Dacians were among the inhabitants of Eastern Europe before and during the Roman Empire. Many hundreds of personal names and placenames are known from ancient sources, and they throw light on Dacian and the extent to which it differed from Thracian.
Around 1150 Dacian anthroponyms (personal names) and 900 toponyms (placenames) have been preserved in ancient sources. As far as the onomastic (proper names) of Dacians and Thracians is concerned, opinions are divided. According to Crossland (1982), the evidence of names from the Dacian, Mysian and Thracian area seems to indicate divergence of a 'Thraco-Dacian' language into northern and southern groups of dialects, but not so different as to rank Thracian and Dacian as separate languages, There were also the development of special tendencies in word formation and of certain secondary phonetic features in each group. Mateescu (1923), Rosetti (1978) sustain that Thracian onomastic include elements that are common to Geto-Dacians and Bessians (a Thracian tribe). A part of researchers support that onomastically, Dacians are not different from the other Thracians in Roman Dacia's inscriptions. But recently, D. Dana basing himself on new onomastic material recorded in Egyptian ostraka suggested criteria which would make possible to distinguish between closely related Thracian and Dacian-Moesian names and singled out certain specific elements for the latter.
In Georgiev's opinion (1960; 1977) Dacian placenames and personal names are "completely different" from their Thracian counterparts.
Several Dacian names have also been identified with ostracons of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt, i.e. Dadas and Dadazi, Zoutoula, Dotos and Dotouzi, Dieri and Diernais, Diengis, Dida(s), Blaikisa, Blegissa, Diourdanos, Thiadicem, Avizina, Dourpokis, Kaigiza, Dardiolai, Denzibalos (see also Dacian king name Deki-balos), Denzi-balus (attested in Britain), Pouridour, Thiaper and Tiatitis, Dekinais, *Rolouzis, (See Ostraca from Krokodilo and Didymoi)
| Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastiza | Name frequently found at Mons Claudianus i.e. two persons have this name on a list of Dacian names, but this name is also the patronyme of the soldier named Diernaios. | The name ‘'bast'’ is found in Thrace (cf. Decev) but never as Bastiza. | ||
| Bikili(s) | Decebal's friend (Dio Cassius) | |||
| Blegissa | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Blaesus | Child of a soldier of cohors I Aelia Dacorum[1] | |||
| Blaikisa | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Brasus | Inscription at Apulum that reads: Mucatra, son of Brasus, had a son and heir Mucapor Mucatralis | According to Mommsen (1887), the name is formed by the compounds with –poris i.e. Mucaporis appear as Thracian and as Dacian in numerous cases | ||
| Burebista | "Possessor of so much" cf Sanskrit bhuri "plenty, so much" and cf Ancient Iranian victa "possessor", | King of Dacians (Strabo, Jordanes and Decree of Dionysopolis) | See also: Buri, Buridavense, Buridava, Buricodava. See also Ariovistus. |
| Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charnabon | King of the Getae (Sophocles's Triptolemos) | |||
| Comosicus | Dacian High Priest and King who lived in the 1st century BC (Jordanes) | |||
| Cothelas, Gudila | King of the Getae in the 4th century BC | |||
| Cotiso | Cotiso 'loved' | King of the Dacians in the 1st century BC | Tomaschek compared this name with the name Cotela of a Getian prince and with the name Cotys, name of several Odrysian and Sapaean (Thracian) princes. Also, he compared with the name Kotys, the Thracian goddess worshipped by the Edonians, a tribe that lived around Pangaion Mountain. He sees here again, the letter "o" as an obscured indistinct, pronunciation of "a". Therefore, he compared Cotiso with the Bactrian Kata "loved". |
| Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dablosa | He is attested at Mons Claudianus(O. Claud. II 402 and 403). | |||
| Dadas | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Dadazi | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Daizus | Thraco-Getian name Daizus Comozoi, interfectus a Castabocis. Daizus Comozoi is a "Royal" Dacian name found also with Thracians from south of the Danube. | |||
| Damanais | Damanais attested at Mons Claudianus as the father of the Dacian soldier Dida from Krokodilo. | |||
| Dapyx | Dacian king. | |||
