Name in English: Name in Russian: Short form in English / Russian: Diminutive name form, other forms in English / Russian: Ilona. Use it to familiarize yourself with Russian female names, pick a name for a baby girl, or find a nice nickname for your Russian class. Ivetta is a French name. Evgeniy, Evgeniya â Zhenya And, his last name was Tolstoy. Orthodox Christian names constitute a fair proportion of Russian given names, but there are many exceptions including pre-Christian Slavic names, Communist names, and names taken from ethnic minorities in Russia. There are, of course, popular and less popular names. Today, Marusya and Manya sound a bit outdated, but they are still in use, particularly within a family, say, parents can call their daughter Marusya. TOYA f American (Hispanic) Diminutive of VICTORIA or CUSTODIA used among Hispanic Americans. Popular Russian baby girl names include Anastasia (meaning "resurrection") and Svetlana (meaning "luminescent"). Илона: Ila / Ила: Ilyusya / Илуся, Ilka / Илка, Ilonka / Илонка, Ilonushka / Илонушка; Inga: Инга: Inka / Инка: Ingri / Ингри; Inessa: Инесса: Ина / Ina Russian Names for Girls. Nikolay â Kolya Russian Holidays: A Window Into the Country's Soul, Healthy Russian Main Dishes – Traditional Healthy Russian Food Recipes, 10 Russian Stereotypes That Are Actually True, Russian Traditions, Holidays, and Festivals, The Origin of the Matryoshka, Russian Nesting Dolls, Russian New Year: Traditions and Celebrations, Russian Culture Facts for Heritage and Traditions, learn how Russian people usually name their children, Full form of name, official, professional relationships, unfamiliar people, Short form, neutral and used in casual relationships, Vulgar, impolite unless used inside the family, between children, or friends. Using the short name means voluntary equality. Browse our list of Russian baby names to find the perfect name for your baby girl or boy. Tolstoy was actually called Leo in English circles due to a translation of his Russian name … In Russian culture, names are a big deal, literally. The most common include shortening a longer name (e.g., "Pete" for Peter) or adding the diminutive suffix /i/ ("movie" for moving picture), variously spelled -y ("Sally" for Sarah), -ie ("Maggie" for Margaret), and -i ("Dani" for Danielle). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/russian-nicknames-and-diminutives-1502309. Abakumov. Copyright © 2021 Proper Russian , All Right Reserved. Diminutive forms of Russian names. Lyalya is a diminutive from Olga or Elena. Kerry Kubilius is a freelance writer who specializes in Eastern European history, culture, current events, language, and travel. While a basic nickname like Sasha may not signify anything except familiarity, other diminutives may be used in an affectionate manner. It is derived from the Hebrew word ‘Habakkuk’ which means ‘embrace’. Pavel â Pasha Sometimes, diminutives have little or nothing in common with their full forms: Aleksey â Lyosha, Lyokha A rough parallel with English: Dmitri/Natalya = Bernard/Susan Dima/Natasha = Bernie/Susie Dimon/Natalka = Bernster/Suzkins Dimochka/Natashen’ka = Dear Bernie/Sweet Susie First of all, for each name you have a “standard diminutive”. This is very similar to ÐÑ/ÑÑ (you formal and you informal) problem. And a recent First Daughter had not one Russian name but two: Sasha Obama 's nickname would … And that’s where the confusion may arise because sometimes a diminutive looks nothing like the full name! Productive diminutives are infrequent to nonexistent in Standard English in comparison with many other languages. If you want a modern/traditional Russian name, stick to those with a nickname. Ten Most Popular Male Russian Names. It includes the original form of the name (used mostly in official situations along with the patronymic and surname), as well as the short form, the diminutive, and the familiar forms (which are much more informal, used among friends and foes). Most popular female names are written in bold. If you are interested in learning Russian, I would suggest starting with the New Penguin Russian Course. Thus, when you get into a person’s intimate circle, Elena turns to Lena, Natalia to Natasha, Maria to Masha, Tatyana to Tanya, Dmitriy to Dima, Pyotr (Peter) to Petya, Vasiliy to Vasya, and so on. By the 1930s, traditional names such as Tit, Kuzma, Nikita, and Foma (for men) and Fekla, Praskovia, and Marfa (for women) were seen as too … The list of Russian boys' names and their derivatives. Like in many other languages, Russian names have two forms â a full name for official communication and a diminutive or affectionate name for family and close friends. Slavonic names ending in -slav make a great mess. Other common Russian names and diminutives: Diminutives can be derived from common nouns, too. Bosnian,Russian: