Name of Armenia facts for kids

The name Armenia comes to us through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word Armenía.

However, the Armenian people themselves call their country Hayastan and refer to themselves as hayer. The exact origins of these names are not fully known, and there are many ideas about how they connect to older place names or group names.

What "Armenia" and "Armenians" Mean

Armenia and Armenians are the most common names used around the world for the country and its people. Armenians do not use these names when speaking their own language. This means Armenia is an exonym, which is a name given to a place or group by outsiders.

Where the Name "Armenia" Comes From

Historians and language experts have many ideas about where the name Armenia came from, but they don't all agree.

The oldest clear mention of the name is from the 6th century BC. It's found in a very old stone carving called the Behistun Inscription. In this inscription, the names Armina (in Old Persian), Harminuya (in Elamite), and Urashtu (in Babylonian) are used to talk about Armenia and its people. Around the same time, the Greek word Armenioi (meaning Armenians) also appeared.

From an Ancient Root Word

Some experts think Armenia might come from an ancient Indo-European root word, *ar-, which means "to gather" or "to assemble."

From "Armani" or "Armânum"

Some early 20th-century experts thought that the Old Persian Armina and the Greek Armenoi came from an Assyrian place name, Armânum or Armanî. These names appear in ancient records from the Bronze Age in both Mesopotamia and Egypt. For example, an inscription from around 2250 BC mentions Armânum as a land conquered by Naram-Sin of Akkad. Many historians believe this Armanî was the city of Aleppo in Syria.

It's also possible that Armenia comes from Armini, which in the Urartian language meant "inhabitant of Arme" or "Armean country." The Arme tribe might have been the Urumu people, who tried to invade Assyria from the north around 1200 BC.

From "Aram"

In Armenian stories, the people believe their ancestor was a hero named Aram. He was a descendant of Hayk, who is considered the legendary founder of the Armenian nation. Some think the name Armenia might be linked to Aram. The names Armen and Arman are still common names for Armenians today.

"Hayastan," "Hayk," and "Hayer"

The Armenian people use names that come from the word hay- to refer to themselves and their country. Hay (singular) and Hayer (plural) are used for the Armenian people. Hayastan is used for their country, while Hayk was used in the past and is still used in a poetic way today. This is an endonym, which is a name a group uses for itself.

Where the Name "Hay" Comes From

From "Hatti"

One idea is that the name hay comes from an old word related to Hatti, which was the name Urartians used for the land of the Hittites. This land was west of the Euphrates River, including an area where early Armenians might have lived. When the Urartians mixed with the early Armenians, they might have started calling themselves by the same name as the "Hittites."

From "Hayasa"

Another idea is that the word hay- comes from the name of an ancient kingdom near the Armenian Highlands called Ḫayaša. Some experts think that Hayk might come from Hayasa.

From the Legendary Ancestor Hayk

According to Armenian history, the name Hayk' (Հայք) comes from the legendary ancestor of the Armenian nation, Hayk (Հայկ). He is seen as the brave leader who founded the Armenian people.

From "Metal"

Some experts suggest that Hay might come from an ancient Indo-European word, *h₂éyos, which means "metal." If this is true, then Hayasa could have meant "land of metal." This makes sense because the region was known for its early metalworking techniques. The Armenian Highlands were famous for making bronze and iron in ancient times.

"Somkheti" and "Somekhi"

This name, and similar forms, are used by Georgians and some other people in the Caucasus region to refer to Armenians and Armenia.

Where the Name "Somkheti" Comes From

One idea is that this name comes from Suḫmu (in Akkadian) or Zuhma (in Hittite), which was a country in the upper Euphrates valley. This area was close to where early Armenians lived. Another idea is that Somekhi refers to the Mushki people, who some experts believe spoke an early form of Armenian.

"Ararat" and "Urartu"

Historically, Urartu was another name for Armenia. It was used in Assyrian and Babylonian languages. The name Ararat is found in the Bible in Hebrew. The Bible started using Armenia instead of Ararat as early as the 1st century AD.

The name Uruatri was first mentioned around 1300 BC by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser I. It was used interchangeably with Armenia until about the 5th century BC. Over time, the use of Urartu faded away and was fully replaced by Armenia.

Today, Ararat is the name of the famous twin-peaked mountain in the Armenian Highlands, which is now in modern-day Turkey. It's also the name of a province in the Republic of Armenia and a common name for Armenians.

Modern Names for Armenia and Armenians

See also

In Spanish: Armenia (nombre) para niños