The Giving and Usage of First Names in Hungary

Judit RAÁTZ

Introduction ‘In onomastics we have to consider it as an axiom that each person used to be and is provided with a proper name of his own, an individual name.’ (Hajdú 2003: 153) Throughout history the new-born child has been given a name. The type and meaning of the name was determined by a nation’s conventions, religion as well as its body of beliefs preva- lent during the emergence of the community’s onomastic corpus. Whatever name-giving custom is under consideration, a common feature can be noticed: the primary function of personal name giving is to identify as well as to distinguish the new-born person. There are, however, some factors that differed from society to society: the way this distinction was made, the types of customs connected to name giving, the number of constituents comprising the name and how name giving was influenced and later regulated. In the present study the author wishes to demonstrate how— among the official personal names (family, given and marital names)— the customs of choosing given names in Hungary, how usage has been regulated and what factors have influenced the motives for name giving.

The Beginnings of Name Giving (B.C. 1000-1894)

The Period before the Appearance of Official Regulations The emergence of the Hungarian name system was determined by the name-giving customs characteristic of nomadic. Very little data is available on the name-giving customs of the ancient period of the Hungarian nation, called the Age of Migration. While the name giving of the Arpadian age (1000–1301), following the adoption of Chris- tianity, is demonstrated in several works (Berrár 1952, Hajdú 2003, Fehértói 2004), name-giving behaviour before the conquest (896 AD)

997898.indb7898.indb 1313 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 14 JUDIT RAÁTZ

was derived from various sources and manuscripts at the disposal of scholars (Hajdú 2003). This system of names, reconstructed by scholars, reflects in each of its elements the significance of ancient symbols as well as the division of names according to gender principles. The name-giving customs of the Hungarian nation from the elev- enth to the fourteenth centuries were undoubtedly characterised by the single-constituent system of names. The name given at birth must have had some kind of reason behind it, and this name could be changed during the course of the person’s life. The changes of names could occur in any age group; nevertheless, name changing was the most typical among boys between the ages twelve and sixteen (Hajdú 2003: 348). Often a person bore both the name given at birth and the one given later together.

The Period of Transition Religious names started to spread after the adoption of Christianity. As it was customary at that time, the usage of new names began mainly in the ruling circles. However, it was frequent even among them to have double name-usage: a person had both an ancient, pagan name and a Christian name (for instance, the pagan name of Saint Stephen was Vajk). Frequently a person bore both of his names at the same time (AbaSámuel). To promote the spread of Christian names, a decree of the Council of Buda in 1279 ordered in writing that only the priest should be allowed to give names to children (Galambos 1942: 3). The implementation of this rule, however, was not too fast, and the decree failed to regulate all name-giving behaviour in parishes across Hungary. The social position of the parents, their free choice as well as the tradition determined whether the child was given a pagan or Christian name. Name giving was heavily influenced by family traditions, social status as well as the appearance of martyrologies and calendars. The motivation for name giving altered decisively. The life and deeds of the chosen saint served as an example and also pre- destined the features of the new-born child. The spread of Christian name giving is proved by the fact that in the registers of the Árpád age, besides pagan and other names (the Slavic, German, French, Italian, Turkish, Greek, Hebrew names of migrating ethnical groups merged into the Hungarians), names taken from martyrologies can be found in large numbers. Male names deriving from saints include, for

997898.indb7898.indb 1414 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 15

instance Pál,Péter,János,Miklós,Benedek,István,while some female ones are Erzsébet,Margit,Katalin,Anna,MáriaandÁgnes (Berrár 1952; Fehértói 2004).

The Period of Ecclesiastical Registration The role of the church as well as that of the christening priest became more and more important in name giving. As a consequence, the Christian name giving had become predominant by the Middle Age of Hungarian language (1526–1772). The new-born child either inherited the name of one of its ancestors or was given the name of a saint or an ecclesiastical figure, who, in the calendar, was nearest to the date of its birth. It resulted in the predominance of a larger variety of male than female names. It is understandable as there were much more males in the martyrologies. After the Reformation in the sixteenth century, the names of the Old Testament (Ádám,Dániel;Éva,Eszter) also became fashionable. Name giving according to denomination in Hungary meant that Catholics chose New Testament names while Protestants selected ones from the Old Testament (Hajdú 2003). The choice and preference of first names was determined entirely according to denominational reasons. The decree of the diocese council of Veszprém called the priests’ attention to the significance of the recording of baptisms as early as 1515. The regular registration of births was ordered by Pope Pius IV during the Council of Trident. In the Catholic Church in Hungary the council of Nagyszombat, held at the beginning of the Counter-Reformation in 1611, ordered the keeping of registers of births, marriages and deaths. Sporadic registration had occurred here and there before this date, but the decisive change took place only in 1625, when Péter Pázmány, Archbishop of Esztergom made TheRitualeRomanum, issued by Pope Paul V, compulsory in the whole country, a part of which was the compulsory keeping of registers (Berkes 1999). The given names were recorded next to family names either in Hungarian or in Latin. Neither their orthography nor the possible number of names, however, was regulated by decree. The official regulation of names for many years only concerned the family name; the emergence of two-constituent names (family and Christian) appeared in the fourteenth century. Only during the following centuries, but particularly since the sixteenth, did two-constituent

