Russian full name consists of:

First name + Middle name (Patronymic) + Last name (Surname)

e.g. Nataliya Alexandrovna Ivanova

Russian middle names

All Russian children are given only a first name by his or her parents. The middle name is constructed of the father's first name of a child. This name is called a patronymic. A daughter of Alexander will have a middle name or patronymic called Alexandrovna. This name was constructed by adding the ending "ovna" to the father's first name. This indicates that she is a female child of a man named Alexander. As for a boy his patronymic is "Alexandrovich" where the ending "ovich" indicates a male child of Alexander.

The form of addressing people by saying their first and patronymic names (for instance, Olga Petrovna, Victor Nickolaevich) shows respect to a person. In this form we usually address:

- older people;

- heads, bosses;

- teachers and so on.

The most popular girls (female) Russian first name(s), their meanings, short and pet forms, name days.

The Russian language is very rich in different forms of personal names, which express all kinds of emotions. A person can be called differently at home, at work, by unfamiliar people and his friends, etc. For example, there are more than twenty forms of Maria in Russian!

- Full forms are used in formal relationships, with unfamiliar people or addressing to older people.

- Shortened forms are neutral and used in relationships with friends.

- Pet forms: forms with special affixes (such as –en’ka, -echka, -ochka, -ushka and others) showing affection and care.

- Intimate forms. They are very individual and everyone can invent his/her own affectionate name to show how special someone is.

Note:

- You can see the pronunciation of a name next to it in brackets. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

- The origin of a name is given only if it is a proven fact.

- Some names have no shortened forms.

Name days

The tradition of celebrating name days in Russian goes as far back as the 17th century. Usually on the eve of Name day the family of “a name-owner” made beer, baked pies and round loafs. On name day the name-owner went to the church with his/her relatives, put candles for health and kissed reverently the icon with the representation of his heavenly protector. And then in the evening all the family gathered around the festive table. In those times name-days were considered to be more important than the birthday of  “flesh”. A name was given to a child at christening and according to the old tradition the choice of a name was limited by names of Saints whose holidays were celebrated on that day. Later Russian people diverged from this tradition and chose names to their liking.

After the revolution the Communist Party started struggling against religion and consequently name days as well and the tradition was practically lost. However, in Soviet times children sang (and sing till now) Name-Day Song on birthday parties. Indeed, whatever rulers might do, traditions survive in folk art!

Nowadays Name Days are returning alongside with other Orthodox holidays and traditions. Some people send name-day greetings to their relatives and friends and make small gifts and greeting cards. Besides, name day is a good occasion to make a small pretty gift to your girlfriend (even if she doesn’t know the dates of her name days herself), to court her and show how you care for her (you even know her name days!).  

A (Russian girls names starting with "A")

Alexandra (AhleekSANdrah) (Greek origin) - female form of male name “Alexander” meaning “defender of men”

Short form: Sasha  (SAsha)

Pet forms: Sashenka (SAshen’ka), Sashulya (SaSHUlya), Shurochka (Shurochka) and so on.

Name day (day of angel): April 2, May 6, May 31, November 19

Àida (AhEEdah) (new borrowing)

Pet forms: Aidochka (AHEEdochka), Aidushka (AHEEdushka)

Alevtina (AhlevTEEna) – presumably means “alien to bad”.

Short form: Alya (AHlya)

Pet forms: Alevtinushka (AlevTEEnushka), Alechka (AHlechka)

Name day: July 29

Alina (AhLEEnah)

Pet forms: Alinochka (AhLEEnochka); Alisha (AhLEEsha); Alinushka (AhLEEnushka)

Alisa (AhLEEsah)

Pet forms: Alison’ka (AhLEEson’ka); Alisochka (AhLEEsochka)

Àlla (AHllah)

Pet forms: Allochka (AHllochka); Alya (AHlya); Alechka (AHlechka); Alenka (AHlen’ka)

Name day: April 8.

