We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

To people in the west, Russia often seems like a vast and mysterious territory.

The sprawling country is rather exotic and its names reflect that.

Article image

The Russian language is acomplex and richone and this provides for some truly beautiful names.

These Russian baby names have been hand-picked to give your baby the perfect name that he or she deserves!

The name isultimately derivedfrom the Greek word “eugenes” which means “well born.”

Article image

Pronounced “ah-nah-TO-leey,“the name Anatoliyis perfect for your little ray of sunshine!

The name has ancient roots, the most famous example being the 3rd century philosopher Saint Anatolius.

Agnessa

Agnessa is a Russian twiston the femininename Agnes.

Article image

The name has a mystical origin, being based off of the name of the ancient Greek god Zeus.

Pronounced “roo-SLAHN,” this is an abbreviated formof the name Yeruslan.

The name is thought to be derived from the Turkic word “arslan” which means “lion.”

Article image

The name is strongly rooted in mythology.

Yeruslan Lazarevich is the name of a hero in manyRussian folktales.

Aleksandr Pushkin based the hero of his poem,Ruslan and Ludmila,off of the character of Yeruslan.

Article image

Ludmila

Sometimes spelled as Lyudmila,Ludmila is a Russian namemeaning “favor of the people.”

The name is a bit long, but it can easily be shortened into the cute nickname of Mila.

Other people who have had this ancient and noble name include the ballerina Lyudmila Semenyaka and chess playerLyudmila Rudenko.

Article image

Kolya

The Russian boy’s name Kolya is the diminutive form ofthe name Nikolai(orNikolay).

The name Nicholas and its many variations have been used throughout history.

Is is the name of several popes and two Russian czars.

Article image

It is also popularly known as the name of Saint Nicholas after whom Santa Claus is based.

Kolya is a good option if you want a more modern take on a traditional name.

The name Elijah dates back to antiquity and is the name of a prophet found in the Bible.

Article image

Ilya is the name of a legendary folk hero in Russian mythology,Ilya Muromets.

Other notable people called Ilya include award-winning violinistIlya Kalerand Nobel Prize winnerIlya Prigogine.

If you name your baby Ilya, he will have some pretty impressive namesakes to inspire him!

Article image

Article image

Article image

Article image