Does anybody know if there is a difference between Chechnyan names and Russian please?
There is a great difference between Russian first and last names and Chechen names. Generally, Russian names are of slavic origin, or biblican one. In rare cases first names given to Russian children are of European or Anglo-Saxon origin (like Arthur or Edward). Chechen names in their majority are of Ingush or Arabic origin, since Chechens are Muslim. In terms of derriviation, both Russian and Chechen last names often come from the names of the family patriarch, or, less commonly, from a profession. For example: typical Russian name (female) Natalya Petrova – first name originates from latin, last name signifies that Petr (Peter) was the head of the “clan”/family. Or another common Russian last name – Sapozhnikov(a) – signifies son/daughter/family member of a boot-maker. Chechen last names will often have similar ov/ova suffixes, mostly due to “Russianization” of Chechen family names in the past. However, the root of the Chechen last name will almost always be an Arabic name/word. For