Albina (Al’BEEnah) (Latin) means “white”

Pet form: Albinochka (Ahl’BEEnochka), Alya (AHlya)

Alyona (AhLYOnah) (derived form from Elena)

Pet form: Alyonushka (AhLYOnushka); Alyonka (AhLYOnka)

Anastasia (Ah-nah-stah-SEE-ya) (Greek) means “ressurection”

Short form: Nastya (NAHstya)

Pet forms: Nasten’ka (NAHsten’ka), Nastyona (NastYOna), Asya (AHsya)

Name day: January 4, March 23, April 28, May 28, June 1, June 9, November 11, November 12, December 26.

Angelina (AngheLEEnah) (Greek) means “messenger”

Short form: Lina (LEEnah)

Pet forms: Angeliochka (AngheLEEnochka), Angelinka (AngheLEEnka)

Name day: July 14, December 23

Angela (AhnGElah)

Pet form: Angelochka (AhnGElochka)

Anna (AHnnah) (originated from Hannah, the mother of Samuel from the Bible.)

Short form: Anya (AHnya)

Pet forms: Anechka (AHnechkah), Annushka (AHnnushka), Anyuta (AhNYUta)

Name day: February 16, February 23, April 8, June 25, June 26, July 18, August 7, September 22, November 4, November 11, November 16, December 3, December 22.

Arina (AhREEnah) (derived from Irina)

Pet forms: Arisha (AhREEsha), Arinochka (AhREEnochka), Arinushka (AhREEnushka)

C (Russian girls names starting with "C")

Carina

D (Russian girls names starting with "D")

Diana (DeeAHnah)

Pet form: Dianochka (DeeAHnochka)

Darya (DAHriya) (Persian) – strong, winning

Short form: Dasha (DAshah)

Pet form: Dashenka (DAHshen’ka); Daryushka (DAHryushka)

Name day: April 1.

E (Russian girls names starting with "E")

Elena (YeLEnah) (Russian form of “Helen”) (Greek) means “light”, “torch”

Short form: Lena (LEnah)

Pet forms: Lenochka (LEnochka), Lenusya (LeNOOsya)

Name day: June 3, July 24

Ekaterina (YekahteREEnah) (Greek) – pure, virgin

Short forms: Katerina (KateREEnah), Katya (KAHtya)

Pet forms: Katechka (KAHtechka), Katusha (KaTYUsha), Katenka (KAHten’kah)

Name day: December 7.

Elizavetta (YeleezahVYEtta) (Jewish) – honoring God

Short forms: Lizavetta (LeezahVEtta), Liza (LEEzah)

Pet form: Lizonka (LEEzon’ka), Lizochka (LEEzochka)

Name day: May 7, September 18, November 24

Evgeniya (Greek) – noble

Name day: January 6

F (Russian girls names starting with "F")

Faina

Flyura (Latin) means “flower”. Flora is a goddess of spring and flowers in ancient Greek mythology.

G (Russian girls names starting with "G")

Galina (Greek) – quiet, calm, peaceful

Name day: February 23, March 23, April 29

I (Russian girls names starting with "I")

Inna (Slavic) – rapid stream

Name day: February 2, July 3

Irina (Greek) – peace

Name day: April 29, May 18, May 26, October 1

J  (Russian girls names starting with "J")

Janna

K (Russian girls names starting with "K")

Kristina (Greek) – devoted to Christ

March 26, August 6

Katerina

Kseniya (Greek) – guest, stranger

Name day: February 6

L (Russian girls names starting with "L")

Larisa (Greek) – gull

Name day: April 8

Lydia (Turkish) – coming from Lydia, the place in Middle Asia.

Name day: April 5

Lilia

Lyubov (means Love in Russian)

Name day: September 30

Lyudmila (Slavic) – nice, lovely, people like her.

September 29

M (Russian girls names starting with "M")

Maya

Margarita (Latin) – pearl

Name day: July 30

Mariya (Jewish) – sad, offcast, but Orthodox tradition translates this name as “mistress”

Name day: February 8, February 19, February 25, April 14, June 20, June 22, August 4, August 22, November 11.

