Popular Names Used In Ukraine and Russia and Their Interpretation
(given in the Russian alphabetic order with some diminutive forms)

Female Names:

Alexandra/Sasha - Александра/Саша – (Greek) Defender
Alla – Алла – (Greek) Second
Alisa – Алиса – (Russian, borrowed from Adelaida, ancient German) The one who belongs to the nobility
Anastasia/Nastya - Анастасия/Настя – (Greek) New-born, arisen
Anna/Anya - Анна/Аня – (Hebrew) Gracious

Valentina/Valya - Валентина/Валя – (Latin) Strong, of great vitality
Valeria/Lera - Валерия/Лера – (Latin) Healthy
Varvara – Варвара – (Greek) Foreigner
Vasilisa – Василиса – (Greek) Queen
Vera – Вера – (Russian) Faithful
Veronika – Вероника – (Greek) Bringing victory
Victoria - Виктория/Вика – (Latin) Victory

Daria/Dasha - Дарья/Даша – (Persian) Strong, winning
Diana – Диана – (Latin) Named after the Goddess of hunting, Moon and purity

Yekaterina/Katya - Екатерина/Катя – (Greek) Pure, decent
Yelena/Lena - Елена/Лена – (Greek) Sunny
Yelizaveta/Liza - Елизавета/Лиза – (Hebrew) The one who honors God

Zinaida/Zina - Зинаида/Зина – (Greek) Devine, the descendant of Zeus
Zoya – Зоя – (Greek) Life, of great vitality

Inna – Инна – (Russian from Bulgarian) See Yekaterina
Irina/Ira - Ирина/Ира – (Greek) Name of the goddess of peaceful spring

Larisa/Lara - Лариса/Лара – (Greek) Gull
Lubov/Luba - Любовь/Люба – (Russian) Love
Ludmila/Luda - Людмила/Люда – (Russian) Nice to people

Margarita/Rita - Маргарита/Рита – (Latin) Pearl
Marina – Марина – (Russian from Latin) Marine, one of the epithets for Aphrodite
Maria/Masha - Мария/Маша – (Russian from Hebrew) Loved, desired, mistress

Nadezhda/Nadya - Надежда/Надя – (Russian) Hope
Natalia/Natasha - Наталья/Наташа – (Latin) Natural
Nina – Нина – (Hebrew) Spared by God

Olga/Olya - Ольга/Оля – (Scandinavian) Saint

Raisa/Raya - Раиса/Рая – (Greek) Light, weightless

Svetlana/Sveta - Светлана/Света – (Russian) Light, clear
Sophia/Sonya - София/Соня – (Greek) Wise

Tamara/Toma - Тамара/Тома – (Hebrew) Date-palm
Tatyana/Tanya - Татьяна/Таня – (Latin) Named after Tatiy, a legendary ancient king

Yulia/Yulya - Юлия/Юля – (Latin) Magnificent
Yana – Яна – (Slavic from Hebrew) Spared by God

Male Names:

Alexandr/Sasha - Александр/Саша – (Greek) Man, manly, defender
Alexei/Alesha - Алексей/Алёша – (Greek) Assistant, defender, preventer
Anatoly/Tolik - Анатолий/Толик – (Greek) Oriental, sunrise-like, morning
Andrei – Андрей – (Greek) Manly
Anton – Антон – (Greek) Encountering the battle
Arkadiy – Аркадий – (Greek) Citizen of Arcadia, herder, peasant
Artem – Артем – (Greek) Perfect, dedicated to the goddess of hunting and Moon, Artemis

Bogdan – Богдан – (old Russian) Given by God
Boris – Борис – (Russian from Bulgarian) Fighter

Vadim/Vadik - Вадим/Вадик – (old Russian) The one who revolts
Valentin/Valik - Валентин/Валик – (Latin) Healthy, strong
Valeriy – Валерий – (Latin) Brisk, strong
Vasiliy/Vasya – Василий/Вася – (Greek) Kingly, king, leader, master
Victor/Vitya - Виктор/Витя – (Latin) Victor, winner
Vitaliy/Vitalik - Виталий/Виталик – (Latin) Of great vitality
Vladimir/Vova - Владимир/Вова – (Slavic) The one who possesses the world
Vyacheslav/Slava - Вячеслав/Слава – (Slavic) The one who possesses glory

Gennadiy/Gena - Геннадий/Гена – (Greek) Noble
Georgiy/Zhora - Георгий/Жора – (Russian from Greek) Farmer
Grigoriy/Grisha - Григорий/Гриша – (Greek) Wakeful

Dmitriy/Dima - Дмитрий/Дима – (Greek) Belonging to Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility

Yegor – Егор – See Georgiy
Yemelyan/Yemelya - Емельян/Емеля – (Latin) Rival

Zakhar – Захар – (Hebrew) Memory of God

Ivan/Vanya - Иван/Ваня – (Russian from Hebrew) Grace
Igor – Игорь – (Scandinavian) Guarded by the god of plenty
Illiah – Илья – (Hebrew) Help of God

Kirill – Кирилл – (Greek) Master
Constantine – Константин – (Latin) Steady, firm
Kuz’ma/Kuzya – Кузьма/Кузя – (Greek) Adornment, decoration

Leonid/Lyonya - Леонид/Лёня – (Greek) Lion-like

Maxim – Максим – (Greek) The greatest
Mikhail/Misha - Михаил/Миша – (Hebrew) God-like

Nikita – Никита – (Greek) Victor, winner

Oleg – Олег – (Scandinavian) Saint

Pavel/Pasha - Павел/Паша – (Latin) Small
Petr – Петр – (Greek) Strong as a stone

Roman/Roma - Роман/Рома – (Latin) Roman; (Greek) Strong

Semyon – Семен – (Greek) – Hearing the God
Sergey/Seryozha - Сергей/Серёжа – (Latin) The name of the noble Roman family
Stanislav/Stas - Станислав/Стас – (Slavic) The one who became glorious
Stepan/Styopa - Степан/Стёпа – (Greek) Wreath, garland

Timofey – Тимофей – (Greek) Respecting God

Fedor/Fedya - Федор/Федя – (Greek) Given by God (the same as Theodore)
Phillip – Филипп – (Greek) Loving horses, horseman

Yuriy/Yura - Юрий/Юра – see Georgiy
Yakov/Yasha - Яков/Яша – (Hebrew) Healer
Yaroslav – Ярослав – (Slavic) Radiant with glory

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