Ukrainian Boy Names
Ukrainian boy names carry centuries of history in a few syllables. Some come from the princes of medieval Kyiv, like Volodymyr and Yaroslav; many more are Greek and Hebrew saints’ names reshaped by the Ukrainian language, so Nicholas becomes Mykola and Gregory becomes Hryhoriy. Here are 90 Ukrainian boy names with meanings, grouped from today’s favorites to Old Slavic and Cossack classics.
We give the Ukrainian spelling (not the Russian one) and pronunciation for the trickier names. For sisters, see Ukrainian girl names, learn how patronymics and family names work on our Ukrainian names page, or compare the Russian male names list.
Popular Ukrainian boy names today
These names regularly appear at the top of newborn lists published by Ukraine’s justice ministry and city registry offices. Stress marks are shown in capitals.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Maksym | mahk-SIM | “Greatest” (Latin Maximus) |
| Artem | ar-TEM | “Safe, sound”; linked with Artemis |
| Oleksandr | o-lek-SAHN-dr | “Defender of the people” |
| Mykyta | mi-KI-ta | “Victor” (Greek Niketas) |
| Matviy | mat-VEEY | “Gift of God” (Matthew) |
| Denys | de-NIS | From Dionysus |
| Danylo | da-NI-lo | “God is my judge” (Daniel) |
| Mark | mark | From Mars, Roman god of war |
| Ivan | i-VAHN | “God is gracious” (John) |
| Tymofiy | ti-MO-fiy | “Honoring God” (Timothy) |
| Bohdan | boh-DAHN | “Given by God” |
| Davyd | da-VID | “Beloved” (David) |
| Andriy | an-DREEY | “Manly, brave” (Andrew) |
| Nazar | na-ZAR | “Consecrated” (Nazarius) |
| Illia | il-LYA | “My God is Yahweh” (Elijah) |
Classic Ukrainian boy names
The names of fathers and grandfathers — Greek, Latin and Hebrew saints’ names in Ukrainian dress.
| Name | Meaning | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Mykola | “Victory of the people” | Nicholas |
| Dmytro | “Devoted to Demeter” | Demetrius |
| Serhiy | From the Roman name Sergius | Sergius |
| Petro | “Rock” | Peter |
| Vasyl | “Royal, kingly” | Basil |
| Hryhoriy | “Watchful” | Gregory |
| Yuriy | “Farmer” (from George) | George |
| Oleh | “Holy” (Old Norse Helgi) | Oleg |
| Viktor | “Conqueror” | Victor |
| Anatoliy | “Sunrise, the east” | Anatoly |
| Stepan | “Crown, garland” | Stephen |
| Mykhailo | “Who is like God?” | Michael |
| Fedir | “Gift of God” | Theodore |
| Leonid | “Lion-like” | Leonidas |
| Ihor | From Old Norse Ingvar | Igor |
| Kostiantyn | “Steadfast, constant” | Constantine |
| Valentyn | “Strong, healthy” | Valentine |
| Valeriy | “To be strong” | Valery |
| Anton | From the Roman family Antonius | Anthony |
| Myron | “Myrrh, fragrant oil” | Myron |
Old Slavic Ukrainian boy names
Built from Slavic roots like slava (glory), myr (peace, world) and volod (rule), these names go back to the princes of Kyivan Rus’. For similar strength, see names that mean strength.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Volodymyr | “Great in power” or “ruler of the world” | Volodymyr the Great baptized Kyivan Rus’ |
| Yaroslav | “Fierce glory” | Yaroslav the Wise, lawgiver of Kyiv |
| Svyatoslav | “Holy glory” | A warrior prince of Kyiv |
| Myroslav | “Peace and glory” | Popular in western Ukraine |
| Stanislav | “Becoming glorious” | Shared with Poland |
| Vladyslav | “Rule of glory” | Diminutive Vlad |
| Rostyslav | “Growing glory” | Prince Rostyslav of Kyiv |
| Vsevolod | “Ruler of all” | Medieval princely name |
| Yaropolk | “Fierce regiment” | Son of Svyatoslav |
| Bronyslav | “Protecting glory” | Uncommon, strong |
| Liubomyr | “Love and peace” | Warm and gentle |
| Radomyr | “Glad peace” | Rare and melodic |
| Dobrynya | “Good, kind” | Hero of the epic byliny |
| Mstyslav | “Avenging glory” | Mstyslav the Great |
| Zoreslav | “Glory of the stars” | Poetic and rare |
Traditional Cossack and folk names
These names feel deeply Ukrainian — the stuff of Cossack songs, village life and Gogol’s Taras Bulba.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Taras | Possibly “rebel” or “troubled” | National poet Taras Shevchenko |
| Ostap | “Steady, firm” (Eustathius) | Ostap, son of Taras Bulba |
| Kyrylo | “Lordly” | Saint Cyril |
| Hnat | “Fiery” (Ignatius) | Old village name |
| Omelian | From the Roman family Aemilius | Diminutive Omelko |
| Semen | “He has heard” (Simeon) | Pronounced “se-MEN” |
| Opanas | “Immortal” (Athanasius) | Folk form Panas |
| Lukian | “Light” (Lucian) | Rare, handsome |
| Makar | “Blessed” | Revived by young parents |
| Hordiy | “Proud” | From Greek Gordius |
| Kuzma | “Order, beauty” (Cosmas) | Rustic charm |
| Yukhym | “Good spirit” (Euthymius) | Very Ukrainian form |
| Nestor | “Homecoming” | Nestor the Chronicler of Kyiv |
| Trokhym | “Nourished” (Trophimus) | Old-fashioned |
Biblical names for Ukrainian boys
Ukraine’s Orthodox and Greek Catholic calendars keep these scripture names in steady use.
