Ukrainian Names
Ukrainian names blend Greek and Hebrew saints’ names, brought with Orthodox Christianity in the 10th century, with Old Slavic names of princes and warriors like Volodymyr, Yaroslav and Svyatoslav. They are written in Cyrillic and romanized in Ukrainian form — Oleksandr, not Aleksandr; Olha, not Olga; Mykola, not Nikolai — a difference many Ukrainians care about deeply.
This guide gives you more than 60 Ukrainian names with meanings, plus the diminutives families actually use. For bigger lists, see Ukrainian boy names, Ukrainian girl names and Ukrainian last names, or compare with neighboring Polish names.
Ukrainian Names: browse all lists
Popular Ukrainian boy names
Classic Christian names in their Ukrainian forms sit alongside proud Old Slavic names like Yaroslav and Bohdan. Browse the full list of Ukrainian boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Oleksandr | “Defender of the people” | Greek Alexandros |
| Andriy | “Manly, brave” | Greek Andreas |
| Mykola | “Victory of the people” | Greek Nikolaos |
| Dmytro | “Devoted to Demeter” | Greek |
| Serhiy | From the Roman family name Sergius | Latin |
| Volodymyr | “Great in power” or “ruler of the world” | Old Slavic |
| Yaroslav | “Fierce glory” | Old Slavic |
| Taras | Possibly “rebel” or from the Greek city Taras | Greek |
| Bohdan | “Given by God” | Slavic |
| Maksym | “Greatest” | Latin Maximus |
| Artem | “Safe, healthy”; linked with Artemis | Greek |
| Ivan | “God is gracious” | Hebrew via Greek |
| Petro | “Rock” | Greek Petros |
| Ostap | “Steady, firm” (from Eustathios) | Greek |
| Danylo | “God is my judge” | Hebrew |
Popular Ukrainian girl names
Soft endings in -a and -iya define Ukrainian girls’ names, and folk favorites like Solomiya and Yaryna are firmly back in fashion. See all Ukrainian girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Olena | “Torch, bright light” | Greek Helene |
| Oksana | “Hospitable” (from Xenia) | Greek |
| Iryna | “Peace” | Greek Eirene |
| Nataliya | “Born on Christmas” | Latin |
| Kateryna | “Pure” | Greek Aikaterine |
| Anastasiya | “Resurrection” | Greek |
| Sofiya | “Wisdom” | Greek |
| Solomiya | “Peace”; Ukrainian form of Salome | Hebrew |
| Yaryna | “Peace” (folk form of Iryna) | Greek via Ukrainian |
| Zlata | “Golden” | Slavic |
| Khrystyna | “Follower of Christ” | Greek |
| Mariya | Mary | Hebrew |
| Olha | “Holy, blessed” | Old Norse Helga |
| Daryna | “Gift” (folk form of Daria) | Persian via Greek |
| Viktoriya | “Victory” | Latin |
Names from Ukrainian history and Kyivan Rus’
The princes and saints of medieval Kyiv gave Ukraine many of its most enduring names.
| Name | Meaning | Historic figure |
|---|---|---|
| Svyatoslav | “Holy glory” | Svyatoslav I, warrior prince of Kyiv |
| Ihor | From Old Norse Ingvar | Prince Ihor of Kyiv; the epic Tale of Ihor’s Campaign |
| Borys | Possibly “fighter” or “snow leopard” | Saint Borys, martyred prince |
| Hlib | From Old Norse Guðleifr | Saint Hlib, Borys’s brother |
| Mstyslav | “Avenging glory” | Mstyslav the Great |
| Anna | “Grace” | Anna of Kyiv, queen of France |
| Roksolana | “Ruthenian woman” | Wife of Süleyman the Magnificent |
| Kyrylo | “Lordly” | Saint Cyril, creator of Slavic script |
Ukrainian nicknames and diminutives
Ukrainians rarely use a full name with friends. Affectionate forms often end in -ko, -chyk, -ka or -usya.
| Diminutive | Full name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sashko | Oleksandr | Also Sasha |
| Volodya | Volodymyr | Very common |
| Dima | Dmytro | Also Dmytryk |
| Kolya | Mykola | Classic |
| Ivanko | Ivan | Folk-tale feel |
| Petryk | Petro | Childlike, sweet |
| Olenka | Olena | Tender |
| Katrusya | Kateryna | Very Ukrainian diminutive |
| Marichka | Mariya | Popular in western Ukraine |
| Oksanka | Oksana | Affectionate |
| Yarynka | Yaryna | Playful |
| Lesya | Larysa | Poet Lesya Ukrainka’s pen name |
Common Ukrainian last names
The -enko ending (“son of”) is the classic Ukrainian surname marker. Read the full list of Ukrainian last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Shevchenko | “Son of the shoemaker/tailor” | After national poet Taras Shevchenko |
| Kovalenko | “Son of the blacksmith” | Among the most common |
| Bondarenko | “Son of the cooper” | Barrel maker |
| Tkachenko | “Son of the weaver” | Very common |
| Kravchenko | “Son of the tailor” | Very common |
| Melnyk | Miller | One of the most common of all |
| Boyko | From the Boyko highlanders; or “fighter” | Western Ukraine |
| Kovalchuk | “Son of the blacksmith” | -chuk is another patronymic ending |
| Oliynyk | Oil presser | Occupational |
| Tkachuk | “Son of the weaver” | Western form |
| Moroz | Frost | Nature nickname |
| Lysenko | “Son of the fox” or “bald man” | Composer Mykola Lysenko |
| Marchenko | “Son of Mark” | Patronymic |
| Savchenko | “Son of Sava” | Patronymic |
How to choose and spell Ukrainian names
- Use Ukrainian spellings. Official transliteration gives Oleksandr, Volodymyr, Kyiv and Olha. Russian forms (Aleksandr, Vladimir, Olga) can feel wrong to Ukrainians.
- Mind the “h.” Ukrainian has no hard G in most words, so Russian Igor becomes Ihor and Gleb becomes Hlib.
- Think about the diminutive. A baby named Kateryna will likely be called Katrusya or Katya — pick a name whose short forms you love.
- Consider the patronymic. Formally, a Ukrainian is First name + Patronymic + Surname, e.g. Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko.
- Look at neighbors too. Compare with Russian names and Polish names to see how the same saint’s name shifts across borders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common name in Ukraine?
Oleksandr is the most common male name in Ukraine, and Olena and Nataliya are among the most common female names. Among newborns, names like Sofiya, Anna, Solomiya, Maksym and Artem are popular.
How are Ukrainian names different from Russian names?
Many come from the same saints, but Ukrainian forms differ: Mykola (Nikolai), Oleksiy (Aleksei), Olha (Olga), Ihor (Igor). Ukrainian also has native names such as Taras, Ostap, Bohdan and Solomiya that are rare in Russia.
What does -enko mean in Ukrainian surnames?
The suffix -enko means “son of” or “descendant of.” Shevchenko, Kovalenko and Bondarenko all started as patronymics or trade-based family names.
Do Ukrainians use middle names?
Ukrainians use a patronymic rather than a middle name. It is formed from the father’s first name, like -ovych for men and -ivna for women: Ivanovych, Ivanivna.
What is a traditional Ukrainian girl name?
Oksana, Olena, Solomiya, Yaryna, Marichka and Lesya are all strongly associated with Ukrainian culture and folklore.