Character Names - Russian
Usage note
Every Russian is born with three names: their first name, a middle name formed from their father's first name (a patronymic), and a last name. The middle name comes from adding -ovich/-evich (sons) or -ovna/-evna (daughters) to the father's first name, so that the children of Denis Petrovich Ivanov would be Andrei Denisovich Ivanov and Yelena Denisovna Ivanova. (Denis' own father was named Petr.)
Names ending in -a drop the final vowel in the -ovich or -ovna form (Luka -> Lukovich, Slava -> Slavovna), whereas those ending in a consonant+i sometimes convert i into y ("short i") or add y to -evich/-evna (Anatoli -> Anatolyevich, Dimitri -> Dimitriyevich, Evgeni -> Evgenyevna), so that the children of Grigori Vadimovich Ragulin would be Kostantin Grigoryevich Ragulin and Anna Grigoryevna Ragulina. Names ending in vowel-i do not drop the -i though, so Alexei's children are given the middle names Alexeievich and Alexeievna.
Last names add an -a for women: the feminine form of names ending in -v ends in -va (Diykov -> Diykova, Bobylev -> Bobyleva, Korneev -> Korneeva), the feminine form of -in names is -ina (Borodin -> Borodina), and the feminine form of -sky names changes the ending to -skaya (Prerovsky -> Prerovskaya).
When a woman gets married, she adopts her husband's surname (in feminine form) at the end. If Yelena Denisovna Ivanova marries Maksim Sergeievich Karazamov, her name is changed to Yelena Denisovna Karazamova. Names are always spelt with an -ov (never -off) in Russia (Ivanoff is written Ivanov and the feminine form is Ivanova, not Ivanoffa), but the -off spelling in common in other countries.
The nicknames ending in -ka denote extreme familiarity and are often used between children. A man or boy would also call his girlfriend by one of these nicknames.
Girls' names
- Afanasiya
- Afimia
- Agafia
- Agafya
- Agasha (Gasha)
- Aglaya
- Agnessa (Nessa, Nesha, Netia, Neza)
- Agrafena (Grunya, Grusha)
- Akillina (Akulya, Kilya, Kulya)
- Aksiniya (Aksinya, Kseniya)
- Alena (Alenka, Lenusya, Lila, Lyalechka, Lyalya)
- Aleksandra (Sacha, Sasha, Sashenka, Shura, Sachenka, Shurochka, Sashura)
- Alisya
- Alla (Allochka)
- Alma
- Alyona (Alyonka)
- Amalija
- Anastasia (Nastasia, Nastassia, Nastya, Tasya, Nasya, Stasya, Tasenka, Nastenka)
- Anfisa (Fisa)
- Anfiya
- Anisiya
- Anna (Anya, Nura, Anechka, Annushka, Asya, Vanya, Anuta, Anutochka)
- Antonina (Tonya, Tosya, Tonechka, Antonidka)
- Anzhela (Anjelika)
- Arina (Arisha)
- Asenka
- Avdeeva
- Avdotia (Avdunya, Dunya, Dunyasha, Dounia)
- Avgusta
- Bela
- Bella
- Berte
- Bruna
- Chiona
- Clavdia (Clasha)
- Communa
- Daria (Dasha, Dashenka)
