# Boris (given name)

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Not to be confused with [Borislav](/source/Borislav).

Boris Boris I of Bulgaria Gender Male Origin Word/name Bulgar, Bulgarian Meaning Wolf, Short, Snow Leopard, Famous Battle (Borislav) or Fame-Bright (Robert) Region of origin First Bulgarian Empire Other names Related names Bob, Bobby (nicknames)

**Boris**, **Borys** or **Barys** ([Bulgarian](/source/Bulgarian_Language), [Russian](/source/Russian_language), [Serbian](/source/Serbian_language), [Ukrainian](/source/Ukrainian_language): Борис; [Belarusian](/source/Belarusian_language): Барыс) is a male name of [Bulgar](/source/Bulgar_language) origin.[1] It is most commonly used in countries in Eastern Europe.[a] It is also used in Greece and countries that speak [Germanic](/source/Germanic_languages), [Baltic](/source/Baltic_languages) and [Romance languages](/source/Romance_languages). The spelling variant *[Borys](/source/Borys)* is more common in [Poland](/source/Poland).

## Early history

Early records of the name *Boris* are related to a ruler of the [First Bulgarian Empire](/source/First_Bulgarian_Empire), Knyaz [Boris I](/source/Boris_I_of_Bulgaria) (r. 852–889). The name likely reached [the Rus](/source/Rus'_people) in the late 10th century, during the reign of [Boris II of Bulgaria](/source/Boris_II_of_Bulgaria) (r. 969–977), great-grandson of [Boris I](/source/Boris_I_of_Bulgaria). In 967, the Byzantines instigated the Rus to attack the [First Bulgarian Empire](/source/First_Bulgarian_Empire); it is probably around this [military campaign](/source/Military_campaign) that the marriage was arranged of [Vladimir I of Kiev](/source/Vladimir_I_of_Kiev) to a [Bulgarian](/source/Bulgaria) noblewoman, who is assumed to be a daughter of Peter I (i.e., sister of Boris II).[2][3][4]

As evidenced by the Rus' [Primary Chronicle](/source/Primary_Chronicle), [Boris and Gleb](/source/Boris_and_Gleb) were sons of Vladimir I, born to him by the Bulgarian princess. During Vladimir's reign in 988, the conversion of the [Kievan Rus'](/source/Kievan_Rus') to Christianity took place. In this conversion, both ordinary priests and prelates from [Bulgaria](/source/Bulgaria) played a significant part.[5] Also, with the adoption of the [Byzantine calendar](/source/Byzantine_calendar) and the [Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar](/source/Eastern_Orthodox_liturgical_calendar), the cult of St. Boris entered the [Rus' Orthodox Church](/source/Rus'_Orthodox_Church).[6] In 1015, the princes Boris and Gleb were killed by their stepbrother [Sviatopolk I of Kiev](/source/Sviatopolk_I_of_Kiev), who usurped the throne. Within a short time, Boris and Gleb were revered as native soldier-saints among the [Ukrainians](/source/Ukrainians), [Russians](/source/Russians) and [Belarusians](/source/Belarusians).[7]

## Derivations

[Borys](/source/Borys) is a Ukrainian and Polish-language variant, and [Barys](/source/Barys) is a Belarusian-language variant.

The name gives rise to several [patronymic surnames](/source/Patronymic_surnames): [Borisevich](/source/Borisevich), [Borysewicz](/source/Borysewicz), [Barysevich](/source/Barysevich), [Borisevičius](/source/Borisevi%C4%8Dius), [Borisov](/source/Borisov_(name)), [Borysenko](/source/Borysenko) (or Borisenko), [Borysenkov](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Borysenkov&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ru](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2)] (or Borisenkov), [Borisik](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Borisik&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ru](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BA)], [Borysiuk](/source/Borysiuk) (or Borisiuk), Borisikhin, [Boriskin](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boriskin&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ru](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%BD)], [Borisko](/source/Borisko) [[ru](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE)], [Borisovsky](/source/Borisovsky_(disambiguation)), Borysovych (or Borisovich), [Borysiak](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Borysiak&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ru](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%8F%D0%BA)] (or Borisiak).

