Bulgarian Placename Etymology - Slavic Placenames

Slavic Placenames

Slavic names account for the vast majority of toponyms on the territory of Bulgaria. Typical forms are:

• with the neutral suffix -ово/-ево (-ovo/-evo). This suffix is probably the most widespread one in Bulgaria. Examples: Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Pamporovo, Sevlievo.
• with the masculine suffix -ец (-ets). Examples: Pravets, Borovets, Kladenets, Lyubimets.
• with the feminine suffix -ица (-itsa). Examples: Gorna Oryahovitsa, Dupnitsa, Belitsa, Koprivshtitsa, Slivnitsa, Perushtitsa, Berkovitsa, Kosharitsa.
• with the suffixes -инци (-intsi), -овци (-ovtsi), and -ци (-tsi), which indicate the name, occupation or some other characteristic feature of the family or families that founded the settlement. Examples: Chiprovtsi, Boychinovtsi, Apriltsi, Priseltsi, Brusartsi, Batanovtsi.
• with the suffix -град (-grad), which is used for mediaeval fortified settlements and modern cities. -grad is a very common suffix in southern Bulgaria due to the widespread renaming of towns that carried Turkish or Greek names. Many towns now have names that follow the established pattern, but are dedicated to Bulgarian rulers, national heroes or prominent people, such as Botevgrad (formerly Orhanie), Asenovgrad (formerly Stanimaka) and Blagoevgrad (formerly Gorna Dzhumaya). Other examples: Zlatograd, Svilengrad, Razgrad.
• with the masculine suffixes -ник (-nik) and -чик (-chik). Examples: Pernik, Balchik, Belogradchik, Melnik, Breznik.
• with the neutral suffix -ино (-ino). Examples: Ardino, Nedelino, Nevestino.
• with the masculine suffix -ен (-en). Examples: Pleven, Sliven, Kuklen, Teteven, Kiten.
• with the neutral suffix -ище (-ishte). Examples: Targovishte, Bozhurishte, Panagyurishte.
• with other or without suffixes. Examples: Tran, Belene, Dobrich, Rudozem, Sopot, Beloslav, Svishtov, Razlog, Troyan, Vidin, Byala Slatina, Bankya.

Slavic names often appear in pairs, wherever two places were historically related, or happen to have the same name. Examples: Stara Zagora and Nova Zagora (old/new), Veliko Tarnovo and Malko Tarnovo (great/small), Gorni Bogrov and Dolni Bogrov (upper/lower).

Nov, novi, nova, and novo (meaning "new") are also frequent, as many places were depopulated during Ottoman rule and later rebuilt. Examples: Novo Selo (9 villages are named thus), Novi Pazar. Nevertheless, the presence of "new" does not guarantee that the settlement has ever been destroyed — it may have been founded by settlers from another village who wished to retain the name, for example.