Genuine Mongolian Names and Roots
Mongolian names fall into several categories.
Names that commemorate a special event. Temujin "Of Iron" was named for a enemy cheiftan defeated by his father.
Animal names. Khasar "Terrible dog"; Khulan "wild horse"; It Kuujujuk "Little Dog";
Character traits. Batu "confident"; Bataar "hero"; Bilig "Intelligent";
Weapons, tools, or other objects. Jebe "arrowpoint"; Suke "ax"; Khada'an "Rock"
Color or beautiful objects Altan "gold"; Erdene "jewel" Oyunchecheg "turqoise flower"; Gho'a "beautiful lady"
Important numbers Yesuntai "9" also means "abundant" (a lucky number); Nayan "eighty"(the age of the father);Jirghadai "sixth" (sixth child)
Despised things to fool the evil spirits Bujir "filthy" ; Keuken "Girl" (if it was a boy)
Foreign names Includes Buddhist names such as Ayushi "God of Longeviety" Gorgis; Anton; Uzbek; Tangut "Tibetan"
All of these names could also have different suffixes to create different names. In the "Secret History of the Mongols", you see a lot of allerative names in relatives, for example Temujin's siblings were Qasar, Qaci'un, Temuge, and Temulun (the last one was a baby sister).
Most medieval Mongolians seem to have had only one name or a name. Considering the size of the population and their proximity, not to mention the huge variations available, it was unlikely that there would be any confusion. In modern Mongolia, they use two names, the first being their father's. For example, Sirichin Bataar. Sirichin is Bataar's father. It is sortened to S.Bataar.
SOURCES FOR NAMES
Secret History of the Mongols is the best period source.
Travel journals and histories by these contemporaries.
Ala-ad-din
Ibn Battuta
Rashid ad-Din
Friar William of Rubruck
Friar John of Pian de Carpini
Marco Polo
A note about titles in the SCA
According to the Yasa of Genghis Khan, no one except for the khans and the kha-khans were to use titles. Therefore there are not a lot of parallels to modern titles, such as sir or duke. The SCA has recognizes only one title, "Bataar" for knighthood. Unofficially, other titles such as "Khan" for king, "Khatun" for queen have also been used. According to a tranlation in the Secret history, there might be an arguement for "Ujin" for lady and "Ko'un" for prince, but this was not used by the person themselves, but by historians when refereing to them and their station.
- a -
Adangqan Uriangqai - Ancestress of Genghis Khan &
Al Altun - Genghis Khan's daughter &
Alan To-a - First woman named in the Secret History. Ancestress of Genghis Khan. &
Alay Yid - wife of Yeke Ceren&
Alima (apple) - a modern woman
Alqua Beki - A princess&
Altani - (golden) Wife of Boroyul&
Altansetseg - (gold flower) a modern woman
Any - a warrior queen
Arghun Aqa - Mongol Official @
Arlsag - (lion)%
Ariq-boke - brother and rival of Kublai @
- b -
Baiju - Mongol general @
Baljinnyam - a modern woman, ambassador #
Baryudai Mergen - Ancestress of Genghis Khan &
Bataciqan - The first name in the Secret history, son of the bluish wolf and the fallow dear.&
Batbayar (strong holiday) - a modern woman
Battsetseg (firm flower) - a modern woman
Baatar - (brave, courageous, or hero) - a modern man, modern woman#, and %
Batu - (confident or immoveable)%
Bayan - Yuan official @
Beker - half brother of Genghis @
Bolor (crystal) - a modern woman
Bortei - wife of Genghis @
Buri - Mongol prince
Buhbatar - (strong hero) modern boy^
- c -
Chabi - Kublai Khan's favorite wife (Her name is Sanskrit.)
Chaghatai - Second cousin of Genghis
Chimeg - modern woman
Choijelsurengiin Mendbayar - a modern champion archer (The first part of the name is his father's name, Choijelsuren.)
Choijelsuren - Modern chamption archer and bower (Mendbayar and Munkhtsetseg's father)
Cholmon - (twilight) modern girl ^
Cholontsetseg - modern woman
Chormaguhn - Mongol general
- d -
Doregene - (wife of Qudu, and then Ogodei) &
Dzulgetii - a 16 yr old archer in 1194. (Shot a target at 500 m)
- e -
Ebegei - Secondary wife of the father of Saca Beki of the Jurkin%
Eke - (mother)%
Eljigidei - (donkey) a chief % &
Erdene (jewel) - a young boy
Erdenechimig - a modern woman#
Esunge - son of Genghis Kahn
- g -
Ganhuik - a modern boy
Ghunan - (three-year old tiger or bull)
Guyuk - Third Great Khan
- h -
Hoelun - Genghis Khan's mother &
Hoelun Eke - (mother Hoelun)&
Holuiqan - (daughter of Joci)%
Huja'ur Ujin - (Ujin = lady) daughter of Ong Qan.%
- i -
Ibaqa - Eldest daughter of Jaqa Gambu &
Injinashi - Philosopher, historian and author of "Khokh Sudar" in 1194.
