There are a few unisex names in which we just change the ending to make them feminine – the most common pairs are Alexandr and Alexandra, Valentin and Valentina, Valery and Valeria.
I think that the most common Russian male name is Sasha (Alexandr) and most common female one is Natasha (Natalya). For example, Pyotr (Peter) is Biblical and Greek, Viktor is Latin, and Olga, Boris or Vladimir are Slavic. They come from the Bible, or can be of Greek (most names, in fact), Latin or old Slavic origin. Every Russian has three names: First name, patronymic (middle name, derived from one’s father’s first name) and surname.įirst (Christian) names are usually traditional. The general system of Russian names is quite logical. How do you know, when reading a Russian book, that Mikhail Ivanovich on page 10 is the same guy as Misha on page 12? I am sure foreigners are often confused by Russian names. Sasha, Sashka, Aleksandr Alexandrovich, San Sanych, Sanya, Shurochka, Shurik, Sashok, Sashenka! Could it be the same guy? I am afraid so… and some of those names can even belong to a girl. But at the same time, the ability to understand them and to use them properly is so important for successful socialising and building up relationships! How many names does a Russian person have? Names are usually not given much attention in textbooks or Russian language lessons.
