Eastern European Names

A sweet and virtuous name from Lithuania, where it experienced a brief stint of popularity in 2005, being the 17th most popular name for baby girls. While the pronunciation may be a struggle for English speakers, the cute nickname Skai (rhyming with Sky) makes Skaistė a viable choice for those looking to honour their Lithuanian heritage.

Skaistė

Mystical and romantic with a charmingly Old Norse feel, Solveiga is the variant of Solveig that is found in Latvia and Lithuania. 

Solveiga

A name from Baltic mythology, Medeina is the goddess of the forest and animals, making it an appealing possibility to those interested in mythology and nature. First mentioned in the13th century Russian chronicles, known as the Hypatian Codex, Medeina was associated with protecting the woods from hunters. 
 
There has however been disagreements between scholars as to whether she was actually a goddess or not, along with differing theories over her traits. She is also sometimes associated with the Greek and Roman goddesses Artemis and Diana.
 
As a name, Medeina comes from the Lithuanian medis or medė meaning "trees" and "forest" respectively. Medeinė, Měiděina, Modeina, and Medziojna are other forms of the name.
 
Unrelated to the mythology, there is also a place in Tunisia called Medeina.

Medeina

This lovey-dovey Lithuanian name comes from the word meilė, meaning love, affection. A charming European addition to the May- family of names.

Meilė

The retro Dana meets the classic Nora in this Lithuanian name. Grand and whimsical but with down-to-earth nicknames, Dainora fits equally well in a fantasy novel and in the classroom, and its sweet musical meaning makes it ideal for music lovers.

Dainora

One of the more subtle place names, Deimena is the Lithuanian word for the river Deyma, located in the Kaliningrad Oblast. It has seen small but steady use in Lithuania since the 1960s, peaking in 2005 with 12 births.

Deimena

Kuba is the attractive short form of Jakub, the spelling of Jacob commonly used in Poland. Much more distinctive than Jake!

Kuba

A short form of Vincenc, the Czech and Slovenian form of Vincent.

Cene

A nickname for Grigoriy, Grigorii, and Grigori, the Russian forms of the Gregory, Grishka isn't as internationally known as the likes of Sasha, Pasha and Misha, or even as alternative diminutive Grisha. Nevertheless, it has a kick to it, with that cool -ka ending.
 
Grishka might also be used among French speakers, though it would typically be spelled as Grichka (GRISH-ka).

Grishka

An alluring name that would easily fit into an American classroom. In Hungarian, Réka is the wife of Attila the Hun. For a US audience, it may be advisable to drop the accent over the E.

Reka

Typically spelled as Laurențiu, this is the Romanian form of the classic Laurence, popular in its native Romania and in Moldova. A notable bearer is footballer manager Laurențiu Reghecampf.

Laurentiu

The Romanian form of the classic Laurence (or Lawrence), Laurențiu is also a popular choice in Moldova. It is notably borne by football manager Laurențiu Reghecampf and rugby player Laurențiu Constantin. 

Laurențiu

A zippy form of the French Yvette, used predominantly in Czechia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Latvia, Iveta may appeal to those who also like Eva, Ivy, Etta, and Vita. Pronounced as IH-veh-ta in Czech and EE-veh-ta in Slovak, it was a popular choice in its native countries back in the 60s and 70s, and remained popular in Czechia as recently as 2016. Notable bearers include Slovakian Prime Minister, Iveta Radičová, singer Iveta Mukuchyan, organist Iveta Apkalna, and singer Iveta Tumasonyte.




Iveta

A floral, almost poetic feeling choice, Florinel is heard predominantly in Romanian where it is notably borne by footballers Florinel Coman and Florinel Mirea. It is a diminutive form of Florin, another familiar choice in Romania. 

Florinel

Succinct and earthy feeling, Enda is a feminine form of Endo or Ent, possibly derived from Hendrik ("home ruler") or Andres ("manly, hero"). The feminization may have also been inspired by Lake Endla, a mystical lake that often appears in Estonian folktales and poetry.
 
Enda is also an Irish masculine name, meaning "birdlike"

Enda

While this name may look unusual to those unfamiliar with it, Miglė is a Lithuanian nature name, derived from the word migla meaning "mist, haze, fog". Occasionally appearing as Migle, the name was a Top 20 choice it Lithuania back in the 2000s and early 2010s. In a recent year, it also featured in the England and Wales charts, when it was given to 3 girls.

Miglė

Denisa is a variation of Denis, the Old French name for the Greek god of wine and debauchery, Dionysus. Familiar in its native Czechia, Slovakia, and Romania, Denisa may be a slightly sparkier way to honor a family Dennis if you don't love the 60s favorite, Denise. 
 
In Czech, the name is said as DEH-nih-sa, while in Romanian it is pronounced as deh-NEE-sa. In Slovak, it is similar to the Romanian pronunciation, but with the emphasis on the first syllable.

Denisa

Russian diminutive of Alexei, borne by the protagonist in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. Alyosha, like most other Russian diminutive forms, is not generally given as a standalone name in Russia itself.

Alyosha

Cyryn is a rare variation of the sunny Cyrus, occasionally used in Poland. Sharp and concise, the C would be pronounced "ts", like the sound at the end of cats.

Cyryn

A sweet Slavic Anna name that feels fresher than Annette.

Aneta

Eastern European names span the vast cultures of Eastern Europe, from Latvian and Lithuanian to Romanian and Russian. Among the most popular baby names across Eastern Europe right now are Sofia, Anna, and Emilia for girls, Daniel, Ivan, and Marko for boys.

Eastern European girl names you may want to consider include Vera, Zora, and Anya. Among the best Eastern European boy names are Casimir, Lev, and Laszlo.

Many Eastern European names derive from the same sources as those more familiar in English, including mythology and the Bible. These include names such as Gavril and Yakov, along with Zinaida and Dmitri.

If you have Eastern European heritage or are curious about this part of the world, explore our full collection of names here,

 ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

Eastern European baby names for girls and boys, including Anastasia and Dimitri, with meanings, origin, and popularity. (Page 54)