User-created list
By frauleinawesome · Updated May 2023
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Scandinavian, Russian, and Eastern European variation of Victor
The Viktor form of this classic name is widely used throughout Europe and is rising in the US as well.
Greek
"rock, stone"
A strong Greek name with pan-European charm, Petra is a relatively recent feminization of Peter, though it relates back to an incredible ancient city in Jordan that was rediscovered in the early…
Macedonian, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, and Greek form of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
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…
Russian variation of Juliana, Latin
"youthful or sky father"
Julia is a name that's ancient and hallowed enough to not only have many variations, but for its variations to have variations. Juliana has been consistently used in the US and Europe, sometimes…
Polish
"viburnum"
Kalina, known as a girls' name throughout Eastern Europe, translates literally to viburnum in Polish, making it a botanical name. Viburnum is a flowering shrub. Some sources translate this name as…
Russian from Greek
"peace"
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…
Scandinavian variation of Christina
"annointed, a Christian"
This streamlined form of a pretty and feminine classic may not be as popular as it once was, but it's never out of style. A royal name best used now in its full glory rather than as nicknames Kris or…
Spanish, Russian, Greek
"pearl, daisy"
Margarita is an international form of Margaret that shares its meaning of "pearl", but also directly translates to "daisy" in Spanish and Greek. Despite being widely associated with the alcoholic…
Variation of Ivana
"God is gracious"
High-profile First Daughter Trump bears a nickname for her mother's name, Ivana. But though quite common in Slavic countries, and despite its international appeal, Ivanka is likely to remain a…
Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian, Slavic
"lady"
Sharper and steelier than Martha, but with the same underused vintage appeal.
Variation of Marco, Spanish form of Mark
"warlike"
Marko is one of the many names derived from Mars, the god of war. Marco is the more usual Spanish form but Marko is a variation used in Spain along with Russia, Ukraine, and several Slavic countries.
Feminine form of Malcolm or spelling variation of Melina or Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian
"raspberry"
Malina is a synthetic-feeling name that may be a feminization of the Scottish Malcolm or a spelling twist on the Greek Melina and that also has a fruit meaning in several Eastern European languages.…
Slavic variation of Jana, feminine variation of John
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.
Russian form of Andrew
"manly"
Russian, Belarusian, Romanian and Bulgarian form of Andrew
Sofiya is a feminine name of Slavic origin, representing the Eastern European variant of the popular Greek name Sophia. It means 'wisdom' or 'knowledge' and has deep historical roots across many…
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…
Russian and Basque, feminine variation of Paul
This version of the more familiar Paulina is occasionally used in the US, though some may see it as relating more to the word pole than to the classic Paul.
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian version of Alexandra, Greek
"defending men"
Aleksandra is the preferred spelling in many Eastern European languages and cultures, but for English-speakers it's ironically more confusing if also perfectly phonetically clear.
Czech variation of Veronica
This spelling adds a touch of the unusual to Veronica.
Hebrew or Egyptian
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Russian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian form of the classic Maria sure to cause a lifetime of spelling questions and pronunciation mistakes.