997898.indb7898.indb 1515 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 16 JUDIT RAÁTZ

names become the norm. By that time the usage of family names had become compulsory so that the state could check the various records and registers. In the Hungarian language—differently from the general practice of most other nations—the family name is always followed by the first name. The compulsory usage of family names was first ordered by Joseph II in his Name Decree issued on 23rd July 1787, so after January 1788 everybody had to bear two-constituent names, consisting of a family and given name. The regulation of name-bearing was carried on by Emperor and Hungarian King Francis I, who, between 1814 and 1817, issued several decrees regulating both family name-bearing and the changing of names. Nevertheless, there was no regulation concerning either the choice or bearing of first names (Farkas 2013). The Hungarian stock of first names, despite the fact that name- giving was not regulated by any restrictions, became more and more narrowed-down. By the end of the eighteenth century the stock of first names had become limited and dominated by the most frequently used male and female variants. Among the males almost every third person was called János or István, while many women bore the names of Erzsébet or Anna. 71,74% of the male population shared the first seven most frequently used names:János,István,Mihály,József, György,Ferenc,András, while for 75,3% of women only the following names were choosable:Erzsébet,Anna,Katalin,Zsuzsanna,Judit, Ilona,Borbála(Kálmán 1996: 49–51). In noble circles it became more and more common to give two, or sometimes even three or four first names to the children. The middle of the nineteenth century was marked by a decisive change in the Hungarian stock of first names. Influenced by romanti- cism, the enlargement of the onomastic corpus was done in two ways: on the one hand by the revival of old historical names (from the Árpád Age), and by the formation of names by writers and neologists on the other. Among the historical names those became popular which were connected to domestic social order and traditions. Such male names are, for instance, Zoltán,Béla,Géza,Kálmán,Árpád,Gyula,Zsolt,or among the female names Emőke,Bíborka,Boglárkaand Sarolta became the most fashionable ones.The then contemporary writers and poets, besides using the revived ancient names, provided their heroes with new name forms which later became widely used. The famous Hun- garian poet, János Arany, for instance, popularised the following names:

997898.indb7898.indb 1616 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 17

Gyöngyvérand Ildikó. Mór Jókai gave the name Tímea to her popular novel heroine. We can thank Mihály Vörösmarty’s creativity for female names Csilla,Tünde,Hajnal and Ilma, which are known and used even in our present day. The emergence of female names formed from male ones was also typical of the age. András Dugonics created the female variant Etelka from the male nameEtele.Thus was formed Györgyike from the male nameGyörgy to Hungarianise Georgina. Among the urban citizens, names borrowed from the German language were popular and frequent: Lipót,Rudolf,Ernesztina,Hermina, Gizella,Matild etc., likewise the new Western names which were used and spread in their Hungarianised variants. Such names were, for instance, Szilárd(

The Introduction of State Registration The detailed regulation of name giving was enacted by Act XXXIII of 1894, which introduced state registration on 1st October 1895. The law, as regards first names, declared who was entitled to provide the child with names. It did not limit the number of first names, thus it happened that a child had 10–15 first names registered. The only restriction was that the name should not offend public morality and it had to be registered in the state language, i.e. in a Hungarian form (Szabó 2006). Parents belonging to ethnic minorities in Hungary had the right to have the child’s first name registered in their native tongue, appearing next to the Hungarian name form, in parentheses, for instance Mária (Mariutza). The introduction of state registration did not influence name giving. Parents took advantage of the opportunity of transonymi- sation, which meant that the child was given the name of the parent, grandparent, godparent or any relative belonging to the same sex. Often a child was named after the saint whose recognised name day was nearest that of the child’s birth. It was, however, also more and more frequent that the child was provided with a new, special name. In this period the variety of both male and female names increased significantly. By the middle of the twentieth century—based on a sur- vey conducted in Budapest—116 male and 147 female names had come into usage. As a consequence, the stock of the seven most commonly used male names was shared only among 23% of the name bearers,

997898.indb7898.indb 1717 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 18 JUDIT RAÁTZ

while in the case of female names the percentage is only 21-22% (Kálmán 1996: 54–5).

The First Official Regulation of First Name-giving The name-giving process was first regulated at the beginning of the 1950s (Law-Decree 19 of 1952), which limited the number of first names officially given to the newborn to two. A further restriction was formulated by Law-Decree 33 of 1963, which, though it did not limit the number of names that could be given to the newborn, regulated that instead of foreign-sounding and spelling names Hungarian language versions had to be registered. It also stated that one could not use only the second given name without the first, and a diminutive was also forbidden to be registered. The regulation, however, made it possible for people belonging to ethnic minorities, but in possession of Hungar- ian citizenship, to register the given name following the spelling rules of the corresponding ethnic minority’s language. The work of registrars, however, was not supported by any book or central register of first names. They could only rely on diaries and a roll of names published in 1948 (Babó, 1948). The Rollof FirstNames, comprising merely twelve pages, contained about 1000 names which were allowed to be registered and several thousand further ones that were excluded from registration. No information on names was available, including whether they were male or female variants, which resulted in the fact that some female children were registered under male names (Celesztin,Marcell). Both name giving and registration continued to cause lots of dif- ficulties. It was not really helped by the body of laws promulgated in 1965 (Bacsó–Szilágyi 1965), which in theory went on to specify the name giving of the newborn. In accordance with it, the new-born child could only be given a name corresponding to its sex. It was forbidden to register a name that has a Hungarian equivalent, and similarly, combinations of two first names, for instance Annamária, were not to be registered either. This further regulation, however, proved to be insufficient, thus cautious clerks in several cases referred parents to the Research Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. As a result, the institute received several dozen applications concerning name giving. This fact also accelerated the decision to publish a book of first names which contained all the authorised names. In compiling the list of names, besides the co-operation of experts, the

