Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
Our list of Slavic baby names for your girl or boy offers a variety of options from countries across Eastern Europe. Read on!
Slavic names come from a few different countries across central and eastern Europe.
East Slavic names come from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus; West Slavic names come from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and parts of western Germany; and South Slavic names come from Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia.
Hailing from such a vast region—and one filled with such culture and history, too—Slavic baby names offer a wealth of inspiration.
Maybe you’re looking for cool Russian names like Akim, Ivan, or Vladimir, or you feel drawn toward more Southern Slavic names like Dusan, Jasenka, Lala, and Mirce.
Whatever strikes your fancy, we’ve got you covered.
In this article 📝
- A note on Slavic names
- 25 beautiful Slavic girl names
- 25 beautiful Slavic boy names
- Gender-neutral Eastern European names
- Names from Slavic folklore
- Popular Slavic names: the extended list
A note on Slavic names
Slavic names are often gendered, with female names ending in an -a and male versions with a consonant.
This isn’t always the case, but it’s a helpful guide.
Jadrana and Jadran, Miloslav and Miloslava, Valentin and Valentina, and Valeriy and Valeriya are examples of this.
25 beautiful Slavic girl names
Here are a few popular Slavic girls’ names and their meanings.
- Alina. “Nobile” and “kind”; “bright” and “beautiful.”
- Alyona. A diminutive of Helena, Alyona means “light.”
- Ani. “Very beautiful.”
- Chessa. “Peaceful.”
- Danica. “Morning star.”
- Dragana. “Beloved.”
- Gavraila. “God is my strength.”
- Iva. “God is gracious.”
- Jadrana. A reference to the Adriatic Sea.
- Jasenka. “Clear” and “sharp.”
- Lala. This name also has Hawaiian and Arabic roots. Its Slavic meaning is “tulip.”
- Leena. “Light”
- Milena. “Favored”
- Misha. “Who is like God”
- Nadia. “Hope.”
- Radoslava. “Happy glory.”
- Raina. “Queen”
- Sable. “Black”
- Slavica. “Glory”
- Sonia. “Wisdom”
- Stanislava. “One who has achieved glory”
- Valeriya. “Healthy and cheerful.”
- Vera. “Faith”; “truth”
- Zaria. “Princess.”
- Zoya. “Life.”
25 beautiful Slavic boy names
And here are a few options for your baby boy.
- Admetos. “Wild”; “one who cannot be tamed.”
- Akim. “God establishes.”
- Andrei. “Manly”; “brave”
- Bohumil. “Favored by God.”
- Dimas. A variant of Demetrius.
- Dragan. “Beloved”
- Dusan. “Soul”
- Filip. “Horse lover”
- Floryan. “Flower.”
- Gavrail. This Slavic form of Gabriel means “God is my strength.”
- Ivan. “God is gracious.”
- Jovan. “Majestic”
- Laszlo. “Glorious rule.”
- Miko. A form of Michael, Miko means “who is like God.”
- Maksim. “The greatest”
- Miloslav. “Lover of glory”
- Mirce. “Peace”
- Mylo. “Soldier”; “merciful” or “easy to please.”
- Radoslav. “Happy glory”
- Raivis. A variant of Raivo, Raivis means “fury.”
- Rurik. “Noted ruler”
- Stanislav. “One who has achieved glory.”
- Valentin. “Strong and healthy.”
- Vlasta. “Homeland.”
- Yakov. “Supplanter.”
Gender-neutral Eastern European names
Unsure if you’re having a boy or a girl, or prefer to have a name that doesn’t immediately fall into one category or the other? Browse through the following gender-neutral Slavic names.
- Damyan. “To tame or subdue.”
- Ivica. “God is gracious.” Ivica is typically feminine in the Czech Republic and Slovakia but gender-neutral elsewhere.
- Kaja. “Manly.” Kaja is shortened version of Karolina or Karl. It’s gender-neutral in the Czech Republic but tends to be used for girls in Poland and Slovenia.
- Kass. “Famous destroyer of peace.”
- Mira. “Peace.” Mira is short for Miroslav and Miroslava, or any of the popular Slavic baby names that end in -mir or -mira.
