Names, Patronymics, Nicknames and Name Days

I have one question about the names of the imperial family, maybe one can help me
I would like to know, if there is any must or strategy to name the children of the imperial family...because there are so many reprises of names like "Alexander" or "Nikolaus" or "Olga" or "Maria". There are so many names in russia which never had been used in society. did it depends on upper and lower class. Was the IF not allowed to use "proletarian" names?

I think it was mostly a matter of tradition - and liking. For example quite common Russia name Tatiana had never been used within Imperial family before Grand Duke Konstantin and Tsar Nikolai named their daughters like that.

For me I would have give my child a unique name which is  not already given to ten of its cousins
Tsar Alexei had a daughter named Tatiana, the sister of Tsarevna Sofia...but she was not a matter of history
In  earlier romanov times the had "old" orthodox names like praskovia, eudoxia etc.
I think its a little pity that they where so traditionally and not creativ in giving names.   

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I think it was mostly a matter of tradition - and liking.

I'd also guess that there were some names that were traditionally used in the IF - maybe it was usually about liking the names too. But I don't really think that there was something like 'upper and lower class' about the names.

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There are many (but actually few, IMO) names provided by the Russian Orthodox church but only a few were used on the IF. I also wonder why they don’t use multiple names. Maybe it was a tradition, too.

There were three tzars named Alexander in the 19th centur plus one Nikolay that is why Nikolay II told his mother that it was time to "break this endless row of Niklays and Alexanders". Before the birth of their first child N & A planned that they would name their daughter Olga and their son Pavel. But when their son was finally born they gave up the name Pavel due to the assosiations with Pavel I and his tragic end. The Tzar chose the name Alexey because Aleksey Mikhailovich was Nikolay`s favorite monarch. in 1903 he even organized a fancy ball in the winter palace where all the participants were dresses in the clothes from those times. Nikolay liked his monarch for his mildness and deep religiousness

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There are many (but actually few, IMO) names provided by the Russian Orthodox church but only a few were used on the IF. I also wonder why they don’t use multiple names. Maybe it was a tradition, too.

Hm, what exactly do you mean by multiple names? Like people who have two first names like (for example) "Veronica Gabriella" and then the family name?

I believe that "Shvibsik" comes from a Russified pronunciation of the German word for "crazy". I am fairly certain it is not a Russian word.

If by "multiple names" you mean like in English and other languages, the answer is simple. In Russian one is given a first name (the name of the person's Patron Saint), then an otchestvo (patronym - i.e. Son/Daughter of -) and finally the family name.
As for names to choose from, like any culture names go through fashions. Up until the revolution most Russians would be named for a Saint of the Orthodox Church - there are 1000s of names available, but some have connotations like, for example Xenophont sounds like a Monastic name.

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Then why is that many biographers of OTMA say Shvibzik is a Russian word? Thanks for the information, Georgiy.

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I believe that "Shvibsik" comes from a Russified pronunciation of the German word for "crazy". I am fairly certain it is not a Russian word.

I think the German word for crazy (as far as I know) doesn't have a lot in common with Shvibzik - however I could ask my German teacher. Maybe not exactly the word for crazy, but for something similar? Personally, I can't think of anything right now - but I'm sure it'll be cleared out. Btw, I just checked my English-Russian dictionary - for some funny reason the word "imp" wasn't in it. : (

Schwips meaning "tipsy" in German perhaps...

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Yes, 'schwips' does mean 'tipsy' in German - if I understood 'tipsy' correctly, of course. Do you think it could be what Shvibzik comes from?

In Olga Alexandrovna's memoirs, Anastasia's nickname is spelled "Shvipsik." I've also seen a shortened version spelled "Schwibs," if that offers any clues to the word's origin...

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In Olga Alexandrovna's memoirs, Anastasia's nickname is spelled "Shvipsik." I've also seen a shortened version spelled "Schwibs," if that offers any clues to the word's origin...

Oh, I see. I will use Shvipsik from now on : ) - but I really have no clue what "Schwibs" could mean; I'll be sure to ask my German teacher tomorrow if there's such a word.