- Devora
- Dina
- Dobryna
- Dominika (Domka, Nika, Mika)
- Domna
- Doroteya (Dasya, Dosya, Dasha)
- Duscha
- Eda
- Ekaterina (Katya, Katenka, Katerinka, Katinka, Katlina, Kiska, Katuscha, Katyenka, Katyushka)
- Elen (Lena, Lenochka, Lenusya, Liolya, Lolya)
- Elena (Lena, Lenochka, Lenusya, Liolya, Lolya)
- Ella (Ellochka)
- Elina (Lina)
- Euprakseia
- Eva
- Evdokeia
- Evelina
- Evfrosinya
- Evgenia (Zenya, Zenechka, Zhenya, Jenya, Jenechka)
- Fayina
- Fedora (Fedorka, Fedya)
- Fekla (Feklitsa)
- Feodora (Fedorka, Fedya)
- Feodosya
- Fevronia
- Filipa (Lipa)
- Galina (Gala, Galya, Galochka, Galenka, Galechka)
- Gana
- Glafira (Glasha)
- Glikeriya (Lukerya)
- Ilya/Ilia
- Industria
- Inessa (Nessa, Nesha, Netia, Neza)
- Inna (Innochka, Inusya, Inulya)
- Ioanna
- Irina (Ira, Irinka, Irochka, Irisha, Irishka, Rinka)
- Irisa
- Ivana
- Kaleriya (Kalya, Lera)
- Kamenka
- Karolina
- Katerina (Katenka, Katerinka, Katinka, Katlina, Kiska, Katuscha, Katya, Katyenka, Katyushka)
- Kharitaniya
- Kilina (Akulya, Kilya, Kulya)
- Kira (Kirochka)
- Kisa
- Kostya (Kostenka, Kostyusha)
- Kristina
- Kseniya (Ksusha, Asya, Ksushenka, Asechka)
- Lada
- Lara
- Larina
- Larisa (Lara, Lora, Larochka, Larisochka, Lorochka)
- Lenina
- Lenora
- Leonilla
- Lera (Lerka)
- Leva
- Lidiya (Lida, Lidka, Lidocha, Lidochka)
- Lotta
- Ludmila (Luda, Lyuba, Lusya, Mila, Lyubochka, Lyubonka, Milena, Ludochka)
- Lyeta
- Lyubov (Lyuba, Luba, Lubochka, Lubushka, Lubasha)
- Lyudmila (Luda, Lyuba, Lyubochka, Lyubonka, Mila, Milena)
- Magdalina
- Maiya
- Makrina
- Mara
- Marfa
- Margarete (Margo, Margosha)
- Margarita (Margo, Margosha, Rita, Ritochka, Ritulya)
- Marianna
- Marina (Marinochka, Marisha)
- Mariya (Masha, Marusya, Manya, Manechka, Mara, Maricha, Marisha, Mashenka)
- Matryona (Matryoshka, Motka)
- Mavra
- Melaniya
- Melita
- Mikhaila (Minka)
- Milana
- Militsa
- Minodora
- Miropiya
- Mirra
- Mounya
- Nadezhda (Dusya, Nadya, Nadiya, Nadenka, Nadyenka, Nadysha, Nadyuiska, Nadusha)
- Narkissa
- Nastasia (Nastya, Tasya, Nastusha, Nastenka, Nastushka, Tasusha, Tasechka)
- Natalya (Natasha, Natalka, Natashenka, Talya, Tasha)
- Nelly (Nelya, Nelochka, Nelechka)
- Neonila
- Nika (Domka, Mika)
- Nina (Ninochka, Ninotchka)
- Nonna
- Nyura (Nusya, Nuta, Nusha, Nurochka, Nyurochka)
- Ogrofena (Grunya, Grusha)
- Oksana (Ksana, Ksanochka)
- Olena (Lenusya, Lila, Lyalechka, Lyalya)
- Olga (Olya, Olenka, Olechka)
- Orina (Orya)
- Orlenda
- Orlitza
- Osyenya
- Parasha
- Pasha
- Pavla (Pasha, Pavlusha)
- Pelageya (Palasha)
- Petrovna
- Polina (Polya, Pasha, Pavlusha, Polenka, Polechka)
- Praskovya (Parasha, Pasha)
- Rada (Radka)
- Rahil
- Raisa (Raya)
- Raiza (Raya)
- Roksana
