Novye Issledovaniâ Tuvy (Dec 2017)
The given name Subudai among the Tuvans, 1980s-2000s
Abstract
In the post-Soviet period, Genghis Khan and his companions-in-arms have become household names in Central Asis. For Tuva, of special importance is that of Subudei (1176-1248), one of Genghis Khan’s chieftains, an Uriankhai by birth and a suggested ancestor of many contemporary Tuvans. This article deals with how often Subudei appears in Tuvan naming practices of the last 30 years. Statistically, the article depends on the data from territorial offices of the ZAGS (Russian registry office) in the Republic of Tuva in 1985-2016, as well as reports of regional Ministry of Education and Science on the status of students at schools and pre-school institutions in 2015. On May 10, 1985 a boy born in the city of Kyzyl was named Subudai. From that day to January 31, 2016, the ZAGS offices in the raions of Tuva registered 625 cases of boys given that name. The peak year was 2007, and the highest number of cases was registered in Tuva’s capital, the city of Kyzyl (172 boys). Traditionally, there has been a good deal of variation in the name’s spelling, with the most popular other variants being “Subudei” (117 cases since 1992) and “Subuday” (5 cases since 1992). All the three versions together give 747 cases of people being named for the Uriankhai military leader. At the moment, they are aged 1 to 32. The Ministry for Education and Science reported that as of 2015, 242 namesakes of the Uriankhai study in preschool institutions and schools of the regions. Female versions of the name, such as Suvuda, also exist. Throughout the 20th century, the Tuvan naming conventions have greatly changed. The most recent trends show that in naming, the parents wish their children a good life, a better lot, and a more glorious path. The name “Subudai” suits all of these wishes well. The wide spread of this name in its male and newly-sprung female versions reveals people’s great expectations and lofty goals they set for the new generations of Tuvans.
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