Georgian surname

Coat of arms of the princely family of Chikovani.

Most surnames of the Georgian people^[1] are derived either from patronymics or, less frequently, from toponyms, with addition of various suffixes.

Georgian suffixes vary by region. The most common Georgian suffixes are:

• -shvili (-შვილი): meaning "child": from western and eastern Georgia. E.g. Baratashvili, Andronikashvili, Guramishvili etc.
• -dze (-ძე): meaning "son": from western Georgia. E.g. Abashidze, Jorjadze etc.
• -uri, -uli and -eli (-ური), (-ული) and (-ელი): from mountainous eastern Georgia. E.g. Donauri, Burduli, Licheli etc.
• -ani (-ანი): Svan surname from mountainous western Georgia. E.g. Dadeshkeliani, Dadiani, Kipiani etc.
• -ia, -ua and -ava (-ია), (-უა) and (-ავა): Mingrelian surname from western Georgia. E.g. Abakelia, Chichua, Gvazava etc.
• -shi (-ში): Laz surname from western Georgia. E.g. Tugushi, Khalvashi etc.
• -khi (-ხი): from southern Georgia. E.g. Meskhi, Javakhi etc.
• -kva (-ყვა): from western Georgia. E.g. Ingorokva, Rokva etc.
• -oni (-ონი): from eastern and western Georgia. E.g. Bagrationi, Kimerioni etc.
• -ti (-ტი): from western Georgia. E.g. Glonti, Jgenti etc.

The first recorded Georgian surnames date to the 7th–8th century. They were mostly toponymic in nature (such as Surameli, Machabeli, Orbeli), patronymic, or derived from the profession, social status, position, or title, which was hereditary in the family (such as Amilakhvari, Amirejibi, Eristavi etc.). Beginning from the 13th century, the surnames became more frequently based upon patronymics, a tradition which became almost universal in the 17th-18th century. Some of the Georgian surnames indicate ethnicity or regional origin of the family, and are also generated as patronymics. Examples are Kartvelishvili ("child of Kartveli", i.e., Georgian), Megrelishvili ("child of Megreli", i.e., Mingrelian), Cherkezishvili ("child of Cherkezi", i.e., Circassian), Abkhazishvili ("child of Abkhazi", i.e., Abkhazian), Somkhishvili ("child of Somekhi", i.e., Armenian), Berdzenishvili ("child of Berdzeni", i.e., Greek), Prangishvili ("child of Prangi", i.e., French).

According to the 2008 report by Georgia's Civil Registry Agency,^[2] the most common Georgian surnames registered in the country are:

1. Beridze (ბერიძე): 24,962
2. Kapanadze (კაპანაძე): 17,202
3. Gelashvili (გელაშვილი): 16,350
4. Maisuradze (მაისურაძე): 14,824
5. Giorgadze (გიორგაძე): 12,954
6. Lomidze (ლომიძე): 11,796
7. Tsiklauri (წიკლაური): 11,571
8. Bolkvadze (ბოლქვაძე): 10,916
9. Kvaratskhelia (კვარაცხელია): 10,447
10. Nozadze (ნოზაძე): 10,183

See also

• List of Georgian surnames
• List of Georgian princely families

Notes