240+ Rare & Popular Russian Baby Names & Meanings

Hey there, soon-to-be mama. Or should that be mamochka? If you’re thinking of beautiful Russian baby names for your little ditya, you’ve landed in the right place for inspiration.
We’ve scoured the internet (and Peanut!) for classic and distinctive Russian baby names, perfect for honoring your own or your partner’s heritage.

And even if you don’t have ties to Russia, these are a lovely option if you want to give your baby an interesting name, but one that’s not too unconventional.

So, privyet (hi!) and welcome to our ultimate list of Russian baby names.

In this article: 📝

How do Russian names work?
What are some Russian names?
What are some popular Russian names?
Are there any unisex Russian names?
What are Russian baby names with Slavic roots?
What are some rare Russian names?
What is a strong Russian name?

How do Russian names work?

As a mama, it’s your prerogative to give your new baby a whole host of sweet nicknames — and with Russian names, this is a built-in feature!

Russian first names are often changed to a “diminutive form”, so one name has a bunch of variations depending on context or familiarity.

For example, Maria can go by Masha, Mikhail gets shortened to Misha, and Dmitri is commonly cut down to Dima or Dimi. Cute!

What are some Russian names?

So, let’s dive into our mega-list of Russian baby names ‒ here, you’ll find a mix of common Russian names, traditional Russian names, and cool Russian names.

Davai!

What are classic Russian girl names?

Russian baby girl names are lyrical, musical-sounding names, typically ending in “-a”, so if you’re after elegant names for your little malyshka (little baby), check out our top Russian girls’ names:

Agafya: Meaning “good”.
Agata: Meaning “virtuous”.
Aglaya: Meaning “good”.
Agnessa: Meaning “holy”.
Agniya: Meaning “pure”.
Alina, Alena, Adelina, Albina, Alya: Meaning “bright” or “beautiful”.
Alinoshka: Meaning “light”.
Alyona: Meaning “shining light”.
Anfisa: Meaning “flowering”.
Anika: Meaning “grace”.
Anitchka: Meaning “grace”.
Anoushka, Anuschka, Annushka, or Anushka: Meaning “grace” or “favor”.
Antonina: Meaning “beyond praise”.
Anzhelika: Meaning “angel”.
Avdotya: Meaning “good”.
Biserka: Meaning “pearl”.
Calina: Meaning “moon”.
Cyzarine: Meaning “royalty”.
Dariya: Meaning “good one”.
Dinara: Meaning “wealth”.
Dominika: Meaning “from the Lord”.
Doroteya: Meaning “gift of God”.
Dusica: Meaning “happy”.
Ekaterina: Meaning “pure”.
Esfir: Meaning “star”.
Eva or Ava: Meaning “life”.
Evgeniya: Meaning “noble”.
Feodora or Fyodora: Meaning “gift of God”.
Grusha: Meaning “majestic”.
Ilya: Meaning “the Lord is my God”.
Inga: Meaning “protected by Ing”. Ing was the Norse god of prosperity.
Ingrid: Meaning “protected by Ing”.
Innessa: Meaning “chaste” or “virtue”.
Iskra: Meaning “spark”.
Ivanka: Meaning “God is gracious”.
Jelena: Meaning “deer”.
Kapitolina: Meaning “big-hearted”.
Katyusha: Meaning “virtuous”.
Kavya: Meaning “poem”.
Khristina: Meaning “follower of Christ”.
Klara: Meaning “bright”.
Koroleva: Meaning “queen”.
Ksana, Ksena, or Ksanna: Meaning “praise God”.
Ksanochka: Meaning “praise God”.
Ksenia: Meaning “friendship”.
Lena or Leyna: Meaning “alluring” or “light”.
Lelyah: Meaning “holy”.
Liliya: Meaning “lily”.
Ludmila or Lyudmila: Meaning “love of the people”.
Lyubochka: Meaning “love of the people”.
Manya: Meaning “bitter”.
Margarita, Greta, Margaret, or Rita: Meaning “pearl”.
Margosha: Meaning “pearl”.
Marina: Meaning “from the sea”.
Mina: Meaning “girl”.
Maya or Mya: Meaning “dream”.
Mila: Meaning “loved by the people”.
Milena: Meaning “gracious”.
Milica: Meaning “sweet”.
Nada: Meaning “hope”.
Nadege: Meaning “hope”.
Nadenka: Meaning “hope”.
Nadina: Meaning “shower of blessings”.
Nadja or Nadya: Meaning “hope”.
Nadezhda: Meaning “hope”.
Natasia or Natasha: Meaning “birth”.
Nikolaevna: Meaning “belonging to God”.
Ninotchka: Meaning “favor”.
Oksana: Meaning “praise to God”.
Olegevna: Meaning “holy”.
Olien: Meaning “dear one”.
Olya: Meaning “follower of God”.
Polina or Palina: Meaning “small”.
Rada: Meaning “happy”.
Radinka: Meaning “counsel”.
Raisa or Risa: Meaning “rose”.
Renata: Meaning “born again”.
Roksana: Meaning “dawn”.
Rozaliya: Meaning “rose”.
Rufina: Meaning “red-haired”.
Samara: Meaning “protected by God”.
Sanvi: Meaning “knowledge”.
Sanya: Meaning “dream”.
Svetlana or Svitlana: Meaning “star”.
Tanita: Meaning “God is gracious”.
Tanzania: Meaning “eternal life”.
Tiana: Meaning “princess”.
Ulyana: Meaning “youthful”.
Valeriya: Meaning “healthy and strong”.
Yana or Jana: meaning “gift from God”.
Varvara: Meaning “stranger”.
Vasilisa: Meaning “empress”.
Veronika: Meaning “victory bringer”.
Vladimirevna: Meaning “great power”.
Vladlena: Meaning “rule with greatness”.
Yekaterina: Meaning “pure”.
Yelizaveta: Meaning “pledged to God”.
Yevdokiya: Meaning “appearing well”.
Yulia or Yuliya: Meaning “young”.
Yuliana or Yulianna: Meaning “youthful”.
Yuridiana: Meaning “light of God”.
Zhanna: Meaning “God is gracious”.
Zinaida: Meaning “like God”.
Zlata: Meaning “golden”.
Zoya: Meaning “life”.
Zoyechka: Meaning “life”.

