Russian Male Names
Russian male names tend to fall into two families. The larger one arrived with Orthodox Christianity at the end of the tenth century and comes from Greek, Hebrew and Latin saints’ names: Aleksandr, Mikhail, Nikolai. The smaller, older family is native Slavic, built from words like slava (glory), mir (peace, world) and vlad (rule): Vladimir, Yaroslav, Svyatoslav.
Below are 100 Russian boy names with their meanings, grouped by style, plus the everyday nicknames that go with them. Want the full picture of patronymics and diminutives? Start at our Russian names guide, or browse Russian girl names and Ukrainian boy names, which share many roots.
Popular Russian boy names today
These names are among the most frequently chosen for newborn boys in Russia in recent years. Several classic names have come back into fashion after decades on the sidelines.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandr | Defender of men | Greek |
| Mikhail | Who is like God? | Hebrew |
| Maksim | Greatest | Latin |
| Artyom | Safe, unharmed (Artemios) | Greek |
| Lev | Lion | Russian form of Leo |
| Mark | Of Mars | Latin |
| Ivan | God is gracious | Hebrew (John) |
| Matvey | Gift of God (Matthew) | Hebrew |
| Dmitry | Devoted to Demeter | Greek |
| Daniil | God is my judge | Hebrew |
| Timofey | Honoring God (Timothy) | Greek |
| Kirill | Lordly (Cyril) | Greek |
| Roman | Roman, from Rome | Latin |
| Yegor | Farmer; folk form of Georgy | Greek |
| Fyodor | Gift of God (Theodore) | Greek |
| Nikita | Victor, unconquered | Greek |
| Andrei | Manly, brave | Greek |
| Ilya | Yahweh is God (Elijah) | Hebrew |
| Sergei | From the Roman family Sergius | Latin |
| Aleksei | Defender, helper | Greek |
| Arseny | Masculine, virile | Greek |
| Makar | Blessed, happy | Greek |
Old Slavic names for boys
Native Slavic names were once the names of princes and warriors. Their meanings are built from recognizable roots, which makes them popular with parents wanting a distinctly Slavic name; Polish boy names use many of the same ones.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Vladimir | Great ruler, or ruler of the world | St. Vladimir baptized Kievan Rus’ |
| Yaroslav | Fierce, bright glory | Yaroslav the Wise |
| Svyatoslav | Holy glory | Warrior prince of the 900s |
| Vyacheslav | Greater glory | Nickname Slava |
| Stanislav | Becoming glorious | Nickname Stas |
| Rostislav | Growing glory | Medieval princely name |
| Bogdan | Given by God | Also common in Ukraine |
| Mstislav | Glorious vengeance | Mstislav the Great |
| Vsevolod | Ruler of all | Vsevolod the Big Nest |
| Borislav | Battle glory | Also Serbian and Bulgarian |
| Radomir | Joyful peace | Soft and uncommon |
| Lyubomir | Love of peace | Romantic and rare |
| Miroslav | Peaceful glory | Popular across Slavic lands |
| Yaropolk | Fierce army | Early prince of Kyiv |
Classic Orthodox and saints’ names
The church calendar supplied most Russian names for centuries, and a child was often named for the saint whose feast fell near the birth. Many of these came from Greek boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Nikolai | Victory of the people | Greek |
| Pavel | Small (Paul) | Latin |
| Pyotr | Rock (Peter) | Greek |
| Georgy | Farmer (George) | Greek |
| Grigory | Watchful | Greek |
| Vasily | Royal, kingly (Basil) | Greek |
| Yakov | Supplanter (Jacob) | Hebrew |
| Semyon | He has heard (Simeon) | Hebrew |
| Konstantin | Constant, steadfast | Latin |
| Leonid | Son of a lion | Greek |
| Anatoly | Sunrise, from the east | Greek |
| Innokenty | Innocent | Latin |
| Afanasy | Immortal (Athanasius) | Greek |
| Savva | Old man, or “Sabbath” | Aramaic |
| Zakhar | God remembers (Zachary) | Hebrew |
| Tikhon | Lucky, fortunate | Greek |
| Serafim | Fiery ones (seraphim) | Hebrew |
| Platon | Broad-shouldered (Plato) | Greek |
Familiar 20th-century Russian names
These were everywhere in the Soviet era and still sound very Russian to English ears, partly thanks to cosmonauts, athletes and chess champions.
