chorny

Chorny is an Anglicized transliteration of the Ukrainian adjective чорно́й (chornyi), meaning "black." The root word comes from Proto-Slavic *čьrnъ and has cognates in other Slavic languages, such as Russian черный (cherny/cher-nyy). The form Chorny is common in English-language texts as a proper name or descriptor, and it partakes in a family of transliterations that include Chornyi, Chorniy, and similar variants depending on language and system.

As a surname, Chorny is found among people of Ukrainian or broader Slavic descent. Variants arise from different transliteration practices, with forms such as Chorny, Chornyi, or Cherný appearing in various countries and communities. In practice, individuals bearing the name may originate from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, or diaspora populations, and the surname does not denote a single place of origin.

In toponymy and descriptive usage, the root chorny appears in compound place names in Slavic-speaking regions, where it typically describes a geographical feature associated with darkness or the color black, such as a river, forest, or rock. In such cases, chorny functions descriptively rather than as a standalone toponym.

Overall, chorny operates as a linguistic root meaning "black" that has been adapted into personal names and geographic descriptors across Slavic languages. See also Black (color) and variants of the surname in related languages, such as Cherny, Černý, and Chorney, which reflect regional transliteration practices.