Russia is the biggest country in the world and boasts a long, rich history, so there’s no shortage of Russian baby names to choose from. In fact, the hardest part of picking the right name will be narrowing it down from so many different options. We’ve done our best to point you in the right direction by selecting a few of the most interesting.
Pyotr is the Russian form of Peter. It’s one of those names that consistently pops up in multiple languages — from Pierre in French, to Piotr in Polish, to Pedro in Spanish. Considering the famous Russian composer Tchaikovsky had the first name Pyotr and Russia has also had multiple emperors with this name, your son will be in good company.
Similarly, Andrei is the Russian form of another common English name: Andrew. Andrei means “warrior” or “manly” in Russian, and is also a popular name in other Slavic countries and Greece. If you want your son riding bears topless, it’s the perfect choice.
As for the girls, Anya might be a typical name for females across English-speaking countries, but the name is actually of Russian origin and a variant of the Hebrew name Hannah, which means “grace.” It’s a diminutive of Anna, which is another prevalent name in Russia.
Ksenia (sometimes written as Xenia in English-speaking countries) means both “wanderer” and “hospitable” in Russian. Although the name is originally from Greek and has a few variants across the world, it’s now most popular in Russia.
Finally, Lyudmila (also written as Ludmila) is a female name used throughout Slavic countries that means “beloved by the people” and became commonly used thanks to the tenth-century saint Saint Ludmila, who was the duchess of Bohemia. It’s often shortened as Mila, which is becoming popular in English-speaking countries.
Adrik
Meaning: Dark
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Agrafena
Meaning: Feet first
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Aleksandr
Meaning: Man’s defender, defending men
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Alexei
Meaning: Defender
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Alina
Meaning: Bright, beautiful
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Alyona
Meaning: Bright and shining light
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Alyosha
Meaning: Defender of man
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Anastasiya
Meaning: Resurrection
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Anatoly
Meaning: From the east rising sun, sunrise
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Anoushka
Meaning: Grace, favor
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Anya
Meaning: Grace
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Arseny
Meaning: Strong, virile
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Boris
Meaning: Fight, fighter
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Daniil
Meaning: God is my judge
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Dmitri
Meaning: Earth lover
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Dominik
Meaning: Belonging to God
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Doroteya
Meaning: Gift of God
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Eriks
Meaning: Eternal ruler
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Faina
Meaning: Shinning, crown
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Feodora
Meaning: Divine gift
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Fyodor
Meaning: God’s gift
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Galina
Meaning: Calm, tranquil
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Gavriil
Meaning: Worships God, God is my strength
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Gennady
Meaning: Generous, noble
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Grigory
Meaning: Watchful
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Igor
Meaning: Warrior
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Inga
Meaning: Guarded by Ing
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Inna
Meaning: Rough stream, coming from strong waters
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Innessa
Meaning: Chaste, purity
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Iosif
Meaning: Jehovah increases, God shall add
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Irina
Meaning: Peace, peaceful
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Ivan
Meaning: God is gracious
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Karina
Meaning: Pure, chaste
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Katya
Meaning: Pure, perfect
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Kira
Meaning: Leader of the people
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Kiril
Meaning: Lord, master, ruler
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Klara
Meaning: Clear, bright
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Ksana
Meaning: Praise be to God
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Lada
Meaning: Goddess of beauty
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Larisa
Meaning: Fortress, citadel, cheerful
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Leonid
Meaning: Lion-like
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Lev
Meaning: Heart, lion
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Lubov
Meaning: Love, beloved
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Luka
Meaning: Light, bringer of light
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Maksimilian
Meaning: Greatest
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Marina
Meaning: Of the sea
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Matvey
Meaning: Gift of God, God’s gift
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Mila
Meaning: Loved by the people, gracious, dear one
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Oleg
Meaning: Holy, sacred
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Polina
Meaning: Small, humble
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
