Misha

My cousin is named Misha. He’s exactly 4 years younger than me (we share a birthday) and our great-grandparents were from Russia. It's a meh name, in my opinion.

Naming my daughter "Mischa", her father's name is Michael. I think it's cute. It's also ridiculous how worked up anons get over names lol.

It's interesting to see how many different opinions people have on this name based on their cultural and/or personal experiences!
I was born in Czech, and name Misha is used in Czech, Slovakia and Poland as a pet name for Michael and Michaela, so it has a unisex feel in those countries. I am currently expecting and my partner who is British absolutely loves this name and he feels it's appropriate for both genders. And he is begging to call our first born with this name regardless if it is a boy or a girl.
I had different names on my mind, but seeing how much my partner loves it, I am considering it as a strong option!
He probably loves it that much because my partner's name is Mike and our cat is called Mikeš, therefore having Misha is just having someone else called practically the same name but using a different version
(P.S. My cat is 13 yo, and I have known my partner for 7 years, so no, I haven't called my cat after my partner. However, they are both ginger! What a coincidence or maybe it's not, maybe it's just my odd taste lol).

Also Misha sounds like a combination of our names = Mike and Šárka (pronounced as Sharka).
German version of this name is spelled Mischa but correct way of English spelling is Misha.
However, it doesn't really matter- it's a beautiful name and we are humans we can adapt to anything, so if we see it as a male name, surely we can eventually get used to the fact that girls can have this name too x.

"I play Pokémon Go ever-E-day, I play Pokémon Go."
The singer who sang that was named Misha.
Sorry, but he's all I can think of when I hear this name. It also sounds very feminine for a boy.

My name is Misha, and I am a male and I have always wondered if people thought that my name is a girl name or boy name and sometimes it makes me laugh to think that most people think that the name Misha is a girl name. My parents gave me this name because they thought that my name felt strong and sometimes I would like to believe that.

It seems like more of a diminutive to me. Like Mike as well. I wonder if they use it as a full name in Russia ever. I love Misaki which sounds kind of similar in sound, instead for a girl.

I absolutely love the name Misha. It’s masculine but still has a warm nice sound.
I’m not sure whether I like Michael (and all the other forms of that name) and seeing as I probably wouldn’t use a nickname as a given name...

My name is Mischa. Honestly, I don’t like the name because no one that I’ve met has known anyone named Mischa and everyone pronounces it wrong and I just want a normal name.

I always thought this had a very feminine sound. I actually knew a female Misha before I knew a male Misha.

Well I think Misha is suitable as both a masculine and feminine name. In Slovenia we have a diminutive as Miša (pronuciated ME-SH-A) and though it's used more on girls there are boys with this name too and it's beautiful.

Love Misha or Mischa for a girl. It's lovely!

This thread about Mischa is hilarious! This exact site that you all subscribe to for knowledge and insight, by definition, lists Mischa as Masculine AND Feminine. The site guru who gathers countless data points have resolved that question! What about the name Sasha? It's also Masculine in Russia- short for Alexander. But President Obama uses it for his daughter. Is that rocking your world? Get over it. Jessica Simpson just named her daughter MAXWELL DREW. Girls are named Ryan, Drew, Charlie, Elliot. I love character, I love sexy, I love mystery- I love Mischa for a girl.

I have heard this name in passing a number of times and I guess I initially thought it to be unisex. However, I have since started learning the Russian language and learnt it was a Russian name. Strangely enough, that changed my view of it towards 'feminine' because I learnt that Russian nouns ending in -a or -я (-ya/-ia/-ja). I did not realise that this was not the case when it came to names (in particular, the diminutive forms of names). I do understand the true usage of the name in Russian culture, and will not make female characters with this name (I am an author). It does not mean, however, that this name is not considered 'feminine' in other cultures, and I also respect this. I think it is always important to consider all parties involved in situations like this))

Hahaha, I'm curious to see how many Americans think the name Misha is a girls name or even unisex for that matter. If you wish to use the name go ahead, but for a boy for god sakes. You name your daughter this and you'll only be giving her a man's name. Better hope she doesn't ever leave the country.

I love this name for a boy. I don't see how it sounds remotely feminine.

If you seriously believe this name is feminine, I think you need to rethink your life choices. Misha sounds extremely masculine, why do Americans, or English speaking countries in general believe everything should be changed to fit them. Stop trying to be unique by torturing a girl with this name.

