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ArchivesMisha on females in eastern europe?
My grandparents generation were Polish immigrants. One of the women was named Mischia. She named her daughter Mischia, and my sister's middle name is Mischia after both of them.
Am I correct in assuming Mischia is a variation of Misha? It's just pronounced Meesha.
From everything I've seen on this site and elsewhere, Misha is pretty much a boys' name in Eastern European countries. It is just not a girls' name. So was my aunt's name really Aunt Mike, just a random anomaly? Or was there any kind of female precedent?
Am I correct in assuming Mischia is a variation of Misha? It's just pronounced Meesha.
From everything I've seen on this site and elsewhere, Misha is pretty much a boys' name in Eastern European countries. It is just not a girls' name. So was my aunt's name really Aunt Mike, just a random anomaly? Or was there any kind of female precedent?
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Replies
Polish is my first language and that particular spelling wouldn't make sense in Polish. Mischia(with this spelling) would have to be pronounced MEES-hyah(with the H being fully pronounced). Are you sure on the original spelling?
My Polish name book lists Misia(MEE-shah) and Michasia(mee-HAH-shah) as the nicknames for Michalina(which is the feminine for of Michael in Polish).
My Polish name book lists Misia(MEE-shah) and Michasia(mee-HAH-shah) as the nicknames for Michalina(which is the feminine for of Michael in Polish).
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I always kind of assumed it was a diminutive of some sort of Michael-based female name in Slavic countries. When I read Hannibal and found out that Hannibal Lecter was Lithuanian and had a sister named Mischa, that sort of cemented my perception of it. I'm not sure if that book is really to be trusted in terms of cultural name accuracy though.
However there is a female Slovak R&B singer named Misha, short for Michaela!
However there is a female Slovak R&B singer named Misha, short for Michaela!
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It could be a short for something like Mihaila/Mikhaila/Михайла which is a female equivalent of Michael. I'm Russian, and I've definitely heard the name Михайла before, and I think it is also used in other Eastern European countries. It can be shortened to Misha based on personal preference.
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i have a friend in czech rep. Her name is Michaela and we all call her Misha.
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