Hungarian Town Name Changes
In tracking down the towns of birth of my Slovak ancestors, I'm noticing that many of them underwent a name change from one Hungarian name to another before settling in to their current Slovak names, most of which just seem to be the Slovak equivalent of the older of the two Hungarian names. Examples:
Kvakócz -> Nagykőpatak -> Kvakovce
Forbasz -> Poprádfalu -> Forbasy
Felső Ruzsbach -> Felsőzúgó -> Vyšné Ružbachy
Does anyone know what was behind these Hungarian-to-Hungarian name changes prior to the founding of Czechoslovakia?
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@Dave2425 I used CoPilot AI to get these answers -
These Hungarian-to-Hungarian name changes were part of a broader nationalistic and administrative effort in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to standardize and Magyarize place names across the Kingdom of Hungary.
Here's a deeper look into what drove these changes:
Historical Context: Magyarization and Administrative Reform
Magyarization Policies (late 1800s–1918):
- As part of efforts to strengthen Hungarian national identity within the multiethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Hungarian government promoted the use of Hungarian language and culture. This included
- renaming towns with Slavic, German, or other non-Hungarian names
- to more Hungarian-sounding ones.
Standardization of Place Names: The Hungarian Royal Ministry of Interior initiated systematic reviews of settlement names to:
- Eliminate duplicate or confusing names
- Replace archaic or dialectal forms
- Reflect geographic features or historical associations
- Align names with Hungarian linguistic norms
Examples of Renaming Logic:
- Kvakócz → Nagykőpatak
- : “Nagykőpatak” translates to “Great Stone Stream,” a more descriptive and Hungarian-sounding name.
- Felső Ruzsbach → Felsőzúgó: “Felsőzúgó” means “Upper Roaring,” possibly referencing a stream or waterfall, again emphasizing Hungarian imagery.
🗺️ Transition to Slovak Names After 1918
Post-WWI Shift:
- After the dissolution of Austria-Hungary and the formation of Czechoslovakia in 1918, many towns in present-day Slovakia reverted to their original Slavic names or adopted Slovak equivalents of their older Hungarian names.
Why Slovak Names Often Mirror Older Hungarian Ones:
- The older Hungarian names were often transliterations or adaptations of original Slavic names.
- When Czechoslovakia was formed, local authorities and communities often chose to restore these older forms, which were more culturally and linguistically aligned with Slovak heritage.
Here are other resources about the Hungarian Town name changes:
The Changes of the Hungarian Settlement Names.
Slovakia Genealogy Research Strategies.
List of renamed places in Hungary - Wikipedia.
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