| Danillo | Roman Legionnaire | |||
| Dardanos | 'Darda-‘ appears as both Daco-Mysian and Thracian. | |||
| Dardiolai | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Decaeneus | "The one who knows" (dak, dek cf. Sanskrit dasa) or "The Dacian" | High priest and king of Dacians (Strabo, Dio Cassius, Jordanes) | ||
| Decibalus | Child of a soldier of cohors I Aelia Dacorum | |||
| Decebalus | Dacian word balas /balos is from PIE *bel 'strong, power' cf. Sanskrit bala "force" and Dece from PIE *dek 'to take, to honor'Also, it had been suggested Decebalus means "The force of the Dacians" | King of Dacians (Dio Cassius) | Originally named Diurpaneus, after his victory against Romans he was called Decebalus ("The brave one")[2] Many interpretations are possible for the PIE root *dek that is found also with the name Decaeneus | |
| Denzibalos | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Denzibalus | ||||
| Dekinais | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Dicomes | king of Dacians | |||
| Dida | Aelius Dida - Dacian centurion of cohors I Aelia Dacorum stationed in Britannia. | |||
| Dida(s) | Dacian soldier from Krokodilo. | |||
| Diegis | Diegis / Degis from *dhegh ‘to burn' | Dacian | ||
| Diengis | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Dieri | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Diernais | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Diourdanos | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Diurpaneus | "admired from distance" cf. Sanskrit durepanya | Name of the king of Dacians (Dio Cassius) He was renamed to Decebalus after victory over Romans. | It is a "Royal" Dacian name found also with Thracians from south of the Danube i.e. Dorpanas (IGB, II, 771) and Dyrpanais (Olbia). | |
| Dourpokis | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Dotos | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Dotouzi | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Drilgisa | With the inscription CIL VI 1801 as Natopor's brother at Rome. | Note also the following names: Drigissa in Superior Moesia and Dia-giza, slave at Rome, CIL XV 2445. | ||
| Dromichaetes, Dromichaeta | Name of the king of Getae It appears this is a Hellenised form | |||
| Duccidava | ||||
| Duras | King of the Dacians between 69 AD - 87 AD (Jordanes) |
| Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaigiza | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Komakiza | Koma-kiza / Koma-kissa is a name attested at Didymoi. | The endings term correspond to the Dacian king name Komosicus. | ||
| Komozoi | Father of Daizus. Daizus Comozoi is a "Royal" Dacian name found also with Thracians from south of the Danube. |
| Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moskon | Inscription on silver coins about a 3rd-century BC getic king | |||
| Mucapor | Inscription at Apulum that reads: Mucatra, son of Brasus, had a son and heir Mucapor Mucatralis | These names are Thracians and Dacians (as Mucapor is attested as Dacian and as Thracian name). The names containing Muca- are found in Thracian but also in the proper Geto-Dacian names | ||
| Mucatra | Inscription at Apulum that reads: Mucatra, son of Brasus, had a son and heir Mucapor Mucatralis. | These names are probably Thracian, not Dacian, as Mucapor is attested as an ethnic Thracian name (see refs above). |
| Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petoporus, Petipor | Name of a Dacian prince | |||
| Pieporus | The first element Pie is analogue by initial and vocalism with the name Pie-figoi of a Dacian tribe mentioned by Ptolemy.The second element -porus is often met with Dacian and also with Bithynian (a Thracian tribe) names. Tomaschek explained it by the root *par 'replenish, nourish' or as *pa-la 'king' | Name of a king of the Costoboci (inscription C.1 Rom. VI, No. 1801). | NOTE: Linguists Georgiev and Ivan Duridanov consider this a Thracian name; second element -por (variations: -puri, -pyra-s, -poris, -pouris) comparable to Latin puer 'son, child'.[3] [4] | |
| Pouridour | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt |
| Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rescuturme | The Dacian name Rescuturme can be related to the Aryan word rai "splendor, wealth" and raevant, revant "brilliant", if "-sk" is part of a derivation. | Name of a Dacian woman. Inscription (CIL III 1195), | cf. names Resculum (a hamlet from Dacia) and Rascuporis / Rascupolis (name with Sapaean and Bithynian Thracian tribes) | |
