Russian Names
Russian names confuse many English readers for one simple reason: a single person can go by four or five versions of a name. Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin was Aleksandr to officials, Sasha to friends and Sashenka to his nanny. Once you know how first names, patronymics, surnames and diminutives fit together, Russian novels and family trees become much easier to follow.
This page explains the system with more than 70 names and their meanings. For full lists, see our Russian male names, Russian girl names and Russian last names. Neighboring traditions share many roots, so you may also enjoy Ukrainian names.
Russian Names: browse all lists
Popular Russian boy names
Most Russian male names come from Greek, Hebrew or Latin through the Orthodox Church, with a handful of native Slavic names. Our Russian male names page has 100 more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandr | Defender of men | Greek |
| Mikhail | Who is like God? | Hebrew |
| Maksim | Greatest | Latin |
| Artyom | Safe, healthy (from Artemios) | Greek |
| Lev | Lion | Russian (Leo) |
| Ivan | God is gracious | Hebrew (John) |
| Dmitry | Devoted to Demeter | Greek |
| Nikolai | Victory of the people | Greek |
| Sergei | From the Roman family Sergius | Latin |
| Vladimir | Ruler of the world, or great ruler | Slavic |
| Andrei | Manly, brave | Greek |
| Pavel | Small | Latin (Paul) |
| Yaroslav | Fierce glory | Slavic |
| Fyodor | Gift of God (Theodore) | Greek |
Popular Russian girl names
Russian girl names almost always end in -a or -ya. For our full list, see Russian girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Anastasia | Resurrection | Greek |
| Sofia | Wisdom | Greek |
| Maria | Russian form of Mary | Hebrew |
| Anna | Grace, favor | Hebrew |
| Alisa | Noble (Alice) | Germanic |
| Viktoria | Victory | Latin |
| Tatiana | From the Sabine king Titus Tatius | Latin |
| Yekaterina | Pure (Catherine) | Greek |
| Olga | Holy, blessed | Old Norse Helga |
| Natalia | Born on Christmas Day | Latin |
| Svetlana | Light, bright | Slavic |
| Vera | Faith | Russian |
| Lyudmila | Dear to the people | Slavic |
| Darya | Possesses good (Darius) | Persian |
Russian nicknames (diminutives) explained
Russians rarely use full first names among friends. Each name has a standard short form and several affectionate versions; this is why characters in Tolstoy seem to change names mid-chapter. See our cute nicknames for more pet names.
| Nickname | Full name | Affectionate forms |
|---|---|---|
| Sasha | Aleksandr / Aleksandra | Sashenka, Shura, Sanya |
| Misha | Mikhail | Mishka, Mishenka |
| Dima | Dmitry | Dimochka, Mitya |
| Vanya | Ivan | Vanechka, Vanyusha |
| Kolya | Nikolai | Kolenka |
| Volodya | Vladimir | Vova, Vovochka |
| Seryozha | Sergei | Seryozhenka |
| Petya | Pyotr | Petenka, Petrusha |
| Nastya | Anastasia | Nastenka, Asya |
| Masha | Maria | Mashenka, Manya |
| Katya | Yekaterina | Katyusha, Katenka |
| Tanya | Tatiana | Tanechka, Tanyusha |
| Natasha | Natalia | Natashenka, Tata |
| Sveta | Svetlana | Svetochka |
| Zhenya | Yevgeny / Yevgenia | Zhenechka |
Russian patronymics: the middle name from your father
Every Russian has a patronymic formed from the father’s first name: -ovich or -evich for sons and -ovna or -evna for daughters. Using first name plus patronymic (“Anna Pavlovna”) is the polite way to address an adult.