997898.indb7898.indb 1818 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 19

general public also took part by a television appeal. As a result, the HungarianBookofGivenNames was published in 1971, edited by János Ladó (further on refered to as Ladó’s Book), which included —out of several thousand suggested names—1827 first names divided according to genders (895 female and 932 male names). This register did not only contain the name form but also its common and etymo- logical meaning, its origin, name day(s), diminutives names. The social needs of the period played a significant role in compiling the list of names. Thus the book includes diminutives with individually registerable forms: Aliz,Eliz,ZsókaAjtony,Apor,Kadosa,Bíborka,Dalma, Szemőke,the newly introduced name forms: Harmatka,Napsugár, Tavaszka,names of foreign origin: Barbara,Dorisz,Félix,Viktor and some combinations of two first names as well: Annabella,Annamária (Raátz 2003). Peculiarly, the roll of names had been born long before the law ordaining its usage. More than ten years after the book of given names had been published, Law-Decree 17 of 1982 declared that only those first names were allowed to be officially registered that appeared in the HungarianBookofGivenNames(Ladó 1971). Though only 20–30%of the first names were chosen by parents (Figures 1a and 1b show those names which were selected for children from the list of authorised male and female given names in 1967.), it happened more and more often that someone wished to give the newborn a name that was not found in Ladó’s book. In such cases parents had to submit an application to the Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, where it was decided whether the name was suitable for registration. As a result of social changes and the influence of both the media and mass communication, in the 1970–80s some 120–130 applications were handed in a year. The group of names that were applied for was extremely varied. One can find among them names from mythology and the Bible that were excluded from the HungarianBookofGiven Names(Ladó 1971): Ruth,Nathanel;Euridike,Izisz,Ámor; the Hun- garian historical names: Kadocsa,Magor,Ené;the names of characters appearing in television films and series: Helmut, Szebasztián; diminutives:Betti,Bóra,Emmi,Magdó,Netti,Örzse,Zsanka. Some forgotten old Hungarian name forms, however, were also revived by parents: Balzsam,Borostyán,Enese,Liliom,Szatmár,Borsa;and names of foreign origin also appeared: Dária,Alexander,Ronni,Danica,

997898.indb7898.indb 1919 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 20 JUDIT RAÁTZ

Figure 1a. Number of male name types based on 1967 data

Figure 1b. Number of female name types based on 1967 data

997898.indb7898.indb 2020 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 21

Olavi,Pekka,Ninett,Röné,Zseraldin,Zsinett,Zsüliett etc. The pro- cedure for admitting new names to the register was rigorous, which is clearly shown by the fact that only 42% of the applied first names were authorised for registration (Raátz 2001: 319). Frequent applications resulted in the appearance of names with foreign origin, unusual in the Hungarian name system, such as Dorina, Inez,Dzsenifer,Klaudia,Nikolett,Szandra,Márió,Szebasztián,Patrik, Dominik,Alexander.These names were certainly not considered fashionable, since in the period the most popular Hungarian given names were still the more traditional names fitting into the Hungarian name system, such as Katalin,Anita,Andrea,Gábor,Tamás,Péter.

The Regulation of First Name-giving and the Regime Change The political change that took place in Hungary in 1989 had a significant impact on the nation’s usage of first names. More and more parents had a growing desire to give their children names which were recogni- sable in Europe and internationally. The number of applications submitted to the Institute for Languages has risen to 500–600 a year and a very colourful world of first names is reflected in them. Research workers had become much more permissive in making decisions, and about 70% of given name applications were authorised for registration (Figure 2). The composition of first names in applications also changed. First names of foreign origin appeared in great numbers, the majority of which were English and American: Dzsenifer,Dzsesszika,Bonita, Bonni,Kimberli;Brandó,Brendon,Deján,Doren,Eliot,Krisztofer, Szkott. Names of other origin can also be found: Bítia,Cipora,Atina, Dafné,Dára,Nyina,Jana,Fatma,Davina;Adin,David,Jáfet,Ado- nisz,Alexandros,Ámor,André,Antonió,Benitó,Frederik,Fremont, Gerhárd,Daren,Keán,Boga,Nyikitaetc. Hungarian names were also willingly chosen for the children, though in a smaller quantity: Bíbor,Enéh,Liliom,Gyöngy,Borbolya, Eper,Frézia,Gyopár,Kála,Magnólia,Málna,Mandula,Szamóca; Ajándok,Balmaz,Bojta,Bozsó,Csikó,Jutocsa,Magor,Solt,Som,Tál- tos,Tege,Torda,Turul,Vata,Zápor,Zolta.Among the female names diminutives also became popular:Ági,Andi,Anni,Bori,Borka,Cili, Dorka, Gizi, Gréti, Gyöngyike, Hanni, Iluska, Juli, Katica, Klári, Magdi,Manyi,Marika,Mici,Mimi,Panka,Panni,Piri,Zsófi,Zsuzsi, Boni,Dára,Darla,Déri,Effi,Eleni,Evila,Gréte,Hédi,Kitti,Kolina,

997898.indb7898.indb 2121 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 22 JUDIT RAÁTZ

Lara,Leonetta,Letti,Linett,Livina,Loretta, and applying for name forms comprising two first names also became preferred: Annadóra, Annaflóra, Annaliza, Annamari, Annaréka, Annaróza, Annasára, Máriaróza(Raátz 2005).

