Slavic Names for Girls
By Nameberry
Updated Tue Jun 09 2020
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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.
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.
- Alina
Origin:
Slavic, Germanic, Arabic, ScottishMeaning:
"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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Variations include Idonie and Idonia.
- 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.
- Tiana
Origin:
Diminutive form of TatianaDescription:
A pretty princess-connected choice, with a compact, no-frills appearance, Tiana's debut in the US charts was likely thanks to actress Tiana Alexandra-Silliphant making her own debut in the 1975 movie The Killer Elite. Given to just 50 girls in 1974, but the following year, 247 babies received the name.
Familiarly used in the 80s and 90s, it was boosted up the charts again in 2010, after Disney bestowed the pretty name upon its first African-American princess in The Princess and the Frog. It nearly doubled in use in the US, while in France, Slovenia, England and Wales, New Zealand, and Australia it also saw a surge in popularity.
- 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.
- Luca
Origin:
Italian variation of Luke and Lucas, Hungarian variation of LuciaMeaning:
"light; 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, as did influencers Alyssa and Dallin Johnson, 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.
- 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.
- Klara
Origin:
German, Russian, Polish, Scandinavian variation of ClaraMeaning:
"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.
- Yana
Origin:
Slavic variation of Jana, feminine variation of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
A Slavic classic, as common as Jane or Joan here. If you live in an Anglophone culture and you want it pronounced with a Y sound at the beginning, use the Y spelling.
- 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.
- Milan
Origin:
Italian place name or SlavicMeaning:
"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.
- Ludmila
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"beloved of the people"Description:
This Slavic classic name might begin to make its mark with American parents, what with the growing popularity of the short form Mila. Borne by a tenth century saint who had been a princess from Bohemia, Ludmila is widely used in Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
- Zuzanna
Origin:
Slavic variation of SusannahMeaning:
"lily"Description:
Remember Zuzu, the adorable little girl you watch every Christmas in "It's a Wonderful Life"? Here's a direct path to that nickname, a lot more zesty than the more familiar Susannah.
- Valeska
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"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.
- Zarya
Origin:
Slavic mythology nameDescription:
In Slavic myth, this name belonged to the water priestess and protector of warriors.
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