Eastern European Names

Rarely heard, and when it is, usually attached to a witch. Historically, though, Wanda was a legendary eighth century queen of Poland, and in literature it is the central character of Ouida's eponymous novel Wanda. A musical namesake is the great Polish harpsichordist Wanda Landowska.

Makes a serious name frilly and feminine, which, depending on your viewpoint, might be a good or a bad thing. In this case, we vote good.

This variant of Helen is used across Europe, in France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and it's native Hungary. Reminiscent of Elena, Leona, Ilaria, Fiona and Lola, it nevertheless remains a rarity in the US.

This Slavic form of the Norse name Helga is a classic in many Slavic countries, including Russia and Poland, where it currently ranks within the Top 100 girl names. It has historically ranked among the most popular names in countries including Ukraine, Latvia, Spain, France, Serbia, Greece, the US, and many more. Olga is a common name even in Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Norway, despite Helga being a more traditional choice. Olha is the uniquely Ukrainian variation.

Kaiser, as in roll and Wilhelm, appeared for the first time on the US Top 1000 in 2017. It fits the two-syllable -er ending style that's all the rage, and it lends itself to the short form Kai. But we hope this Germanic version of what is essentially a title rather than a name doesn't keep rising on the charts.

Whether you pronounce it my-a, ma-zha or ma-ha, Maja is an intriguing choice. Sometimes associated with Goya's famous painting "The Naked Maja." As a cognate of Maya, it's a Top 10 name in Slovenia and Sweden and is also popular in Germany and Norway.

This spelling variation of the much more popular Adrian entered reentered the Social Security list after an over 100 year absence in 1999. The -en ending makes it sound like the feminine Adrienne. We suggest sticking with the all A Adrian for your little boy.

In Shakespeare's The Tempest, Caliban is the name of the deformed son of a witch: not the greatest literary reference for a child. But Caliban does have an appealing international-yet-accessible feel and a rhythmic sound. As long as nobody knows its origin, it might make a great name for a boy or even a girl.

This unusual and alluring choice was used by David Mamet for his daughter, who is now grown and an actress on the hit show Girls.

Boris is one of the old Russian names being revived by chic Europeans; it hasn't quite made a comeback yet in the U.S., but it does have potential.

This sweet and loving name, favored in recent years by a mix of Hispanic-American parents and Bob Dylan fans, was chosen for her daughter by TV actress Melina Kanakaredes.

Marcia is an ancient Roman name which derives from Mars, the god of war. It was used by Dante in the Inferno and later by Thomas Hardy and others.

Rollo is a livelier, roly-poly, o-ending version of Roland.

This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia" is a song in the smash musical Hamilton), and it was the birth name of silent screen vamp Theda Bara. Theodosia actually appeared on the US popularity lists in the 1880s and 90s.

This suffix is used as an independent name, but doesn't your little girl deserve more?

The least used of the Three Wise Men's names, but a strong option for bold namers to consider.

Misha was a boys' name with a soft feminine sound and vowel ending until actress Mischa Barton turned it to the girls' side. Now Misha, like Sasha, works as well in either spelling for girls and boys. Misha might be a way to update Michelle or Micaela.

Brought into the American consciousness as the nickname of ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov, it more recently took on a unisex air via TV and screen actress Mischa Barton. Could become the next Sasha.

Vladimir is a cultured and deep-rooted Slavic name associated in this country with cultural figures including piano virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz and the author of Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov.