The Forms of Some Slovak Surnames as a Resultof Multi-Ethnic Influences in Central Europe

Today’s two-name anthroponymic system is the result of a gradual evolution from the one-name system used in the early Middle Ages, through a transitional period when a person was identified more precisely by means of a byname or nickname, to the lasting formation of a two-name system, with anthroponyms consisting of the first name and a surname. From the thirteenth century onwards, the one-name system was gradually replaced by a two-name system – the father’s name, degree of kinship, social rank, occupation, features of appearance etc. were added to the family name. Around the fifteenth century, we can speak of the formation of basic types of surnames. This article fouses on the analysis of selected Slovak surnames that indicate not only native motivational background, but also the influences of neighbouring ethnicities and languages. The forms of some Slovak surnames were influenced by languages such as German, Polish, Latin, Hungarian and Romanian, which points to ethnic migration in the area of central Europe.