Ukrainian female names formed over many centuries, reflecting the history of everyday life, beliefs of Ukrainians and their interaction with other peoples. Nowadays, the basis of female Ukrainian names is christian names church calendar, and the first names come from the pagan period.
Origin
Old Slavonic
Christian
With the advent of Christianity, women began to be called by Christmas time. The new names were Greek (Vasilisa, Antonina), Latin (Varvara, Valentina), Germanic (Alice, Inga, Irma), and Jewish (Anna, Martha). For a long time two names were used in parallel - the church one, given at baptism, and the pagan one, used in everyday life.
Coming from Europe
As a result of the interaction of peoples, the Catholic names of the West Slavic countries were borrowed:
- Wanda.
- Theresa.
- Power.
- Ruzhen.
- Kvitoslav.
From other cultures came names that began to be pronounced in the Ukrainian manner: Zlata, Darina.
Borrowings in the 20th century
IN Soviet time influenced Western culture V Ukrainian language Names included:
- Snezhana.
- Karina.
- Angelica.
- Angela.
- Diana.
- Camilla.
- Caroline.
- Christina.
Modification
Christian names were alien to the Ukrainian ear, and did not carry meaning for people.
Over time, sounds that were uncomfortable for pronunciation were crowded out or changed to others:
Some forms of calendar names became independent: Oksana (from Xenia), Alena (from Elena), Arina (from Irina). At the same time, the changed names retained their meanings.
How to name a girl - features of choice
In ancient times
The name laid down the qualities that they wanted to see in the child. A female Ukrainian name was usually more beautiful than a male one, and served as an adornment for girls, along with jewelry and clothes. The names emphasized the qualities that were valued in women - softness, tenderness, beauty.
Currently
Today, parents call girls based on personal preferences, trying to choose a beautiful name that is consonant with the surname. To choose a name with good energy, they pay attention to the fate of the women who wore it.
fashion influence
Fashion for names is cyclical and depends on politics, music, literature, public figures. Behind Lately the popularity of simple names (Elena, Anna, Marina) was replaced by the revival of ancient Christian ones (Pelageya, Martha, Evdokia).
At the beginning of the 21st century, there was an interest in the ancient Slavic names (Bratislava, Lubomila, Miroslava). Fashion trends bring European and American names: Adele, Joanna, Monica. Currently, people are again turning to simple familiar Ukrainian female names.
By value
When choosing a name, every parent wants their daughter to be happy. When choosing a name, be sure to study its meaning, which can affect the character and fate of the girl.
Alphabetical list of options and their meaning
Ukrainian female names are distinguished by their special beauty and sincerity. To select a name, you can use lists of female Ukrainian names. It is important to evaluate not only the sound, but also the translation and meaning of the name.
Popular
It is usually easier for girls with popular Ukrainian names to go through life. They are harmonious, understandable and familiar, favorably accepted by society. Common names give more freedom to their bearers, the ability to choose their own path. The popularity of the name changes over time, but there are the most commonly used and beloved Ukrainian female names.
- Alexandra (Greek)- protector, courageous. The contradictory character combines masculine strength and femininity.
- Alena (Greek)- radiant, sunny. Cheerful, cheerful, has a high self-esteem.
- Alina (lat.)- different from others. Proud, stubborn, with a good memory and creativity.
- Anastasia (Greek)- resurrected, resurrected. Sincere and sympathetic, at the same time strong-willed and principled.
- Anna (Heb.)- God's mercy. Kind, independent, has an analytical mindset.
- Antonina (Greek)- opposing, competing. Cheerful, good-natured, with good organizational skills.
- Bela (glor.)- white, clean. Sweet, soft, emotional nature, prone to the exact sciences.
- Bogdan (fam.)- Given by God. Kind, soft, sensitive and sentimental.
- Valeria (lat.)- strong, healthy Complex, impulsive, erratic.
- Barbara (Greek)- foreigner, foreigner Closed, slow, with a strong intuition and a penchant for creativity.
- Faith (Greek) faith, service to God. Smart, truthful, practical, has organizational skills.
- Veronica (lat.)- bringing victory. Sociable, emotional, loves comfort and beautiful things.
