Slavic first names have very beautiful sounds. Whether you are expecting a girl or a boy, here are our most beautiful ideas.
Vera, Mila, Vlad, Boris… Slavic first names are numerous and they have very pretty sounds. Some are well known in the French-speaking world, while others are less famous, which brings a touch of originality. Choose a Slavic name for your baby often makes it possible to pay homage to one’s origin, but also to a culture that one appreciates. find ideas for male and female Slavic names.
What is a Slavic given name?
A Slavic first name finds its origins in the Slavic languages. These come from countries like Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia, Belarus, the Czech Republic and even Slovenia. Some Slavic first names have Latin and Greek origins.
Female Slavic given names
The inspiration is great for Slavic names for girls. Parents who like first names that are out of the ordinary will be able to like Ludmila, Vesela, Kalina, Zlata, Stanislava, Vladimira, Mira, Brana, Svetlana or even Sveta. Some female Slavic first names are well known in France, such as Olga, Verawhich means “faith”, Mila, which means “love, beloved”, Mira (“peace”), Zora (“dawn”) or even Nadia. The case of this last name is particular, since it means “hope” in Slavic and it is then a variant of Nadine, while it means “generous” or “the one who calls” in Arabic.
Some female French first names have Slavic variants, such as Nadège which becomes Nadejda, Jeanne which becomes Vanina or Nathalie which becomes Natasha. Many are the Slavic female names which have beautiful meanings. As Tatiana (“fairy”), Danica (“morning star”), Luba (“love, beloved”), Rada (“happy”), or Cveta and Kveta (“flower”). In French, the first name Marguerite, which means “pearl” and refers to the flower of the same name, may seem old-fashioned. On the other hand, if you opt for one of its Slavic versions, Magosha or Małgorzata, it will sound original!
Male Slavic given names
Looking for a Slavic first name for your little boy? You can opt for vladwhich means “ruler, leader” and for its variants Vladimir or Volodymyr. We also like first names Miroslav (“person famous for his love of peace”), Dusan, which means “soul”, Vuk which means “wolf”, Darko, which means “gift”, or Ysannewhich designates the ash tree.
Rather known in France, the Slavic male given name Boris has a certain charm, just like Ilya and Millian. The first name Stanislas and its diminutive Stan are beautiful Slavic names for boys. Football fan, you can also opt for Zlatan, a first name which means “gold”.
Those who prefer tennis can opt for Novak or Novac, which means “novelty, new beginning”. If you want to give your boy the Slavic version of a French name, you can opt for Grigori (Grégory), Konstantin (Constantin), Ivan (Jean), Mikhaïl (Michel), Youri (Georges), Nikita (Nicolas), Sacha, diminutive of Alexandre or Sergei (Serge).
What are the Slavic first names of Greek origin?
If the Slavic first names are mainly from these languages, others are derived from Greek first names. For girls, for example, the first name Hélène, which means “sunshine”, has many Slavic derivatives: Aliona, Lena, Elena, Elena, Olena… We also like Irina, derived from Irene, which means “peace” in Greek. Daria for a girl and Dario for a boy are variants of the male Greek given name Daerios, which means “who possesses wealth”. In Slavic, they will mean “bright, joyful, powerful”.
For little boys, it is impossible not to mention the first name Dmitri, which can also be written Dmitri or Dimitry. It is derived from the Greek name Demetrios, itself derived from the name of the goddess Demeter. Note that it also has female versions: Demetria, Demi and Dimitra. Finally, let us quote the male first name salvo Bogdanwhich is a translation of the Greek Theodoros and means “great, impulsive, powerful, given by God”.
Ideas for rare Slavic first names
Some Slavic first names are rarely attributed in France. Parents looking for an uncommon and rare first name can jump at the chance! For the Slavic and rare male names, some are well known and are even classics: Aleksander, Andrej, Carl, Ciril, Dimitri, Ivan, Stefan, Stanislas… Others are more original, like Casimir, Iwan, Zoran or even Pavel.
Looking for a rare first name that is the Slavic version of a French first name? Opt for Tomaz (Thomas), Matej (Mathis), Ludwik (Louis), or even Stefan (Stéphane).
On the side of Slavic and rare names for little girls, we can cite Alenka, Julija, Kasia, Katja (which is pronounced like Katia or Katya), Milana, a variant of Milena, or even Vladia. Those who like rare first names, but whose sounds we know can opt for Adriana, Anya, Slavic version of Anne and Anna, Nadia or Nadja, Sonia or Sonja, Stefana and Tanja (which is pronounced like Tania/Tanya).