Nazar (given name)

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Nazar is a masculine name with multiple origins.

Christian use

As used by Christians, it means "from Nazareth," the town where Jesus Christ was said to have lived. The etymology of Nazareth from as early as Eusebius up until the 20th century has been said to derive from the Hebrew word נצר netser, meaning a "shoot" or "sprout", while the apocryphal Gospel of Phillip derives the name from Nazara meaning "truth".^[1]

Nazario is an Italian and Spanish version of the name, Nazaire is a French version and Nazariy is a Ukrainian and Russian form. Other variants in use include Nasareo, Nasarrio, Nazaret, Nazarie, Nazaro, Nazarene, Nazerine and Nazor. Nazret, the Amharic word for Nazareth, is also occasionally used as a female name in Ethiopia and Eritrea, while Nazaret is also occasionally used as a name for girls in Spanish-speaking areas. According to the web site behindthename.com, all are derived from the name Nazarius, which was in use in late Roman times and was also the name of some early Christian saints and martyrs.^[2][3] In 2008, Nazar was the most popular name for boys born in Ukraine.^[4]

Muslim use

Nazar is a common rendering into the Latin alphabet of Nadhr (Arabic: نذر‎), meaning "vow", which is in use as a name in Arabic and Urdu-speaking areas and in some Islamic countries, mainly in the eastern part of the Islamic world; it is a shortening of Nadhr al-Islam.^[5]

Other use

Nazar, or evil eye stone, is an amulet of stone or glass which is believed to protect against evil eye, widely used in Turkey, Azerbaijan and other Turkish speaking nations and Afghanistan, therefore this name implies that the male named Nazar should be wise and handsome.

People

See also

• Nazarov

Notes