Russian Names

Sometimes Russians names can be really confusing for a foreigner if he/she does not know how they are formed and changed. First of all, Russian full name consists of a first name, a last or family name and a patronymic. In the official documents or when you fill out a form, last name goes first, then first name and patronymic. So it looks like this:

Иванова (family name) Лидия (first name) Николаевна (patronymic).

Family name

Very often family name derives from the father’s first name. It is similar to English: Johnson (son of John), Jackson (son of Jack).

Иван – Иванов (Иванов – (son) of Ivan, Literally:of Ivan)
Алексей – Алексеев (Алексеев сын – (son) of Alexey)

Often family names originate from the nicknames, which can be any noun or adjective. Examples of such names:

Гончаров (гончар – potter), Садовников (садовник – gardener), Морозов (мороз – frost).

Most of the time Russian last names change their ending depending on the gender.

Петров – son of Peter
Петрова – daughter of Peter
Николаев – son of Nikolay
Николаева – daughter of Nikolay

First Name

In many cultures in order to express affection, intimacy or informality people use diminutive names. For example Suzie for Suzanne, Phil for Philip.

Russians do much more with their names. They can even express negative feelings by changing your name in a certain way. That is why it is better to use term ‘informal’ instead of ‘diminutive’. Often an informal name comes from the beginning of the first name plus certain suffix.

Below is the table with Russian Male names and their corresponding informal versions.

Male names

Below is the table with Russian Female names and their corresponding informal versions.

Female names

Patronymic

Russian patronymic is inherited from the father’s name.
If a man named Александр (Alexander) has a son named Иван (Ivan) and a daughter named Мария (Maria) the full name of his children are:

Most of the time the patronymic is formed:
For a son         by attaching ович/евич to the father’s first name;
For a daughter    by attaching овна/евна to the father’s first name;

Which Name to Use and When?

Is it common to use a patronymic on an everyday basis? It depends on the case.

You should use a first name together with a patronymic:

1. in the official settings;
2. when the person is obviously older than you (another generation);
3. with your parents in Law;
4. with the teacher.

You should use a first name:

5. when you talk to a child or teenager (until he/she finishes school);
6. with a close friend approximately your age or younger;
7. with your darling.