Christianity: Asya: A Hebrew word which means grace: Girl: Hebrew,Russian: Avdotya: One who is very difficult to resist and is relaxing: Girl: Russian: Bayusha: A place name in Moldova: Girl: Russian: Christianity: Bela: Time; one who lives inside heart: Girl: Russian,Slavic: Christianity: Biserka: Pearl: Girl: Croatian,Russian: Christianity: Bogdana: A woman … The most tricky part for a foreigner is to learn in which situations it is proper to use just the first name, first name with patronymic, just the last name or the diminutive version of the na… While Nicholas is a wonderful name in and of itself, it is quite widely used and is in the top 100 U.S. baby boy names since 1972. Russian Boys' Names. Usually, it is easy to form a diminutive form out of the full name. Top Russian names for girls are: Anastasia, Maria, Sofia, Daria, Viktoria (The popularity differs by region.) The most common Russian last names you are likely to encounter on a trip to Russia are (male form) Ivanov, Smirnov, Kuznetsov, Popov, Vasiliev, and (female form) Petrova, Sokolova, Mikhailova, Federova, and Morozova. Russian baby names are becoming more international, especially favored in Italy. Fundamental » All languages » Russian » Terms by semantic function » Names » Given names » Female given names » Diminutives of female given names. The difference is that instead of a middle name, the child gets a name referring to his or her father's first name as their "middle" name. Sasha is often the nickname used for a person whose given name is Alexander (male) or Alexandra (female). Lyudmila can be Lyuda, Lyucia or Mila. All Russian names also have multiple diminutive versions 4. Aleks e i (Алексей) = Al yo sha (Алёша), L yo sha (Лёша) Aleks a ndr (Александр) = S a sha (Саша), Sh u rik (Шурик) Andr e i (Андрей) = Andr yu sha (Андрюша) Anat o liy (Анатолий) = T o lya (Толя) Ant o n (Антон) Ark a diy (Аркадий) = Ark a sha (Аркаша) Art u r. Art yo m = T yo ma. Short forms emerged in spoken language for convenience as a majority of formal names are cumbersome. Is is the name of several popes and two Russian czars. Av e riy. Ida, Cora, Mirra are Jewish names. This is a sign that your social distance is shortening. His father's name was Nikolai, hence the middle name Nikolayevhich. Those are similar to American cultural naming traditions. List Of Most Popular Russian Surnames Or Last Names: 1. Russian Names for Boys. KATENKA (Катенька): Diminutive form of Russian Ekaterina and Yekaterina, meaning "pure." I think, I won’t be too wrong if I say that the absolute champion is Georgiy (George). Includes original name in Russian, English translation, pronunciation, and meaning. Name in English: Name in Russian: Shortened Form: Shortened Form in Russian: Meaning: Artyom: Артём: Tyoma: Тёма: Dedicated to Artemis (Greek) Aleksandr/ Alexander: Александр: Sasha, Sanya: Саша, Саня: Defender (Greek) Roman: Роман: Roma: Рома: Citizen of Rome (Latin) Yevgeny: Евгений: Zhenya: Женя: Noble (Greek) Ivan: Иван: Vanya: Ваня In Russian lev, means "lion." "Russian Nicknames and Diminutives." Tolstoy was actually called Leo in English circles due to a translation of his Russian name to English. Some common names can also have a diminutive form. Kolya (for Nikolay) and so on. Russian names originate from traditional, Slavic, Christian or historical origins. KATERINA: Short form of Russian Ekaterina and Yekaterina, both meaning The word mamochka, a diminutive of mother, can be used by a son or daughter who wants to indicate a mother's sweetness and dearness. Russian Names and Nicknames This page explains Russian naming conventions and lists Russian male and female names with diminutives, short form and familiar form. Russian nicknames, or diminutives, are simply short forms of the given name. 2. "Russian Nicknames and Diminutives." Well, maybe I just should tell them that they may call me Zhenya. In English, the translation to Leo was acceptable to the author when he was approving his manuscripts for publication for English audiences since Leo is understood in English as meaning lion. His patronymic (or middle name) is Nikolayevhich. Diminutive of ALBERT, HERBERT, and other names containing bert (often derived from the Germanic element beraht meaning "bright"). When thinking of Russian male names, the first name that comes to mind for most Americans is the name Boris. As a rule, it is formed by adding the ending –sha to the initial syllable of a name, e.g. Andrey â Dyusha Patronymic is a derivative from the father’s name 3. Anastasiya â Nastya As opposed to full names used in formal situations, short forms of a name are used in communication between well-acquainted people, usually relatives, friends, and colleagues. As a result, only a handful of Russian boy names make the US popularity charts, the most common being Ivan. Russian