- Victoria (Greek)- goddess of victory. Combines perseverance, stubbornness with kindness and shyness.
Vlad (famous)- possessing glory. Combines practicality and good imagination, material and creative.- Galina (Greek)- calm, serene. Sociable, kind, knows how to find the golden mean in everything.
- Dana (glory) given, gifted. Contradictory, modest and persistent, with good intuition.
- Daria (Greek)- rich, wealthy. Artistic, decisive, easily adapts to new conditions.
- Evgenia (Greek)- high-born, noble. Passionate, unrestrained, high intelligence and artistic taste.
- Catherine (Greek)- immaculate, pure. Smart, ambitious, with a good imagination.
- Elena (Greek)- sunny, radiant Cheerful, smart, with a rich inner world.
- Elizabeth (Hebrew)- worshiping God. Domineering, capricious, direct in communication.
- Jeanne (Heb.)- God's grace. Stubborn, resourceful, with high self-esteem and leadership qualities.
- Zinaida (Greek) belongs to Zeus. Assertive, arrogant, smart, with penetrating abilities.
- Gold (Heb.)- golden, valuable. Serious, modest, tactful, a good hostess.
- Zoya (Greek)- life. balanced, with strong will and leadership abilities.
- Inna (lat.)- stormy stream. Lightweight, reliable, flexible, analyst-minded.
- Irina (Greek)- peace, peace. Sensitive, strong-willed, smart, loves a busy life.
- Karina (lat.)- dear, dear. Purposeful, capable, easily finds a common language with people.
- Christina (lat.)- a Christian. Capable, sociable, thoughtfully makes decisions.
- Xenia (Greek)- hospitable. Attractive, sociable, with developed intuition and high intelligence.
Lera (lat.)- strong, healthy Bright, authoritarian, freedom-loving, self-confident.- Love (glor.)- Love. sociable, straightforward, with analytical warehouse mind.
- Ludmila (famous)- dear to people. Emotional, active, attached to home and family.
- Marina (Greek)- marine. Bold, free-spirited, developed imagination and intuition.
- Mary (Heb.)- desirable, serene. Active, dynamic, critical, loves freedom.
- Hope (Greek)- hope. Independent, bright, does not accept restrictions.
- Natalia (lat.)- born on Christmas, Christmas. Stubborn, straightforward, gifted in many areas.
- Nina (Hebrew)- great granddaughter. Proud, tactful, well-read and responsible.
- Oksana (Greek)- a foreigner, a foreigner. Sensitive, calm, loves children.
- Olesya (Ukrainian)- girl from the forest, forest. Independent, eccentric, yet soft and affectionate.
- Olga (Scand.)- wise, holy. It has a strong will, high intelligence and great capacity for work.
- Polina (Greek)- solar, dedicated to the god of the sun. Determined, active, kind and sympathetic.
- Rada (glor.)- joyful, beautiful. Energetic, responsible, leader by nature, humanitarian mindset.
- Ruslana (Turk.)- a lioness. A mixture of energy and strength with doubt and caution.
- Svetlana (famous)- the light of the earth, luminous. Accurate, persistent, spiritual, with a subtle intellect.
- Snezhana (glor.)- winter, snow. Sensitive, vulnerable, receptive to other people's opinions.
- Sophia (Greek)- wise, prudent. Active, inquisitive, loves to be the center of attention.
Taisia (Greek)- fertile. Decisive, independent, active, with developed intuition.- Tatiana (Greek)- Founder, organizer Wayward, unpredictable, independent, loves order.
- Ulyana (lat.)- owned by Julia. Energetic, strong, open to people, defends justice.
- Julia (Greek)- curly, wavy. Sociable, changeable, with creativity and intuition.
- Yana (Heb.)- God's mercy. Combines indecision and confidence, mind and intuition.
Ukrainian names have much in common with Russian and Belarusian ones. This is not surprising, because our peoples have common roots and one story. The intertwining of destinies has led to the fact that now in Ukraine they are asked to write down children in the Russian-language form of the name, while in mother tongue it may sound very different. What is the peculiarity of Ukrainian names?