| Name | Meaning | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Boris | Possibly “fighter” or from Bulgar | Boris Pasternak, novelist |
| Yury | Russian form of George | Yuri Gagarin, first man in space |
| Oleg | Holy (Old Norse Helgi) | Oleg of Novgorod |
| Igor | Old Norse Ingvar, “Ing’s warrior” | Igor Stravinsky, composer |
| Vadim | Possibly “to lure” or “to argue” | A legendary Novgorod rebel |
| Gennady | Noble, generous | Figure skating and hockey coaches |
| Valery | Strong, healthy | Valery Kharlamov, hockey legend |
| Vitaly | Life, vital | Vitaly Klitschko (Ukrainian) |
| Viktor | Victor, conqueror | Viktor Tsoi, rock musician |
| Garry | From Harry / Harold | Garry Kasparov, chess champion |
| Anton | From the Roman family Antonius | Anton Chekhov |
| Gleb | Old Norse Gudleifr, “heir of God” | St. Gleb, Russia’s first saints |
Russian boy nicknames and short forms
The everyday form you hear at school, at home and in novels. Most full names have one standard diminutive; see our Russian names guide for how they work.
| Nickname | Full name | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Sasha | Aleksandr | Neutral, very common |
| Misha | Mikhail | Friendly; also the 1980 Olympic bear |
| Dima | Dmitry | Neutral |
| Vanya | Ivan | Warm, folksy |
| Kolya | Nikolai | Friendly |
| Petya | Pyotr | Boyish, affectionate |
| Kostya | Konstantin | Friendly |
| Seryozha | Sergei | Affectionate |
| Lyosha | Aleksei | Friendly |
| Volodya | Vladimir | Friendly; Vova is more casual |
| Grisha | Grigory | Friendly |
| Pasha | Pavel | Friendly |
| Tolya | Anatoly | Friendly |
| Zhenya | Yevgeny | Unisex; also for Yevgenia |
| Vitya | Viktor | Friendly |
| Slava | Vyacheslav, Yaroslav, Stanislav | From slava, “glory” |
Rare and vintage Russian boy names
Old-fashioned names from the 1800s that some parents are reviving. They feel distinctive, a bit like choosing Ezra or Silas in English; more ideas in our old-fashioned boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yefim | Well-disposed, kind (Euphemios) | Greek |
| Prokhor | Leader of the dance | Greek |
| Arkady | From Arcadia; blissful | Greek |
| Yermolai | People of Hermes | Greek |
| Foma | Twin (Thomas) | Aramaic |
| Luka | Man from Lucania (Luke) | Latin |
| Ignat | Fiery (Ignatius) | Latin |
| Rodion | Song of the hero, or “from Rhodes” | Greek |
| Yevgeny | Well-born (Eugene) | Greek |
| Filipp | Lover of horses | Greek |
| Demid | Counsel of Zeus (Diomedes) | Greek |
| Elisey | God is salvation (Elisha) | Hebrew |
| Nazar | Consecrated, from Nazareth | Hebrew |
| Kuzma | Order, beauty (Cosmas) | Greek |
| Trofim | Nourished, foster child | Greek |
| Mefody | Method, pursuit (Methodius) | Greek |
| Nikon | Victory | Greek |
| Yemelyan | Rival, eager (Aemilianus) | Latin |
How to choose a Russian boy name
- Plan the patronymic. In Russia the middle name is the father’s name + -ovich/-evich, so Lev Nikolayevich or Fyodor Mikhailovich. Make sure the pair flows.
- Check the stress. It’s mee-kha-EEL, di-MEE-tree and ni-KEE-ta. English speakers often stress the wrong syllable.
- Know the nickname. Choosing Vladimir means your son will likely be Volodya or Vova to friends; Aleksandr means Sasha.
- Pick a transliteration. Dmitry, Dmitri and Dmitrii are all common; English-speaking parents often prefer the spelling that looks simplest.
- For an English-speaking family, Lev, Mark, Roman, Nikita, Ilya and Gleb are short and pronounceable while staying clearly Russian.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Russian boy name?
Aleksandr, Mikhail, Maksim, Artyom and Lev are among the most popular boy names in Russia in recent years.
What are strong Russian male names?
Lev (“lion”), Leonid (“son of a lion”), Vladimir (“great ruler”), Maksim (“greatest”), Yaroslav (“fierce glory”) and Viktor (“conqueror”) all have powerful meanings.
Is Nikita a boy’s name in Russia?
Yes. Nikita is a traditional male name in Russia, from Greek Niketas, “unconquered.” Its use as a girl’s name is mainly a Western habit.
What does -slav mean in Russian names?
It comes from slava, “glory” or “fame.” Yaroslav means “fierce glory” and Stanislav “becoming glorious.”
What are old Russian names for boys?
Svyatoslav, Vsevolod, Mstislav and Yaropolk are Old Slavic princely names, while Afanasy, Yefim, Prokhor and Foma are vintage Orthodox names from the 1800s.