Girls' Names. A list of surnames in which the usage is Russian. (2020, October 29). Most of the time, it's close people and friends who can call men by their diminutive names. Diminutive can also be made from ordinary non diminutives. Mostly all parents in Russia want to keep the name of their baby boy with a distinct meaning. However, Boris is a rather rare name these days. You can use them by their own or to form a patronymic. A list of the most common diminutive names in Russia: You can familiarize yourself with the diminutive forms of Russian name sand learn the particularly tricky ones, as some of them bear no resemblance to the original form of the name: The most common suffixes to express love and create additional diminutive names: It also helps to learn how Russian people usually name their children in the modern age. His full name was Lev Nikolayevhich Tolstoy. Given names form a distinct area of the Russian language with some unique features. To find a certain name quicker - press Ctrl+F on Windows, or Command+F on a Mac. In the diminutive Sashenka, the stress is on the first vowel “a”, but in Sashulya (pronounced Sa-shoo-lya), the stress is on “u”. Take a look at the full name of famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy who wrote War and Peace. Abakumov is a patronymic last name that refers to ‘Son of Abakum’. Charles Dickens used it for a male character in his novel The Pickwick Papers (1837). Alexander (ÐлекÑандÑ) may also choose a short name from Sasha or Shura (ШÑÑа) or Sanya (quite informal) or Alex (if he wants to sound cool). Though the short name for Maria is Masha, it can also be Marusya or Manya. A lexandr (Sasha) - Александр (Саша) Alexesei or Aleksey (Lesha, Lyosha) - Алексей (Леша) There are, of course, popular and less popular names. The 1920s brought a vogue of exotic, revolutionary names, such as Elektron, Traktor, and names honoring Soviet leaders such as Vladilen (from Vladimir Lenin) and even Stalina (for Stalin). Russian diminutive names given to female individuals. BERTILLE f French French diminutive of BERTHA . Dismiss, The Man Who Created the Russian Language As We Know It. Some of my English-speaking and German-speaking colleagues have become my very good friends, but they call me Eugenia, and every time I feel like they are keeping their distance instead of getting closer. Generally speaking, Russians are rather conservative when it comes to naming their children. Almost every full Christian name has a diminutive form, not necessarily shorter, but affectionate, used by friends and family of a person. Discover Russian female names, including the original Russian form, pronunciation, English translation, diminutive forms and meaning. English speakers might use “doggy” to convey the same meaning. However, some names have more than one diminutive form. Alexandra may be called Sashenka, which means "little Sasha" by her parents. In this post, MomJunction has compiled a list of 100 Russian last names, along with their origins and meanings. Sobachka, a diminutive from the word sobaka (dog), expresses the dog's cuteness and smallness. Some names are not common in Russia, and their meaning is not sometimes correct. Most popular male names are written in bold. Kubilius, Kerry. Many of the top supermodels of recent years have been from Russia, Ukraine, and other parts of Eastern Europe and have imported their Russian names along with their willowy beauty. There have been some historical naming trends, however, especially during the Soviet era. The list of Russian girls' names and their derivatives. Vladimir â Vova. Most Russian names are very long and confusing to non-native speakers. There are a few variants for the full form for Georgiy, like Igor, Yuriy and Egor, and a number of diminutives â Gosha, Zhora, Garik, Goga, Yura… I’m afraid, I can not even recall all possible variants of this name. If you feel that you have developed friendship with somebody, you may ask if this person wouldn’t mind being called by a short name. Old Russian girls' names that gain popularity: Russian baby names for girls, long a style backwater, are coming into their own as a fashionable choice. Most Russian people have three names: a first name, a patronymic, and a surname. ThoughtCo, Oct. