Boyanka

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From the Slavic word “boj (Бой),” which means (battle, combat, engagement, fight, fighting, struggle), plus the suffix “-an (-ан)” which is common in Bulgarian and Slavic names. In turn, the name means “warrior, fighter.” 2) Others yet believe that it comes from the famous khagan of Avars, Bayan I (562–602), who ruled the Slavs in Pannonia. 3) An alternative suggested etymology is from the Vulgar Latin or the Balkan Latin “*boiana” (herdsman’s [river]), from the Latin “boviana,” meaning “herdsman’s.” Boyana (Bulgarian: Бояна) is a neighborhood of the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, part of Vitosha municipality and situated 8 km south of the city center, in the outskirts of Vitosha. Boyana is one of the most expensive parts of Sofia to live in. The Boyana Church (Bulgarian: Боянска църква, Boyanska tsărkva) is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church situated on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, in the Boyana quarter.