Welcome to our list of the 50 most popular Russian boys names. Each name has a short explanation of its meaning along with a cool fact about the name.
This list is perfect for:
- Parents looking for a Russian baby name
- People who want to change their name via deed poll to a more Russian sounding one
- People who want to find out which are the most popular Russian names
So without further interruption here is the list of the 50 most popular Russian names for boys.
50 Popular Russian Names for Boys
- Alexei
The Russian name Alexei means “defender of men”. Alexei has been the name of many famous Russian czars and politicians throughout history.
- Andrei
Andrei is a common Russian boy’s name meaning “manly” or “brave”. It was the name of Andrei Tarkovsky, a famous and influential Russian Soviet filmmaker.
- Abrasha
The name Abrasha is a version of the Hebrew name “Abraham”. It means “father of multitudes” and refers to the biblical figure Abraham.
- Arman
In Russian, Arman means “desire” or “one who hopes”. It is popular as a boy’s name not only in Russia, but also in Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Iran.
- Arkadiy
The name Arkadiy means “bear”. It was the name of a main character in Ivan Turenev’s book, Fathers and sons.
- Anatoli
The popular Russian name Anatoli means “sunrise”. Saint Anatolius of Alexandria had this name as do many famous athletes from the Slavic world.
- Avraam
Avraam is another Russian form of the name “Abraham”. It means “holy father” or “father of many”.
- Benedict
Benedict is a Russian boy’s name that means “blessed”. It was the name of Saint Benedict of Nursia, who is said to have founded Western Christian monasticism.
- Bogdan
Bogdan is composed of two Russian words, “bogu”, meaning “god” and “dan”, meaning “given”. This name thus means “he who was given by god”.
- Boris
Boris means “snow leopard” or “wolf”. It was the name of King Boris of Bulgaria, the 11th century Saint Boris of Kiev, and Emperor Boris Gudonov.
- Damien
Damien has become a relatively popular name worldwide, but it is particularly popular in Russia. This name means “one who tames or conquers”.
- Danil
This is a Russian form of the name “Daniel”. It means “the Creator’s gift” or “God is my Judge”. Many Russian and Slavic athletes bear this name.
- Denis
Denis is a popular Russian boy’s name that originated from the French language. The name means “follower of Dionysius”, who was the Greek god of wine.
- Dmitriy
This is a Russian boy’s name meaning “earth-lover” or “devotee of Demeter”. Dimitriy Mendeleev was a Russian chemist who developed the periodic table.
- Dusan
Dusan means “soul” or “one who is creative”. It is popular in Serbia, Czechia, and Slovakia and many athletes and political leaders in those countries have this name.
- Edmon
This Russian boy’s name means “guardian”. It is related to the name “Edmund”. Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer, was the first person to climb Mount Everest.
- Efrem
Efrem comes from the Hebrew boy’s name “Ephraim”, which means “fruitful” and “productive”. It was the name of 19th/20th century Russian composer Efrem Zimbalist.
- Emil
This is a popular Russian boy’s name meaning “rival” or “one who excels”. Emil is a particularly common name in Christian communities.
- Evgeni
This name is a form of the name “Eugene”, meaning “aristocrat” or “one who is good”. Evgeni Malkin is a famous Russian hockey player with this name.
- Fedir
The name Fedir is a Slavic form of the name “Theodore”. It means “gift from Heaven”. Olympic medalist Fedir Lashchonov had this name.
- Feliks
Felix is a cute Russian boy’s name meaning “he who is lucky”. It is a popular Christian name that is borne by four popes and multiple saints.
- Gedeon
The name Gedeon means “slayer”. A variation of this name, “Gideon”, was the name of a hero and judge in the Old Testament.
- Gleb
Gleb is a Russian boy’s name most notably known as belonging to an 11th century saint. It comes from Old Norse and means “heir to god”.
- Gennady
Gennady means “he who cares for others” and comes from the Greek name “Gennadius”. It is the name of 3 Olympic medalists.
