If you’re a fan of cool nickname names, you’ll find Russian baby names a treasure trove of possibilities. Some of them have already entered the American mainstream–Sasha and Mischa (both unisex), Talia, Katya–but there are many more Russian baby names that are less familiar but equally appealing, as are some of the full names.

Russian nomenclature in general is quite unique, in that each person has three personal names: a Christian name, a middle patronymic taken from the father’s given name, and a surname that reflects gender, so that a son of Ivan would have the last name Ivanovich, while a daughter would use Ivanovna. At birth, a child is given a formal name known as a “passport name,” but usually is called through childhood by his or her pet name. It is at the age of 16 that a person begins to be addressed by the formal first name and patronymic, so that, for example, Piotr’s daughter Olenka would overnight become Olga Petrovna. The nickname often survives well into adulthood though–as in the case of Misha Baryshnikov, for example.

The list of Russian baby names below follows the name with its most common pet forms–many of which have an abundance of wintry charm.

GIRLS

ALEKSANDRA Sasha, Shura, Sashenka
ALENA Alenka
AMILIYA
ANASTASIA Nastya, Stasya
ANNA Annuska, Anouska, Anya Annika
ANTONINA Tonya
DANILA Dasha
DEVORA
DOMINIKA Domka, Mika
DUSCHA
EKATARINA/KATERINA Katya, Katyenka, Katyuska
ELENA Lena
ELIZAVETTA Liza
FANYA
FYODORA
GALINA Galenka, Galinka, Galka, Gasha, Galya
ILIA
INESSA Inka
IRINA
IVANNA
IZABELLA
JELENA
KAROLINA
KIRA
LARA/LARISSA
LENORA Lena, Lenka, Leka
LIDA Lidka
LILIA
LUDMILLA
LUIZA
MARA Marinka, Marisha, Maruska, Marya, Masha
MARIANNA Masha
MARINA
NADIA Nadka
NATALYA Natasha, Natalka, Talia, TAsa, Tasha, Tashka
NATASSIA
NIKA
NINA Ninochka
OKSANA
OLGA Olenka, Olya
PASHA/PAVLA A fitting name for an Easter baby
SOFYA Sofka
SONYA Sofia, Sofiya
STEFANIA Panya, Stesha
SVETLANA
TAMARA Tasha
TATIANA Tania, Tanya, Tanka
THEODOSIA Feodora, Theda
VALENTINA Tina
VANYA
VARVARA Varya, Varenka
VERA Verasha, Verinka, Verka
VIERA
YALENA
ZENAIDA Zena
ZOYA Zoi, Zoyenka

boys

AKIM
ALEK/ALEKSANDR Sanya, Sasha, Shura
ALEXEI Alyosha, Lelja, Lelya, Lesha
ANATOLI Tolya, Tolenka, Tosha, Tulya
ANDREI Adja, Adya
ANTON/ANTIN Tosha, Tosya, Tusya
ARKADI Arik, Arkasha
ARMAN
AVEL
BODHAN Danya
BORIS Boba, Borya
BURIAN
CHRISTOV
DIMITRI/DMITRI Dima, Dimka, Mitya
EFREM Rema
FABIYAN Fabi
FYODOR Fedya
GAVRIL Ganya, Gav, Gavya
GEORGI Egor, Gorya, Jhora, Jura, Yuri
IGOR Iga, Gorik, Gosha
ILYA
IVAN Vanya
KASSIAN Kasya
KONSTANTIN Kostya
LAVRO
LEON/LEONID
LEV Levka
LUKA
MIKHAIL Mika, Misha
MORIZ
NIKOLAI Koka, Kolya, Nika, Nikita
OLEG
PAVEL Pasha, Pashka, Pava
PETR/PYOTR/PIOTR Petya, Petru
ROMAN
SAVVEL Sava
SERGEI Serzh
STANISLAV Slava, Slavik, Stas, Stasi
TOMAS
VALENTIN Valja, Valya
VASILI Vasja, Vasya, Vaslik
VIKTOR Vika, Vitya
VLADIMIR Dimka, Vimka, Viva, Vladja, Volya, Vova
YAKOV Jasha
YURI
ZIVEN/ZIVON Ziv

When we think of Scandinavian names, what usually comes to mind are the familiar and accessible ones that have been imported from Norway, Denmark and Sweden, like Eric and Ingrid and Lars and Dagmar.  But Finnish names, while still Scandinavian, are a world unto themselves, loaded with double vowels (and sometimes consonants) and tricky accents and pronunciations.  Yet  though this nomenclature includes clunkers like Hongatar and Kiputytto, there are many others that have a unique and quirky charm all their own.  I remember that when we were researching the foreign variations of names for The Baby Name Bible, I always kind of looked forward to seeing what the Finnish take would be on a classic–like Viljo for William, Maiju for Mary.

One reason for the sparse representation of Finnish names here is the small number of Finnish-Americans in the US.  There are currently about 700,000 people of that ethnicity, which is only 0.2% of the population.  Nor have many celebrities publicized Finnish names–there has never been a Finnish movie star equivalent of Ingrid Bergman, for example–the only Finnish names people might recognize are Esa-Pekka Salonen, the contemporary classical conductor, or perhaps father-and-son architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen.

Another element that sets these names apart comes from the fact that the Finnish language is very different from that of the other Scandinavian countries, with their Norse roots; Finnish has more in common with Hungarian, Estonian, Turkish and the languages spoken in the Asian part of Russia.  But–for you vowel lovers– double vowels are its most distinctive feature.  Pronunciation can be a little tricky, but here are some simple rules: A is pronounced as in arm, E as in egg, I as in it, O as in on, U as in pull,  J=Y, and W=V.

So, while the current most popular names in Finland are quite international in flavor–Maria, Olivia, Sofia, Amanda, Matilda, and Julia are all in the Top 10–here are some more traiditional choices that would be usable but still highly distinctive here:

GIRLS

AAMU

AIJA

AILA

AILI

ALIISA

ANNELI

ARJA

EEVA (EH-vuh)

HELEENA

KAIJA

KIELO

KIIRA

LIISI

LILJA (LEEL-yah)

MAIJA (MIGH-yah)

MIRJA (MEER-yah)

NEA

PIIA/ RIIA/TIIA

SAARA

VEERA

BOYS

AARNE

AARO

ARTO

ARVI

EERO

EETU

HANNU

JAAKO

JALO

JARI

JOONAS

JUHO

JUSSI

KARI

KAARLO

LEEVI

MIKKO

NILO/NIILO

PAAVO

RAIMO