The most popular names in Russia and the world

What name to give the child? This question torments many future parents from the first days of pregnancy. Some strive to emphasize the uniqueness of their son or daughter with the most unusual name. And others are quite satisfied with a common name, the main thing is that it is beautiful and matches the patronymic and surname.

Having studied the statistics of the registry offices for 2017-2018, we have compiled a list of the most popular names in Russia and their meanings. We will also tell you how people in other countries of the world prefer to name their children.

The most popular male names in Russia

10. Kirill

In 2017, this name was more popular, ranking ninth on the list. Kirill is translated from ancient Greek as "lord" and in Persian means "sun".

9. Andrey

One of the most beautiful male names in the world has ancient Greek roots. Andrey means "brave", "valiant".

8. Novel

Having pushed Andrey from 8th to 9th place in the list of the most popular names, Roman "from Rome" (that is how this name, derived from the Latin word "romanus", is translated) is confidently moving up in the top ten. Perhaps, by the end of 2019, "Roman" will become the seventh in the list of the most popular names in our country.

7. Daniel

Starting from seventh place, the positions in the ranking of popular names have remained unchanged since 2017.

The word Daniel comes from the Hebrew word Daniel. It is formed from two words: "dan" (judge) and "eel" (God). That is, God is my judge, or God is a judge.

6. Dmitry

A more accurate pronunciation of this name is Demetrius, meaning dedicated to Demeter, the Greek goddess of fertility and patroness of agriculture.

5. Ivan

The simple and glorious name Ivan comes from the important-sounding name John, which in translation from Hebrew means “God’s favor” or “God’s mercy.”

4. Artem

If the name Dmitry refers to the goddess Demeter, then Artem means "dedicated to Artemis." This is another ancient Greek goddess, but not of fertility, like Demeter, but of the huntress. Another translation of the name Artem is "perfectly healthy," "unharmed."

3. Maxim

The third most popular name in Russia for boys is not the most modest. And in the literal sense of the word, because in translation from Latin Maxim means "greatest".

2. Mikhail

This name has very powerful energy. After all, Michael, translated from Hebrew, means "He who is like God." In the Orthodox tradition, this is the name of Archangel Michael, who leads the angelic army.

1. Alexander

In both 2017 and 2018, the most popular male name in Russia was Alexander. Translated from Greek, it means “defender” or, in an earlier interpretation, “protective husband.”

According to the capital's Civil Registry Office, 2,369 boys named Alexander were born in Moscow last year.

We're going to hazard a guess that this name will remain the most popular name for boys in 2019.

The most popular female names in Russia

10. Daria

The top ten most popular names for girls in our country opens with a sonorous and cheerful name. Translated from Persian, it means "possessing goodness."

9. Elizabeth

This name has been borne by many queens, one of whom still rules today. We are talking about the British Queen Elizabeth II of the Windsor dynasty, who ascended the throne in 1952. The name "Elizabeth" means "honoring God" or "oath of God".

8. Victoria

A strong name that has a close connection with the name of the ancient Greek goddess of victory - Nike.

7. Polina

This sonorous female name comes from the even more sonorous Apollinaria, meaning "dedicated to Apollo." In Ancient Greece, Apollo was revered as the god of art and prophecy, as well as the patron of settlers.

6. Ksenia

If not God himself, then one of the meanings of the name xenia commanded the Ksenias to be hospitable. There is another theory: the name Ksenia may come from the word xenios - "guest", "stranger".

5. Anastasia

One of the most popular and beautiful female names is a form of the ancient Greek male name Anastas. And it is translated as "brought back to life" or "resurrected". A very optimistic name, right?

4. Alice

Unlike most of the other common names on this list, Alice is not of Greek or Jewish origin, but Germanic. Translated from ancient German, it means "noble."

3. Maria

If the "male top three" is stable from year to year, then in the female top three there have been changes compared to 2017. The name Maria has moved from second to third place, but still remains one of the most popular female names.

Its "source" is the Hebrew name Mariam. It has many meanings: "beloved", "desired", "stubborn", "mistress" and even "bitter".

2. Anna

In 2017, this name was only the fourth, but in 2018, many, many little Anyas appeared in Russia. This beautiful name means "grace", "God's favor".

1. Sofia

The most popular female name in Russia is closely connected with the Orthodox faith. Sofia was the name of an early Christian saint, the mother of Hope, Faith and Love. This fashionable name means "wise", "reasonable".

In Moscow alone, over 2.5 thousand Sonyas were born in 2018.

The most popular names in Belarus

The most popular names in BelarusAs in Russia, Belarusians prefer to give their daughters the names Sofia, Anna, Ksenia, Darya and Maria. At the same time, the top ten most common names for girls also includes the name Valeria.

Among the boys, Artems, Maxims, Ivans and Daniils are in the lead.

The most popular names in Ukraine

The most popular names in UkraineAmong Ukrainians, the leaders among the most popular male names are Maxim and Matvey. The names Artem and Maxim are also very popular, they close the top three in 2018.

Most often, Ukrainian babies are given the names Sofia, Anna, Daria and Zlata. These are the data from the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice based on the results of 2018.

Most Popular Muslim Names

Most Popular Muslim NamesOne of (if not the most popular name in the world) is Muhammad or Mohammed. This was the name of the prophet and messenger of Allah, to whom the Koran, the sacred scripture of Islam, was sent.

Among female names, the most popular are Amira (“princess, princess”), Nadira (“rare”), Zulfiya (“pretty”) and Gulnara (“pomegranate flower”).

The most popular names in the US and UK

The most popular names in the UK and the USIn England, boys are often named Jack and girls are often named Olivia. But in the US, the names Jacob and Emma are more common.

The most popular names in the world

And here is what the picture of the most common names around the world looks like as a whole.

The most popular names in Russia and the world