Russian Names for Boys
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About this list
Russian names for boys range from the familiar (Nikolai, Ivan, Vladimir), to the under-the-radar (Matvei, Leonid, Rodion), to the utterly unknown (Timofel, Innokenti, Yelisei).
Along with Nikolai and Ivan, other Russian boys’ names that have featured in the US Top 1000 in recent years include Valentin and Dimitri. Baby boy names popular in Russia include Mikhail — the Russian variation of Michael — Kirill, Maksim, Lev, Roman and Alexei.
All of these Russian boys’ names share a certain special power and energy — the Russian "strong man" image in baby name form, if you like. Whether you’re looking for a Russian boy name to honor your heritage, or you’re simply drawn to the strong sounds and striking looks of Russian baby names, you’re sure to find something to love in our long-list of Russian names for boys, below, organized by their popularity on Nameberry.
A note on Russian usage: most boys' names ending in -sha, -ya and -ka, like Sasha (from Aleksandr), Kostya (from Konstantin) and Vovka (from Vladimir), are diminutive forms in Russian, and are not usually given as names in their own right.
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The names
Ivan
Russian variation of John
"God is gracious"
Though some might find it a bit heavy-booted, Ivan is one of the few Russian boys' names to become fully accepted into the American naming pool. Ivan is, of course, ubiquitous in Russian culture.…
Damien
French from Greek
"to tame, subdue"
Converting Damian to Damien – or Julian to Julien or Lucian to Lucien – adds a certain je ne sais quoi to names. But most people in English speaking areas will still pronounce this the same as the…
Nikolai
Russian variation of Nicholas
"people of victory"
Russian forms, like Russian supermodels, are hot these days. This is a strong, worldly way to make Nicholas new; it was chosen for his son by Barry Bonds, Jr. Nikolai also comes with several…
Valentin
French, German, Russian, Czech, Scandinavian variation of Valentine
"strength, health"
Romantic name used throughout Europe, though sure to lead to pronunciation problems here. Though it's never been too widely used in the US, it's quite popular in Switzerland, France, Austria, and…
Makari
Russian, Greek
"blessed, happy; I wish"
To those unfamiliar with it, Makari might have the sound, feel, and look of a modern inventions, similar to Amari, Jakari, or Makai. It is however a Russian name, derived from the Greek Makarios.…
Akim
Russian form of Hebrew JEHOIAKIM
"God will establish"
This strong and commanding Russian name is pronounced ah-KEEM.
Adamka
Adamka appears to be a masculine diminutive form of Adam, likely with Slavic or Eastern European origins where the suffix '-ka' is commonly used to create affectionate or diminutive versions of…
Avramij
Avramij is a masculine name with Slavic roots, primarily found in Eastern European cultures. It is a variant of Abram or Abraham, deriving from the Hebrew name meaning 'father of many' or 'exalted…
Sasha
Russian diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
The energetic Russian nickname name Sasha is being used increasingly on its own, though since the prominence of the First Daughter, more than 90% of the American babies named Sasha are girls. Sacha…
Alexei
Russian, Greek
"defending men"
Alexei could well join the legion of Alex names popular in the US. There are countless opportunities to liven up Alexander, and Alexei (or Alexey) is one of the most straightforward and appealing.
Aleksandr
Russian; Armenian, from Greek
"defending men"
A form of Alexander commonly used in Russia, Armenia, Estonia and Kazakhstan.
Shura
Russian diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
Shura is a unisex Russian nickname for Aleksandr or Aleksandra, themselves forms of Alexander. Less known in the English=speaking world than Sasha, it's also more assertive -- probably because of…
Sanya
Diminutive of Aleksandr, Russian from Greek
An alternative to Sasha, another common Russian nickname for Aleksander.
Aleksei
Aleksei is a masculine name of Russian origin, representing the Slavic form of Alexius or Alexis, ultimately derived from the Greek 'alexein' meaning 'to defend' or 'to help.' This powerful name has…
Adas
Adas is a masculine name with diverse cultural roots. In Lithuanian, it functions as a diminutive of the biblical name Adam, meaning 'earth' or 'man.' It's also found in Polish communities with…
Arkadi
Russian from Greek
"Arcadia"
Nice, bouncy three-syllable rhythm, à la Jeremy and Barnaby.
Tolya
Tolya is a masculine name of Russian origin, primarily used as a diminutive or affectionate form of Anatoly (Анатолий). Anatoly itself derives from Greek roots meaning 'sunrise' or 'from the east.'…
Alek
Polish, Armenian, Serbian, and Russian form of Alex, Greek, Greenlandic
"defending men; harpoon line"
A variation of Alex used in a number of languages, Alek has the cool, solid feel of Erik and Axel. It can also be a name of Greenlandic origin, meaning "harpoon line".
Armen
Armenian
"Armenian"
Naming your son Armen is like naming him Roman, or German -- it's the term that denotes a person of Armenian descent. Armen has been used as a first name for centuries and is an unusual yet…
Anatoly
Russian, from Greek
"from the east, rising sun"
A sweet and gentle-sounding Russian name with a sunny meaning, typically nicknamed Tolya in Russia. It can also be written as Anatoli or Anatoliy.