Name «Dubrovka»

The feminine name Dubrovka originates from the ancient Slavic word "dubrova," which means 'oak grove,' referring to a leafy, typically oak forest on fertile soil. According to T. Maretić, the name Dubrovka was given to a child born in such a grove. Some believe that the feminine name Dubrava or Dubravka is a calque of the Italian name Silvia.In Ukraine, the memory of the feminine name Dubrovka has been preserved only in a few surnames and toponyms, such as Dubrova and Dubrovka. The earliest recorded instances of the personal name Dubrovka in Ukraine date back to the 13th century, specifically 1247 and 1265: Dubrovka was the daughter of Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich and the wife of Vasilko Romanovich.In medieval Poland, Dubrovka referred to a noble princess who married Polish King Mieszko I and became the mother of Bolesław the Brave. The Poles recorded the name Dubrovka as Dąbrówka, Dubrawa, or Dubrawka. Currently, in Poland, the name Dąbrówka is borne by 133 women.In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the names Dobravka and Dubrava are rare. Among Croats and Serbs, the name Dubrava, along with its derivative Dubravka, became widespread later due to Dubrovnik literature in the 16th-17th centuries. It also became known in Russia.