- Rozalia
- Sabina
- Sapozhnika
- Serafima (Sima)
- Shelovlevaya
- Sinoviya
- Snigurka
- Sofiya (Sonya, Sonja, Sonechka, Sonyuru, Sonyusha, Sonyushka)
- Stephania (Panya, Stepka, Stesha)
- Stephanida (Panya, Stepka, Stesha)
- Svetlana (Sveta, Svetka, Svetocha, Svetochka, Svetik)
- Taissia
- Tamara (Tamarochka)
- Tatyana (Tanya, Tanechka, Tania, Tanusha)
- Tsetsiliya
- Uliana
- Ursola
- Valentina (Tina, Valya, Valusha, Valechka, Valushenka)
- Valeria (Valya, Lera, Lerochka, Valerochka)
- Varinka
- Varvara (Varya, Varenka, Varinka, Varyusha, Varusha, Varushenka)
- Vasilisa
- Velika
- Vera (Verochka, Verusha, Verunya)
- Veronika (Nika, Vera, Vika, Nikochka)
- Viera (Vierochka, Vierusha, Vierunya)
- Viktoriya (Vika)
- Vilena
- Vilma
- Vitalya
- Vladimira
- Vyesna
- Xenia (Ksusha, Asya, Ksushenka, Asechka)
- Yekaterina (Katenka, Katerinka, Katinka, Katlina, Kiska, Katuscha, Katya, Katyenka, Katyushka)
- Yelena (Lena, Lenochka, Lenusya, Liolya, Lolya)
- Yelizaveta (Elizarova, Lisa, Lisanka, Lisaveta, Lisil, Lisilka, Lizanka, Liza, Lizabetta, Lizochka)
- Yevdokiya
- Yevfrosinya
- Yevgenia (Zenya, Zenechka, Zhenya)
- Yulia (Yulya, Yulenka, Yulechka)
- Yulianiya (Yulenka)
- Yuliya (Yulya, Yulenka, Yulechka)
- Zenaida (Zena, Zenochka)
- Zenevieva
- Zhanna
- Zima
- Zinaida (Zenochka, Zina, Zinochka, Zinulya)
- Zinerva
- Zinovia (Zina)
- Zinoviya (Zina)
- Zoya (Zoyenka, Zoyechka)
- Zytka
Boys' names
The endings -i and -y are variable; the same name can be transliterated in English as Grigori or Grigory.
- Adrian (Adrik)
- Afanasi (Afonka, Afonya)
- Aleksandr/Alexander (Alek, Lyaksandr, Sanya, Sasha, Sashenka, Shasura, Shura, Shurik)
- Aleksei/Alexei (Alesha, Alyosha, Alyoshenka, Lyosha)
- Anatoly (Tolya, Tolenka)
- Andrei (Andrusha, Andryusha)
- Andrey (Andrusha, Andryusha)
- Andrian
- Anfim
- Anton (Antinko, Antosha, Tosya, Tusya)
- Arkadi (Arkasha)
- Arkhip (Khipa)
- Arman
- Arseni (Senya)
- Artemi (Tyoma, Tyomechka, Tyomka)
- Artur
- Artyem (Tyoma, Tyomechka, Tyomka)
- Artyom (Tyoma, Tyomechka, Tyomka)
- Avgust
- Avgustin
- Berdy
- Bogdan (Bogdasha)
- Bohdan
- Boris (Borinka, Borya, Boba, Boryenka, Borushka)
- Boroda
- Burian
- Cheslav
- Daniil (Danya)
- Demid (Desya)
- Demyan
- Denis (Deniska)
- Diak
- Dimitri/Dmitri (Dima, Dimka, Dmitryushka, Mitka, Mitenka, Mitya)
- Donat
- Dosifei
- Eduard (Edik)
- Efim (Fima)
- Eitan
- Endar
- Evgeni (Zhenya, Zhenechka)
- Fabiyan (Fabi)
- Faddei (Fadeyka, Fadeyushka)
- Fedor
- Fedot (Fedya)
- Feliks
- Feodor
- Feodosi (Fedya)
- Feofil
- Feofilakt (Filat)
- Filaret
- Filip
- Florenti
- Foka
- Fredek
- Fyodor (Fedya, Fedyenka, Fedka)
- Garald (Garii, Garsha)
- Gavril (Ganya, Gavrusha, Vag)
- Gedeon
