Meaning & History
Artyom is a Russian male given name, spelled Артём in Cyrillic. It is a variant of Artemy and derives from the Ancient Greek name Artemios, which itself comes from the name of the goddess Artemis. The name entered Russian tradition via the cult of Saint Artemius, a 4th-century Roman general venerated in the Orthodox Church. The use of the letter "ё" (yo) distinguishes the pronunciation, though in older or informal texts it may be written as Artem without the diacritic.
Etymology
The ultimate root is the Greek goddess Artemis, whose name is of uncertain meaning—possibly related to artemes meaning "safe" or artamos meaning "a butcher." Her twin brother was Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto. The name Artemios was borne by a saint, leading to widespread adoption in Eastern Christianity, with Russian forms such as Artemi, Artemy, and Artemiy. A common diminutive is Tyoma (Тёма). The Belarusian cognate is Artsiom or Artsyom, while in Estonian it appears as Artjom and in Spanish as Artemio.
Notable Bearers
One of the most famous figures bearing this name is Comrade Artyom, the nickname of Fyodor Sergeyev (1883–1921), a Soviet revolutionary active in Ukraine. Contemporary notables include many Russian athletes such as footballer Artyom Abramov, boxer Artyom Anoufriev, and physicist Artyom Alikhanian (a Soviet Armenian). In list form, there are also footballers Artyom Alimov, Artyom Anisimov, and Artyom Antipov.
Distribution and Use
Artyom is a common name in Russia and other post-Soviet states. It has gained international recognition through fictional characters, notably the protagonist of the video game series Metro.
- Meaning: Russian form of Artemios, ultimately derived from the Greek goddess Artemis
- Origin: Russian (from Ancient Greek)
- Type: Masculine given name
- Usage Regions: Russia, Belarus, other Eastern European countries
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Artyom