Website about Georgia and its peoples
Search for ancestors and relatives. History of Georgia, family history.
Georgia is the English name of the country, situated at the junction of Europe and Asia that has only recently gained independence and restored her statehood, lost almost two hundred years ago. It is also the name by which she is known in the greater part of the modem European languages (French - Georgie, German - Georgien, Spanish - Georgiano, Italian - Georgia, etc.). This name com es from the Latin - “georgiani”.
Jaque de Vitry (1160-1240), the French scholar and churchman, tried to explain the term etymologically as early as in the 13th century in his work “Historia Hierosolimitana abbreviata”, written in Latin. He dedicated a whole chapter to elucidating this question.
He wrote: “There is a Christian nation in the East, great warriors, quick while fighting, of sturdy build, as if made of oak. They have a numerous army. They arouse mortal fear in Saracens and often defeat Persians, Medians and Assyrians as well as other infidels that surrounded her from all sides. These people are called georgiani, for they worship most of all, revere greatly and idolize Saint George whom they consider to be their protector and patron in their wars…”
The worship of St. George is of special reverence in Georgia indeed, but contemporary scholarship has a different interpretation of this ethnonym. It must be coming from the Middle and Modem Persian languages in which “gurgan” means “the country of wolves” that must be a totem designation of ancient Georgians.
It is also known that one of the southern states of the USA has the same name (Georgia), but it is an accidental coincidence of names and it has nothing to do with the Caucasian Georgia. The Georgians call themselves “Kartveli”, and their country “Sakartvelo”.
Kings of Georgia (Kartli, Kakheti, Imereti) [Persons tab]
Famous Georgians [Persons tab]
Georgian surname index & genealogy
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List of Georgian nobility family names
(whose descendants survived into the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries)
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A Abamelikishvili (Abamelik, Abimelikovi, Abamelikovi). Princes and nobles Abashidze. Princes and nobles Abkhazi (Apkhazi). Princes Agiashvili (Agievi). Princes and nobles Akhvllediani. Princes and nobles Amatuni. Princes Amilakhvari (Amilakhori, Amilakhvarovi). Princes and nobles Amiredzhibi (Amirajibi, Amirejibovi). Princes and nobles Anchabadze (Antchabadze, Achba). Princes Andronikashvili (Andronikovi, Endronikovi). Princes and nobles Apakidze. Princes and nobles Argutashvili (Mkhargrdzeli, Argutinsky-Dolgoruki). Princes and nobles Asatiani. Princes and nobles Avalishvili (Avalovi). Princes and nobles
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B Babadishi (Babadishishvili, Babadishevi). Princes Bagrationi. Princes and nobles Baratashvili (Baratovi, Barataevi). Princes and nobles Bebutashvili (Bebutovi). Princes and nobles Begtabegishvili (Begtabegovi). Princes and nobles |
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C Chaabalurkhva (Sotishvili). Princes Chavchavadze. Princes Cherkezishvili (Cherkezovi). Princes and nobles Chichua. Princes and nobles Chidjavadze (Mikhailov-Chidjavadze) Princes and nobles Chikovani. Princes and nobles Chkheidze. Princes and nobles Chkhotua (Chkotua). Princes Cholokashvili (Cholokaevi, Chelokaevi). Princes
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D Dadeshkeliani (Dadashkeliani) Dadiani Dgebuadze. Princes and nobles Diasamidze. Princes and nobles Dziapsh-ipa (Zepishvili). Princes
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E Emukhvari (Emkhvari). Princes Eristavi of Aragvi. Princes Eristavi of Guria (Eristavi-Shervashidze). Princes Eristavi of Ksani. Princes Eristavi of Racha (or Imereti). Princes and nobles
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G Gabashvili (Gabaevi). Princes and nobles Gardapkhadze. Princes Gedevanishvili (Gedevanovi). Princes and nobles Gelovani. Princes and nobles Gogoberidze (Ghoghoberidze, Gogaberidze). Nobles and princes Gugunava. Princes and nobles Guramihvili (Guramovi). Princes and nobles Gurgenidze. Princes and nobles Gurieli
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I Iashvili. Princes and nobles Inal-ipa (Inalishvili). Princes
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J Jaiani. Princes and nobles Jakeli (Djakeli) Jandieri. Princes and nobles Japaridze. Princes and nobles Javakhishvili (Zhevakhovi, Djavakhovi). Princes and nobles Jolia. Princes and nobles Jorjadze. Princes
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K Karalashvili (Karalovi, Koralovi). Princes Kavkasidze (Kalatozishvili, Galatozishvili). Princes and nobles Kherkheulidze. Princes Khidirbegishvili (Khidirbegovi). Princes Khimshiashvili (Khimshievi). Princes and nobles Kipiani. Princes and nobles Kobulashvili (Kobulovi). Princes Kochakidze. Princes
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L Lionidze. Prince Lortkipanidze (Lordkipanidze). Princes and nobles
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M Machabeli (Bortishvili). Princes and nobles Machutadze. Princes and nobles Magalashvili (Magalovi). Princes and nobles Makashvili (Makaevi). Princes Maksimenishvili. Princes Manvelishvili (Manvelovi). Princes Marshania. Princes Melikishvili (Melikovi, Loris-Melikovi). Princes and nobles Mikadze. Princes and nobles Mikeladze. Princes and nobles Mkheidze (Pkheidze). Princes and nobles
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N Nakashidze. Princes and nobles Nizharadze (Nijaradze). Princes and nobles
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O Orbeliani (Djambakurian-Orbeliani). Princes and nobles Osikhmovani (Tulashvili, Tulaevi). Princes and nobles
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P Pagava. Princes and nobles Palavandishvili (Palavandovi). Princes and nobles Pavlenishvili (Pavlenovi). Princes and nobles
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R Ratishvili (Ratievi). Princes and nobles Robitashvili (Robitovi). Princes Rusishvili, Rusishvili-Korchibashi (Rusievi, Korchibashevi). Princes and nobles
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S Sadatbeg-Kamsarakan. Princes and nobles Saginashvili (Saginovi). Princes and nobles Savarsamidze. Princes Shalikashvili (Shalikovi, Katkovi-Shalikovi). Princes and nobles Sharvashidze (Chachba, Shervashidze). Princes and nobles Shelia. Princes and nobles Sidamon-Eristavi. Princes Sologashvili (Solagovi). Princes Sumbatashvili (Sumbatovi). Princes
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T Taktakishvili (Taktakovi). Princes Tarkhan-Mouravi (Saakadze-Mouravishvili, Tarkhnishvili). Princes and nobles Tavdgiridze. Princes Tsereteli (Tsertelevi). Princes and nobles Tsitsishvili. Princes Tsulukidze. Princes and nobles Tumanishvili (Tumanovi). Princes Turkestanishvili (Turkestanovi, Turkistanovi). Princes and nobles Tusishvili (Tusievi). Princes
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V Vachnadze. Princes Vakhvakhishvili (Vakvakhovi). Princes Vezirishvili (Vezirovi, Vizirovi). Princes
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