I'm not Russian and names ending in -a are feminine in my language too. But I've always thought that Misha, Nikita and Sasha were veeeery masculine. I cannot even imagine a girl called Misha. Don't know why it's so, but it's definitely a boy's name.

Despite the fact that it's a Russian masculine diminutive, the name Misha was given to 94 baby girls born in the US in 2012. I do know a boy named Misha though. I think it's his full name.

See (and some of you Russians might kill me for this, but) I can see this name on a girl. But at the same time, I can also see the name Mike on a girl. I am not really strict about masculine and feminine names. Especially because many boy names become girl names.
Though Michael and Mikhail on a girl is pushing it, even for me. I suppose it's less masculine because it's a diminutive?

This name may be used only for males in Russia and other European countries, but I think it's acceptable to use it as a girl's name in US and perhaps other countries. I personally like it for both males and females. To say it's disgusting, disrespectful, or wrong isn't very nice and it's judgemental. To be so possessive over a name is ridiculous. People use names for their children that they like, not to be disrespectful of a country or culture. This is the problem with the world today. We view ourselves as so separate and having boundries, while we really are all connected. If more people thought of the world as one and all citizens of this earth a part of the human race, instead of specific races and nationalities, this world would be a lot better place.

First of all, this name is misspelled. Its M-I-S-C-H-A.
Second, this name is actually unisex in some parts of world such as the US (where I live), I love it for a little girl, although I don't think I could ever use it thanks to Thomas Haris (author of the Hannibal Lector series).

I like the name Misha for a guy.
In Polish the feminine name Misia (pronounced Misha) means little teddy bear. :)

I think this is a total kickass name for a guy!

My Samoyed's name. He's a boy, of course. Why would I name a girl "Mike"?

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But apparently English-speakers own this name now and say it's soooo girlyyyy. I wonder what the Russians have to say about that?

I don't understand how Anglophones in Anglophone communities can claim that "this is SO a girl's name" when it's not of their own language or culture! How rude do you have to be to try to discredit an entire ethnicity's traditions? Misha is a Russian nickname for a boy named Mikhail. Deal with it.

Only dumb Americans or English speakers would ever consider this name for a girl. It's a strictly masculine name all over Eastern Europe.

This is SO a girls name!

I really like this name, especially for a boy. On a girl, it's okay, but kind of "Hollywood" because of Mischa Barton.

I love this name! It's by far my favorite masculine name. If I ever had a baby boy, I would totally give him this name. It sounds really strong. Too strong to be a girls name, I think. Actually, it would sound kinda ghetto on a girl :^\

I think that Misha is a great name and is beautiful. I know many nice people named Misha.

In a story I'm writing one of the characters is named Misha, but is a girl. I never thought Misha was a boy's name and never as a nickname for Michael. (I've only known boys with the name Michael to call themselves Moe or Mike.) I think it makes a better girl's name.

Misha is DEFINITELY NOT a masculine name! Any boy named Michael who is called Misha for short, I'm sorry you have to endure this torture! On a different note, I know a girl named Misha.

Until this year I HATED this name, but one of my new friends is named Mesha (slightly different spelling) and she's a really nice person. It's weird how your opinion of a name can change based on one specific person with that name.

Madison and Ashley and hundreds of English male names are constantly being used for girls, so whose to say Misha isn't becoming a trendy girls name in Russia? You never know.

It bothers me when writers don't get names right.
Thomas Harris named Hannibal Lecter's sister Mischa, and the family is supposed to be Lithuanian. It is slightly different spelling than Misha, and in some countries they spelled it Misja, but still. I've asked Russian friends and they all say that Misha is never ever used for girls. Couldn't Harris have looked into that?

I love this name as a nickname for Michael. It makes me want to barf when I see it on a girl.

My name is Misha too. I live in the Uk, I am feminine! And I think it was rude of you to comment, this name on a girl makes me want to barf! Because I wear my name in pride and not even your comments will change that, so I don't mean to be rude but please don't comment that again! There are people with feelings out there too, you know! And my mother gave me the name, it was very judgmental to say mean things about it! And my mother can choose what she likes, and it suits me really well.

I like the idea of using Misha as a nickname for Michael, especially since I hate the nicknames Mike or Mikey. It's also good if the child has some Russian in his heritage.

One word: Dreadful!

I don't really like this name, something about it, I don't know.