Toponymical changes in Bulgaria (including Pirin Macedonia)

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Starting this thread to list all the toponymical (placename) changes that have occured in Bulgaria, as well as to why and their etymology. Specificaly to examine the original Macedonian names of Pirin Macedonia as well:

Pirin Macedonia:
Gorna Džumaja ---> Blagoevgrad (1950)

• Gorna Džumaja meaning 'Upper Džumaja' to distinguish it from 'Lower Džumaja'.

• Blagoevgrad meaning 'City of Blagoev', named after Dimitar Blagoev

Sveti Vrač ---> Sandanski (1947)

• Sveti Vrač meaning 'Saint Vrač'

• Sandanski referring to Jane Sandanski

Mehomija ---> Razlog (1925)
Requires etymological information
Nevrokop ---> Goce Delčev (1951)
Etymology of Nevrokop uncertain
Garvan ---> Zlatarica (1982)
Requires etymological information
Dobriništa ---> Dobrinište (1966)
Etymology uncertain but name change is a Bulgarian transliteration of the Macedonian name
Goljovo ---> Gǎlǎbovo (1982)
Etymology uncertain but name change is a Bulgarian transliteration of the Macedonian name
Lutovo ---> Ljutovo
Etymology uncertain, strange transliteration due to lack of a letter to represent the phoneme /ʎ/ in Bulgarian
Hahanjovo ---> Gorno Kraište (1993)/Bojka (1982)
Requires etymological information
Čereševo ---> Čerešovo (1966)
Etymology uncertain but possible Bulgarian transliteration through vowel change
Delijazmino ---> Zelendol (1934)
Requires etymological information
Drenevo (Gornodžumajsko) ---> Drenkovo (1960)
Etymology uncertain but possible Bulgarian transliteration
Krdževo ---> Bǎlgarčevo (1934)
Etymology uncertain, possible Bulgarian transliteration with the added word for 'Bulgarian' as prefix. Document from 1576 mentions the village under the name 'Kurbi Javuzcha
Lešnica (Gornodžumajsko) ---> Obel (1960)
Requires etymological information
Harsalak ---> Rilci (1934)
Requires etymological information
Hrsovo (Gornodžumajsko) ---> Gorno Hǎrsovo
Etymology uncertain but Bulgarian transliteration of 'Hrsovo' with added prefix meaning 'Upper'

[Liberator of Makedonija]

CONTINUATION:
Dag Čiflik ---> Dobrotino (1934)

• Dag Čiflik of Turkish origin

• 'Dobro-' referring to somewhere good/pleasant?

Juč Duruk ---> Delčevo (1934)

• Juč Duruk of possible Turkish origin?

• Delčevo named after Goce Delčev

Musomišta ---> Mosomište (2016)
Etymology uncertain but Bulgarian transliteration of Macedonian name
Nov Čiflik ---> Borovo (1937)
Etymology uncertain, original name of possible Turkish origin?
Ciropole ---> Gospodinci (1934)

• Cirople of possible Greek (Romaika) origin? City of "Tsir"?

• Gospodnici referring to God?

Papas Čair ---> Popovi Livadi (???)
Etymology uncertain, possible religious references
Fotovišta ---> Ognjanovo (1966)/Ognenovo (1934)
Etymology uncertain, strange that the name was changed in 1966 to include a phoneme not represented in the Bulgarian alphabet; /ɲ/
Fustane/Fusmanja ---> Hvostjane (1934)
Etymology uncertain, possible Turkish origin?
Ilansko ---> Smolevo (1982)
Etymology uncertain
Breznica (Kresnensko) ---> Gorna Breznica (1971)
Etymology uncertain, prefix meaning 'Upper' added in 1971

[Liberator of Makedonija]

CONTINUATION
Višna/Višneni ---> Višlene (1956)
Etymology uncertain but Bulgarian transliteration of Macedonian original
Drenovca ---> Drenovica (1956)
Etymology uncertain, Bulgarian transliteration simply adds a /i/ vowel
Elešnica (Petričko)---> Belasica (1960)

• Etymology of Elešnica uncertain

• 'Bel-' in Belasica meaning white

Eni Čiflik ---> Novo Konomladi (1934)

• Eni Čiflik of Turkish origin

• Novo Konomladi meaning 'New Konomladi', referring to the inhabitants being refugees from Konomladi in Aegean Macedonia

Masil Čiflik ---> Kladenci (1951)
Turkish origin, name change uncertain etymology
Mihnovo ---> Mihnevo (1966)
Etymology uncertain, Bulgarian transliteration of Macedonian original
Orman ---> Kavrakirovo (1951)
Etymological information required
Pokrovnik ---> Drangovo (1932)/Svoboda (1951-1961)