Applicants in possession of Hungarian citizenship Year Division of Requests approved for Requests not Percentage of requested names all requests registration approved according to In an With a for Recom- Non- Recom- Non- gender unaltered different registration mended recommended recom- form spelling names mended names mended names names Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female 1992 196 323 87 136 21 102 88 85 55,10 44,90 73,68 26,32 1993 239 416 115 172 21 160 103 84 56,90 43,10 79,81 20,19 1994 61 84 29 36 5 27 27 21 55,74 44,26 75,00 25,00 1995 39 115 18 52 5 36 16 27 58,97 41,03 76,52 23,48 1996 304 411 188 249 35 130 81 32 73,36 26,64 92,21 7,79 1997 181 344 109 195 19 89 53 60 70,72 29,28 82,56 17,44 1998 93 147 36 68 16 26 41 53 55,91 44,09 63,95 36,05 1999 85 102 31 52 21 20 33 30 61,18 38,82 70,59 29,41 Total 1198 1942 613 960 143 590 442 392 63,11 36,89 79,81 20,19 Figure 2. Number of applicants in possession of Hungarian citizenship

The growing number of applications as well as the multi-coloured nature of first name forms paved the way for the liberalisation of name-choice. The stock of names available in Ladó’s book seemed to have been unable to fulfil the needs. Therefore, on the initiative of the Ministry of the Interior a register was published in 1992. (WhatAre YouCalled?WhereCan YouBeFound?—AHandbookforRegistrars), which contained more than 10 000 first names without any selection. The registrars were thus allowed to register any of these names, without confining themselves to the narrower list in Ladó’s book. This list, however, was compiled by collecting all the citizens’ first names as well as their mothers’ first names from the database of the National Data Bank of Addressesand Personal Data. The list, besides containing many first names of foreign sounding and spelling: Awa,Chkheor, Mary,Wawrzyniecz etc.; used numerous variants of the same name:

997898.indb7898.indb 2222 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 23

Anastasia,Anasztaszia,Anasztaszija,Anasztaszja,Anasztazia,Anasz- tásia,Anasztásia,Anasztászia,Anasztázia. The list thus created chaos, since any kind of first name was permitted to be registered. Linguists and registrars protested strongly, as a result of which this roll of names was withdrawn in 1996, and a year later it was substituted by the New HungarianBookofGivenNames (Ladó–Bíró 1997), which, besides the Hungarian traditional aspects, took the latest needs into consideration as well. Compared with Ladó’s book, it was enriched by 883 new first names, and contained 2710 registerable first names altogether. In 1998 this register was followed by the HungarianBook ofGiven Names edited by János Ladó and Ágnes Bíró, including the newly regis terable names as well. The choice was given for the parents, unable to find an appropriate first name in the book, to turn to the Research Institute for Linguists to apply for an expert opinion. The rate of first names approved for registration was growing, since the institution rep- resented an extremely liberal, permissive point of view in approving applications. On the list numerous names of foreign origin can be found which were accepted according to the rules of the Hungarian orthography: Klausz,Krisztofer,Mateusz,Rikárdó,Zsülien;Asztrida,Beatricse, Ketrin,Zsüsztin. However, these totally new name forms concern only a small percentage of the children, in many cases only those few people who applied for the name itself. The Hungarian stock of names has altered significantly by the beginning of the twenty-first century. Instead of the old, common and frequently used first names parents prefer providing their offspring with special, distinctive names. As a consequence of this process, the number of first name variants has risen and names on the top list are not chosen in large numbers (Figure 3.).

Male first names Female first names 2000 2000 Given Name Persons % Given Name Persons % 1. Dániel 1833 3,65 Viktória 1 492 3,15 2. Dávid 1793 3,57 Vivien 1 392 2,94 3. Bence 1790 3,56 Anna 1 108 2,34 4. Máté 1471 2,93 Alexandra 1 066 2,25 5. Tamás 1376 2,74 Fanni 1 029 2,17

997898.indb7898.indb 2323 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 24 JUDIT RAÁTZ

Male first names Female first names 2000 2000 Given Name Persons % Given Name Persons % 6. Péter 1324 2,64 Dóra 915 1,93 7. Balázs 1306 2,60 Réka 882 1,86 8. Ádám 1254 2,50 Petra 881 1,86 9. Márk 1227 2,44 Eszter 857 1,81 10. László 1128 2,25 Nikolett 838 1,77 Figure 3. The 10 most frequently chosen male and female first names in 2000

The European Union—Accession and the Naming Law Hungary became a full member of the European Union on 1st May 2004. The EU-accession was preceded by the introduction of numerous laws, consequently, the rules concerning name giving as well as name bearing were also altered. Act XLV of 2002, containing new name forms, was enacted on 1st January 2004, modifying Law-Decree 17 of 1982 on registry of births, deaths and marriages, marriage service and name bearing. Similarly, Act XLIV of 2002, which is a modification of Law-Decree 17 of 1982 on marriage, family and guardianship, also came into force in that year. The most significant official statements of the new laws concerning name choice are as follows: In the course of the name’s registration, the rules of Hungarian orthography have to be taken into consideration. Not more than two first names, corresponding to the child’s gender, can be registered in the order determined by the parents, chosen from the roll of first names, compiled by the Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. If the first name chosen by the parents does not appear on the list, the Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences makes an official statement about the issue. It counts as a professional standpoint, on the basis of which the registrar comes to a decision and informs the parents. If the applicant disagreed with the decision, an appeal can be lodged to the competent administrative authority, and an action can also be instituted against the second-degree administrative resolution.

