Writing Adolescent Fiction/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, 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 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
• 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)
• Ellina
• 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)
• Irisa
• Ivana
• Kaleria
• 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
• Sinovia
• Snigurka
• Sofiya (Sonya, Sonja, Sonechka, Sonyuru, Sonyusha, Sonyushka)
• Stephania (Panya, Stepka, Stesha)
• Stephanida (Panya, Stepka, Stesha)
• Svetlana (Sveta, 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)
• Viktoriya
• 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)
• Yulianiya (Yulenka)
• Yuliya (Yulya, Yulenka, Yulechka)
• Zenaida (Zena, Zenochka)
• Zenevieva
• Zhanna
• Zima
• Zinaida (Zenochka, Zina, Zinochka, Zinulya)
• Zinerva
• Zinovia (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/Alexandr (Alek, Lyaksandr, Sanya, Sasha, Sashenka, Shasura, Shura, Shurik)
• Aleksei (Alesha, Alyosha, Alyoshenka, Lyosha)
• 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 (Dima, Dimka, Dmitryushka, Mitka, Mitenka, Mitya)
• 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)
• 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, 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
• Nicolai/Nikolai (Kolya, Kolenka, Kolushka, Nikita, 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 (Vadyk, Dima, Vad, Dimka, Vadia, Vadimka, Vadyusha, Vadyushka)
• Valentin (Valya)
• Valeri (Valerik, Valya)
• 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)
• Vladlen
• Vlas
• Vlasi
• Vsevolad (Voldoya, Volya, Seva, Syova)
• Vyacheslav (Slava, Slavochka)
• Vyesniy
• Yaakov (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
• Ziven (Ziv)
• Zoryn

Surnames

• Abelev
• Abramov
• Afanasiev
• Afanasyev
• Afansiev
• Aisenyev
• Akimov
• Akoulov
• Aksenov
• Aleihov
• Aleksandrov
• Alekseev
• Alenichev
• 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
• Bartkowitz
• Bartnev
• Baryatinsky
• Bashmet
• Batkin
• Bazoev
• Beketov
• Belanov
• Beletsky
• Beloi
• Belousov
• Belov
• Belsky
• Belyaev
• Belyakov
• Berezin
• Bershadensky
• Berzin
• Bezborodov
• Biryukov
• Bischof
• Bobylev
• Bogdanov
• Bogomolov
• Bolkonsky
• Borisov
• Borodin
• Bourdukofsky
• Brezhnev
• Briansky
• Brodsky
• Bushmanov
• Butkovsky
• Byko
• Bykov
• Bytchkov
• Chapaev
• Chazov
• Chekhol
• Chernitsky
• Chernov
• Chernyshev
• Chichagov
• Chistyakov
• Chodroff
• Chubinsky
• Danilov
• Dashkov
• Demichev
• Demidov
• Denisov
• Dimitrov
• Dimitry
• Diykov
• Dmitriev
• Dolgikh
• Dolgonosov
• Dombrosky
• Donskoy
• Dorogoi
• Doumnov
• Dubinsky
• Dublin
• Dubrovsky
• Duchovny
• Dudinsky
• Dyakonov
• Efimov
• Egorov
• Erikeev
• Ermakov
• Evanoff
• Evdokimov
• Fedorov
• Filatov
• Filimonov
• Filipov
• Filippov
• Fomin
• Fortunatov
