Russian Names

When browsing catalogues with ads of Russian women, you will notice that some names appear again and again: Irina, Julia, Elena, Natalia, Olga, Svetlana... There is nothing wrong with it. Also, the same Russian name may be spelled in English in different ways, so don't be confused if she spells her name slightly differently every time.

Read about different variations and spellings of the most common female names, and you can even see how her name looks in Russian!

If the page does not display Russian characters correctly, go to View - Encoding in your browser, and select Cyrillic (Windows).

Sign ' after consonants means soft sound; above vowels - stress-mark (omitted in writing! I inserted them only for easy pronunciation).

Aff. - means "affectionate"

Name	Variations	Short (affectionate) forms	Russian spelling (short, affectionate forms)
Albina	--	Alya (Al'binochka, Alechka)	Альбина (Аля, aff. Альбиночка, Алечка)
Alena	Alyona, Aljena	-- (Alyonushka, Alenochka)	Алёна (aff. Алёнушка, Алёночка)
Alina	--	-- (Alinochka)	Алина (aff.Алиночка)
Alisa	--	-- (Alisochka)	Алиса (aff. Алисочка)
Alla	--	Alya (Alen'ka, Alechka)	Алла (Аля, aff. Аленька, Алечка)
Alexandra	Aleksandra	Sasha (Sashen'ka)	Александра (Саша, aff. Сашенька)
Anastasia	Anastasya	Nastya, Asya, Asia (Nasten'ka, Asen'ka)	Анастасия (Настя, Ася, aff. Настенька, Асенька)
Angela	Anjela, Andjella, Angella, Anzhela, Angelika, Anjelica	Angela (Angelochka)	Анжела (aff. Анжелочка)
Anna	--	Anya (Anechka)	Анна (Аня, aff. Анечка)
Antonina	--	Tonya (Tonechka)	Антонина (Тоня, aff. Тонечка)
Galina	--	Galya (Galen'ka)	Галина (Галя, aff. Галенька)
Gulnara	--	Gulya, Gulia, Guliya (Gulen'ka)	Гульнара (Гуля, aff. Гуленька)
Ekaterina	Ekatherina, Katerina, Yekaterina	Katya (Katen'ka)	Екатерина (Катя, aff. Катенька)
Elena	Yelena, Helena, Helen, Yelana	Lena (Lenochka)	Елена (Лена, aff. Леночка)
Elizaveta	Elisaveta, Yelizaveta	Liza, Lisa (Lizon'ka)	Елизавета (Лиза, aff. Лизонька)
Evgenie	Evgenia, Evgenya, Evgeniya, Ewgenia	Zhenya (Zhenechka)	Евгения (Женя, aff. Женечка)
Inessa	--	--	Инесса
Inna	--	--	Инна
Irina	Irena, Iryna	-- (Irinochka)	Ирина (aff. Ириночка)
Julia	Ioulia, July, Yulia	Yulya (Yulen'ka)	Юлия (Юля, aff. Юленька)
Ksenia	Xenia, Ksenya	Ksuysha (Ksuyshen'ka)	Ксения (Ксюша, aff. Ксюшенька)
Larisa	Larissa	Lora, Lara (Larison'ka)	Лариса (Лора, Лара, aff. Ларисонька)
Lolita	--	Lola (Lolitochka)	Лолита (Лола, aff. Лолиточка)
Lubov (means "love")	Liubov, Ljubov, Lyubov, Luybov	Luba, Lyuba (Lyubochka)	Любовь (Люба, aff. Любочка)
Ludmila	Lyudmila, Luydmila, Liydmila	Luda, Lyuda, Mila, Lucy (Lyudochka, Milochka)	Людмила (Люда, Мила, Люси, aff. Людочка, Милочка)
Lilia	Liliya, Lilya	Lilya (Lilichka)	Лилия (Лиля, aff. Лиличка)
Maria	Marya, Mariya	Masha (Mashen'ka)	Мария (Маша, aff. Машенька)
Margarita	Margaret	Rita (Ritochka)	Маргарита (Рита, aff. Риточка)
Marina	--	-- (Marinochka)	Марина (aff. Мариночка)
Nadezhda (means "hope")	Nadejda	Nadya, Nadia (Naden'ka)	Надежда (Надя, aff. Наденька)
Natalia	Natalie, Natalya, Nataliya, Nataly, Natali	Natasha (Natashen'ka)	Наталья (Наташа, aff. Наташенька)
Nelli	Nelly	Nelya, Nelia (Nelechka)	Нелли (Неля, aff. Нелечка)
Nina	--	-- (Ninochka)	Нина (aff. Ниночка)
Oksana	Oxana	Ksyusha (Oksanochka, Ksyushen'ka)	Оксана (Ксюша, aff. Оксаночка, Ксюшенька)
Olga	--	Olya (Olen'ka)	Ольга (Оля, aff. Оленька)
Rimma	--	-- (Rimmochka)	Римма (Риммочка)
Raisa	Raissa, Rajisa	Raya (Raechka, Rajusha)	Раиса (Рая, aff. Раечка, Раюша)
Sophie	Sofia, Sophya, Sophiya	Sonya (Soneshka)	Софья (Соня, aff. Сонечка)
Svetlana	Swetlana	Sveta (Svetochka)	Светлана (Света, aff. Светочка)
Tamara	--	Toma (Tomochka)	Тамара (Тома, aff. Томочка)
Tatyana	Tatiana, Tatjana, Tatjyana	Tanya (Tanechka)	Татьяна (Таня, aff. Танечка)
Ulyana	Uliana, Uljana, Uljyana, Juliana, Julyana	Ulya (Ulechka)	Ульяна (Уля, aff. Улечка)
Valentina	--	Valya (Valyusha)	Валентина (Валя, aff. Валюша)
Vera (means "belief")	--	-- (Verochka)	Вера (aff. Верочка)
Veronica	Veronika	Vera, Nika (--)	Вероника (Вера, Ника)
Victoria	Viktoria, Viktorya, Victorya, Victoriya	Vika (--)	Виктория (Вика)
Yana	Jana, Jyana	-- (Yanochka)	Яна (aff. Яночка)
Zhanna	Ganna, Janna, Jhanna	-- (Zhannochka)	Жанна (aff. Жанночка)
Zoya	Zoja, Zoia	-- (Zoen'ka)	Зоя (aff. Зоенька)

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Russian Female Names