Eastern European Names

Sounds just like its meaning.

This international variation was publicized by Olympic skater Ekaterina Gordeeva.

Soundalike cousin of Sammy, cute but slight on its own.

Despite a possible pronunciation problem, a pleasant, unusual choice. Sandor Clegane (nicknamed The Hound) is a major character on Game of Thrones.

If it's possible for a name to be too musical, this one is.

An entrancing, beguiling name that goes far to freshen up Sarah.

This once-cool nickname-y name now belongs to the grandma generation.

An international possibility, heard from England and Israel to Poland, Latvia, and Albania. It is a name with a vast range of possible meanings and origins, including: a Polish variation of Jane, meaning "God is Gracious"; a Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian short form of Susanna, meaning "lily"; a Persian name meaning "woman"; a Mongolian name meaning "bullfinch"; and a Shona name from Zimbabwe meaning "a hundred".

Vanya is much more familiar.

Simple, friendly, distinctive name heard in several cultures. The a ending may feel more feminine in the US than Ole, though both variations are acceptable in Scandinavia.

A Czech surname derived from the word for "green", which has a certain spark.

Dacia was an ancient region comprised of what is modern Romania and Moldova and smaller parts of other Eastern European countries. Its inhabitants were called the Dacians, and the Dacian Kingdom flourished around the time of Christ until it was toppled by the Romans. Daciana is the female version sometimes used in Romania.

Remember Zuzu, the adorable little girl you watch every Christmas in "It's a Wonderful Life"? Here's a direct path to that nickname, a lot more zesty than the more familiar Susannah.

Central European form of Matthew.