Russian Girl Names

  1. Angelina
    • Origin:

      Greek, Italian, Spanish, Russian diminutive of Angela
    • Meaning:

      "angel"
    • Description:

      The gorgeous Angelina Jolie has promoted the star power of her name and changed Angelina's image from delicate to intense, from older Italian mama to stylish multi-cultural child. Kids might relate to the dancing mouse in the series of charming children's books, Angelina Ballerina, or to the Harry Potter character, Angelina Johnson Weasley, a member of Dumbledore's army.
  2. Alya
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "heavens, highborn, exalted"
    • Description:

      Alya is most familiar in the US in its much-more-complicated form Aaliyah, the spelling used by the later singer. The traditional name of the star system Theta Serpentis, Alya is also an established Muslim first name and a Turkish place-name. It may also be a Russian short form for Alexandra or any other Al- name.
  3. Nikita
    • Origin:

      Russian, Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "victor; house"
    • Description:

      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 spelled as Nikitha.
  4. Theodosia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia" is a song in the smash musical Hamilton), and it was the birth name of silent screen vamp Theda Bara. Theodosia actually appeared on the US popularity lists in the 1880s and 90s.
  5. Larissa
    • Origin:

      English, German, and Portuguese variation of Larisa, Greek and Russian
    • Meaning:

      "citadel"
    • Description:

      Daintily pretty without being frilly, Larissa is familiar but more quietly used than its sound-alikes Melissa and Alyssa. Though this is the more common variation in the Western World, the original is actually Larisa.
  6. Karina
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian, German, Polish, and Russian variation of Carina
    • Description:

      This sweet and loving name, favored in recent years by a mix of Hispanic-American parents and Bob Dylan fans, was chosen for her daughter by TV actress Melina Kanakaredes.
  7. Nessa
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "headlands, promontory"
    • Description:

      Like its cousin Tessa, Nessa -- a shortening of Vanessa or Agnes or Anastasia among other possibilities -- is an attractive nickname that can stand on its own.
  8. Sonia
    • Origin:

      Russian and Scandinavian variation of Sophia
    • Meaning:

      "wisdom"
    • Description:

      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.
  9. Ira
    • Origin:

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

      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 "hero" or "protectress"; a Sanskrit name meaning "earth" or "enjoyment"; and a Basque nature name meaning "fern", from the word iratzea.
  10. Irina
    • Origin:

      Russian from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "peace"
    • Description:

      Irina is a Russian ballet-inflected classic, one of the Three Sisters in the Chekhov play. While some Americans will pronounce this like Irene with three syllables, the pronunciation used throughout Europe, where it's widely used, starts with a short i as in it or if and a strong emphasis on the second syllable.
  11. Rena
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Greek, Estonian, Scandinavian, German, Punjabi
    • Meaning:

      "joyous melody; peace; reborn; to remain"
    • Description:

      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".
  12. Alisa
    • Origin:

      Variation of Alice, or Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "noble; great happiness"
    • Description:

      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 has a bright, cheerful meaning, that adds another layer to the name.
  13. Zariyah
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Hebrew, Russian
    • Meaning:

      "scattering wind; God has helped; sunrise, dawn"
    • Description:

      Zariyah has several possible origins: the Arabic Zahrah which means "flower" or Zariya "scattering wind"; the Hebrew name Azariah, meaning "God has helped"; or the Russian word Zaria which means "sunrise, dawn."
  14. Olga
    • Origin:

      Slavic variation of Helga, Norse
    • Meaning:

      "holy"
    • Description:

      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 the most popular names in countries including Ukraine, Latvia, Spain, France, Serbia, Greece, the US, and many more. Olga is a common name even in Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Norway, despite Helga being a more traditional choice. Olha is the uniquely Ukrainian variation.
  15. 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.
  16. Svetlana
    • Origin:

      Russian
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      Popular Russian name, familiar here via author Svetlana Stalin, the dictator's daughter.
  17. Rina
    • Origin:

      European diminutive of Catherine, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "pure; joy, singing; melted; white jasmine"
    • Description:

      One of those short, punchy names with its roots in a variety of different cultures and languages, Rina is sister to names like Mina, Mira, Lina, and Nina. Retro in feel, but never overused in the US, it peaked in 1980 when it was given to 90 girls.
  18. Tanya
    • Origin:

      Russian diminutive of Tatiana
    • Description:

      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 Tatiana.
  19. Olena
    • Origin:

      Ukrainian, Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "torch, shining light; turmeric, yellow, ginger"
    • Description:

      This chic Ukrainian form of Helen is relatively unknown outside of its native country, but it definitely has international appeal. Olia or Olenka are the usual Ukrainian diminutives, but tomboyish Oli or Leni could work too.
  20. Zoya
    • Origin:

      Russian and Greek variation of Zoe, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "life"
    • Description:

      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.

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