997898.indb7898.indb 2424 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 25

People belonging to ethnic groups can continue the practice of giving their offspring given names in accordance with their minority language and customs, though with certain restrictions. If either or both of the parents are not in possession of Hungarian citizenship, the first name of the child can be recorded in the register of birth by applying regulations corresponding to the non-Hungarian citizen. If a child is born to a Hungarian citizen abroad, the first name, appearing in the official document following the spelling rules of the foreign country, has to be recorded in the course of the registration in Hungary. However, correction for the Hungarian first name can be requested. Thus, for instance, if someone is registered as Christoferin America, he can apply for the registration of Kristófin our country. Despite Hungary’s accession to the European Union, regulations concerning Hungarian first name giving have hardly changed, though the denomination of various name types (birth names, marital names) has been made compatible with the European laws to a certain extent, and the Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ scope of duties has also been the subject of legislation. Moreover, laws concerning ethnic minorities have become stricter. Despite these new regulations, however, there have still been a large number of contradic- tions as well as unresolved problems in the field of name giving. Rules pertaining to dual citizens and children of parents of foreign origin but in possession of Hungarian citizenship, can be regarded as such a con- tradiction. The Hungarian name law in both cases applies regulations relevant to Hungarian citizens. Thus, if a parent wishes to give his or her child in possession of Hungarian-Vietnamese dual citizenship a name born by both girls and boys in Vietnamese culture, the request is turned down, since in accordance with Hungarian regulations, everybody can only be provided with a name corresponding to his or her gender, consequently, the registration of unisex names, so fashionable nowadays, is out of the question. Similarly, a second or third genera- tion Hungarian citizen is also at a disadvantage, because if he wishes to give his child a name following, for instance, English, German or any other spelling, he has no chance whatever. If someone received permission to register such a name as Bryon, it can only be done according to Hungarian spelling rules following pronunciation, i.e., in the form of Brájen.

997898.indb7898.indb 2525 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 26 JUDIT RAÁTZ

The Role of the Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in the Naming Law

The Institute for Linguistics has been taking part in passing professional judgement on deciding whether a given name not found on the official roll is registerable or not, based on the current regulatory requirements since the 1960s. Making such decisions—due to the ambiguous naming law as well as to the lack of exact definitions—has always given rise to several questions and uncertainties. Several onomasticians have written about these anomalies, and besides demonstrating the problems themselves, they—in some cases—even formulated suggestions for simpli- fication and disambiguation concerning name giving’s legal regulation (Lőrincze 1970, Hajdú 2002, Raátz 2003). In spite of the books of given names as well as the already existing rolls, more and more new first names have been applied for registration (on average, 300–550 applications per year). The law, which was enacted in 2004, accurately circumscribes the role of The Institute for Linguistics in the naming law. Besides giving an expert opinion on the registrability of every single name, the Institute is also to publish the continuously enlarging roll of given names suggested for registration, which parents can choose from. Such a register was uploaded to the institute’s homepage in 2004, having been expanded at regular intervals with first names generally accepted for registration. In the beginning, both individual and official applications were submitted to the Institute for Linguistics, where they were considered by the research fellows, following a set of principles. On several occasions a name was accepted for specific reasons, for instance, the name Dominickwas accepted for registration only because though the child’s mother was in possession of Hungarian citizenship, she was English by birth. In such a system, the name as well as the life of names became rather untraceable. Many of them did not even get onto the register of the institute, thus they could not be chosen by everybody. In 2009, the scope of the given name committee, based on the negotiations with the ministry responsible for registration, was modi- fied. On 1st January 2010, the possibility to recommend a name for registration for specific reasons, ceased to exist. The first name committee can give an expert opinion only on those official registration

997898.indb7898.indb 2626 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 27

applications which arrive from the local authorities’ registry offices as well as from the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice. To help parents choose names, those basic principles under fourteen headings can be read on the institute’s homepage (http://www.nytud.hu/oszt/ nyelvmuvelo/utonevek/alapelvek.html), on the basis of which the first name committee makes a decision on the official acceptance of a certain given name. The fundamental principles are in accordance with the present official rules, however, there are supplementary qual- ifications. Thus, for instance, it states precisely that only those ancient Hungarian given names are registerable, the existence of which can be proved from a trustworthy source. Among the first names adopted from other culture groups, mainly those ones are accepted for registration, which do not have their Hungarian equivalents, and the requested name has to be widely spread and used in other cultures as well. The committee does not support the use of brand names, geographical names, family names, stage-names or pen-names as given names, and similarly, it disapproves the bearing of overly diminutive name forms as well. Name forms derived from appellatives, the meaning and bearing of which can later be disadvantageous for the name-bearer, are also rejected (e.g. Felhőʻcloud’, Záporʻshower’, Csibécskeʻlittle chickʼ). Among the basic principles one can also read about the protection of a child’s personality as well, which means that first names which—in their sound and meaning—can later be harmful for the child’s self-development, making the bearer of the name an object of ridicule and excommunication, are not approved either. From January 2010, the institute’s homepage, with its list of given names, is updated every month, offering an increasingly wide range of given names (Figure 4). By studying the list of first names applied for approval, it can be concluded that it is extremely colourful and varied. Among given names accepted for registration, the following types can be mentioned:

