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Origin of the name Ryabov

The surname Ryabov is one of the oldest family names and is a unique monument to the Slavic names.

The studied surname was formed from the personal naming of the ancestor Ryab or Ryaba with the help of the family suffix 'ov' characteristic of Russian onomastics. These nicknames were very popular among representatives of various estate groups, for example, in the archives are mentioned: the peasant Gavrilko Ryab (1495), the yard man in Moscow Kondrashka Ryab (1637), the Dvinsk archer Miroshka Ryab (1677),

It seems most likely that the nickname of the founder of the clan dates back to the old word 'pockmarked', which in the vocabulary of Slavic dialects was used in the meanings 'motley, speckled, spotted' and 'nonsmooth, uneven, rough.' Thus, Ryab, Ryaby could be called the person whose face was covered with freckles or moles, or a man who had scars on his skin after a burn or smallpox. The names given on the features of appearance were one of the most numerous nicknames, because they are easily remembered - you look at the person you are talking to and it's immediately clear how to turn to him! However, the owner of a scratched or unevenly painted fence, a house or a worn cart could also be called a similar name. At the same time, Ryab could dignify the one who dazzled something, for example, the dyer, who stuffed the traditional Ural blue sundresses with white spots.

At the same time, it could well have turned out that the ancestor received the nickname Ryab in early childhood in honor of the hazel grouse, which was colloquially called a pockmark. In this case, this nickname played the role of a talisman, hiding the newborn child behind the name of a small bird from the machinations of 'evil forces'.

In addition, there is a judgment that the name Ryabov was for the founder of the clan a 'geographical' nickname assigned to him at the place of residence. According to this version, the name Ryabov could be fixed, for example, to a native of the village of Ryaba, located in the Krasnogorodsky district of the Pskov region, or a native of a village with the name Ryabovo common throughout Russia.

The surname nickname of the Ryabovs is found in ancient Russian written sources already from the second half of the 15th century, for example, in the Scribes of the Novgorod Pyatins, the peasant Yakush Ryabov (1495) is listed, and in the Supplements to the Acts the Kaluga posadsky Ostafey Isaev, son of Ryabovo (1667) appears. and Sagittarius in Siberia Ilyushka Ryabov (1684). The surname of Tsar Peter I Ivan was the surname of Ryabov, and now many modern figures of science, art, and military affairs have glorified, including: Russian politician A.I. Ryabov (born 1936), pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union K.A. Ryabov (1923-2001), writer, screenwriter G.T. Ryabov (born 1932), Erzyan linguist, professor A.P. Ryabov (1894-1938). In the ranking of the most common surnames in Russia, the Ryabovs' hereditary name has been in 51st place for many years.

Since the process of forming surnames was quite lengthy, at the moment it is difficult to talk about the exact place and time of occurrence of the surname Ryabov. However, with confidence it can be argued that it has a rich history and reflects the ancient Slavic beliefs and traditions of naming people.