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Russian names are strong, elegant, and deeply meaningful. Many are inspired by saints, royalty, nature, and virtues. A typical Russian full name includes a given name, a patronymic (based on the father’s name), and a family surname—making the naming tradition uniquely rich and layered.
In this article, you’ll discover 100 Russian names—male, female, and unisex—each with its origin and meaning. Whether you’re naming a baby, writing a story, or exploring your roots, this list offers beautiful inspiration from Russian culture.
Popular Russian Girl Names and Their Meanings
Anastasia – “Resurrection”
Tatiana – “Fairy queen” or “honorable”
Ekaterina – Russian form of Catherine; “pure”
Natalia – “Christmas Day”
Daria – “Wealthy” or “possessing good”
Irina – “Peace”
Elena – “Shining light”
Svetlana – “Light” or “radiance”
Olga – “Holy” or “blessed”
Galina – “Calm” or “serenity”
Viktoria – “Victory”
Alina – “Bright” or “noble”
Polina – “Little stone” or diminutive of Apollinaria
Yulia – Russian form of Julia; “youthful”
Ludmila – “Loved by the people”
Zoya – “Life”
Margarita – “Pearl”
Kseniya – “Hospitable”
Lyudmila – “Dear to the people”
Milana – “Gracious” or “beloved”
Popular Russian Boy Names and Their Meanings
Ivan – “God is gracious”
Dmitry – “Devoted to Demeter,” goddess of fertility
Alexei – “Defender” or “protector”
Nikolai – “Victory of the people”
Mikhail – “Who is like God?”
Sergey – Possibly “guardian” or “servant”
Yuri – “Farmer” or “earthworker”
Viktor – “Victor” or “conqueror”
Roman – “Citizen of Rome”
Andrei – “Manly” or “warrior”
Maxim – “Greatest”
Pavel – “Humble”
Oleg – “Holy” or “blessed”
Leonid – “Lion-like”
Timofey – “Honoring God”
Fyodor – “Gift of God”
Boris – “Battle” or “fighter”
Arkady – “Of Arcadia” (a peaceful place)
Igor – “Warrior of peace”
Stepan – “Crown” or “garland”
Unisex and Gender-Neutral Russian Names
Sasha – Short form of Aleksandr or Aleksandra
Zhenya – Diminutive of Yevgeny or Yevgeniya; “noble”
Valya – Short for Valentin or Valentina; “strong, healthy”
Vasya – Short for Vasily or Vasilisa; “kingly” or “royal”
Mischa – Diminutive of Mikhail; also used for girls
Danya – From Daniil or Darya; “God is my judge”
Nikta – Gender-neutral name meaning “unconquerable”
Yura – Short for Yuri; used informally for both genders
Lenya – From Leonid or Elena; “lion-like” or “light”
Sasha-Lee – Modern, blended form used across genders
Elegant and Traditional Russian Names
Vasilisa – “Queen” or “royal”
Bogdan – “Gift from God”
Marina – “Of the sea”
Rodion – “Heroic”
Feodora – “God’s gift” (feminine)
Evgeny – “Noble” or “well-born”
Veronika – “True image”
Stanislav – “Glorious government” or “fame”
Lidiya – “From Lydia,” a region in ancient Greece
Grigory – “Watchful” or “vigilant”
Short and Sweet Russian Names
Lena – Short for Elena
Vika – Diminutive of Viktoria
Ilya – “The Lord is my God”
Nina – “Little girl” or “dreamer”
Alik – Short for Aleksandr
Tanya – Diminutive of Tatiana
Vera – “Faith”
Rina – Short form of Irina
Gena – Short form of Yevgeny or Evgeniya
Roma – Diminutive of Roman
Modern and Trendy Russian Names
Milena – “Gracious”
Kirill – “Lordly” or “masterful”
Artem – “Unharmed” or “safe”
Liana – “To climb like a vine”
Yan – Russian form of John
Alisa – “Noble”
Vlad – “Ruler” or “to rule”
Tima – Short for Timofey
Raisa – “Easy-going” or “graceful”
Mira – “Peace” or “world”
Rare and Beautiful Russian Names
Zlata – “Golden”
Gavriil – Russian form of Gabriel
Yelena – Older version of Elena
Anfisa – “Flowering” or “blossoming”
Rodion – Rare masculine name meaning “heroic”
Dina – “Judged”
Yaroslav – “Fierce and glorious”
Luba – “Love”
Olesya – “Defender of man”
Timur – “Iron”; of Turkic origin, popular in Russia
Names from Russian Literature and History
Larisa – Popularized by Doctor Zhivago
Lev – “Lion”; Leo Tolstoy’s real name
Tatiana – From Eugene Onegin, a classic character
Aleksei – From The Brothers Karamazov
Raskolnikov – From Crime and Punishment
Vladimir – “Ruler of the world”; also Lenin’s real name
Anna – Central character in Anna Karenina
Fedor – Alternative form of Fyodor
Dostoyevsky – Legendary Russian author
Pushkin – Iconic poet; also used as a surname-style name
Russian names are powerful, poetic, and full of meaning. Whether you’re drawn to the timeless charm of names like Anastasia, the heroic flair of Alexander, or the lyrical beauty of Milena, each name carries deep roots in faith, family, and identity. This list of 100 Russian names and their meanings offers a glimpse into a rich cultural tradition that continues to inspire around the world.