- Gennadi (Gena, Genochka)
- Georgy (Goga, Gora, Gorya, Jeorgif, Zhorah, Zhorz, Yuri)
- Gerasim (Garsha)
- Gervasi
- Gleb
- Gorain
- Gridia
- Grigory (Grisha, Grishka)
- Hedeon
- Iev
- Ignatii (Ignat)
- Igor (Garik, Igorek, Igorechek, Igoryok)
- Ilarion (Ilari)
- Ilation
- Ilya (Ilusha, Ilyusha)
- Innokenti (Kenya, Kesha)
- Ioakim (Akim)
- Ipati (Patya)
- Ippolit
- Irinei
- Iosif (Oska, Osya)
- Ivan (Vanya, Vanyusha, Vanechka)
- Iziaslav
- Kapiton
- Karp
- Kazimir
- Khariton
- Kiril (Kirila, Kiriyushak, Kiriyak)
- Klavdii (Clasha)
- Kliment
- Kondrati (Kondrashka)
- Konstantin (Kostya, Kostick, Kotik, Kostenka, Kostusha, Kostyusha)
- Kostya (Kotik)
- Kozmin (Kozma, Kuzma, Kuzya, Kuzenka)
- Lavrenty
- Lenian
- Lenin
- Leonid (Leon, Lyonya, Lyonechka, Leo, Lev)
- Leonti
- Lev (Levka, Lovka, Levushka)
- Luka
- Lukyan (Lukasha, Lukya)
- Lyov (Levka, Levushka)
- Makar (Makarka)
- Maksim (Maks)
- Matvei (Matyash, Motka)
- Maxim (Maks)
- Mavriky
- Mecheslav
- Mefodi (Mefodya, Modya)
- Meliton
- Melor
- Mendeley
- Mikhail (Misha, Mischa, Mishenka, Mika)
- Mily
- Miron
- Mitrofan (Mitroshka, Mitya)
- Modest (Desya)
- Moriz
- Mstislav
- Nazary
- Nikita
- Nikolai (Kolya, Kolenka, Kolushka, Nikolenka, Nikolinka, Nikolushka)
- Nikodim
- Ninel
- Nofel
- Oleg (Olezka, Olezha, Olezhka)
- Olgov
- Onanin
- Osip (Oska, Osya)
- Osyen
- Ovdei
- Padorin
- Parfen (Parfenka)
- Pavel (Pasha, Pashenka, Pavlusha, Pavushenka, Pusha)
- Pimen (Pima)
- Porfiry
- Pribislav
- Prokhor (Pronya, Prosha)
- Prokofy (Pronya, Prosha)
- Pyotr (Petya, Petenka, Petrusha, Petrushka)
- Qudiar
- Radoslav
- Rafail
- Ravil
- Renat
- Rodion (Rodya)
- Roman (Roma, Romochka)
- Rostislav (Rostya)
- Ruslan
- Ryurik
- Samuil (Syoma, Samoyla)
- Sava
- Saveli
- Semyon (Semka, Senya, Syoma)
- Sergei (Sergev, Seriozha, Seriozhenka, Seryozhenka, Seryozha, Seryozkha, Serezha)
- Sevastien (Seva, Syova)
- Shelovleviy
- Sidor
- Silvestr
- Spiridon
- Stanislav (Slavik)
- Stefan (Stepka, Stepanka, Stepashka, Styopa)
- Sviatoslav (Slava)
- Svyatopolk
- Tikhon (Tisha)
- Timofei (Tyoma)
- Tomas (Foma)
- Vadim (Vadya, Vadik, Dima, Vad, Dimka, Vadimka, Vadyusha, Vadyushka)
- Valentin (Valya)
- Valeriy (Valya, Valera)
- Varfolomei
- Vasily (Vasya, Vasilik, Vaska, Vasenka, Vasilyok, Vasyenka)
- Vaslav
- Venedikt (Venya)
- Veniamin (Venka)
- Vikent (Vikenti, Vikesha)
- Viktor (Vitya, Vitenka)
- Vitaly (Vitya)
- Vladik
- Vladimir (Volya, Volodya, Vova, Vimka, Volodenka, Vovochka, Dima)
- Vladislav (Vladik, Vladya, Vlad)
- Vladlen
- Vlas
- Vlasi
- Vsevolad (Voldoya, Volya, Seva, Syova)
- Vyacheslav (Slava, Slavochka)
- Vyesniy
- Yakov (Yasha, Jasha)
- Yarok (Yasha, Jasha)
- Yaropolk
