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I was doing some research on the web and found a database of children in orphanages in Russia. As sad as it is that so many kids there are stuck in these horrible homes, their names are very interesting. There seems to be a breakdown in Russian names. About 80% of all Russian names, based on these, seem to be picked from the same set of common names, some classic, some trendy. The other 20% are pretty unique.

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I've included the names I've found in both English and Russian, plus any additional forms of the name that might help in establishing meaning if the name isn't common in English-speaking countries. I've also separated the common and the rare names so you can get a good idea of what seems to be pretty popular in Russia at the moment. I'm posting the girls today and will do the boys later tonight or tomorrow. Enjoy!

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COMMON NAMES

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Ксения - Kseniya (Xenia)
Анна - Anna
Нина - Nina
Дарья - Darya
Софья / София - Sofya / Sofiya. The difference here is that the first one is pronounced SOHF-ya and the second one is pronounced sah-FEE-ah (unstressed O makes an "ah" sound)
Наталья - Natalya (Natalie)
Татьяна - Tatyana
Яна - Yana (Joan, Johanna)
Валентина - Valentina
Елизавета - Yelizaveta (Elizabeth)
Екатерина - Yekaterina (Katherine)
Маргарита - Margarita (Margaret)
Виктория - Viktoriya (Victoria)
Вероника - Veronika (accent on the "ni," pronounced vyehr-a-NEE-ka)
Лидия - Lidiya (Lydia)
Лилия - Liliya (Lily)
Светлана - Svetlana
Снежана / Снежанна - Snezhana / Snezhanna (I was super happy to see this, as Snezhana is one of my favorite Russian names)
Людмила - Lyudmila
Евгения - Yevgeniya (Eugenia)
Надежда - Nadezhda (Hope)
Александра - Aleksandra (Alexandra)
Анастасия - Anastasiya (Anastasia, prn. in Russian ah-nah-stah-SEE-ya)
Полина - Polina (Paulina)
Валерия - Valeriya (Valerie)
Кристина - Kristina
Ирина / Арина - Irina / Arina (Irene)
Диана - Diana
Мария - Mariya (Mary, Maria)
Елена - Yelena (Helen)
Алина - Alina
Юлия - Yuliya (Julia)
Ульяня - Ulyana (Juliana)
Олеся - Olesya (Alexandra)
Карина - Karina
Галина - Galina (Helen)
Оксана - Oksana (Xenia)
Ангелина - Angelina (hard G, ahn-geh-LEE-na)
Алена - Alyona (Helen)
Эльвира - Elvira (el-VEE-ra)
Лариса - Larisa
Виолетта - Violetta (Violet)
Вера - Vera (VYEH-rah)
Жанна - Zhanna (Joanna, Joan)

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RARE NAMES

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Асли - Asli
Алевтина - Alevtina
Мадина - Madina
Тахмина - Takhmina
Сентябрина - Sentyabrina, equivalent to Septemberine or Septemberina in English. I actually ADORE this name.
Лейло - Leyla
Нигина - Nigina
Жилия - Zhiliya (ZHEE-lee-ya)
Есения - Eseniya
Малика - Malika
Альфия - Alfiya
Серафима - Serafima
Ляйсан - Lyaisan (never seen this before)
Хуршида - Khurshida
Гульнара - Gulnara
Ильсия - Ilsiya
Сесек - Sesek
Самира - Samira
Гульсибар - Gulsibar
Венера - Venus, really, but Venera in Russian
Солангы - Solangy (the last vowel is a guttural "ee" sound)
Гутера - Gutera
Матлюба - Matlyuba (mother of love? awkward)
Ильмира - Ilmira
Сахиба - Sakhiba
Эльза - Elza
Билена - Bilena
Мукаддас - Mukaddas
Камалия - Kamaliya
Асимгуль - Asimgul
Патрина - Patrina
Даниела - Daniela
Ылболсын - Uylbolsyn
Фадая - Fadaya
Адалина - Adalina
Гульбагира - Gulbagira
Ася - Asya
Атлантида - Atlantida
Айталина - Italina ("eye" first syllable)
Айсылу - Isylu
Амилия - Amiliya
Аэлита - Aelita (ah-eh-LEE-ta)
Изольда - Izolda (Isolde)
Рината - Rinata
Калерия - Kaleriya
Руслана - Ruslana
Джамиля - Jamiliya
Самира - Samira
Гузель - Guzel
Виола - Viola
Фарида - Farida
Наргиза - Nargiza
Клавдия - Klavdiya (Claudia)
Эвелина - Evelina (Evelyn)
Камила - Kamila (Camilla)
Рамиля - Ramilya
Милана - Milana
Элеонора - Eleonora (Eleanor)
Верислава - Verislava
Таисия - Taisiya (tah-EES-ee-ya)
Ариана - Ariana
Анжелика - Angelica (soft G, like in English)
Дарима - Darima
Радмила - Radmila
Марианна - Marianna
Алтана - Altana
Ярослава - Yaroslava
Альбина - Albina
Фелиса - Felisa (Felicity)
Дилара - Dilara
Василиса - Vasilisa, common in Russian fairy tales
Дарина - Darina
Жасмин / Жасмина - Zhasmeen / Zhasmina (Jasmine)
Умеда - Umeda
Зухра - Zukhra
Райхана - Rykhana
Сабрина - Sabrina
Инесса - Inessa (Agnes)
Зарина - Zarina
Сарра - Sarra
Изабелла - Izabella (Isabella)
Владислава - Vladislava
Злата - Zlata
Евдокия - Yevdokiya (Eudocia)
Рохшона - Rokhshona
Вячеслава - Vyacheslava
Нонна - Nona
Айза - Ayza (EYE-za)
Ирада - Irada
Рената - Renata
Виталина - Vitalina
Аделина - Adelina
Владлена - Vladlena
Агата - Agata (Agatha)
Шохзода - Shokhzoda
Шахноза - Shakhnoza
Кызы - Kyzy (both guttural "ee" sounds)
Римма - Rimma (Rima)
Асель - Asel
Маяна - Mayana
Лайло - Lailo (Lila)
Зульфия - Zulfiya

This message was edited 11/14/2012, 8:28 AM