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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

International-sounding name for a Russian baby girl

111 replies

JuliaEf · 30/01/2017 07:53

Hello, everyone!
I need your advice.
We live in Russia and are choosing a name for our baby girl who is soon to come.
We certainly have some typically Russian names on the list, but also consider more international-sounding names.
What do you think of the names below:

  1. Leoncia
  2. Leontia (almost the same like No.1, but more Russian version of it)
  3. Silvia
  4. Emilia (in Russian, it is Emilia, not Emily)
Do you have any negative associations with any of these names? Maybe they sound funny or outdated? Would you be surprised if you met a typical Russian girl with such a name? Thank you for your contributions!
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Bobochic · 30/01/2017 08:12

The modern Russian girls I know are called Yulia, Anna, Lika, Neva...

QueenoftheAndals · 30/01/2017 08:12

I've always loved Tatiana, Tatya for short.

Abetes · 30/01/2017 08:10

I have come across a couple of girls called Silvia in ds's classes. One had Italian parents, the other had parents from Eastern Europe (not quite sure where) so seems to pass the international test.

tigertorch · 30/01/2017 08:10

The first two names on your list would be difficult for English-speakers to pronounce correctly, I think. They would be considered unusual names.

Silvia is a little bit old fashioned here (but maybe due for a revival). In the UK it is spelt Sylvia.

Emilia is lovely and easy to pronounce. Very popular at the moment, but nothing wrong with that!

thenightmanageress · 30/01/2017 08:10

Anya
Anastasia
Tatiana
Alexandra
Alexandrina

I love them all!

EduCated · 30/01/2017 08:08

If Leontia is pronounced something like Lee-on-tee-uh or Lee-on-shuh then even though it's not particularly recognisable, I think it would travel pretty well.

CommonFramework · 30/01/2017 08:07

Haven't heard of Leoncia/Leontia

Silvia is pretty but a bit old-fahioned
Emilia is lovely - but very popular, and you'll get all the variant spellings of it too.

Ayla? Anya?

Elllicam · 30/01/2017 08:06

I think Silvia is lovely.

Zoflorabore · 30/01/2017 08:01

Anastasia sounds lovely to me or Anya :)

BikeRunSki · 30/01/2017 08:00

The first 2 I have never heard of. I've lived in the UK, the Netherlands and the USA. I went to the French Lycee in London - so I suspect it does not pass the "internationally recognised" test.

Silvia is fine. A bit old fashioned, and generally spelt Sylvia in English, if that matters to you.

Emilia is completely normal, but very popular in the under-5 girls DD knows, along with Amelia and Emily.

DesolateWaist · 30/01/2017 07:58

Silvia is rather old fashioned.

How are the first to pronounced?

I like Emilia. It's a name that will allow her to 'blend in' if she is growing up in the U.K.

One Russian girl I knew, born and brought up in the uk, was called Katya. Very pretty name. Easy to pronounce and spell for English speakers but still sounded Russian to my ears.