Eastern European Names

Shura is a unisex Russian nickname for Aleksandr or Aleksandra, themselves forms of Alexander. Less known in the English=speaking world than Sasha, it's also more assertive -- probably because of that "sure" sound.

The usual form of Eleonara is Eleanora, with each syllable pronounced, but transposing, adding, or subtracting a vowel or syllable here or there works fine and adds to the international, feminine spin on a solid name.

Would make an interesting, cinema-related choice: King Vidor is in the Guinness Book of Records as the film director with the longest career, beginning in the silent era..

Lech (brother of Czech and Rus) was the mythical father of the Poles, and also the name of the Polish worker-president Lech Walesa, but it still isn't a name that travels well.

An unusual spin on Mila and Milena.

Aliz is a Top 50 name in Hungary and puts a zippy spin, thanks to that final z, on the classic Alice. Its similarity to names such as Elise may cause some confusion, but its simplicity makes it a winner.

Sounds a bit pharmaceutical.