Let's look into the past
Now in Ukraine the fashion is returning to name children Old Slavic names. So in kindergartens and schools you can meet girls Bogdana, Miroslava, Bozhedana, Velena, Bozena. The boys are named Dobromir, Izyaslav, Lubomir. But this is only modern tendencies, although they were observed for almost the entire centuries-old history of the fraternal people.
When Christianity was adopted in Rus', they began to baptize everyone in the church and give the names of the holy great martyrs. This tradition continues to this day. But we still continue to name children exactly as it is written in the certificate? And why is this happening?
It turns out that this phenomenon is more than a thousand years old. Ever since the first Christian years, people who were accustomed to this continued to call their children. And what the church demands from them simply remained on paper. So the names could actually be different. Bogdan was baptized as a child under the banner of St. Zenobius, and Ivan as Istislav.
Examples of names of Christian origin
But the language of the people is great and mighty, so some Ukrainian names were nevertheless borrowed from Christian faith. Over time, they were changed and adapted to the gentle sound of the colorful language. By the way, there are also native Russian analogues. For example, Elena in Ukraine sounds like Olena, Emilian - Omelyan, Glykeria - Licker (Russian Lukerya).
IN Old Russian there were no names that would begin with the first letter of the alphabet A. This rule was later transferred to Ukraine, with the exception of the name Andrey (Andriy, although in some villages you can hear Gandriy) and Anton. But Alexander and Alexey, more familiar to us, had the first O and turned into Oleksandr and Oleksiy. By the way, dear Anna in Ukraine sounds like Ganna.
Another phonetic feature ancient language- the absence of the letter F. Almost all words with F are borrowed from other countries. That is why the Christian versions of Thekla, Philip and Theodosius turned into Tesla, Pilip and Todos.
Ukrainian male names
It is simply impossible to name all the names suitable for boys and which will be considered primordially Ukrainian. There are a great number of them, and they all have an old Slavic roots. We propose to consider the most common Ukrainian male names and their meaning.
Women's names
Many female names are derived from male ones. List of Ukrainian given names in female form:
The meaning of Ukrainian names can be understood from the very name. Originally Ukrainian words were used to display their meaning on the character of the child. Therefore, if you read Miloslav, then you mean that this sweet creature will certainly become famous.
How to read Ukrainian names correctly
In the Ukrainian language, almost all letters are similar to Russian. Except for a few. They are especially difficult for people from other countries, because the language requires them to be pronounced smoothly and softly.
So, the letter g is in two versions. The first ordinary is read gutturally, softly, and the second with a tail is more firmly. Besides:
- e is read like Russian e;
- her:
- i - and;
- and - similarly s;
- ї - like "yi"
- yo - like Russian ё.
Features of modern names
Modern Ukrainian names have already lost their uniqueness. Of course, the parents of the western regions and some of the central regions still preserve ancient traditions, but the rest, and especially big cities prefer to use Russified forms. By the way, data about a person is written in two languages - national and Russian.
On modern territory Ukraine is inhabited by many peoples: Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Bulgarians, Georgians. This diversity of nations is due historical development of this state. Ukrainian female names have an ancient and original history.
Brief information about the history of the appearance of Ukrainian names
In ancient times, the lands of Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Poltava, Chernihiv and other central regions of Ukraine were inhabited by tribes of pagan Slavs. With the advent of the state of Kievan Rus, a legend is connected about the arrival of the Vikings, who were the first rulers of Rus': Rurik, Igor, Olga, Oleg - all these names are of Scandinavian origin.
After the Christianization of Rus' by Prince Vladimir, the original Slavic and Scandinavian pagan names began to be gradually replaced by Greek ones. However, fortunately, the people did not abandon their culture. Newborns began to be given two names: one - Slavic (pagan), and the other - Greek (Christian). It was the stability of tradition that made it possible to preserve the original flavor of Slavic names.
With the further division of Rus' into the Kievan and Moscow principalities, with the expansion of the territory of the state and the settlement of the Slavs from Moscow to the coast Sea of Azov, Russian and Ukrainian female names that historically have common origin, began to differ.
The difference between Russian and Ukrainian names
When the center Kievan Rus moved to the Principality of Moscow, Christianity became a truly native religion for the people of Rus', estates appeared in society (peasants, boyars, princes), cultural interaction of the state with other countries of Europe and Asia began to develop. As a result of the strengthening of Christianity as the state religion, newborns were given two names: one was chosen according to the calendar (this name was often advised by the priest), and the second was Slavic, used in the home circle.