- Yaroslav (Slava)
- Yefrem (Rema)
- Yegor (Egorushka, Egorka, Goga, Gora, Gorya)
- Yelesiy/Elisei
- Yeremai (Yarema, Yaremka, Yerik)
- Yerik
- Yevgeny (Zhenya, Zhenechka)
- Yov
- Yuri (Yura, Yurasha, Yurochka, Yurik)
- Zimiy
- Zinoviy
- Zivon (Ziv)
- Zoran
Surnames
Top 20
- Smirnov
- Ivanov
- Kuznetsov
- Popov
- Sokolov (Sokoloff, Sokolow)
- Lebedev
- Kozlov
- Novikov
- Morozov
- Petrov
- Volkov
- Solovyov
- Vasilyev
- Zaytsev
- Pavlov
- Semyonov
- Golubev
- Vinogradov
- Bogdanov
- Vorobyov
Others
- Abelev
- Abramov
- Afanasiev
- Afanasyev
- Afansiev
- Aisenyev
- Akimov
- Akoulov
- Aksenov
- Aleihov
- Aleksandrov
- Aleksandrovich
- Alekseev
- Alenichev
- Aliev
- Alliluyev
- Aminov
- Anchov
- Andreev
- Andreyev
- Andropov
- Anisimov
- Antonov
- Antyuhin
- Aparin
- Arkhipov
- Arsov
- Artamov
- Aseev
- Asimov
- Astapkovich
- Avigdor
- Aznabaev
- Babusch
- Bagirli
- Baguirov
- Baikov
- Bakhtin
- Bakhvalov
- Baklanov
- Bakunin
- Balakirev
- Banketik
- Baranov
- Barenoosky
- Barsky
- Barsukov
- Bartnev
- Baryatinsky
- Bashmet
- Batkin
- Bazoev
- Beketov
- Belanov
- Beletsky
- Beloi
- Belousov
- Belov
- Belsky
- Belyaev
- Belyakov
- Berezin
- Bershadensky
- Berzin
- Bezborodov
- Biryukov
- Bischov
- Bobylev
- Bogomolov
- Bolkonsky
- Borisov
- Borodin
- Bourdukovsky
- Brezhnev
- Briansky
- Brodsky
- Bushmanov
- Butkovsky
- Byko
- Bykov
- Bytchkov
- Chapaev
- Chazov
- Chekhol
- Chernitsky
- Chernov
- Chernyshev
- Chichagov
- Chistyakov
- Chubinsky
- Danilov
- Dashkov
- Davydov
- Demichev
- Demidov
- Denisov
- Dimitrov
- Dimitry
- Diykov
- Dmitriev
- Dolgikh
- Dolgonosov
- Dombrosky
- Donskoy
- Dorogoi
- Doumnov
- Dubinsky
- Dublin
- Dubrovsky
- Duchovny
- Dudinsky
- Dyakonov
- Efimov
- Efremov
- Egorov
- Erikeev
- Ermakov
- Evanov
- Evdokimov
- Fedorov
- Fedotov
- Filatov
- Filimonov
- Filipov
- Filippov
- Fomin
- Fortunatov
- Frolov
- Fyodorov
- Gagarin
- Galiyev
- Ganelin
- Gapon
- Gavrilov
- Gerasimov
- Ghukov
- Gladishiv
- Glebov
- Goncharov
- Gontarev
- Gontcharov
- Govorov
- Grachev
- Graudyn
- Gregorovich
- Grigorev
- Grigoriev (Grigorieff)
- Grisin
- Gromov (Gromoff)
- Grosha
- Groshev
- Gubin
- Gulianskoy
- Gurov
- Gusev
- Hvorostovsky
- Ignatev
- Ignatov
- Ilin
- Instinsky
- Isaev
- Ivakin
- Ivanovich
- Izhitsky
- Kafelnikov
- Kalinin
- Kalygin
- Kaminov
- Karataev
- Karelin
- Karin
- Karlov
- Karlovsky
- Karpov
- Kasheyev
- Kasparkov
- Katzev
- Kausky
- Kayakov
- Kazakov
- Kerensky
- Kevorkov
- Khadartsev
- Kherpin
- Khokhlov
- Khoklov
- Kholodov
- Khudov
- Kirov
- Kiryakov
- Kiselev
- Kislyakov
- Kissin
- Klimov
- Klossovsky
- Kochelaev
- Koikov
- Kokorev
- Kolesnikov
- Kolosnitsyn
- Kolotcha
- Komarov
- Kondrash
- Kondrashin
