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Slavic Names for Girls

Nameberry
By Nameberry
Updated Tue Jun 09 2020
Slavic names for girls stem from the diverse countries and cultures of a vast linguistic territory, which stretches from Central and Eastern Europe right across to Northern Asia. Russian is the biggest and best-known of the Slavic languages, but the beautiful Slavic girl names on this list come from all over: from Czech Dusana, to Polish Eszter, to famous Serbian surname Tesla. Slavic girls' names are rare in the English-speaking world, but we think they've got lots of hipster potential as the next wave of exotic, clunky-pretty girl names, now that Astrid and Ingrid are almost mainstream.

Browse our full bill of sweet and strong Slavic baby names for girls here. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
  1. Alina

    • Origin:

      Slavic, Germanic, Arabic, Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "bright, beautiful; noble; delicate, soft; defending men"

    • Description:

      Alina has been drifting up the US popularity charts since the early 1980s, and now sits in in the Top 200. 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.
  2. Romi

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  3. Zora

    • Origin:

      Serbo-Croatian

    • Meaning:

      "dawn"

    • Description:

      Zora is a meaningful literary heroine name honoring Zora Neale Hurston, an important black writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance.
  4. Raina

    • Origin:

      Slavic and German variation of Regina

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  5. Adelina

    • Origin:

      Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Slavic variation of Adeline

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  6. Angela

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  7. Hana

    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Hawaiian, Maori, Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  8. Danica

    • Origin:

      Slavic

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  9. Luca

    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Luke and Lucas

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  10. Klara

    • Origin:

      German, Russian, Polish, Scandinavian variation of Clara

    • Meaning:

      "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. While Clara is fashionable in the US, the Klara spelling retains an Old World air.
  11. Tiana

    • Origin:

      Slavic

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  12. Tesla

    • Origin:

      Slavic

    • Meaning:

      "from Thessaly"

    • Description:

      Tesla, the surname of Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla that has more recently been used as the brand name for an electric car, is gaining some use as a first name for girls. Exactly 100 girls were named Tesla in the U.S. last year. You might think of the name as a Tessa/Isla hybrid, though with Tesla the s is not silent. There was also a rock band named Tesla.
  13. Idony

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  14. Katerina

    • Origin:

      Macedonian, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, and Greek form of Katherine

    • Description:

      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.
  15. Kinga

    • Origin:

      Hungarian, Polish

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  16. Valeska

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "strong"

    • Description:

      This diminutive of Valeria has a strong and striking sound to match its meaning. It has also been used in Brazil in recent decades.
  17. Milan

    • Origin:

      Italian place name or Slavic

    • Meaning:

      "the middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"

    • 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. Currently, it is given to three boys for everyone one girl.
  18. Wanda

    • Origin:

      Slavic or German

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  19. Galina

    • Origin:

      Russian and Slavic feminine form of Galen, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "calm, healer"

    • Description:

      Commonly used in Russia, has an Old World Slavic feel. The original Galen can be used for girls as well as boys.
  20. Ester

    • Origin:

      Variation of Esther

    • Meaning:

      "star"

    • Description:

      This simplified spelling is a bit too polyester, though this is also the authentic Slavic version of an Old Testament name that's being rediscovered.