The article discusses the problem of publishing regional historical dictionaries, which have not been practically compiled recently. The necessity of such works for the historical base of modern regional dictionaries of folk govors is substantiated. It is noted that regional dictionaries significantly replenish the
 chief of the main ongoing publication – the dictionary of the Russian language XVI–XVIII c. The methods of filing information in regional lexicographic works on the historical lexicology of the Russian language are described. Attention is drawn to the relationship between dialectology and historical lexicology. The significance of historical regional lexicographic works for the period of the formation of national lexical norms, the Russian language in XVI–XVIII centuries is especially emphasized. The possibility and desirability of the inclusion of anthroponymic vocabulary in such dictionaries, for the foundations of anthroponyms may contain a unique dialective material that is not survived in the form of nominal names. All issues are considered on the material of the regional lexicography of Smolensk Territory, one of the Western regions of Russia, which has features of historical and cultural development. Theoretical provisions are illustrated by the analysis of anthroponyms with dialectic bases representing the samples of reasoning about the fate of dialect words in the history of the language.