With the increase in literacy in society, Slavic names began to gradually fall out of use and were replaced by Christian names, especially those mentioned in sacred texts. Old Russian, and then Russian society, especially its most prosperous stratum, increasingly adopted European culture.
At the same time, on the territory modern Ukraine in the environment common people preserved and maintained ancient traditions. If in Ancient Rus' Slavic names were used mainly in the family, and officially the person was represented by the name given to him at baptism, then in Ukraine the situation was the other way around. The main name was considered Slavic. Perhaps this is the reason why Ukrainian female names have retained their national flavor.
Phonetic features of Ukrainian names
Foreign names, once in the Old Russian environment, changed their pronunciation. For example, Greek name Anna in the Ukrainian language acquired the form of Hann, the name Xenia - Oksana, and the name Theodore - Todor.
This happened because in the Old Russian language, which was spoken 1000 years ago by the Slavs of Kievan and Moscow Rus (it was one language), the sound f- it was not at all, for the Slavs it was difficult to pronounce, and it was replaced with a more convenient sound T-. This is how the name Todor appeared.
And the sound A- in the language of the Eastern Slavs never stood at the beginning of a word (absolutely all concepts that in Russian or Ukrainian begin with A-, have foreign origin: watermelon, arba, aria, aquamarine). This is how Ukrainian forms appeared: Oleksandr, Oleksiy, Olesya, Oksana. From parallel Russians, for example Aksinya, formed from the Greek Xenia.
It must be said that the replacement of the initial A- on O- was characteristic of the entire folk environment of Rus' in general (and not just the territory of modern Ukraine). Thus, the Russian merchant from Tver, Afanasy Nikitin, in his book Journey Beyond the Three Seas (XV century) calls himself Othonasius.
Ancient monosyllabic female names
Old Ukrainian female names may consist of one root (Vera, Volya, Zhdana). Some of these ancient names are common, and some are obsolete. The monosyllabic female names of Ukrainians include, for example, those presented below.
Ancient disyllabic female names
Currently, Ukrainian female names consisting of two roots are a little more common. Vladislav - from the words "glory" and "power" - strength, courage. Zlatomir - from the concepts of "peace" and "gold" - gold. The meaning that the original Ukrainian female names have (list below) is sometimes easy to determine on your own by the root of the word. Next, consider concrete examples. Two-syllable Ukrainian female names are beautiful, melodic, colorful. They reflect the music and poetry of the people. Examples of them are the following: Bohemila, Boleslav, Brotherlyub, Dobrogora, Druzhelyuba, Zlatomir, Lyubava ("beloved"), Lyubomila, Lubomir, Lyuboslav, Mechislav, Miroslava, Wise, Radmira, Svetlana, Svetoyara.
As can be seen from this list, rare Ukrainian female names most often contain syllables - glory, -love, -sweet, -peace. It can be assumed that this principle of word formation contains the primordial values of the Slavs: to be loved, feminine ("sweet"), kind ("peace") and brave ("glory").
Modern Ukrainian names
In modern Ukraine, the same names are mostly found that are used in Russia and Belarus. They are Slavic, Greek, Roman, Jewish and Scandinavian origin. However, unlike Russian society, in Ukraine there is a gradual increase in interest in ancient names, which indicates an increase in the spirit of patriotism in society and attention to one's own cultural traditions. This is especially true for the western regions of the country, where newborn girls are increasingly given Old Slavic names, which are presented above.
However, despite the fact that every year the number of newborn girls who are given Slavic names is increasing, in the whole country, the choice of names is still influenced by the general fashion from Eastern Europe.
Popular female Ukrainian names: Alina, Alice, Anna / Ganna, Bogdana, Victoria, Veronika, Darina, Diana, Elizabeth, Katerina / Ekaterina, Christina, Lyudmila, Nadezhda, Natalya, Maria, Oksana, Olesya, Sofia, Tatyana, Uliana, Julia .
