Awesome Bulgarian Names

Commonly used in Russia, has an Old World Slavic feel. The original Galen can be used for girls as well as boys.

Grigor is the Armenian and Bulgarian form of Gregory, a name with Greek origins derived from 'gregorios,' meaning 'watchful' or 'vigilant.' Popular in Eastern European countries and among Armenian communities worldwide, Grigor carries the distinguished heritage of notable bearers including medieval Armenian philosophers, modern politicians, and athletes. The name maintains its traditional appeal while being less common in Western countries, where Gregory or Gregor are more prevalent variations. Grigor projects strength and intellectual vigilance, embodying both scholarly and leadership qualities throughout its long history.

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.

A rarely used Slavic name until the Czech-born ex-Mrs. Trump took it over the top. Daughter's name Ivanka adds a dollop of charm.

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 Singe-Celebrity name in the US — the Oprah of the political world — for the foreseeable future. Ivanka's larger impact on names may be inspiring parents to name their daughters after their moms.

Ivet is a compact, elegant feminine name that serves as a variation of Yvette, which has French origins. The name ultimately derives from the Germanic name Ivo, meaning "yew tree," symbolizing strength and endurance. In various European cultures, particularly Czech and Catalan, Ivet stands as an independent name rather than just a variant. It carries a sophisticated, international appeal while remaining simple and easy to pronounce across languages. Though not among the most common names in English-speaking countries, Ivet offers a fresh alternative to more familiar names like Eve or Ivy, combining brevity with a touch of European elegance.

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 simply "flower." Variations may include Kaline, Kalena, and Kalene.

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.

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 Kristy.

If it's possible for a name to be too musical, this one is.

Lidiya is a feminine name of Slavic origin, representing a variation of Lydia, which derives from the ancient Greek name Λυδία (Lydia), referring to a person from Lydia, a region in Asia Minor. This beautiful name carries historical significance, as Lydia appears in the New Testament as the first European convert to Christianity. The spelling 'Lidiya' is particularly common in Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, and other Slavic languages, giving it a distinctive Eastern European character. The name has a melodic quality with its soft consonants and flowing vowels. While less common in Western countries, Lidiya has maintained consistent popularity in Eastern Europe, valued for its classical roots, religious connections, and elegant simplicity.

Pronounced like Lillia, Liliya is the cognate of Lily in various Slavic languages.

Lilyana is variant of "Lillian" or "Liliana", which are elaborations of the flower name "Lily".

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. For all that it's a little bit of lots of things, Malina doesn't feel very much like itself.

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 beverage in English, it has a long history of use in Spanish, Greek and several Slavic languages — most notably being the name of the heroine of Mikhail Bulgakov's 1966 novel Master and Margarita.

This pretty sea-born name was used to dramatic effect by Shakespeare in his play Pericles for the virtuous princess who says she is "Call'd Marina, for I was born at sea."

Russian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian form of the classic Maria sure to cause a lifetime of spelling questions and pronunciation mistakes.

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.