Marina (Latin) – sea

Name day: March 13, July 30

N (Russian girls names starting with "N")

Nadezhda means “hope” in Russian

Name day: September 30

Natalya (Latin) – natural

Name day: September 8

Nina (Shumer.) – mistress, tsarina, queen

Name day: January 27

O (Russian girls names starting with "O")

Oksana

Olga (Scandinavian) – sacred

Name day: July 24

S (Russian girls names starting with "S")

Svetlana (Slavic) – light, fair

Name day: February 26, April 2

Sophia (Greek) – wise

Name day: September 30, October 1

T (Russian girls names starting with "T")

Tamara (Latin) – tsarina, queen

Name day: May 14

Tatiana (Greek) – set, appointed

Name day: January 25

V (Russian girls names starting with "V")

Valentina

Name day: February 23, November 10

Valeria

Name day: May 6, June 20

Vera

Name day: September 30, October 14

Veronica (Greek) – bringing victory

Name day: July 25, October 17

Victoriya

Name day: June 17, June 14, November 6, December 21.

Y (Russian girls names starting with "Y")

Yuliya (Greek) – curly, fluffy

Name day: May 31, July 29

Z (Russian girls names starting with "Z")

Zinaida (Greek) - God’s daughter

Name day: October 24

Zoya (Greek) – life

Name day: February 26, May 15

The most popular Tatar names:

Tatar names are very peculiar in pronunciation. Foreigners find it very difficult to pronounce them. Many of them sound strange even to people living in Russia! The correct pronunciation of Tatar names (according to the rules of the Tatar language) is with stress on the last syllable. For instance, DilyaRA. But since the population of Tatarstan is 50% Tatar and 50% Russian, the pronunciation of names got russianized and in most cases the stress shifted to make pronunciation more accordant to the Russian language. For instance, DiLYAra. Some vowels got russianized as well. Therefore, Russians pronounce Tatar names differently from Tatars, especially those living in Tatar villages and small towns. In Kazan you will mostly hear the russianized pronunciation of Tatar names, even with Russian pet form endings!  

The origin of most Tatar names is Persian or Arabic or Turkic - no wonder meanings of many names sound poetic.

Tatar names are so numerous, suppose, no Tatar man knows them all!

Here are some common Tatar names, their origin, meaning and pronunciation (russianized).

Adelya (Adilya) (Arabic) means “free”

Aighoul (Turkic) - moon flower

Aliya (Haliya) (Arabic) – “informed”, “competent”; “high”

Alsu (Tatar) – “pink water”

Alfiya or Alfira (Arabic) – high, long-liver

Almira (Spanish) – place in Spain “Almeiro”

Amina (Arabic) – honest, faithful

Anisa (Arabic) – friend, mate

Asiya (Arabic) – consoling, healing

Chulpan (Turkic) – planet Venera

Dilyara (Persian) – beloved, pretty woman

Dina (Arabic) – belief

Dinara (Arabic) – from “dinar” – golden coin, i.e. means “precious”

Elvira (Spanish) – protecting

Faina (Arabic) – perfect

Fatima (Arabic) – taken away, from breast daughter of Mohammed

Farida (Arabic) – rare

Gouzel (Turkic) – beautiful, fine

Gulnara (Persian) – decorated with flowers

Galiya (Arabic) – dear

Gulnaz (Persian) – tender as a flower

Gulnur (Persian) – light as a flower

Gulchachak (Persian) – rose

Halida (Arabic) – eternal, constant

Indira (Ind.) the goddess of war

Jamilya (Arabic) – beautiful

Kamilya (Arabic) – perfect

Leysan – the first spring rain

Mariam (Arabic form of Mariya from the Bible)

Malika (Arabic) – tsaritsa

Milyausha (Turkic) – violet

Nuriya (Arabic) light

Nailya, Nelya (Arabic) – gift  

Rosa (Tatar) “rose”

Rezeda (French) – name of the flower having a nice aroma

Rozaliya (combined Rosa and Aliya)

Rushana, Rushaniya (Persian) – light, brilliant

Railya (Arabic) – founder

Raniya (Arabic) – beautiful

Salima (Arabic) – healthy, safe and sound

Vasilya (Arabic) – inseparable friend

Venera (Latin) – star, planet

Zainab (Arabic) – full

Zemfira (Persian) – a kind of sweets

Zilya (Arabic) – merciful, purity

Zifa (Persian) – slim

Zuhra (Arabic) – shining, light, star, flower