Inkhe - modern woman
Itugen - earth and fertility goddess
- j -
Jal-bukha - (crafty bull)%
Jama - modern woman foreign policy advisor
Jamuqua - enemy and anda of Genghis
Jebei Noyon - Mongol general
Jebtzun Damba - (lord of refuge) a traditional Khalkh title for the 8 living Buddha.
- k -
Khara-gulug - (black puppy) %
Khasar - (terrible dog)%
Khukhenkhu - modern wrestling champion
Khulan - (wild horse) %
Kokochu - Genghis Khan's shaman
Korguz - Uigher official
- m -
Manduhai - modern woman#
Mandakh - modern woman#
Manukhai Wise Queen (Tsetsen Khatan) - historial warrior queen
Manduhai - modern woman#
Mendbayar - a modern champion archer
Mongurr Aimag - another archer in "Khokh Sudar" (1194) that shot a target at 500 m
Mongke - (eternal) % &
Mongke Tenggeri - (eternal heaven) &
Munkhtsetseg (eternal flower)- modern six-time national archery woman's champion
Mukhbyar - modern woman
Myagmarsuren - modern woman#
- n -
Nachin - (falcon or eagle)%
Naran - (sun)&
Narenqique - (sunflower) modern girl^
Narangerel - a modern woman
Narangerel Orgil - a modern boy, son of Narangerel an usual example of a woman's name in the father's names place.
Narmanda - (sun rays) modern woman #
Nar Nuteng - (black eyes) modern woman #
Neguder - Mongol general
Nogai - Golden horde prince
Nomolun - Ancestress of Genghis Khan &
- o -
Ogedei - second son of Genghis
Oghul-Quimish - wife of Guyuk
Onan - woman in Secret History &
Oyuna - (turquoise) a modern woman#
Oyunchimeg (turquoise decoration) - modern woman
Oyungerel - modern girl#
Oyunsetseg - (Turquoise flower?) - modern woman#
Oyuntuya - modern girl#
Ozbeg - Khan of the Golden Horde
- p -
Puntsag Dulam - a modern woman#
Purevsuren - modern woman#
- q -
Qabul Khan - ancestor of Genghis Khan
Qasar - Genghis Khan's brother &
Qaci'un - Genghis Khan's brother &
Qo'aycin - Old maidservent of Hoelun&
Qojin Beki - a Mongolian Princess &
Qubilai - another spelling for Kublai
- s -
Saibatar - (good hero) - modern boy^
Sarantuya - modern woman
Sartaq, Khan of the Golden Horde
Selenge - a modern woman#
Serotan - mother of Mangu Khan 13th cent.
Shidebala - Yuan emperor
Shinebayar - modern woman
Shirchin - a modern man
Shiremun - grandson of Ogedei
Soqatai - wife of Ambayai Qahan&
Sorqaytani Beki - second daughter of Jaqa Gambu &
Sorqan
Subeedie Baatar - another archer in "Khokh Sudar" (1194) that shot a target at 500 m
Subodei - Mongol general
Sukhbaatar - national hero of modern Mongolia
Sukh - modern man
Sunjidmaa - modern woman#
- t -
Tamaca - son of Bataciaqan
Temujin - (of iron) Genghis Khan's childhood name &
Temujin Uje - a tribal cheif killed by Genghis Khan's father.
Temuge - Genghis Khan's brother &
Temulun - Genghis Khan's sister &
Tengri - Mongol supreme deity
Tode Mongke - Khan of the Golden Horde
Togtongo Baatar - another archer in "Khokh Sudar" (1194) that shot a target at 500 m
Tolui - fourth son of Genghis
Tsenden - modern woman
Tsedenbal - modern man
Tugei - wife of Qudu %
Tumen - a modern woman#
- x -
Sunjidmaa - a modern Xarchin woman
- y -
Yusugen - daughter of Yeke Ceren&
Yusui - daughter of Yeke Cerene&
Sources
# = Woman of Mongolia by Martha Avery, Asian Art & Archeology 937321-05-2
The Mongols by David Morgan, Butler & Taylor 0-631-13556-1
Children Just Like Me, Unicef 0-789-0201-7
& = Secret History of the Mongols, Vol I. tran. Francis Cleaves Harvard University Press, 0-674-79670-5
% = Mongolia's Culture and Society by Jachid
^ = Artist's web site http://www.163art.163.net/english.htm