Russian Girl Names

Lilia

Spanish, Italian and Russian

"lily"

Lilia is pretty double L name that makes for sparkly, floral choice with plenty of international flair. More distinctive that Lily, less popular than Liliana, Lia, and Lilian, Lilia was a new entry…

Katia

Russian diminutive of Ekaterina

"pure"

One of the warm and earthy Russian nickname names now coming into style. Denzel Washington is the father of a Katia.

Nikita

Russian, Sanskrit

"victor; house"

Sharp and spiky with international potential, as a feminine name, Nikita has its roots in Hindi, Marathi, and ultimately Sanskrit. It comes from niketa , meaning "home, habitation", and may also be…

Nataly

Spelling variation of Natalie, French

"birthday of the Lord"

With Natalie and Natalia in the US Top 100, it is not a surprise for spelling variations to gain popularity. Nataly was given to nearly 300 baby girls in 2023 and was one of the fastest-rising girl…

Tatyana

Spelling variation of Tatiana

Tatyana, an alternate spelling of the lovely Tatiana, definitely has its followers.

Natasha

Russian diminutive of Natalya

"birthday of the Lord"

Natasha, an appealing, still unusual name, entered the American mainstream post-Cold War but seems to have peaked in the eighties, replaced by the more straightforward Natalie. As is common for…

Lida

Russian diminutive of Lidia; Scandinavian diminutive of Alida; variation of Leda, Greek

"woman from Lydia; noble; happy"

Multicultural mini name with an intuitive pronunciation — it's a recipe for success, yet Lida remains under the radar.

Yuna

Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese, Dutch

"superiority, gentleness, or citrus fruit; lamb; willow, abundant, child, happy + to reach, to hold; jade + elegant, beautiful; June"

An attractive, widely appealing, multicultural option, Yuna has its roots in Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese. KPOP singer Yuna may be attracting some attention to her name, as might influencer…

Kenya

Place name, Kikuyu

"mountain of white"

Kenya, a name borrowed from the East African nation and theoretically unisex, is now used mostly for girls. While it's had its ups and downs since entering the US Top 1000 in 1968, it currently ranks…

Nada

Arabic, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian

"dew at sunrise; hope"

Concise Nada is a cross-cultural choice with pleasant meanings. In Arabic, it is derived from nadan meaning "dew, moisture", though other possible translations include "caller" and "goodness". As a…

Odessa

Russian form of Odesa, Ukrainian place-name

"voyage"

Odessa, (transcribed as Odesa in Ukrainian) is a Ukrainian port city and was given its name by Catherine the Great, who was inspired by Homer's Odyssey . It would make an original and intriguing…

Olga

Slavic variation of Helga, Norse

"holy"

This Slavic form of the Norse name Helga is a classic in many Slavic countries, including Russia and Poland, where it currently ranks within the Top 100 girl names. It has historically ranked among…

Ira

Hebrew, Russian, Greek, Finnish, Sanskrit, "watchful one; peace; protectress; earth

Truly multi-cultural, Ira can be: a Russian short form of Irina, meaning "peace"; a gender-switch of the Hebrew male name Ira, meaning "watchful"; a modern Greek and Finnish form of Hera, meaning…

Zoya

Russian and Greek variation of Zoe, Greek

"life"

Now that Zoe is getting wildly popular in the U.S. and the U.K. -- one poll puts it at number one in Wales -- parents may start hunting down fresh twists like this.

Rena

Hebrew, Greek, Estonian, Scandinavian, German, Punjabi

"joyous melody; peace; reborn; to remain"

Rena is a Hebrew name all on its own and is also a European short form of Irene, Irini, Renata, and Renate. In Punjabi, Rena means "to remain".

Sonia

Russian and Scandinavian variation of Sophia

"wisdom"

Early European import, well known in the 1940s via Norwegian skating movie star Sonja Henie, that has sailed back across the Atlantic, despite the rising popularity of other Russian names.

Vilma

Russian, diminutive of Vilhelmina; a Polish place-name

Not much to recommend this relative of Wilma; consider Willa or Willow instead.

Irena

Czech; Latvian; Polish; Bulgarian; Lithuanian, from Greek

"peace"

This form of Irene feels fresher and gives the classic name a chic, international flair. It's most commonly used in Eastern Europe.

Alisa

Variation of Alice, or Hebrew

"noble; great happiness"

Alisa is variation of Alice with a touch of international flair. Used in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia and Poland, it is also familiar in English speaking countries too. As a Hebrew name, Alisa…

Tanya

Russian diminutive of Tatiana

Long integrated into the U. S. name pool but still retaining some Slavic flavor, Tanya feels a bit tired; it's ready for replacement by cooler Russian choices like Sasha, Mischa, or parent name…