Russian Girl Names

Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to the hurricane that devastated New Orleans.

Now that Zoe is getting wildly popular in the U.S. and the U.K. -- one poll puts it at number one in Wales -- parents may start hunting down fresh twists like this.

One of many international versions of this classic.

Nice, energetic -- dare we say dashing. -- quality.

A pan-European short form often used as a name in its own right, Rina is sister to names like Mina and Lena, popular at the end of the 19th century and showing their pretty if slight faces again. In the Netherlands, Rina itself is sometimes shortened to Rineke, as Tina may become Tineke.

Inessa is a truly multi-cultural name, heard in Spain, Germany and Russia, and is related to the names Agnes and Ines/Inez.

Enticing modern nickname name possibility.

Long integrated into the U. S. name pool but still retaining some Slavic flavor, Tanya feels a bit tired; it's ready for replacement by cooler Russian choices like Sasha, Mischa, or parent name Tatiana.

Known in America via the wife of Soviet head Mikhail Gorbachev; a possibility for parents of Eastern-European descent wanting to move beyond Natasha and Nadia or for parents from the Middle East looking for a name that works in both cultures.

Vasilisa is the feminine form of Vasili, the Russian translation of Basil.

This chic Ukrainian form of Helen is relatively unknown outside of its native country, but it definitely has international appeal. Olia or Olenka are the usual Ukrainian diminutives, but tomboyish Oli or Leni could work too.

One of the warm and earthy Russian nickname names now coming into style. Denzel Washington is the father of a Katia.

Courageous sister of Raskolnikov in Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.

Popular Russian name, familiar here via author Svetlana Stalin, the dictator's daughter.

This was a 100 percent boys' name till the willowy Mischa Barton of TV's "The OC" made it unisex, a la Sascha.

Festive name of the wife of Salvador Dali. In Spanish, Gala comes from the Roman name Galla, a feminine form of Gallus meaning "rooster" or "a person from Gaul".

Commonly used in Russia, has an Old World Slavic feel. The original Galen can be used for girls as well as boys.

Tora is the female version of Tor or Thor, the name of the Norse god of thunder. Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn chose it for her daughter.

Saint Savina of Milan gave comfort to prisoners. Her name is a variation of the Latin Sabina, which refers to the Sabine people. Not completely unknown in the US, there were 25 baby girls named Savina last year, and fewer than 100 called Sabina. Savina and Sabina will inevitably be confused with Sabrina, which is much more popular.