➡️ Want more? Check out our 100+ Russian Baby Girl Names

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What are classic Russian boy names?

Now for some Russian boys’ names for your little mal-chik:

Abram: Meaning “father of many”.
Adrik: Meaning “dark”.
Afanasy: Meaning “immortal”.
Anastas: Meaning “resurrection”.
Anatoly or Anatoli: Meaning “sunrise”.
Anisim: Meaning “profit”.
Anton: Meaning “inestimable”.
Arkady: Meaning “from Arcadia”.
Artemy: Meaning “follower of Artemis”.
Artyom: Meaning “follower of Artemis, god of the hunt”.
Budimir: Meaning “peace-maker”.
Damien: Meaning “to subdue”.
Daniil: Meaning “God is my judge”.
Evgeny: Meaning “noble”.
Gavriil or Gavril: Meaning “God is my strength”.
Gerasim: Meaning “respectable”.
Gleb: Meaning “heir of God”.
Gretzky: Meaning “Greek nut”.
Ignat: Meaning “fiery one”.
Illarion: Meaning “happy”.
Immanuil: Meaning “God is with us”.
Makar: Meaning “blessed”.
Marat: Meaning “desired”.
Matvey: Meaning “gift from God”.
Milan: Meaning “kind”.
Nestor: Meaning “return home”.
Novel: Meaning “new”.
Oleg: Meaning “sacred”.
Osip: Meaning “God shall add”.
Radomir: Meaning “peace and joy”.
Rodion: Meaning “hero’s song”.
Rostislav: Meaning “usurper of glory”.
Samuil: Meaning “God has heard”.
Semyon: Meaning “God has heard”.
Sergei: Meaning “protector”.
Slavik: Meaning “glory”.
Spartak: Meaning “from Sparta”.
Stepan: Meaning “crown”.
Trofim: Meaning “nourishment”.
Vadim: Meaning “powerful ruler”.
Yaroslav: Meaning “glory of the sun”.
Vasily or Vasili: Meaning “royal”.
Venyamin or Veniamin: Meaning “son of the south”.
Vsevolod: Meaning “ruler of all”.
Vyacheslav or Viacheslav: Meaning “famous”.
Yakov or Yakob: Meaning “he who supplants”.
Yefim: Meaning “well-spoken”.
Yevgeny or Yevgen: Meaning “noble”.
Zakhar: Meaning “God has remembered”.

