Name «Zhyr»

The name 'Zhyr' has Slavic origins and arose from the abbreviation of the Old Russian names Domazhyr or Zhyroslava. The root '-zhyr-' in these names means 'pasture', 'acorn', 'life, feed', and it may also be associated with the meaning 'wealth'. The likelihood that the name 'Zhyr' originated directly from the word 'zhyr' in its ancient meanings of 'beechnuts', 'fat', or 'thickness' is lower. In Ukraine, the name 'Zhyr' begins to appear in written records only in 1649, when Cossacks with this name are mentioned, such as Protsyk Zhyr. More commonly, patronymics and toponyms like Zhyrovych or Zhyrkovych are encountered.Among notable figures, one can mention Lukyan Zhyrovych, who lived in the Gomel region in 1640, and Moses Zhyrko, mentioned in 1643. The modern surname Zhyrov is common in the Zaporizhzhia region. In Transcarpathia, among Hungarians, the surname Zsiró is also found. There is also a toponym recorded in 1565, according to which there was a village "in Zhyrychy near Ratno."