- Grigori
Grigori is a common Russian name meaning “watchful”. Grigori Rasputin was a famous Russian mystic and holy man with this name.
- Igor
Igor has been the name of many important historical figures, including two grand princes of Kiev and the designer of the first working helicopter.
- Ivan
Ivan is a famous Russian boy’s name that means “God is gracious”. It has been the name of 6 Russian rulers and 9 Bulgarian emperors.
- Jeramy
Jeramy is a boy’s name meaning “God will uplift”. It is the Russian language form of the name Jeremiah, which belonged to a major prophet of the Old Testament.
- Kazimir
This Russian name means “world destroyer”, but don’t be fooled. Kazimir was the name of 4 Polish rulers and the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania.
- Kliment
Kliment is the Russian form of the name “Clement”, meaning “merciful”. It is the name of Russian, Bulgarian, and Ukrainin athletes, war generals, and politicians.
- Konstantin
The Russian name Konstantin is often given to baby boys in memory of Constantine, the first Holy Roman Emperor. The name means “constant”.
- Lazar
This name originally comes from the Hebrew name “Eleazer”, meaning “God has helped”. One notable namesake is the 14th century Tsar Lazar of Serbia.
- Leonid
Leonid means “lion’s strength”. Leonid Brezhnev, USSR leader from 1964-1982, is one famous bearer of this name.
- Lev
This name means “lion” in Russian. It is the real Russian name of the author Leo Tolstoy and also of Russian revolutionary, Leon Trotsky.
- Luka
Luka is the Russian derivation of the boy’s name, “Luke”, which belonged to an Old Testament doctor and saint. It is usually said to mean “light bringer”.
- Makari
Makari means “blessed” and is derived from the Old Greek word “Makarios”. It was a popular name in ancient times, but is not as common today.
- Maks
Maks is a shortened form of the name “Maksim”, meaning “greatest man”. Maks Velo, an Albanian artist, is a famous namesake.
- Misha
Used by itself or as a diminutive form of “Mikhail”, Misha means “messenger of God”. Misha was also the name of the mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.
- Mstislav
Mstislav is a rare Russian/Slavic name meaning “vengeance and glory”. It was the name of two Russian dukes, including Duke Mstislav the Great.
- Nikolai
The classic Russian name Nikolai means “victorious”. It has been the name of 14 Olympic medalists, a Russian president (Nikolai Todorov), and the playwright Nikolai Gogol.
- Pavel
Pavel is the Russian version of the Christian name “Paul”, which means “humble” in Latin. It belonged to Emperor Pavel I of Russia.
- Radomir
In Russian, Radomir means “happy” and “peaceful”. It is a particularly popular name in Serbia and Bulgaria, though it is also used in Russia.
- Rostislav
This name is composed of the Slavic words “rosti” (growth) and “slava” (glory). It was the name of 12th century Duke Rostislav of Kiev.
- Sergei
Sergei means “protector” and comes from the Latin name “Sergius”. It is a popular given name in Christian communities.
- Stanislav
This Russian name means “one who becomes glorious”. It has always been a popular name across the Slavic world, but it’s particularly common in Poland.
- Taras
Taras is a Russian name derived from the Greek name “Tarasios”. It was the name of Taras Shevchenko, a Ukrainian writer and artist.
- Vadim
Vadim means “peaceful rule” and is especially common in Russia and Moldova. The musician Vadim Brodski is a notable namesake.
- Valentin
Valentin is a sophisticated Russian name that means “strong” and “healthy”. Valentin Glushko, a Soviet era rocket engine designer, was a bearer of this name.
- Viktor
Viktor is a boy’s name meaning “conqueror”. The Harry Potter character, Viktor Krum, and French writer Victor Hugo are both famous individuals with this name.
- Yaroslav
This name means “fierce and glorious”. It was the name of Yaroslav the Wise and three other Grand Princes of Kiev.
Final Thoughts
We hope you found this list useful. If you want to change your name we make the process very easy. Simply order a deed poll (and a name change kit if you want to save time) to get started.
