Female names in the urban onomasticon of Slavic capitals (on the example of Moscow, Warsaw, and Sofia)

Abstract

This article examines the names of urban objects in Moscow, Warsaw, and Sofia dedicated to women, it also describes the main functions of such urbanonyms in the urban onomasticon. Under the analysis were 3 200 Moscow, 5 213 Warsaw, 2 662 Sofia hodonyms and agoronyms. Urbanonyms based on female names account for 5.1 % in Moscow, 4 % in Sofia, 15.2 % in Warsaw of the total number of all anthroponymic names. Despite some differences, the urbanonyms derived from the names and surnames of women in politics and ideology, as well as cultural, scientific and artistic figures are universal for the three Slavic capitals. The noticeable national orientation of urbanonyms derived from female names, in contrast to the commemorative ones related to masculine persons, is worth noting. In general, however, in Moscow, as well as in Warsaw and in Sofia there is a significant gender bias with regard to urbanonyms from the names and surnames of male personalities. The names and surnames of women are much less represented in the onomastic landscape of the city, which demonstrates the insufficient degree of recognition of their contribution.