- Kondratov
- Konovalov
- Korneev
- Kornitsky
- Korolev
- Korzhanenk
- Koshelev
- Koslov
- Kostezh
- Kostov (Kostoff)
- Kosygin
- Kotov
- Kovalev
- Krashnoshtanov (Krashnoshtanoff)
- Krestyanov
- Krukov
- Krylov
- Kubarev
- Kulikov
- Kupetsky
- Kuritzin
- Kurpinsky
- Kutuzov
- Kuzmin
- Larionov
- Laskin
- Lavrin
- Lazarev
- Lazovert
- Lazutkin
- Lensky
- Leonov
- Leshchev
- Ligachev
- Litvinov
- Lobanov
- Lobodin
- Lobov
- Loginov
- Lubinsky
- Lukin
- Lukov (Lukoff)
- Lukyanov
- Lutrov
- Magomedov
- Makarov
- Maksimov
- Malenkov
- Malikov
- Malinin
- Maltsev
- Malyshev
- Markov
- Martinov
- Matisov (Matisoff)
- Matusov (Matusoff)
- Matveev
- Maxim
- Mayakovsky
- Medvedev
- Mele
- Melnikov
- Merinov
- Miasnikov
- Miaskovsky
- Mihailovich
- Mikhailov
- Mikhaylov
- Mironov
- Mirsky
- Mishkin
- Moldovan
- Molodin
- Molotov
- Moroskin
- Moskovsky
- Motorin
- Motov
- Muchnick
- Nadezhdin
- Nakhimov (Nakhimoff)
- Naumov
- Nazarov
- Nenov
- Nesterov
- Nikiforov
- Nikitin
- Nikolaev
- Obolensky
- Oleksei
- Orlov (Orloff, Orlow)
- Ortov (Ortoff)
- Osipov
- Ostrovsky
- Pankrat
- Parshin
- Pasternak
- Pavel
- Pecinovsky
- Peskov
- Petrachkov
- Petrosky
- Philemonov (Philemonoff)
- Platov
- Plotkin
- Podkopayev
- Pokidin
- Polansky
- Polinsky
- Polyakov
- Ponomarev
- Porkhomov
- Pouchkov
- Preminin
- Prerovsky
- Primakov
- Prokhorov
- Pronin
- Protopopov
- Putyatin
- Rachmanov
- Radimov
- Ragulin
- Rasputin
- Rebikov
- Rezanov
- Rokossovsky
- Rolov (Roloff)
- Romanov (Romanoff)
- Rozhdestvensky
- Rukovsky
- Rumianov
- Ryzhkov
- Salamov
- Samarin
- Samoylov
- Sapozhinsky
- Sapozhnikov
- Satyev
- Savelev
- Savin
- Seleznyov
- Selkov
- Semenov
- Sementsov
- Serebryannikov
- Sergeev
- Sergeyev
- Shagiev
- Shanin
- Sharov
- Shcherbakov
- Shelemin
- Shistyev
- Shvanov
- Sidorov
- Skulsky
- Slavinsky
- Slobodin
- Slovinsky
- Slutsky
- Smolnikov
- Snegir
- Solodkov
- Sonkin
- Sorokin
- Sosunov
- Spiridonov
- Stepanov
- Stolypin
- Stransky
- Sudakov
- Suvorov
- Sviatoslavov
- Sytsov
- Tabanov
- Tarasov
- Tchesnov
- Teodorov
- Tikhomirov
- Tikhonov
- Timofeev
- Timoshinin
- Titov
- Tokarev
- Tonkov
- Toropov
- Tretyak
- Trofimov
- Turov
- Tutiakov (Tutiakoff)
- Tuzmukhamedov
- Udinsky
- Ulyanov
- Ushakov
- Ustinov
- Valeev
- Varenkov
- Varyguin
- Vasaly
- Vasilev
- Velikovsky
- Vessensky
- Vinsky
- Vlasihin
- Vlasov
- Volodin
- Volosheninov
- Volsky
- Vorobev
- Voronin
- Voronov
- Vyatkin
- Yablokov
- Yagudin
- Yakovlev
- Yanev
- Yanofsky
- Yavlinsky
- Yefemov
- Yudin
- Yumashev
- Zablin
- Zablotny
- Zaitsev
- Zakharov
- Zbruyev
- Zelensky
- Zenchikov
- Zharov
- Zhirinovsky
- Zhoukov
- Zhukov
- Zhuravlev
- Zolkin
- Zorkin
- Zotkin
- Zubov
- Zychik