Slavic Names
Share
Copy link
- Alina
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"bright, beautiful"Description:
Alina has been drifting up the US popularity charts since the early 1980s, now nearing the Top 100. But Alina's real strength is in its international flexibility: The name ranks highly in a wide range of European, English speaking, and Latin American countries.
- Augustus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
Parents are beginning to look at imposing, somewhat fusty-sounding names like this one with fresh eyes: they definitely make a strong statement.
- Zora
Origin:
Serbo-CroatianMeaning:
"dawn"Description:
Zora is a meaningful literary heroine name honoring Zora Neale Hurston, an important black writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance.
- Adelina
Origin:
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Slavic variation of AdelineMeaning:
"noble, nobility"Description:
Adelina is back in the Top 1000 after an absence of nearly a century, thanks to the meteoric rise of her sister name Adeline -- along with Adelaide, Adele, and Ada. Some parents choose Adelina because they want to get to cute vintage nickname Addie, but others favor it as a slightly more unusual form of this sweet vintage girls' name. A lot of attention was focused on it recently via the women's figure skating gold medal winner at the Sochi winter olympics--Adelina Sotnikova.While Adeline is usually pronounced in the U.S. with a long i in the last syllable, to rhyme with mine, Adelina is pronounced with the long e sound at the end, as in 'lee-na'.
- Hana
Origin:
Hebrew, Hawaiian, Maori, JapaneseMeaning:
"grace, work, glow, flower"Description:
Many things to many peoples: a flower name, also spelled Hanae, to the Japanese; a Czech and Polish short form of Johana; and an alternate form of the biblical name Hannah in the US. It also means "craft, work" in Hawaiian and "glow" in Maori.
- Milan
Origin:
Italian place name, Slavic, Sanskrit "gracious, dear; union"Meaning:
"gracious, dear; union"Description:
As Mila rises for girls, so Milan is becoming a more popular option for boys, especially after singer Shakira chose it for her son. After a 55-year hiatus, it reentered the Top 1000 in 2013 and is heading dramatically upward.
- Romi
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"my height; my exaltation"Description:
Despite their similarities, Romi and Romy are not related etymologically. Romy is a diminutive of Rosemary, while Romi is an independent Hebrew name. It is a popular baby girl name in Israel.
- Angela
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"angel"Description:
Angela was a Top 10 name from 1965 to 1979, the fifth most popular name for three years, and staying in the double digits until the turn of the 21st century. Today, though, Angelina or Angelica would be more fashionable options.
- Raina
Origin:
Slavic and German variation of ReginaMeaning:
"queen"Description:
Strong and solid, with a touch of foreign intrigue, it's the most popular of the rain-related names, with a variety of pronunciations—RAY-na, rah-EE-na, or RY-na. Alternate spellings Reyna and Rayna currently rank higher in the US.
- Danica
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"morning star"Description:
While Danica may sound similar to Dana, Danielle, and Daniela, Danica is not a variation. Danica, a delicate and unique Slavic name meaning "Morning Star," is synonymous with Venus in many countries.
- Wanda
Origin:
Slavic or GermanMeaning:
"shepherdess; wanderer"Description:
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.
- Vladimir
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"great ruler, peaceful ruler, ruler of the world"Description:
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.
- Tiana
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"fairy queen"Description:
Tiana gained a lot of popularity after Disney bestowed this pretty name upon its first African-American princess. Although it has declined in usage over recent years, Tiana’s connections to dainty Tatiana, Christiana and Bastiana should see it in continued usage for a while to come. Read more about Tiana and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.
- Luca
Origin:
Italian variation of Luke and LucasMeaning:
"light or man from Lucania"Description:
Very much a boy's name in Italy, it's beginning to be seen as a unisex possibility here: actress Jennie Garth used it for her daughter. When spelled Lucca as in the Italian city, it can also be considered one of the place names along with Venezia, Roma, and Milana that make great Italian names for girls.
- Idony
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"love again, renewal"Description:
Idony was the Norse goddess of spring and eternal youth, and variants of her obscure name could come under consideration with the rest of the fashionable I pack.
- Katerina
Origin:
Macedonian, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, and Greek form of KatherineDescription:
Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to the hurricane that devastated New Orleans.
- Emilian
Origin:
Romanian form of EmilMeaning:
"rival"Description:
With the new trend of boys' names rising on the heels of their popular sisters, the unusual-yet-familiar-feeling Emilian might become better known thanks to its relationship to Emily and Emilia/Amelia. Rather than being two branches of the same tree, Emilian and Emily are actually one tree while Emmett and Emma hang on a whole separate tree. But all have a lot of modern appeal, and Emilian may be a more attractive and intriguing male form than Emil. There was a St. Emilian.
- Milan
Origin:
Italian place name or SlavicMeaning:
"gracious, dear"Description:
In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it's also popular for girls – no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. It entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2013, while for girls it has been in the Top 1000 since 2009.
- Kinga
Origin:
Hungarian, PolishMeaning:
"brave"Description:
Though the name Kinga has penetrated the international consciousness via the Slovakian model Kinga Rajzak, it's a rare choice for American baby girls: Only six were named Kinga last year. Is that because Kinga sounds like pseudo-royalty, ala Princessa? Though with names such as Reign and Royal rising through the ranks, the time-honored Kinga may see more widespread usage.
- Klara
Origin:
German, Russian, Polish, ScandinavianMeaning:
"light"Description:
German, Slavic and Scandinavian form of Clara, which is a Top 100 girl name in multiple European countries, including Austria, Croatia, Iceland and Poland.