Russian Names

Madelina is the Madeline equivalent used in many European cultures. While it's a simple and melodic name, like its mother name it can lead to lots of spelling and pronunciation problems. The first syllable may be "may" or rhyme with dad; last two syllables pronounce lee-na, though of course some will inevitably say lye-na. Only a handful of girls received this name in the US last year, making it a distinctive and pretty classic, but don't choose it ignoring its very real down side.

Irya is an Irina diminutive, and rare even in its native country.

Appealing Daniel diminutive, similar to other Russian names like Vanya and Ilya.

Naming your son Armen is like naming him Roman, or German -- it's the term that denotes a person of Armenian descent. Armen has been used as a first name for centuries and is an unusual yet approachable choice, especially if you want to honor your Armenian heritage.

What a difference a couple of letters make: Old World version of most popular name never quite made it out of the shtetl.

Zinovia and Zenobia might be thought of as mythological adjacent names, with their meaning connected to Zeus, king of the Gods. The name Zinovia was given to fewer than ten baby girls in the US last year, versus about 30 who were named Zenobia.