Changes in the Stock of Given Names in the Context of a New Dictionary of Latvian Given Names

Abstract

The article introduces the forthcoming Small Dictionary of Personal Names (Mazā personvārdu vārdnīca), planned for publication in 2026. The first part outlines how the principles of compilation differ from those used in the previous dictionary. Special attention is given to the approximately 7% of names in the new dictionary that were not included in the earlier Latvian personal name dictionary by Klāvs Siliņš (Latvijas personvārdu vārdnīca, 1990). The article explores and analyses possible reasons for these differences. One reason is the differing criteria and justifications used in the two dictionaries; another is that the names may have spread in Latvia only after the publication of K. Siliņš’s dictionary. These include newly borrowed names such as Maikls, Mišela, and Raiens, as well as very rare or even unique Latvian-origin names like Ārvalda and Magone.