➡️ Want more? Check out our 100+ Russian Baby Boy Names

What is a common Russian boy name?

Some Russian baby boy names are found elsewhere around the world ‒ here are some of our favorite common Russian boy names:

Boris or Borys: Meaning “fighter”.
Dmitri or Dimitri: Meaning “earth lover”.
Dominik: Meaning “belongs to God”.
Eriks: Meaning “eternal ruler”.
Fyodor or Feodor: Meaning “gift from God”.
Grigory or Grigori: Meaning “watchful”.
Iosif or Josef: Meaning “God increases”.

What are some popular Russian names?

Let’s take a look at some of the more common Russian names you’ll find across the spanning country and further afield.

What are the most popular Russian baby girl names?

These popular Russian girls’ names are enchanting and on-trend, with a healthy heap of history and character thrown in for good measure:

Anastasia: A moniker fit for a princess, Anastasia is of Greek origin and means “resurrection.” Melodic and memorable, it was the most popular name in Russia until 2008, and still regularly makes the top 10.
Irina: Name meaning “peace”, with origins in Ancient Greece, Irina is a name of huge significance in Russian culture; it’s been given to two real-life Russian princesses, and Chekhov named one of the main characters Irina in his classic play Three Sisters.
Katerina: The Russian version of Katherine, which means “pure”, Katerina (or Ekaterina) is a lovely name with a number of intriguing variations. From Katya and Katrina to Katrinka and Karina, you’re bound to find one that fits your little peanut.
Yelena or Elena: A 2012 study of Russian social media accounts discovered that Yelena was the most popular girl’s name in the country. What does the name Yelena mean? “Shining light”.
Sofia: A mainstay in popular baby name lists, Sofia, which means “wisdom”, has top-tier Russian literature to thank for introducing it and its diminutive forms to the West. Prominent characters in both Crime and Punishment and War and Peace went by Sofia and the pet name Sonya (alternatively spelled Sonia or Sonja). FYI: A variation of Sofia (“Sophia”) pops up in our list of the most popular baby names on Peanut this year.

What about popular Russian baby boy names?

Like the girl names above, common Russian boy names trend towards the traditional as a rule. Many popular Russian names also have strong historical or religious connections.

Alexander: Year on year, Alexander sits near or at the top of baby name lists in Russia and beyond. Every inch a classic, it means “protector” or “defender of mankind”, and it’s another name with a range of variations. Aleksander and Aleksandr are great alternatives to a recognizable name.
Ivan: “A gift from God”, Ivan has been a go-to first name throughout Russian history. Interestingly, it’s the Slavic version of the Latin name Johannes, which in turn is related to the English name John.
Maxim, Maksym, or Maksim: Baby name variant of the name Maximilian, Maxim means “great” or “majestic” and can, of course, be shortened to the infinitely adorable Max.
Nikolai: Yet another name with a long and storied link to Slavic culture, the Russian name Nikolai can be written as Nikolay or Nicholai, with the diminutive form Kolya offering a unique and memorable nickname. It has its origins in Ancient Greece and means “victory of the people.”
Mikhail: If you like the name Michael but you still want something a little different, Mikhail (also Michail) could be a nice option. Popular in Russia thanks to the Eastern Orthodox Church.