• Etymologies of Pokrovnik and Drangovo uncertain

• Svoboda meaning 'freedom'

Pripečene/Pripečeno ---> General Todorov (1984)

• Etymology of Pripečene/Pripečeno uncertain

• General Todorov referring to General Georgi Stojanov Todorov, a general in the Bulgarian army from 1877-1919

Robovo ---> Volno (1951)
Etymological information required
Dimidovo/Demidovo ---> Samuilovo (1935)

• Etymology of Dimidovo/Demidovo uncertain

• Samuilovo likely refers to Tsar Samuil of Macedonia

Topolnica ---> Nova Topolnica (1966)

• Etymology of Topolnica uncertain

• 'Nova' prefix meaning 'New', although where the original Topolnica is I do not know.

Širbanovo ---> Rupite (1993)/Muletarovo (1951-1963)
Etymological information required
Gorna Draglišta ---> Gorno Draglište (1966)

• Gorna meaning 'Upper'. Etymology of Draglišta uncertain

• Gorno meaning 'Upper'. Draglište is a Bulgarian transliteration of Draglišta

Dolna Draglišta ---> Dolno Draglište
Dolna/Dolno meaning 'Lower', rest same as previous entry
Nedobarsko ---> Dobǎrsko (1912)

• Nedobarsko possibly meaning 'Not good/Unpleasant place/region/area' likely due to the legend that that the village was founded by the blind army of Tsar Samuil

• Dobǎrsko likely meaning 'Good/Pleasant place/region/area in Bulgarian

[Liberator of Makedonija]

CONTINUATION
Gorni Orman ---> Ladarevo (1934)
'Upper Orman', rest of etymology is uncertain
Dere Mislim ---> Lozenica (1934)

• Dere Mislim of Turkish origin

• Lozenica possibly related to the word 'Loza' meaning 'vines'

Dolna Slušica (Svetivračko) ---> Zlatolist

• Dolna Slušica meaning 'Lower Slušica. Slušica possibly related to 'Slušaj' meaning 'to listen'

• Zlatolist likely meaning something to do with gold

Dolni Orman ---> Laskarevo (1934)
'Lower Orman', rest of etymology is uncertain
Dzivgelija/Zevgeli ---> Zornica (1987)
Etymological information required
Leski (Svetivračko) ---> Vihren (1960)
Etymological information required
Ljubovišta ---> Ljubovište (1966)
Bulgarian transliteration of 'Place of Love'?
Mandžovo ---> Vinogradi (1934)
Vinogradi meaning 'cities/towns of wine', Macedonian name uncertain
Orman Čiflik ---> Damjanica (1934)

• Čiflik a Turkish system for land management, Orman unsure.

• Damjanica possibly related to the first name Damjan

Marulevo ---> Vaklinovo (1960)
Etymological information required
Krabul ---> Krabil (1934)
Etymology uncertain but Bulgarian transliteration of Macedonian through vowel change
Dolna Slušica (Gornodžumajsko) ---> Polena (1960)
Same as previous entry
Srbinovo ---> Brežani (1934)

• Srbinovo possibly referring to Serbs or more specifically an area with Serbs

• Brežani possibly meaning 'shores' in Bulgarian?

Belica ---> Ilindenci (1951)

• Belisca possibly related to 'bel' meaning 'white'

• Ilindenci being in reference in the Ilinden Uprising

Igrališta ---> Igralište (1956)

• Igrališta meaning 'playgrounds' in Macedonian I believe

• Igralište being a Bulgarian transliteration of Igrališta

Leski/Ljaski (Nevrokopsko) ---> Novo Leski (1966)

• Etymology of Leski/Ljaski uncertain

• Novo Leski meaning 'New Leski', likely differentiating it from 'old' Leski in Svetivračko

Libjahovo ---> Ilinden (1951)

• Etymology of Libjahovo uncertain

• Ilinden meaning 'Day of St Ilija', likely in reference to the Ilinden Uprising

Petralik ---> Petrelik (1966)
Etymology uncertain but Bulgarian transliteration of Macedonian original through vowel change

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Bulgaria:
Samundžievo ---> Orhanie (1866-1934) ---> Botevgrad
Etymologies uncertain, Botevgrad meaning 'City of Botev'
Hacıoğlu Pazarcık ---> Dobrič (1882)

• Hacıoğlu Pazarcık referring to the 16th century merchant who founded the modern settlement

• Dobrič named after the 14th century Dobrujan ruler, Dobrotitsa

Ortaköy ---> Ivaylograd (1912?)