a) It is rather common and occurs frequently that a kind of diminutive or nickname form is chosen for baby girls, by which fondling as well as favouring the child is expressed. Notable examples include, for instance, Lüszi,Tinka,Heni,Holli,Móni,Tündi,Zelka,Mirka, Titti,Lulu,Lilu,Ziza,Veca,Émi,Nenszi,Nóri,Borcsaetc. b) Different variations of combinations of two first names are more and more often applied for: Annadóra,Annaróza,Annamira,Emmaróza.

997898.indb7898.indb 2727 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 28 JUDIT RAÁTZ

Figure 4. Development of the approved given names’ number influenced by applications 2010-2011

c) Registration of the less known Biblical names is also common: Sifra,Jemima,Kéren, as well as the names of Greek origin: Damjána, Szüntüké. d) The number of exotic, unique names has also risen significantly: for instance, Arabic names: Zahira,Heszna,Szalima,Johara; and Indian names: Damjanati. e) The renewal of ancient Hungarian names is also popular:Ankissza, Ünige,Sáfély,Csente. f) There are still many names with masculine and feminine variants, either of which is absent from our stock of given names. Such names are also gladly chosen: Damjána(its masculine variant is Damján, Tamina(German Tamino), but it also happens that the female variant of the already existing masculine name is created by the parents themselves: Hunóra(from the male name Hunor). g) Names of vegetable origin can also be found: Gyömbér(ʻginger’), Szamóca(ʻwood strawberry’), Rozmaring (ʻrosemary’), but names were also created by literary name formation: Bóbita(appearing in a nursery rhyme written by the Hungarian poet, Sándor Weöres).

997898.indb7898.indb 2828 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 29

The most typical types of requested male first names that are accepted for registration are as follows: a) There are lots of applications for names of foreign origin: for instance, Biblical names: Ezel,Omri,Zebediás,Suriel,Hebrew ones: Ronel, Asur,Jábin,Malik,Ronen;Slavic names: Andrej,Damír,English ones: Nelzon,Arabic names: Ashraf,Azim,Dzsamal,names of Celtic origin: Szedrik,Dilon,as well as names of Sanskrit origin requested by Krishna-believers: Nimái,Hari,Sjám. Interestingly, the emergence of first names of Italian origin is more and more frequent. Parents are not deterred by the Hungarian orthography either. Notable examples include: Marcselló,Robertó,Federíkó, Leonárdó,Eduárdó,Romárió. b) In the case of masculine names, the revival of the ancient Hungarian given names is also popular: Bolyk,Tegze,Devecser,Zsubor. The majority of rejected first names follow foreign orthography. Several parents would insist on the original spelling of the given name. The most frequently requested first names, following the rules of foreign spelling, are: Fanny,Maya,Daniel.In several cases, a certain name is disap- proved by the committee because in other culture groups it can be used both as a masculine and a feminine name: Zoel,Éden,Xinxin,Raja,Lior; or due to the fact that it is a surname of foreign origin: Barrera,Zidane, Pákiát,Vidonka.Overly diminutive name forms are also rejected: Pöntyi, Babszi,Lencse,Gitka,Matyi,Bencze,Laczkó,Misi,Dani. It is not a rare case that appellatives are wished to be used as first names: Napfi(ʻBrother Sun’), Szivárvány (ʻrainbow’), Kopasz(ʻbald’), Betyár(ʻoutlaw’), Masni(ʻbow, ribbon’), Lencsi(ʻlentil’), Gézengúz (ʻrascal, scamp’). Sometimes parents wish to provide their offspring with registered names of characters and heroes appearing in tales (e.g. Vackor,Babóca,Bogyó,Napfi,Szivárvány,Momo), disregarding the obvious fact that a child grows up rather rapidly and might become an object of ridicule and laughter.

Rules Regulating the Name-giving of Ethnic Minorities Living in Hungary The name-giving process of ethnic minorities was dealt with, though perhaps marginally, in almost all ages (cf. Law-Decree 33 of 1894). Applying the rule regulating the name-bearing of the ethnic minorities

997898.indb7898.indb 2929 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 30 JUDIT RAÁTZ

