By ‘pagan names’ Castrén is referring to the personal names given to a person by their relatives. They have often been called sacred and secret, and are usually known only by the closest members of the family. In addition to this name, the Nenets have personal names that often describe their character, appearance, or some event related to their birth, for example. Russian names have also been in use for a reasonably long time. (Salminen 2007; Japtik 2014; Ljarskaja 2002)