• Etymology of Ortaköy uncertain

• Ivaylograd meaning 'City of Ivaylo', named after the Bulgarian Tsar from the 13th century

Pautalia ---> Velbazhd (Middle Ages) ---> Köstendil (Ottoman period) ---> Kyustendil (1878?)

• Pautalia meaning 'town of springs' in Thracian

• Velbazhd meaning 'camel' in Old Macedonian?

• Köstendil meaning 'County of Constantine' in reference to the lands ruled by Konstantin Dejanović. Kyustendil is a Bulgarian transliteration of this.

Kutlovica ---> Kutlofça (Ottoman period) ---> Ferdinand (1890) ---> Mihaylovgrad (1945) ---> Montana (1993)

• Etymology of Kutlovia uncertain but of Old Macedonian origin. Kutlofça is a Turkish transliteration of this

• Ferdinand named after Ferdinand I of Bulgaria

• Mihaylovgrad meaning 'City of Mihaylov', named after Communist activist Hristo Mihaylov

• Montana deriving from the Latin 'mons' meaning 'mountain', named after the nearby Roman settlement

Melsambria ---> Misivri (?) ---> Nesebǎr (?)
Etymologies uncertain, Melsambria possibly meaning 'city of Melsas' in Thracian
Tatar Pazardzhik ---> Pazardzhik (?)

• Pazardzhik from the word 'pazar' which comes from the Persian 'bāzār' meaning 'market' and the Turkic suffix '-cık' meaning 'small': Small Market. Tartar referring to the people who founded the settlement in 1485

Sexaginta Prista ---> Golyamo Yorgovo (Middle Ages) ---> Rusçuk (Ottoman rule) ---> Ruse (1878)

• Sexaginta meaning '60' in Latin and Prista referring to a special type of ship in Koiné

• Golyamo Yorgovo meaning 'Great/Big Yorgovo' in Old Macedonian. Unsure of what 'Yorgovo' means

• Rusçuk meaning 'little Ruse' in Turkish, transliterated into Bulgarian as Ruse. Multiple etymological theories to where the name stems from.

Šimeonis ---> Şumnu (Ottoman period) ---> Šumen (1878?) ---> Kolarovgrad (1950-1965)

• Šimeonis believed to be either derived from the Old Macedonain word for decidious forest, 'šuma' or named after Simeon the Great. Transliterated into Turkish as Şumnu and into Bulgarian as Šumen.

• Kolarovgrad meaning 'City of Kolarov', named after Communist leader Vasil Kolarov

Durostorum --> Dorostol --> Drǎstǎr ---> Silistre (Ottoman period) ---> Silistra (1878?)

• Durostorum of Thracian origin, meaning uncertain. Dorostol and Drǎstǎr later transliterations

• Silistre possibly from the Thracian name for the lower part of the Danube, 'Istrum' or Latin 'silo' and 'stra' meaning 'awl' and 'strategy' respectively. Silistre is a Bulgarian transliteration of the Turkish name.

Paşmaklı/Ahiçelebi (1867) ---> Smolyan (1912)
Etymology uncertain, Smolyan likely named after the Smolyani tribe
Ulpia Serdica ---> Srědecǎ (Middle Ages) ---> Sofya (Ottoman period) ---> Sofia (1879)

• Serdica is of Thracian origin and is named after the Serdi people. Ulpia is the Umbrian cognate of the Latin 'Iupus' meaning wolf. Srědecǎ is related to 'sreda' meaning 'middle'.

• Sofya (and subsequently the Bulgarian transliteration Sofia) is derivied from the church of St. Sofia constructed in the Early Middle Ages. It is believed the word ultimately derives from the Egyptian word 'sbĊ' meaning 'star, door, teaching or wisdom' and was transliterated as 'sophia' in Koiné.

• Byzantine sources also refer to the city as Serdonpolis ('City of the Serdi') and Triaditza ('Trinity'). Famous Moorish geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi referred to the city as Atralissa. Crusaders referred to the city as Strelisa, Stralitsa or Stratlitsion, all ultimately derived from the Thracian name.

Vasiliko ---> Vasilikoz (Ottoman period) ---> Carevo (1937) ---> Mičurin (1950-1991)

• Vasiliko meaning 'royal palace' in Romaika and transliterated as Vasilikoz in Turkish. Carevo also meaning 'royal palace' in Bulgarian.

• Mičurin named after Russian botanist Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin

Tǎrnovgrad ---> Tǎrnovo ---> Tırnova (Ottoman period) ---> Veliko Tǎrnovo (1965)

• All names possibly stem from the Old Macedonian word for 'thorny', trǎnevǎ. Veliko prefix meaning 'great' added to honor the city's high status.