A recent study by Tinkoff Magazine explores which male and female names stay fashionable in Russia and which ones are losing ground. socialbites.ca reviewed the study’s conclusions to present a clear picture of naming trends across the country.
For more than a century, Anna, Alexandra and Tatyana have remained among the top choices for girls. These names were consistently popular in the 1920s and continued to appear near the top in later decades, including the 2000s. Names like Elena, Ekaterina, Olga and Maria are still common, though they sit a bit further down the list compared with the leaders.
Among boys, the names Alexey, Alexander, Mikhail and Vladimir have shown steady appeal across many decades. Other strong contenders include Dmitry, Ivan and Nikolai, which remain popular even if they don’t lead every decade.
The most common names given to children born in Russia in the most recent year were Sofia for girls and Artem for boys. Sofia tops popularity in three quarters of the regions, while Artem leads in about half of the regions.
In addition, the five most popular female names across more than half of the regions are Eva, Anna, Maria and Victoria. For boys, the leaders in many regions include Alexander, Maxim and Artem.
Regional analyses showed that naming patterns are largely similar across most areas, with Kalmykia standing out. In Kalmykia, local favorites dominate: Adyan for boys and Dayana for girls, with Ilyana and Enkira also widely used. Beyond Kalmykia, names like David and Georgiy are common, and in North Ossetia, Sarmat and Alan have a distinctive regional appeal.
Over time, the popularity of Anastasia has declined within the group of twenty most common names. In the 1990s it ranked at the very top, but it now sits around the 17th position in the overall Russia ranking. The names Alice, Elizaveta, Ksenia, Alexandra, Ekaterina and Daria have also seen downward shifts in recent years.
In the realm of boys’ names, several classic favorites show a gradual drop in popularity: Ivan, Daniil, Dmitry, Kirill, Egor, Ilya and Alexey. Artem, Fedor and Roman have remained relatively stable, with only a gentle slide downward. The question of whether these names will stay in the spotlight or drift toward rarity will unfold over the coming years.
Names that have already fallen out of favor among girls include Elena, Natalya, Olga, Yulia, Tatyana, Irina, Svetlana, Marina, Nadezhda and Lyubov. Elena, for instance, was the second most popular name in the 1980s but now sits in the 60s range.
Among boys, Evgeny, Denis, Anton, Igor, Yuri, Oleg, Vyacheslav, Vasily, Stanislav and Vadim are less common today. Denis, for example, was tenth in the early 1980s but now ranks around the 45th mark. Similar declines are seen with Vitaly and Eduard, who are rarely among the top names anymore.
Names that are rising quickly today include Eva, Vasilisa and Miroslava among girls, and Leo, Mark, Myron and Timothy among boys, highlighting ongoing shifts in naming preferences.
Additionally, researchers identified names that are not yet in the top tier but are climbing rapidly. Among girls, Yesenia, Emilia, Agata, Adeline, Yasmina, Olivia, Aurora, Mira, Agnia and Amalia are currently in the 24th to 78th range and gaining momentum. A similar pattern is seen among boys with Makar, Adam, Bogdan, Leon, Plato, Savely, Demid, Luka, Miroslav and Savva leading the charge.
In summary, Russians show a dynamic naming landscape where timeless classics persist, regional flavors matter, and fresh choices steadily push their way into the spotlight. The dataset illuminates how cultural factors, historical moments, and regional preferences shape the names given to newborns from decade to decade, painting a vivid portrait of contemporary Russian naming culture.
These insights shed light on what families consider when choosing names and how trends evolve over time across different parts of the country.