Conclusion
Female names common on the territory of modern Ukraine are diverse both in meaning and in history of origin. However, of all the East Slavic peoples, Ukrainians (especially from the western regions of the country) seem to have preserved ancient Slavic names in their onomasticon more than others. Once upon a time they were used by all Slavs, but with the adoption of Christianity they were gradually replaced by Greek and European ones.
Russian name - Ukrainian name? Passport problem
In Soviet times, the names of residents of the Union republics were recorded in passports in two languages - Russian and national language republics. At the same time (in the case of Ukraine and Belarus), the name and patronymic were not transcribed, as is customary throughout civilized world, and were replaced by the corresponding analogs: Pyotr Nikolaevich - Petro Mikolayovich, Nadezhda Vladimirovna - Nadia Volodimirivna. The nationality of a person had no influence: the Ukrainian Petro in the Russian-language documents still appeared as Peter, and the Russian Nadezhda in the Ukrainian-language documents as Nadia.
In modern Ukrainian legislation, this practice is theoretically abolished: according to the Constitution, a citizen has the right to a transcribed record of the name and surname in accordance with his national traditions. However, in reality, in order to achieve the desired spelling of the name, people have to overcome many bureaucratic obstacles. The same thing happens with the entry of the name on the birth certificate. For a long time, parents who wanted to name their daughter Anna encountered stubborn resistance from registry office workers who claimed that there was no such name in the Ukrainian language, but there was Hanna (which is blatant illiteracy: the Anna variant has existed in the Ukrainian language for many centuries). Recently, resistance has subsided - not in last turn because legally savvy parents began to challenge these actions in higher instances.
How to pronounce Ukrainian names
Ukrainian alphabet very close to Russian, but there are several differences between them:
e reads like Russian uh;
є - like Russian e:
і - like Russian And;
And- as an average between Russian s And And;
ї - How " yi"
yo- like Russian yo after consonants: Stas yo- Stas yo(but not Stasio).
yo- like Russian yo at the beginning of a word or after hard consonants.Unlike the Russian yo, which is always stressed, Ukrainian yo/yo may be unfortunate.
Letter " G" denotes a voiced guttural or back lingual fricative (as in Russian literary pronunciation Bo's words G)
letters s,b,yo,uh not in the Ukrainian alphabet. Together separating solid mark an apostrophe is used ( ’ ).
Unstressed vowels in Ukrainian are pronounced as clearly as they are under stress (unlike in Russian, where unstressed o usually turns into a, and e into i: k A row, t And l And background).
ABOUT V closed syllable in Ukrainian often turns into і , hence the paired variants of names arise: Anton And Antin, Tikhon And Tikhin. But both options are inclined the same way: Anton,Anton,Anton,Tikhon,Tikhon, Tikhon.
Ukrainian male names ending in - O, are inclined according to the second declension: Danilo-Danila, Danila, Danil, Petro-Petra,Peter, Peter.
Ukrainian women are famous not only for their beauty, but also for their complaisant disposition. Would you like to raise a smiling and sociable daughter who will become not only the soul of the company, but also a good housewife? Learn Ukrainian female names - tender name will be an excellent foundation for cultivating a benevolent character.
Ukrainian national flag
Search jewelry for all times - Ukrainian female names
The search for an interesting and harmonious name for a girl, sooner or later leads to Ukraine. Common Slavic roots and the similarity of mentalities make their names quite suitable for women living in the CIS. Russian, Belarusian, Lithuanian, and Estonian surnames often pair well with popular Ukrainian names.
Popular names - search harmony
A beautiful name should not make a girl an outcast - it is useful to start the search with the most common names. The list of popular Ukrainian names is headed by:
Ideal for raising wise and balanced girls, which awaits great destiny. The aristocratic name is popular in Russia and Great Britain with royal roots, and the people of Kiev especially appreciate its Orthodox component. Girls will believe in good, always hope for the best, sincerely love, if you call them Sophia.
- Zoryana
An inspiring name that encourages achievement dizzying success in life. The Zoryans delight their parents with diligence and diligent study, adult life become active and often achieve heights in their careers. It is customary to name the desired daughters, who lit up the lives of their parents with their birth.
- Darina
popular name among creative people- fits any surname, helps to raise a sociable, purposeful and somewhat wayward girl. One of the most famous representatives of the name is the director and animator Darina Schmidt, who gave the children the universe of Luntik.
