Name «Bilei»

The name Bilei (or its phonetic equivalent Beley) is preserved only among Bulgarians. Onomasticians believe that this name originates from the anthroponymic root bel-, which means 'white' (Ilchev 69). Among Serbs, the etymological equivalent of the name Bilei is the name Beley (Grk 34). The origin of this root, which characterizes the bearer by skin or hair color, is also supported by Jan Svoboda (Svob 167). In his opinion, the suffix -ey was added not directly to the adjective but to a truncated name, as is the case with personal names such as Dobriy, Dushey, Milei, Suley. In Ukraine, the name Bilei is not currently in use, but it is preserved in surnames and place names that date back to the 17th century. For example, a record from 1542 mentions nobleman Nikolai Bilei in the village of V. Selyshche (Belay 196); in 1715, serf Nikolai Bilei is noted in Kyshelovo (Belay 196); and Bilei is also the name of a village, Fanchikovo (Szabó 329).