to ask older relatives, and then study the archives and conduct his own research.
Earlier it was reported that Ivanov, Kuznetsov, Popov and Smirnov are still considered the most common surnames in Russia.