Russian Names

  1. Pasha
    • Origin:

      Russian, diminutive of Pavel
    • Meaning:

      "small"
    • Description:

      Your little Pasha will rule the roost. In Russia, Pasha is traditionally given to a boy born on Good Friday.
  2. Lera
    • Svetlana
      • Origin:

        Russian
      • Meaning:

        "star"
      • Description:

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

        Slavic; Estonian; Finnish; Hungarian; German, from Latin
      • Meaning:

        "steadfast"
      • Description:

        This sleek form of Constantine is traditional in many European countries, and most popular in German-speaking nations and Russia.
    • Pavel
      • Origin:

        Russian variation of Paul
      • Meaning:

        "small"
      • Description:

        Pavel may be widespread in the former Soviet Union, but it has a somewhat impoverished image here.
    • Rodion
      • Origin:

        Russian from Greek
      • Meaning:

        "song of the hero"
      • Description:

        Well used in Russia, this is a distinctive and undiscovered choice here. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is the fictional protagonist of Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky.
    • Maksim
      • Ilias
        • Fyodor
          • Origin:

            Russian variation of Theodore
          • Meaning:

            "God's gift"
          • Description:

            This variation of Theodore is familiar here mostly via the great Russian novelist Dostoyevsky. It was also the name of three early tsars of Russia.
        • Kirill
          • Origin:

            Russian variation of Cyril, Greek
          • Meaning:

            "lordly"
          • Description:

            Strong and attractive form of Cyril.
        • Alek
          • Description:

            The Russian variation of Alex or Alec.
        • Leonid
          • Origin:

            Russian, variation of Leonidas "lion"
          • Meaning:

            "lion"
          • Description:

            This form got noticed as the first name of long-reigning Russian president Brezhnev; other bearers include playwright and short-story writer Andreyev, Leonid the Magnificent,a Russian performance artist on America's Got Talent, and Leonid McGill, the protagonist of a Walter Mosley private eye series. All in all, though, Leonid is not the most likely to join the pride of lion-related names here.
        • Mitya
          • Milya
            • Natalya
              • Origin:

                Russian from Latin
              • Meaning:

                "natal day, Christmas"
              • Description:

                Perfect name for a little girl born at Christmas. Its many variations and pet forms include Natalia, Nataliya, Natalie, Nataly, Natascha, Talya, Talia, Tasha and Tasya.
            • Dmitri
              • Origin:

                Russian from Greek Demetrius
              • Description:

                Worldly, artistic and attractive Slavic version of the name of the Greek god of fertility and farming.
            • Bela
              • Origin:

                Czech
              • Meaning:

                "white"
              • Description:

                Since this is strictly a male name in Slavic cultures, better to stick with the "Bella" spelling here.
            • Zoa
              • Origin:

                Greek
              • Meaning:

                "life"
              • Description:

                Possibly a variation of the ultra-popular Greek Zoe, Zoa was given to around 2 dozen baby girls each recent year.
            • Asya
              • Origin:

                Turkish; Russian and Bulgarian diminutive of Anastasia
              • Meaning:

                "Asia; resurrection"
              • Description:

                Asya has dual origins: it is both the Turkish word for Asia (the continent), and a short form of Anastasia in Russian and Bulgarian. Beyond that, it is a beautiful example of a "travelling light" name, in the style of Aria: short, elegant, and usable across different cultures.
            • Ilari
              • Origin:

                Basque
              • Meaning:

                "cheerful"
              • Description:

                Sounds just like its meaning.