• Frolov
• Fyodorov
• Galiyev
• Ganelin
• Gapon
• Gerasimov
• Ghukov
• Gladishiv
• Glebov
• Golubev
• Gontarev
• Gontcharov
• Govorov
• Grachev
• Graudyn
• Grigorev
• Grigorieff
• Grisin
• Gromoff
• Gromov
• Grosha
• Groshev
• Gubin
• Gulianskoy
• Gurov
• Hrynko
• Hvorostovsky
• Ignatev
• Ignatov
• Illich
• Ilin
• Ilyich
• Instinsky
• Ivakin
• Ivanov
• Ivanovich
• Izhitsky
• Kafelnikov
• Kalygin
• Kaminov
• Karataev
• Karelin
• Karin
• Karlov
• Karlovsky
• Karpov
• Kasheyev
• Kasparkov
• Katzev
• Kausky
• Kayakov
• Kerensky
• Kevorkov
• Khadartsev
• Kherpin
• Khokhlov
• Khoklov
• Kholodov
• Khudov
• Kirov
• Kiryakov
• Kiselev
• Kislyakov
• Kissin
• Klimov
• Klossovsky
• Kochelaev
• Koikov
• Kokorev
• Kolesnikov
• Kolosnitsyn
• Kolotcha
• Kondrash
• Kondrashin
• Kondratov
• Korneev
• Kornitsky
• Korzhanenk
• Koshelev
• Koslov
• Kostezh
• Kostoff
• Kosygin
• Kovalev
• Kozlov
• Krashnoshtanoff
• Krestyanov
• Krukov
• Kubarev
• Kupetsky
• Kuritzin
• Kurpinsky
• Kutuzov
• Kuzmin
• Kuznetsov
• Larionov
• Laskin
• Lavrin
• Lazovert
• Lazutkin
• Lebedev
• Lensky
• Leonov
• Leshchev
• Ligachev
• Litvinov
• Lobanov
• Lobodin
• Lobov
• Loginov
• Lubinsky
• Lukin
• Lukoff
• Lukyanov
• Lutrov
• Makarov
• Maksimov
• Malenkov
• Malikov
• Malinin
• Martinov
• Matisoff
• Matusoff
• Maxim
• Mayakovsky
• Mele
• Melnikov
• Merinov
• Miasnikov
• Miaskovsky
• Mihailovich
• Mikhailov
• Mironov
• Mirsky
• Mishkin
• Moldovan
• Molodin
• Molotov
• Moroskin
• Morozov
• Moskovsky
• Motorin
• Motov
• Muchnick
• Nadezhdin
• Nakhimoff
• Nazarov
• Nenov
• Nesterov
• Nikitin
• Nikolaev
• Novikov
• Obolensky
• Oleksei
• Orloff
• Orlov
• Orlow
• Ortoff
• Osipov
• Ostrovsky
• Pankrat
• Parshin
• Pasternak
• Pavel
• Pavlov
• Pecinovsky
• Peskow
• Petrachkov
• Petroff
• Petrosky
• Petrov
• Philemonof
• Platov
• Plotkin
• Podkopayev
• Pokidin
• Polansky
• Polinsky
• Polyakov
• Ponomarev
• Popov
• Porkhomov
• Pouchkov
• Preminin
• Prerovsky
• Primakov
• Prokhorov
• Pronin
• Protopopov
• Putyatin
• Rachmanov
• Radimov
• Ragulin
• Rasputin
• Rebikov
• Rezanov
• Rokossovsky
• Roloff
• Romanoff
• Romanov
• Rozhdestvensky
• Rukovsky
• Rumianov
• Ryzhkov
• Salamov
• Samarin
• Samoylov
• Sapozhinsky
• Sapozhnikov
• Satyev
• Savelev
• Savin
• Seleznyov
• Selkov
• Semenov
• Sementsov
• Semeoff
• Serebryannikov
• Sergeyev
• Shagiev
• Shanin
• Sharov
• Shcherbakov
• Shelemin
• Shistyev
• Shvanov
• Skulsky
• Slavinsky
• Slobodin
• Slovinsky
• Slutsky
• Smirnov
• Smolnikov
• Snegir
• Sokoloff
• Sokolov
• 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
• Turov
• Tutiakoff
• Tuzmukhamedov
• Udinsky
• Ulyanov
• Ushakov
• Ustinov
• Valeev
• Varenkov
• Varyguin
• Vasaly
• Vasilev
• Velikovsky
• Vessensky
• Vinsky
• Vlasihin
• Vlasov
• Volkov
• 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
• Zhuravlev
• Zolkin
• Zorkin
• Zotkin
• Zubov
• Zychik