- Nikola. “Victory of the people.” Southern Slavic countries use Nikola for boys, while Western Slavic countries are more likely to use it for girls.
- Sasa. “Defender of mankind.” Sasa is often used as a nickname for Aleksander or Aleksandra, both of which are hugely popular.
- Stana. “Stand”; “become.”
- Valya. “Strong and healthy.” Valya is used as a nickname for the Slavic baby names Valentin and Valentina.
- Vanya. “God is gracious.” Vanya is a common pet name for Ivan and Ivana.
- Verdell. “Truth”
- Zhenya. “Noble aristocrat.” It’s short for Yevgeniy and Yevgeniya.
Names from Slavic folklore
Are stories, mythology, and folklore your thing? Maybe your baby’s name is listed below!
- Bozic. (Boy) “Little god”—of which there were many in traditional folklore.
- Jarilo. (Boy) The Slavic god of the Spring.
- Koleda. (Girl) A Slavic goddess of the New Year.
- Marta. (Girl) Baba Marta is a mythological being from Bulgarian folklore.
- Marzanna. (Girl) The Polish name of the ancient Slavic goddess of winter.
- Perun. (Boy) “Thunder,” and the name of a god of lightning.
- Svantovit. (Boy) “Blessed sight,” and the god of light and war.
- Volos. (Boy) This god of cattle is also associated with poetry and wealth.
- Zaria. (Girl) The goddess of beauty in Slavic mythology. Zaria also means “rose” in Arabic and “princess” in Hebrew.
- Ziva. (Girl) The name of the Slavic goddess of life.
Popular Slavic names: the extended list
Still can’t quite find what you’re looking for? Take a look at our extended list.
- Aleksandra (girl)
- Aleksander (boy)
- Anatol (boy)
- Andrej (boy)
- Andrik (boy)
- Anton (boy)
- Arron (boy)
- Bogdan (boy)
- Bohdana (girl)
- Bolodenka (boy)
- Boris (boy)
- Borysko (boy)
- Branka (girl)
- Brina (girl)
- Brodny (boy)
- Bronislawa (girl)
- Casimir (boy)
- Cestmir (boy)
- Conrad (boy)
- Danika (girl)
- Darko (boy)
- Dimetrius (boy)
- Dimitri (boy)
- Dimka (boy)
- Drago (boy)
- Elgiva (girl)
- Ellga (girl)
- Fadey (boy)
- Gurij (boy)
- Ilke (girl)
- Ivana (girl)
- Ivanka (girl)
- Ivanna (girl)
- Jaris (boy)
- Jarmila (girl)
- Jelena (girl)
- Laverna (girl)
- Kalena (girl)
- Kaleena (girl)
- Karel (boy)
- Karol (boy)
- Karli (girl)
- Karlie (girl)
- Karolina (girl)
- Karoline (girl)
- Kum (girl)
- Laima (girl)
- Lel (boy)
- Lepa (girl)
- Lidah (girl)
- Lubomira (girl)
- Luka (boy)
- Mateja (boy)
- Mileena (girl)
- Mircea (boy)
- Miran (girl)
- Mirek (boy)
- Myrene (girl)
- Natalya (girl)
- Nedi (girl)
- Niko (boy)
- Oksana (girl)
- Oleg (boy)
- Pepa (boy)
- Radim (boy)
- Raimond (boy)
- Radmilla (girl)
- Radomir (boy)
- Redmilla (girl)
- Royko (boy)
- Sagan (boy)
- Senka (boy)
- Slavko (girl)
- Stannes (boy)
- Stanislaus (boy)
- Stasio (boy)
- Tesla (girl)
- Toon (boy)
- Toshka (girl)
- Tosiya (girl)
- Urmat (boy)
- Vasska (boy)
- Verdie (girl)
- Verene (girl)
- Verka (girl)
- Verla (girl)
- Vladimir (boy)
- Wonnda (girl)
- Yasha (boy)
- Zan (boy)
- Zandro (boy)
- Zivka (girl)
- Zorah (girl)
Happy naming, mama!
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