# List of ancient Baltic peoples and tribes

The following is a list of ancient Baltic peoples and tribes.

## Background

This is a list of the ancient Baltic peoples and tribes. They spoke the Baltic languages (members of the broader Balto-Slavic), a branch of the Indo-European language family, which was originally spoken by tribes living in area east of Jutland peninsula, southern Baltic Sea coast in the west and Moscow, Oka and Volga rivers basins in the east, to the northwest of the Eurasian steppe. Modern descendants are the Lithuanians and Latvians (they themselves assimilated other related Baltic tribes).

## List of ancient Baltic peoples and tribes (table)

| Groups | Peoples / Nations | Tribes | Languages | Land / Region / Localities |
| Eastern Balts$^†$ | Dniepr Balts | Neuri? (mentioned by Herodotus; possibly a Baltic or Slavic tribe) | Unknown | Dnieper basin (north of the Pontic Eurasian steppe) |
| Eastern Balts$^†$ | Oka Balts | Eastern Galindians | Unknown | Upper courses of the Dniepr and Oka rivers basins, including Moscow region |
| Eastern (Middle) Balts | Latvians (Latvieši) | Latgalians (Latgaļi) | Old Latgalian | Latvia, Latgalia (Latgola) — Adzele, Gersika or Jersika (Alene, Autine, Casvaine, Ērgļi, Gerdene, Jersika Proper, Lerene, Mārksne, Negeste, Osota, Preiļi), Kūknuojs and Eastern Vāina, Lotygola or Latgalia Proper (Īdeņa, Ludza, Rēzne, Varka), Pītuolova (Ābelene, Abrene, Bērzene, Purnava) and Tuolova or Tālava (Gulbene, Imera, Piebalga, Smiltene, Trikāta and Idumaa and Vendi) |
| Eastern (Middle) Balts | Lithuanians (Lietuviai) | Old Lithuanians (Senlietuviai) | Old Lithuanian | Eastern Lithuania — Deltuva, Deremela, Lietuva, Nalšia |
| Eastern (Middle) Balts | Lithuanians (Lietuviai) | Old Lithuanians (Senlietuviai) | Old Lithuanian | Austechia or Central Lithuania (Aukštaitija) — Neris, Upytė |
| Eastern (Middle) Balts | Lithuanians (Lietuviai) | Samogitians (Žemaitē) | Old Samogitian | Samogitia (Žemaitija) — Gaižuva, Karšuva, Knituva, Kulenė, Milžava, Šiauliai (Šiaulių Žemė), Medininkai and Upytė (Upytės Žemė) |
| Eastern (Middle) Balts | Lithuanians (Lietuviai) | Prussian Lithuanians (Lietuvininkai) | Old Lithuanian | Lithuania Minor (Mažoji Lietuva) |
| Transitional Balts$^†$ | Curonians | | Curonian | Curonia or Courland (Kurzeme, Kursa) — Bandava, Ceklis, Curonian Spit (Kuršu kāpas) and Vistula Spit, Duvzare, Megava, Piemare, Pīlsats, Vanema or Miera Kursa, Ventava |
| Transitional Balts$^†$ | Selonians | | Selonian | Selonia (Sēlija) — Alektene, Kalvene, Maleisine, Medene, Pelone [lv], Tovrakste |
| Transitional Balts$^†$ | Semigallians | | Semigallian | Semigalia (Zemgale) — Dobele or Duobele, Dobene or Duobe, Guosta Galis, Mežotne, Nogailene, Plāne, Putelene, Sidabre, Silene, Šiurpe, Spārnene, Tērvete, Upmale, Žagare |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Yotvingians | | Yotvingian | Yotvingia — Dainava or Dzukija, Jotva or Yotva, Paleksija or Palenke and Sudovia (Sūdava) |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Scalovians | Scalovian | Scalovia and Lamata |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Bartians | Prussian | Bartia |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Lubavians | Prussian | Lubavia |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Nadruvians | Prussian | Nadruvia |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Natangians | Prussian | Natangia |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Pogesanians | Prussian | Pogesania |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Pomesanians | Prussian | Pomesania and Kulmerland |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Sambians | Prussian | Sambia |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Sasnans | Prussian | Sasna |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Warmians or Varmians | Prussian | Warmia |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Prussians (Prūsai) | Western Galindians | Galindian | Galindia (Western) |
| Western Balts$^†$ | Pomeranian Balts | Unknown | Unknown | Pomerania |
$^†$Extinct

## Ancestors

* Proto-Indo-Europeans (Proto-Indo-European speakers)
** Proto-Balto-Slavs (common ancestors of Balts and Slavs) (Proto-Balto-Slavic speakers)
*** Proto-Balts (Proto-Baltic speakers)

## List of Ancient Baltic peoples and tribes (kinship tree)

* Balts
** Eastern Balts
*** Eastern Galindians
*** Eastern (Middle) Balts
**** Latgalians (Latgaļi / Letgaļi / Leti) (they lived in Latgalia — Latgola)
***** Latvians (they were formed by the merger of Latgalians, as the main component, with the Selonians, Semigallians, Curonians and Livonians, the last ones are a Finnic people and not an Indo-European one) (they live in Latvia)
**** Transitional Balts (between Latgalians and Lithuanians)
***** Selonians (they lived in Selonia — Sēlija)
***** Semigallians (they lived in Semigallia — Zemgale)
***** Curonians (they lived in Curonia or Courland)
****** Curonian Kings (Kuršu Koniņi) (a distinct Latvian cultural group of Curonian ancestry) (they live in seven villages between Kuldīga and Aizpute in Courland)
****** Kursenieki (although they adopted a Latvian dialect, with Curonian substrate, they keep a distinct Curonian ethnic identity and name) (they lived in the Curonian and Vistula Spits)
**** Lithuanians (Senlietuviai) (they lived in Eastern Lithuania, later expanding westward into Samogitian territory and forming a separate cultural group — the Aukštaitians)
***** Samogitians (Žemaitē) (they lived in Samogitia, might have been a distinct Baltic tribe)
***** Prussian Lithuanians or Small Lithuanians (Lietuvininkai) (they lived in Lithuania Minor, northeastern Prussia)
** Western Balts
*** Scalovians (Skallawai) (they lived in Scalovia — Skallawa)
*** Prussians (Old Prussians, Baltic Prussians) (Prūsai) (they lived in Prussia, Old Prussia or Baltic Prussia)
**** Bartians (Bartai) (they lived in Bartia — Barta)
**** Lubavians (Lubawai) (they lived in Lubavia — Lūbawa)
**** Nadruvians (Nadrāuwai) (they lived in Nadruvia — Nadrāuwa)
**** Natangians (Natangai or Notangiai) (they lived in Natangia — Nātanga or Notangi)
**** Pogesanians (Paguddiai) (they lived in Pogesania — Paguddi)
**** Pomesanians (Pameddiai) (they lived in Pomesania — Pameddi)
**** Sambians (Sembai) (they lived in Sambia — Semba)
**** Sasnans (Sasnai) (they lived in Sasna)
**** Warmians (Wārmiai) (they lived in Warmia — Wārmi)
*** Western Galindians (Galindai) (they lived in Western Galindia — Galinda)
*** Yotvingians (they lived in Yotvingia)

## Hypothetical Ancient Baltic peoples and tribes

* Eastern Balts
** Dniepr-Oka Balts
*** Dniepr Balts
*** Oka Balts
* Western Balts
** Pomeranian Balts

## Possible Balts
### Balts or Slavs

* Neuri / Navari (a people mentioned by Herodotus)

### Balts, Slavs or Uralics

* Budini