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/russian-nicknames-and-diminutives-1502309. Russian Names For Boys A list of 90 first names for boys most widely used nowadays in Russia. Pattern : the letters in the pattern are compared to the letters in the name * is a wildcard that matches zero or more letters example: *oo* matches names which contain oo _ is a wildcard that matches exactly one letter example: __z matches names which have two letters and then z + Source From the point of view of the US, politics have a strong influence on the taste for Russian names for either gender. A list of Russian Names for Girls. Along with Ivan, other Russian boy names in the US Top 1000 include Damien, … Interestingly, some traditional Russian names are popular across all the ex-Soviet republics, in particular Alexander, Sergey, Maksim and Andrey; and Anna, Olga, Sofia and Anastasia. Most Russian names (with a rare exception, like Maxim, Nikita, Vera, or Nina) have a diminutive. As in the earlier example, regarding Leo Tolstoy, the diminutive forms of his name could be Leva, Lyova, or more rarely, Lyovushka, which is more of an affectionate pet name. Maria is a very common Russian name. 04 of 04 Russian Name Day Tradition Some Russians celebrate a name day that corresponds with the saint whose name they share. His first name was Lev. To start, simply click on the button to generate 10 random names. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our, Example of Nicknames for Female Name "Maria". English has a great variety of historical diminutives adopted from other languages but many of these are lexicalized. Russian Nicknames and Diminutives. Russian Name Diminutive Forms English English Diminutive Агата Ага, Агатка, Агаточка, Агаша, Агуша, Гата Agata Aga, Agatka, Agatochka, Agasha, Agusha, Gata Агнесса Ага, Агна, Агнюша, Агня, Агуся, Ася, Неся Agnessa Aga, Agna, Agniusha, Agnia, Agusia, Asia, Nesia Аделаида When you meet a guy named Slava, you never know if he is Vyacheslav, Yaroslav, Vladislav or any other -slav. Take a look at the many ways you may hear or see the name being used and in the different ways. Albina, Dina, Venera, Saule, Zara, Zaira, Zemfira, Zarema are common amongst Tatar and Bashkir (Muslim nations), not Russian. The name Nicholas and its many variations have been used throughout history. It is very imperative for the parents to keep a name which suits their boy’s distinct personality and creates a good impression about him in society, school, college and workplace as he grows up. The table below has everything you need to know about Russian male names. ThoughtCo. Top Russian names for boys are: Artiom (Tioma), Alexander, Dmitri, Maxim, Kirill. Full name in Russia consists of a first name, a patronymic and a last name (my full name would be Tatiana Gennadyevna Golubeva) 2. Russians have three names: the first or given name (имя), the surname or family name (фамилия), and patronymic (отчество).The following list includes 90 first names for boys most widely used nowadays in Russia. In this generator the order of the names are the same as you'd see them on many legal documents, so first the surname, then the first name with or without a nickname in brackets and then the patronymic name. Usually, it is easy to form a diminutive form out of the full name. Russian given names are provided at birth or selected during a name change. How to Write Russian Names … Thus, when you get into a person’s intimate circle, Elena turns to Lena, Natalia to Natasha, Maria to Masha, Tatyana to Tanya, Dmitriy to Dima, Pyotr (Peter) to Petya, Vasiliy to Vasya, and so on. It is also popularly known as the name of Saint Nicholas after whom Santa Claus is based. Popular Russian Names For Boys. https://www.thoughtco.com/russian-nicknames-and-diminutives-1502309 (accessed March 14, 2021). TRACY f & m English. Shop Store Theme by aThemeArt - Proudly powered by WordPress, All of the prices posted on our website are the US Dollars. For instance, the word papochka, which is a diminutive word from the word father, mostly is used by a son or a daughter who wants to point to the sweetness and love. Maybe it’s OK to call a boss of Microsoft Bill, but it is definitely not OK in Russia to call a boss or just an unfamiliar person by a short name. Kubilius, Kerry. The first name and the surname (last name) are self-explanatory. His sister, Avdotya, is frequently referred to as Dunya and Dunechka throughout the novel. The ending -slav means âgloryâ and the first part of these names indicates the subject of the glory â Vyacheslav means a great glory, Yaroslav means a glory to the Sun (to a Slavonic pagan god Yarilo, personifying the Sun) and so on. When to use short/diminutive names? Old Russian boys' names that gain popularity: Nikita, Egor, Timofei, Yaroslav, Matvei. 1. From an English surname that was taken from a Norman French place name meaning "domain belonging to THRACIUS ". Often a person may offer to let you call him or her by a short name. As in the earlier example, regarding Leo Tolstoy, the diminutive forms of his name could be Leva, Lyova, or more rarely, Lyovushka, which is more of an affectionate pet name. To use an example as seen in Russian literature, in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the protagonist Raskolnikov's first name, Rodion, appears in the following forms: Rodya, Rodenka, and Rodka. Kubilius, Kerry.