| Patronymic | Father’s name | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ivanovich / Ivanovna | Ivan | Anna Ivanovna, Empress of Russia |
| Sergeyevich / Sergeyevna | Sergei | Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin |
| Nikolayevich / Nikolayevna | Nikolai | Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy |
| Mikhailovich / Mikhailovna | Mikhail | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky |
| Ilyich / Ilyinichna | Ilya | Vladimir Ilyich Lenin; Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
| Pavlovich / Pavlovna | Pavel | Anton Pavlovich Chekhov |
| Petrovich / Petrovna | Pyotr | Yelizaveta Petrovna, Empress of Russia |
| Alekseyevich / Alekseyevna | Aleksei | Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin |
Common Russian surnames
Russian surnames usually end in -ov, -ev or -in and take an extra -a for women (Ivanov, Ivanova). Browse 100 more in our Russian last names guide.
| Surname | Meaning | Feminine form |
|---|---|---|
| Ivanov | Son of Ivan | Ivanova |
| Smirnov | Son of the quiet, meek one | Smirnova |
| Kuznetsov | Son of the blacksmith | Kuznetsova |
| Popov | Son of the priest | Popova |
| Petrov | Son of Pyotr | Petrova |
| Sokolov | Son of the falcon | Sokolova |
| Volkov | Son of the wolf | Volkova |
| Morozov | Son of Frost (a nickname) | Morozova |
| Lebedev | Son of the swan | Lebedeva |
| Novikov | Son of the newcomer | Novikova |
| Orlov | Son of the eagle | Orlova |
| Pushkin | From pushka, “cannon” | Pushkina |
Russian names from literature
Russian classics have given the world some unforgettable names, and many make distinctive choices for readers. Compare them with the saints’ names in our Greek names, where many started.
| Name | Meaning | Famous character |
|---|---|---|
| Rodion | Song of the hero, or “from Rhodes” | Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment |
| Alyosha | Diminutive of Aleksei, “defender” | The Brothers Karamazov |
| Pierre | French form of Pyotr, “rock” | Pierre Bezukhov in War and Peace |
| Levin | From Lev, “lion” | Konstantin Levin in Anna Karenina |
| Yevgeny | Well-born | Eugene Onegin |
| Arkady | From Arcadia; peaceful | Fathers and Sons |
| Nadezhda | Hope | Russian virtue name |
| Lara | Diminutive of Larisa | Doctor Zhivago |
| Sonya | Diminutive of Sofia, “wisdom” | War and Peace; Crime and Punishment |
| Nina | Possibly Georgian or from Anna | The Seagull by Chekhov |
Tips for using Russian names
- Know the stress. Russian stress is unpredictable: it’s nah-TAH-sha, not NAT-a-sha, and TAHN-ya, not TAN-ya.
- Match the ending to gender. Surnames and patronymics change for women: Ivanov becomes Ivanova, and Sergeyevich becomes Sergeyevna.
- Use diminutives with care. Sasha or Masha are friendly; forms like Sashka or Mashka can sound rude or overly casual from a stranger.
- Transliteration varies. Aleksandr, Alexander, Yekaterina and Ekaterina are all correct; pick one spelling and use it consistently.
- For a baby name in English, names like Mila, Nina, Vera, Lev and Nikolai are easy for English speakers and authentically Russian.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Russian name?
Aleksandr, Mikhail, Maksim and Artyom are among the most popular boy names in Russia, while Sofia, Maria, Anna and Alisa lead for girls.
Why do Russian names have so many versions?
Russian uses diminutives constantly. A formal name like Aleksandr has an everyday short form (Sasha) and many affectionate or casual variants (Sashenka, Shura), used depending on closeness and situation.
What is a patronymic in Russian?
It is a middle name taken from the father’s first name, ending in -ovich/-evich for men and -ovna/-evna for women. Pushkin’s father was Sergei, so he was Aleksandr Sergeyevich.
Why do Russian women’s last names end in -a?
Russian surnames are adjectives or possessives that agree with gender. The feminine form adds -a, so Ivanov’s wife and daughter are Ivanova.
Is Sasha a boy or girl name in Russia?
Both. Sasha is the everyday short form of Aleksandr (male) and Aleksandra (female).