- And bath
The tender name is deservedly included in the list of the most popular, especially in western Ukraine. Ivanka is famous open mind, gentle nature and prone to traditional family values. They are willingly married, because such wives are given by God for happiness!
- Milan
The search for the sweetest Ukrainian name inevitably ends with gentle and compliant Milans - they are loved for their balanced character, sensitivity, and natural receptivity. Milanes create an atmosphere of mystery and inexhaustible femininity around them. The name is suitable for people who value spiritual depth and want to raise a daughter who deeply understands the essence of things.
- Mariana
Many bright Maryan can be found in western Ukraine. They are distinguished by liveliness of mind and inexhaustible passion. Suitable for girls with an explosive temperament - the emotionality of the name Mara (Marianna) can balance restrained surnames.
- Solomiya
Extremely popular in Western Ukraine name immortalized by the great opera singer Solomiya Krushelnytska. Great option to educate peaceful girls who create an atmosphere of calm around them. It is always joyful next to little Solka, and adult Solokhas impress with their prudence - they are often involved in resolving conflicts in women's groups.
- Martha
A third of the brightest Lviv beauties are proud of the name Marta - they are inspired by the homeliness of the name. Many Marthas are extremely organized in solving everyday issues, they are able to create absolute comfort in any life circumstances, they appreciate home comfort. They are also distinguished by loyalty to partners and accepted ideals, so the name is popular among spiritual, intellectual people.
- Miroslava
Soft Miroslavs grow up either very domestic, or real queens who know their own worth. They are distinguished by the presence of unshakable life principles, striving for high level life and peaceful disposition. Suitable for people in business and politics who want to raise a daughter who will become an adornment of high society.
Carriers of popular Ukrainian names usually do well in life. In their youth, they are surrounded by enthusiastic fans and a flock of girlfriends, and in mature year easily create strong families or achieve professional success. When choosing a Ukrainian name, you should pay attention to the meaning - each name has a certain influence on the formation of fate. Study the fate of the most famous bearers of the name in order to understand what future awaits the daughter named by him.
Popular names are the key to a favorable attitude towards the girl in society. Often they are extremely harmonious, intuitive and easy to hear. However, you should not limit your search to hackneyed paths - rare names can decorate famous surnames. Creative individuals, as well as successful businessmen or politicians, should not call their daughters banal names. Secret female names that have been preserved in Ukrainian culture since ancient times become a real find!
Search rare name - the triumph of originality!
Not all people will be satisfied typical names, the search for a bright destiny for their children often leads to a deep immersion in traditional culture. Less common names sound outlandish and extremely original. Interesting results are obtained by searching among the rarest and most beautiful Ukrainian names. Choose a name not only for its bright sound, but also for its semantic meaning daughter will be grateful for unusual name which will help her become extraordinary!
- Chacluna
The name has a mysterious, charming character. Suitable for raising dreamy girls who are prone to mysticism and a deep connection with nature. Most often found in the Transcarpathian region, where long-haired beauties still go out into the mountains at night to dance around fires and sing folk songs sweet voices.
- Lyubava
The happiness of a woman is in love. The name Lyubava will help you find true happiness and will always remind its owner of family values. Lyubavas are always loved by their husbands, they are valued for their boundless kindness and the ability to sincerely forgive.
- Orisya
Little Orisi, like angels, inspire with a peaceful disposition, delight parents with a calm character. The name was popular during the time of Panteleimon Kulish, now it is rare. Orishi do not like conflicts, willingly compromise, therefore they become excellent wives. They are valued for their gentle approach to solving the most controversial situations, as well as for kindness and developed intuition.
- Ladomila
Spiritualized Ukrainian parents willingly name their daughters old name Ladomila, wishing through him to bring more mercy and kindness to the world. The name disposes girls to benevolence, in adulthood such women often devote themselves to volunteer projects and charity.
To complete the search for a suitable female name is to study the fate of the people who wear it. It is not enough to choose a beautiful name, consonant with the surname, more important is its deep meanings, which will form the character of the girl. Ukrainian names prophesy a glorious fate, because they always have positive origins, spiritual roots, so the search for a soulful name for a girl inevitably leads to Ukraine.
