Eastern European Names

In Slavic myth, this name belonged to the water priestess and protector of warriors.

A strong Slavic classic, borne by many kings and princes through the ages.

Worldly, artistic and attractive Slavic version of the name of the Greek god of fertility and farming.

You’re most likely to find this Theodore cognate in Eastern Europe, where it ranks among the top names for boys in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, and Romania. The nickname Teo is a real winner.

The name of Armenia's largest lake is popular for boys in France -- Sevan is in the boys' Top 500 -- but can also be used for girls.

A feminine multicultural nickname name perfectly able to stand on its own.

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.

Both a first and last name, Zorina has a pretty, ballerina-like quality.

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.

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

A Polish form of the Lithuanian Danutė, the name Danuta is possibly a feminine form of the Hebrew Daniel, meaning "God is my judge", or an elaboration of Dana, a multicultural name meaning "gift" from the Slavic root danŭ, "wise" in Persian and Arabic, and "to judge" from Hebrew.

Gives a good boy name a bad boy feel.

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.

The Russian variation of Alex or Alec.

Sweet and soft alternative to Sasha.

A multicultural nickname for Samuel. The Spanish and Finnish variation is pronounced SAH-moo, while the Hungarian version is SHAW-moo.

Albin is a modern form of the ancient Roman Albinus or Albus, meaning white or bright. There was a Saint Albinus who was also known as Aubin. In the contemporary world, Albin is popular in Sweden and ripe for export as a simple, unusual name with deep history.

An old-school great-grandpa name, like Irving and Ernest, that may just be ready for revival. It's also a well-known name in Hungary and elsewhere in central and eastern Europe. As a surname, it's associated with jazz sax player Booker Ervin.