| Rhemaxos | Getic king who ruled to the north of the Danube around 200 BC | |||
| Rholes, Roles | Getae chieftain in Scythia Minor (Dio Cassius) | |||
| Rigozus | Anthroponym. | |||
| Rolouzis | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Rubobostes | Dacian king in Transylvania in the 2nd century BC |
| Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarbus | "hard, strong, powerful" cf. Bactrian thaurva (de tarva) | possibly a prince of the Free Dacians[5] | ||
| Thiadicem | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Thiamarkos | Dacian king (inscription "Basileys Thiamarkos epoiei") | |||
| Thiaper | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Tiati | With the inscription CIL VI 1801 at Rome. | |||
| Tiatitis | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Tsinna, Zinnas, Sinna |
| |||
| Tsiru | Tsiru son of Bassus in ISM V 27, Capidava (Scythia Minor), 2nd century |
| Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zalmoxis | Dacian god | |||
| Zalmodegikos | Getan king who ruled around 200 BC | |||
| Zebeleizis, Gebeleizis, Gebeleixis, Nebeleizis | Other name of the Dacian god Zalmoxis | |||
| Zia | "mare", cf. Thracian Ziaka, Sanskrit hayaka "horse" (See Thracian name Ziacatralis "who feeds the horses") | Dacian name of a princess. Variant: Ziais | ||
| Zoutula | Ostracon of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt | |||
| Zyraxes | "Powerful prince" cf. Bactrian Zura, Zavare "power" and cf. Khsaya "prince" | Prince of the Getae | A similar name's form is found in the city name Zurobara, from bara/vara ("city") and zuro ("fortified") |
See also: Davae.
| No | Dacian name | Etymology | Modern city/Location | Attestation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acidava (Acidaua) | Enoșești, Olt County, Romania | Tabula Peutingeriana | ||
| 2 | Amutria (Amutrion, Amutrium, Admutrium, Ad Mutrium, Ad Mutriam, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἀμούτριον) | Hypothetically located at one of the following sites in Oltenia (Southwestern Romania):
| Ptolemy's Geographia, Tabula Peutingeriana | ||
| 3 | Apula (Apulon) | Piatra Craivii, 20 km North of Alba-Iulia, Romania | Tabula Peutingeriana | Apulum in Latin, see also Apuli | |
| 4 | Bersobis (Berzobim) | "White, shine" including birch-tree from root *bhereg > ber(e)z Alternatively, it could be compared with Berzama, place name from Thrace between Amhialos and Kabyle and Bactrian Bareza 'height' | Modern Berzovia village in Caraș-Severin County, on the bank of river Bârzava, Romania | The sole surviving sentence from Trajan's campaign journal in the Latin grammar work of Priscian, Institutiones grammaticae | |
| 5 | Napoca (Napuca) | The following are the most important hypotheses regarding Napocas etymology:
Independent of these hypotheses, scholars agree that the name of the settlement predates the Roman conquest (AD 106). | Cluj-Napoca, Romania | Tabula Peutingeriana | |
| Dacian name | Modern name | Etymology | Attestation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alutus, Aloutas | Olt | Possible etymology: Sanskrit alu, meaning "float, raft, water pot, small water jar" | Ptolemy, Jordanes | |
| Amutrion, Amutria | Motru | Skt. *mūtra "dripping water, urine", Skt. Jīmūta, "clouds that cause rain but not thunder"[7] | ||
| Argessos, Ordessos | Argeș | |||
| Buseos | Buzău | Originally Μ[π]ουσεος, where Μπ is pronounced as B | ||
| Crisus | Criș | |||
| Donaris | Upper Danube | |||
| Hyerassus, Tiarantos, Gerasus, Seratos | Siret | |||
| Istros | Upper Danube | The Ancient Greek Istros was a borrowing from Thracian/Dacian meaning "strong, swift", akin to Sanskrit is.iras "swift". | ||
| Maris, Marisos | Mureș | Herodotus, Strabo | ||
| Naparis | Ialomița | a) According to Russu, 'flow' / 'moisture'. It has probably the same root with Napoca (modern Cluj-Napoca)b) According to Parvan, after Tomaschek, the meaning is similar with Lith. Napras, in which there is a high probability of the root *nebh- "to spring". c) According to Bogrea, 'spring' - compared with Old Persian napas 'spring' | Herodotus (IV 48), | |
| Patissus, Pathissus, Tisia | Tisa | |||
| Pyretus, Pyretos, Pyresos, Porata | Prut | |||
| Rabon | Jiu | |||
| Samus | Someș | |||
| Sargetia | Strei | |||
| Tyras | Nistru | |||
| Tibisis | Timiș | Herodotus |