in 1982 (Nek. 12. §), if someone considered himself belonging to an ethnic minority, he was free to register any kind of name without any restriction on spelling. In theory, the above-mentioned rule in 2004 stated that ‘parents belonging to an ethnic minority are allowed to choose first names in harmony with their ethnicity and also have the right to change their own first names to ethnic ones. Further- more, they are entitled to have both their given and family names officially registered according to the spelling rules of their own language.’ However, people, belonging to the thirteen officially registered ethnic minorities in Hungary (Bulgarian, Gypsy, Greek, Croa- tian, Polish, German, Armenian, Romanian, Rusin, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Ukrainian), are allowed to choose first names only from the ethnic roll of names, compiled by the corresponding ethnic local authorities. The roll of first names—with the exception of the German register, which came out in a separate book—was published in one volume in 2004, entitled TheBookofGivenNamesofEthnicMinoritiesLiving inHungary, edited by Emese Dávid S. If someone cannot find the requested name for the offspring in the database mentioned above, he has to apply to the local authority of his own ethnic minority for the registration of the chosen name. The local authority has to consider the registrability of the name within fifteen days after the submission of the application. Few applications are submitted to the local ethnic authorities, and in general, the majority of the requested first names are recommended for registration. It is an interesting phenomenon as well as a legal loophole in Hungary that, due to the protection of privacy rights, nobody can be asked to prove that he really belongs to the ethnic minority specified by himself. One only has to make an oral statement about it before the registrar. After this statement has been made, any name appearing on the name list of the given ethnic minority can be chosen. As a result, a number of people take advantage of this loophole, having names registered which do not follow the rules of Hungarian spelling. Thus, for instance, if someone declares that he belongs to the German ethnic minority, such name forms as Anne,Fanny,Henriette,Sissy,Marcus, Noah,Marco,Claus,Danieland Christopherbecome registerable for him or her.

997898.indb7898.indb 3030 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 31

Conclusion

The list of registered given names in Hungary, besides and despite present regulations, is continuously being expanded. The number of given names found on the first comprehensive list (Ladó 1971) has almost doubled to date, because TheBookofGivenNames(1971) by Ladó contained 1827 first names, whereas the roll of given names, uploaded to the homepage of the Institute for Linguistics of the Hun- garian Academy of Sciences on 1st January 2012, offers 3388 first names (1910 feminine and 1478 masculine) for registration.Although the number of given names has been increasing rapidly, only some one-fifth of the name forms are chosen for registration annually. By demonstrating the process of change in the history of the Hungarian first name-giving, it can be concluded that name giving was in all cases influenced by history as well as by the traditions of the given period. Naming law regulation has also been effected by these factors. The rules discussed above concerning the naming law are, in many respects, perhaps over regulated and restrictive. The laws strive to define the framework of the name choice with several regulations. One, though perhaps the most significant factor, however, is forgotten about, and that is the protection of the child, who has just been provided with a new name. In Hungary at present nobody can pre- vent parents from giving their child a first name—simply for the sake of momentary fun—, which, together with the family name, becomes ridiculous. In the Hungarian stock of names there are numerous first and family names, out of which several rather comic constellations can be created. A small boy can easily bear such names as FeketeCsikó(‘black foal’), ZöldCsalán(‘green nettle’), ZöldDió (‘green nut’), EgriVitéz(‘brave warrior of Eger’), AngyalLucifer (‘angel Lucifer’), BátorHős(‘brave hero’) or a little girl names like BorosTea(‘tea with wine’), FöldiEper(‘strawberry’), ErdeiMálna (‘forest raspberry’) and Száraz Virág (‘dry flower’). Perhaps the major problem is that the protection of the defenceless new-born child does not appear in the regulation of name-giving in Hungary, though fine examples of that can be found in the naming laws of several European countries: Germany, England, France, Holland etc. (Raátz 2004: 137).

997898.indb7898.indb 3131 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 32 JUDIT RAÁTZ

References

Babó Szilárd 1948. A hatályos anyakönyvi házassági és vallásügyi jogszabályok[Current regulations on registration, marriage and religion].Budapest. Bacsó Jenő – dr. Szilágyi László (eds.) 1965. Anyakönyviügyintézés [Registry administration]. Budapest. Berkes József 1999. Családtörténeti tájékoztató [Genealogy guide]. (http://www.natarch.hu/menu_24.htm#AZ%20ANYAKÖNYVEK) Berrár Jolán 1952. Női neveink 1400-ig [Our female names until 1400 AD].MNYTK. Budapest. Bíró Ágnes (ed.) 1997. Újmagyarutónévkönyv [New Hungarian Book of Given Names]. Budapest, BM Kiadó. Erdész Tiborné (ed.) 2008. Aszemélyiadat-éslakcímnyilvántartás, okmánykiadásösszesítettadatai [Total data on particulars, address registration and publication of documents]. Népesség-nyilvántartási füzetek. Budapest. Farkas Tamás 2013. The History and Practice of the Regulations for Changing one’s Family Name in Hungary. In: Onoma. This volume. Fehértói Katalin 2004. Árpád-kori személynévtár [Onomasticon of given names from the Arpadian age]. Akadémiai Kiadó. Buda- pest. Galambos László 1942. A szentírás eredetű személynevek a Váradi Regestrumban [Given names of Biblical origin in the Regestrum Varadinense (1208-1235). Budapest. Palaestra Calasanctiana. 38. Hajdú Mihály 2003. Általánosésmagyarnévtan [General and Hun- garian onomastics]. Osiris Kiadó. Budapest. Kálmán Béla 1996. Anevekvilága [The world of names]. Csokonai Kiadó. Debrecen. Ladó János – Bíró Ágnes 1998. Magyar utónévkönyv [Hungarian Book of Given Names]. Vince Kiadó. Budapest. Ladó János 1971. Magyar utónévkönyv [Hungarian Book of Given Names]. Akadémiai Kiadó. Budapest. Raátz Judit 2001. Különleges keresztnevek az ezredfordulón [Special given names at the turn of the millenium]. In: Kovátsné dr. Németh Mária (ed.): Nyugat-MagyarországiEgyetemApáczaiCsereJános TanítóképzőFőiskolaiKarTanulmánykötet. Győr, 2001, NYME Apáczai Csere János Tanítóképző Főiskola, 321–8. p.