A number of Jews in the [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire) and [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union) with the given names [Baruch](/source/Baruch_(given_name)) or [Ber](/source/Ber_(name)) used the (unrelated) name "Boris" to avoid being targeted with [antisemitism](/source/Antisemitism) and, vice versa, upon immigration to Israel changed their name in the opposite direction. Some who did this were: [Baruch Agadati](/source/Baruch_Agadati), [Baruch Podolsky](/source/Baruch_Podolsky), and [Boris Schatz](/source/Boris_Schatz) (Shlomo Zalman-Dov[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Baruch Boris Schatz). Accordingly, antisemites using the "Jew-counting" slander, applied the name "Barukh" to a public person called "Boris", so alleging the person to be a Jew and associating him with the "[international Jewish conspiracy](/source/International_Jewish_conspiracy)". This occurred, for example, to [Boris Yeltsin](/source/Boris_Yeltsin), who was variously "revealed" to be "Baruch Eltzind",[8] "Baruch Yeltzer",[9] or "Baruch Elkin".[10]

## See also

- [List of people with given name Boris](/source/List_of_people_with_given_name_Boris)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** These countries include: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Васил Н. Златарски.История на Първото българско царство. Междудържавното положение на България и покръщането на българите"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051231/http://promacedonia.com/vz1b/vz1b_3_1.html). Archived from [the original](http://promacedonia.com/vz1b/vz1b_3_1.html) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Околосветското пътешествие на името Борис](https://web.archive.org/web/20161115114642/http://old.omda.bg/bulg/hystory/ime_boris.htm) [The Around the World Journey of the Name Boris]. *OMDA | Wonderland Bulgaria* (in Bulgarian). Archived from [the original](http://old.omda.bg/bulg/hystory/ime_boris.htm) on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Материалы русской истории.Основные материалы для изучения русской истории.КИЕВСКИЙ КНЯЗЬ ЯРОСЛАВ ВЛАДИМИРОВИЧ.](http://www.magister.msk.ru/library/history/kostomar/kostom02.htm#1)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Киевская Русь и ее южные соседи. Киевская Русь и Болгария.](https://www.chronologia.org/tabov/tab-16.doc) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120511151208/https://www.chronologia.org/tabov/tab-16.doc) May 11, 2012, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [ПОКРЪСТВАНЕТО НА КИЕВСКА РУС И БЪЛГАРИТЕ, д-р Горан Благоев, БНТ.](http://www.protobulgarians.com/Statii%20ot%20drugi%20avtori/Goran%20Blagoev%20-%20Pokraastvaneto%20na%20rusite.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Святой благоверный и равноапостольный царь Борис Болгарский.](http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life6470.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Princes Boris and Gleb: Proto-martyrs and Passion-Bearers of Old Russia"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081007191902/http://www.roca.org/OA/76-77/76s.htm#). *Orthodox America*. Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society. 2006. Archived from [the original](http://www.roca.org/OA/76-77/76s.htm#) on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Oskolkov, Petr; Lissitsa, Sabina; Lewin, Eyal (April 2025). ["'The non‐dormant beast': Antisemitism in communities of Russian nationalists on Vkontakte"](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fnana.13013). *Nations and Nationalism*. **31** (2): 361–377. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/nana.13013](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fnana.13013).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Behr, Rafael (5 April 2017). ["Fear, prejudice and gut reactions: Is that the future for our politics?"](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/05/politics-antisemitism-gibraltar-brexit). *The Guardian*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Shafir, Michael (2003). "Varieties of Antisemitism in Post-Communist East Central Europe: Motivations and Political Discourse". [*Jewish Studies at the Central European University 2002–2003*](https://jewishstudies.ceu.edu/sites/jewishstudies.ceu.edu/files/attachment/basicpage/71/16shafir.pdf) (PDF). CEU Jewish Studies Yearbook. Central European University Press. pp. 175–210. ([Online bibliographical record](https://archive.jpr.org.uk/object-859); includes another download link.)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Boris (given name)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_(given_name)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_(given_name)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.