Barys is the Belarusian form of Boris, a name with Bulgar Turkic origins. The root name Boris is recorded in forms such as Bogoris and may mean "short," "wolf," or "snow leopard." It gained prominence through two major Christian saints: Boris I of Bulgaria (9th century), who converted his kingdom to Christianity, and Boris of Kiev (11th century), a son of Vladimir the Great who was murdered alongside his brother Gleb. The name later spread across Eastern Europe, appearing in Russian imperial history with Tsar Boris Godunov and continuing into modern times with figures like Boris Yeltsin, Boris Pasternak, and Bulgarian King Boris III. In Belarus, Barys is the standard vernacular form, used alongside its Russian counterpart. Notable Belarusian bearers include Barys Kit (1910–2018), a rocket scientist who worked with NASA; Barys Rahula (1920–2005), a World War II military commander; Barys Pankrataw (born 1982) and Barys Haravoy (born 1974), both footballers; Barys Hrynkevich (born 1981), a freestyle wrestler; Barys Pukhouski (born 1987), a handball player celebrated for his score in the 2016 Olympic quarterfinal; and Barys Tasman (1954–2022), a sports journalist. Meaning: possibly "short," "wolf," or "snow leopard" (from Bulgar Turkic) Origin: Bulgar Turkic, via Old Church Slavonic Type: Given name Usage: Mainly Belarusian Related forms: Boris (Slovene), Boro/Borko (Serbian), Boriss (Latvian), Borys (Ukrainian), Borya (Russian)