997898.indb7898.indb 3232 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 THE GIVING AND USAGE OF FIRST NAMES IN HUNGARY 33

Raátz Judit 2003. Acél vagy Zserald? Az újonnan anyakönyvezhető férfineveinkről [Acél or Zserald? About our newly registerable male names]. NévtaniÉrtesítő 25. szám. 181-5. p. Raátz Judit 2004. A névválasztás szabályozása az Európai Unióban [The rules of name-giving in the EU]. In: Szabó Géza—Molnár Zoltán—Guttmann Miklós (szerk.) Emberközpontúságamagyar nyelvoktatásábanéskutatásában. Szombathely. 133–7. Raátz Judit 2005. Trends in the choice of first names in hungary since the second half of the 20th century. In: Maria Giovanna Arcamone— Davide de Camilli—Bruno Porcelli eds., /Proceedings. 22nd Inter- national Congress of Onomastic Sciences. Pisa (Italy/), /28.8– 4.9.2005./ II. 195-207. S. Dávid Emese (ed.) 2004. Magyarországinemzetiésetnikaikisebbsé- gekutónévkönyve [Book of Given Names of Ethnic Minorities Living in Hungary]. Budapest, Aranyhal Könyvkiadó. Szabó Zsuzsanna Katalin 2006. Atermészetesszemélyeknévjogának kérdéseia19–20.században [Issues of natural persons’ naming law in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries]. Budapest (dissertation)

Judit Raátz, PhD Research Institute for Linguistics Hungarian Academy of Sciences 1068 Budapest Benczúr u. 33. Eötvös Lorand University Faculty of Humanities, Budapest 1088 Budapest Múzeum krt. 4/A. Hungary [email protected]

Summary: The Giving and Usage of First Names in Hungary The study summarises the history of Hungarian first name giving and usage, while demonstrating the legal regulation of first name giving from the beginning to the present. Besides presenting the major periods concerning the development of the stock of names in Hungary, the reader is also informed about the process of the Hungarian stock of given names’ change and expansion, the given names typical of a particular period, as well as the customs of and motives for name-giving and name choice. Within the major periods, the most significant ecclesiastical and state regulations are also discussed, likewise their impacts on first name giving and the stock of given names’ change.

997898.indb7898.indb 3333 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53 34 JUDIT RAÁTZ

The study touches upon the contemporary legal regulation of first name giving, the role the Research Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences plays in approving applications of first names not appearing on the official list, as well as the expert work conducted there. In addition, the rules and their changes concerning the name choice of the ethnic minorities living in Hungary are also highlighted.

Résumé : Choix et usage des prénoms en Hongrie Dans la présente étude, nous proposons un aperçu historique du choix et de l’usage des prénoms hongrois, avec une attention particulière à la régleman- tation juridique, depuis les débuts jusqu’à nos jours. Outre la présentation des principales périodes, nous tenterons d’analyser les causes de la transformation et de l’enrichissement du stock onomastique, en consacrant une attention par- ticulière aux prénoms propres aux différentes périodes, de même qu’aux traditions et motivations qui orientent le choix de ces derniers. À propos de chaque période, nous étudierons les principales règles, formulées par l’Église ou l’État, et leur influence sur les changements survenus dans le monde des prénoms. Les questions suivantes seront étudiées dans le détail : la réglemantation juridique du choix du prénom à l’heure actuelle ; le rôle et les fonctions de l’Institut de recherches linguistiques de l’Académie Hongroise des Sciences dans l’autorisation des prénoms qui ne figurent pas dans la liste officielle ; le travail de spécialiste au sein de cette institution ; les règles juridiques concernant le choix des prénoms pour les minoritées nationales de Hongrie, de même que les changements historiques de cette réglementation.

Zusammenfassung: Vornamensgebung und Vornamensgebrauch in Ungarn Die Studie gewährt eine Übersicht über die Geschichte der Vornamensgebung und des Vornamensgebrauchs in Ungarn, indem sie die rechtliche Regelung der Vornamensgebung von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart vorstellt. Außer den die Entwicklung des ungarischen Namenschatzes vorstellenden Hauptepochen kann der Leser auch die Ursachen der Änderung und der Erweiterung des ungarischen Vornamenschatzes, die typischen Vornamen der einzelnen Epochen, die Bräuche und die Motivationen der Namensgebung und der Namenswahl kennenlernen. Innerhalb der größeren Perioden werden die wichtigsten kirch- lichen und staatlichen Regeln der ungarischen Vornamensgebung und ihre auf die Namensgebung und Namenschatzänderung ausgeübte Wirkung beschrieben. Ausführlich behandelt die Studie die Rechtsvorschriften der gegenwärtigen Namenswahl, die Rolle und Aufgaben des Sprachwissenschaftlichen Instituts der Ungarischen Wissenschaftlichen Akademie bei der Genehmigung der Vor- namensgebung in dem Fall der in der offiziellen Namensliste nicht aufgeführ- ten Vornamen, die Expertenarbeit des Instituts, außerdem die Rechtsvorschrif- ten zu der Namenswahl der in Ungarn lebenden nationalen Minderheiten und deren historische Änderung.

997898.indb7898.indb 3434 66/07/15/07/15 08:5308:53