| Name | Meaning | Bible figure |
|---|---|---|
| Pavlo | “Small, humble” | Apostle Paul |
| Yosyp | “God will add” | Joseph |
| Zakhar | “God remembers” | Zechariah |
| Veniamin | “Son of the right hand” | Benjamin (Genesis 35) |
| Samiilo | “Name of God” | Samuel |
| Luka | “From Lucania” | Luke the Evangelist |
| Foma | “Twin” | Apostle Thomas |
| Pylyp | “Lover of horses” | Apostle Philip |
| Havrylo | “God is my strength” | Archangel Gabriel |
| Yakiv | “Supplanter” | Jacob |
| Adam | “Of the earth” | Adam |
| Solomon | “Peace” | King Solomon |
Modern and international Ukrainian boy names
These names cross borders easily while keeping a Ukrainian spelling.
| Name | Meaning | Why parents like it |
|---|---|---|
| Marko | From Mars | Works across Europe |
| Roman | “Roman” | Short and strong |
| Oleksiy | “Defender” | Diminutive Lyosha |
| Yevhen | “Well-born” | Ukrainian Eugene |
| Vitaliy | “Full of life” | Energetic |
| Ruslan | “Lion” (Turkic arslan) | Made famous by Pushkin’s poem |
| Arseniy | “Masculine, virile” | Trendy with young parents |
| Yehor | Folk form of George | Modern favorite |
| Ilarion | “Cheerful” | Metropolitan Ilarion of Kyiv |
| Platon | “Broad-shouldered” | Philosophical |
| Lev | Lion | One syllable |
| Orest | “Of the mountains” | Popular in Lviv |
| Arkadiy | “From Arcadia” | Gentle, pastoral |
| Yan | “God is gracious” | Short and international |
How to choose a Ukrainian boy name
- Pick the Ukrainian form. Oleksiy, Mykola and Ihor are the correct Ukrainian spellings; Aleksei, Nikolai and Igor are Russian.
- Say it with the patronymic. A Ukrainian man is formally First name + father’s name + -ovych: Bohdan Ivanovych. Make sure the combination flows.
- Love the diminutive. Oleksandr becomes Sashko, Mykola becomes Kolya, Taras becomes Tarasyk. You’ll hear the short form far more often.
- Check it in English. Danylo, Mark, Roman, Luka and Lev are easy abroad; Hryhoriy or Yukhym may need spelling out.
- Look at meaning. Slavic names ending in -slav celebrate glory; names with -myr wish for peace. See also names that mean peace.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular boy name in Ukraine?
Among newborns, Maksym, Artem, Oleksandr, Mykyta, Matviy and Danylo are consistently near the top. Oleksandr is the most common male name in the whole population.
What is the difference between Volodymyr and Vladimir?
They are the same name. Volodymyr is the Ukrainian form and Vladimir the Russian one; it comes from Old Slavic roots meaning “rule” and “great” or “world.”
What does Bohdan mean?
Bohdan means “given by God” in Slavic, from boh (god) and dan (given). It is closely associated with the Cossack hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky.
What are old Ukrainian boy names?
Hnat, Opanas, Yukhym, Trokhym, Omelian and Kuzma are traditional village names, while Svyatoslav, Yaropolk and Vsevolod go back to medieval Kyivan princes.
How is Ihor different from Igor?
Ihor is the Ukrainian spelling, because standard Ukrainian pronounces the Cyrillic Г as an H sound. Igor is the Russian form of the same Norse-derived name.