Armenian2 syllablesSaint's name
Meaning: from the Roman family name Sergius.
Sargis
| Origin | Armenian — Սարգիս, from the Roman clan name Sergius by way of Greek Sergios |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Not securely known. Sergius was an ancient Roman nomen, possibly Etruscan in origin, and no reliable gloss survives; in Armenian the name carries the saint rather than a word |
| Pronunciation | sar-GEES in Eastern Armenian; Sarkis, SAR-kees, in Western Armenian and most of the diaspora |
| Popularity | Outside the current U.S. top 100; an ordinary name in Armenia and the source of Sargsyan, one of the country's commonest surnames |
| Variants | Sarkis, Serkis, Sergius, Sergei, Sergio, Serge |
| Nicknames | Rarely shortened in Armenian; Serge and Sergio are the nearest everyday equivalents abroad |
| Feast day | Sourb Sargis, a moveable feast falling on a Saturday between mid-January and late February |
History & meaning
Sargis is Sergius, and Sergius is a puzzle: an old Roman family name, quite possibly Etruscan, with no meaning anyone can responsibly translate. What the name carries instead is a soldier. St Sargis the Warrior, Sargis Zoravar, is remembered in the Armenian Apostolic Church as a fourth-century general martyred in Persia with his son Mardiros — a different figure from the Roman soldier-martyr Sergius of Rusafa, though the two names are one name. He is the closest thing Armenian devotion has to a patron of horsemen and of speed.
His feast is the reason most Armenians know the name. Sourb Sargis is moveable, landing on a Saturday somewhere between mid-January and late February, and it belongs to the young and unmarried: on the eve you eat a deliberately salty biscuit, go to bed thirsty, and watch in your dreams for whoever brings you water, because that is who you will marry. It is Armenia's answer to Valentine's Day and it is genuinely observed. The name itself splits along the great Armenian fault line — Sargis in the republic, Sarkis in the diaspora, where the classical consonants came out voiceless. Anglicised further, Sarkis gives the surname of the actor Andy Serkis.
Why parents choose it
It is hard-edged in a way most saints' names are not, and it comes with a date on the calendar, which few names do. Families with roots in Lebanon, Syria or California will usually write Sarkis; families with roots in Yerevan will write Sargis. Both are the same name and both know it.
Middle names for Sargis
The hissing first syllable does better with an open middle name: Sargis Alexander, Sargis Hrant, Sargis Karekin, Sargis Manvel. See the middle names guide for handling a first name that ends on a sibilant.
Famous Sargises
Sargis Hovsepyan spent two decades in defence for Armenia and is among the most-capped players the national football team has had. Sargis Sargsyan played on the ATP tour through the late 1990s and represented Armenia at the Olympics. The Paris-based artist Sarkis, born Sarkis Zabunyan in Istanbul in 1938, works under the Western form alone.
Consider instead
Vardan is the other Armenian warrior-saint name and the more famous martyr. Gevorg gives you a soldier saint with an internationally legible form. Suren keeps the military register but comes from the Iranian dynastic layer rather than the church.