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Top 100 Adorable Girl Names for Your Baby in 2025
Russian last names are rich in history, symbolism, and language. Often formed from patronymics, occupations, or places, these surnames carry stories of family lineage, profession, or traits. A distinctive feature of Russian surnames is their gendered forms—most names have masculine and feminine versions (e.g., Ivanov/Ivanova).
Whether you’re researching ancestry, writing characters, or simply exploring Russian culture, this list of 100 Russian last names and their meanings provides a meaningful glimpse into Russian heritage.
Common Russian Last Names and Meanings
Ivanov / Ivanova – “Son/daughter of Ivan”; equivalent to “Johnson”
Petrov / Petrova – “Son/daughter of Peter”
Sidorov / Sidorova – From the name Sidor; “gift of Isis”
Smirnov / Smirnova – From smirny, meaning “quiet” or “peaceful”
Kuznetsov / Kuznetsova – “Blacksmith”
Popov / Popova – “Son of a priest”
Volkov / Volkova – “Wolf”
Sokolov / Sokolova – “Falcon”
Lebedev / Lebedeva – “Swan”
Morozov / Morozova – “Frost”
Patronymic-Based Russian Last Names
Alexeyev / Alexeyeva – “Son/daughter of Alexey”
Dmitriev / Dmitrieva – “Son/daughter of Dmitry”
Nikitin / Nikitina – “Son/daughter of Nikita”
Andreev / Andreeva – “Son/daughter of Andrei”
Sergeyev / Sergeyeva – “Son/daughter of Sergey”
Yakovlev / Yakovleva – “Son/daughter of Yakov (Jacob)”
Vasiliev / Vasilieva – “Son/daughter of Vasily”
Mikhailov / Mikhailova – “Son/daughter of Mikhail”
Fyodorov / Fyodorova – “Son/daughter of Fyodor”
Nazarov / Nazarova – “Son/daughter of Nazar”
Occupational Russian Last Names
Melnikov / Melnikova – “Miller”
Plotnikov / Plotnikova – “Carpenter”
Pekarov / Pekarova – “Baker”
Rybakov / Rybakova – “Fisherman”
Kovalev / Kovaleva – “Smith” or “metal worker”
Portnov / Portnova – “Tailor”
Zverev / Zvereva – “Beast handler” or “animal tamer”
Goncharov / Goncharova – “Potter”
Sadovnikov / Sadovnikova – “Gardener”
Ovchinnikov / Ovchinnikova – “Shepherd” or “wool worker”
Nature-Inspired Russian Last Names
Sorokin / Sorokina – “Magpie”
Medvedev / Medvedeva – “Bear”
Zaitsev / Zaitseva – “Hare”
Lisin / Lisina – “Fox”
Tsvetkov / Tsvetkova – “Flower”
Karpov / Karpova – “Carp (fish)”
Orlov / Orlova – “Eagle”
Bykov / Bykova – “Bull”
Gusev / Guseva – “Goose”
Baranov / Baranova – “Ram” or “sheep”
Noble and Historical Russian Last Names
Romanov / Romanova – The royal family name; “of Roman”
Rasputin – Controversial mystic; possibly means “crossroads”
Tolstoy – Noble family; means “fat” or “stout”
Chekhov – Literary surname; origin uncertain
Turgenev – Noble surname; “turga” means “hefty” or “thick”
Dostoevsky – From Dostoevo village; associated with the writer
Lermontov – Noble Scottish-Russian family
Bakunin – “Son of Bakun”; revolutionary lineage
Sheremetev – Aristocratic family name of unknown meaning
Gagarin – From gagara, a water bird; surname of the first cosmonaut
Military and Heroic Russian Last Names
Zhukov / Zhukova – “Beetle”; surname of Marshal Georgy Zhukov
Tikhonov / Tikhonova – “Quiet”
Karpushin / Karpushina – Possibly a diminutive of Karp
Borodin / Borodina – “Fighter” or “wrestler”
Kalashnikov – Inventor of the AK-47; from Kalashnik, meaning “breadmaker”
Suvorov / Suvorova – Famous general’s name
Skobelev / Skobeleva – Linked to a 19th-century general
Ushakov / Ushakova – Naval commander’s surname
Chkalov / Chkalova – Pioneer aviator
Nevsky – From Alexander Nevsky; linked to the Neva River
Unique and Rare Russian Last Names
Yusupov / Yusupova – Noble Tatar-Russian family
Kharlamov / Kharlamova – Possibly from “Karl,” meaning “man”
Sinyavsky / Sinyavskaya – From “blue” or “azure”
Aksyonov / Aksyonova – Possibly from Aksyon, a dialectical form
Krestov / Krestova – “Cross”
Zlobin / Zlobina – From zloba, meaning “anger”
Morozkin / Morozkina – Diminutive of Moroz, “frost”
Garanin / Garanina – May mean “guard” or “protector”
Yermakov / Yermakova – “Son of Yermak,” a folk hero
Savchenko – Ukrainian-origin name meaning “son of Savka”
Religious and Spiritual Russian Last Names
Bogdanov / Bogdanova – “Gift of God”
Svyatlov / Svyatlova – “Holy” or “light”
Blagov / Blagova – “Kind” or “blessed”
Chudov / Chudova – “Miraculous”
Khristov / Khristova – “Of Christ”
Spasov / Spasova – “Savior”
Preobrazhensky / Preobrazhenskaya – “Transfiguration”
Bogolyubov / Bogolyubova – “Lover of God”
Paskalov / Paskalova – “Of Easter”
Troitsky / Troitskaya – “Trinity”
Modern and Fiction-Friendly Russian Last Names
Dragunov / Dragunova – “Of the dragoons”; also a sniper rifle model
Barinov / Barinova – “Lord” or “master”
Radin / Radina – From radost, “joy”
Zorin / Zorina – From zarya, “dawn”
Vedenin / Vedenina – “Knowledgeable”
Glazkov / Glazkova – “Eye” or “sharp-eyed”
Kravtsov / Kravtsova – “Tailor”
Lazarev / Lazareva – From Lazarus, meaning “God has helped”
Oktyabrsky / Oktyabrskaya – “Of October”; often political or commemorative
Rudnev / Rudneva – Possibly from “ore” or “metal”
Russian Last Names with International Recognition
Pavlov / Pavlova – “Son/daughter of Pavel”; known from ballerina Anna Pavlova
Tchaikovsky – Famous composer; root means “seam” or “border”
Rachmaninoff – Renowned pianist and composer
Prokofiev – Another celebrated Russian composer
Shostakovich – 20th-century musical giant
Gorbachev – Former Soviet president
Putin – Current president; origin unclear
Lenin – Revolutionary pseudonym derived from the Lena River
Stalin – “Man of steel”
Trotsky – Revolutionary name derived from a Polish surname
Russian last names reveal family lineage, cultural values, and even personality traits. Whether grounded in nature, religion, or noble heritage, these surnames tell stories of a vast and complex history. From common names like Ivanov to rare gems like Bogolyubov, this list of 100 Russian last names and their meanings offers a fascinating look into identity, tradition, and language.
