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Baby names

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

Original poster

Russian girls' names

48 replies

Goostacean · 03/07/2019 11:36

Many thanks to everyone who helped me on my boys' names thread! Now I'm trying to narrow down my list for a girl. Here is my shortlist:

  1. Anna
  2. Clara
  3. Inessa
  4. Larissa (Lara)
  5. Lydia
  6. Natalya
  7. Nina

Constraints are: name should be pronounceable and spell-able in the UK without (too much!) confusion, needs to work in Spanish and Russian, and go with a Spanish surname ending in "ia".

Any views or preferences? Please do share why you don't like any of them, as well!

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Owlbert · 03/07/2019 11:49

Larissa is beautiful

aibutohavethisusername · 03/07/2019 11:51

I love Larissa

Happyhusband · 03/07/2019 11:56

Galina/Galya
Nadezhda
Orissia
Lena

teenmum18 · 03/07/2019 11:57

Laviska

Kanga83 · 03/07/2019 12:00
  1. Anna - beautiful and timeless.
  2. Clara- again gorgeous but be careful if you want to keep the short 'a' sound as it will be a long 'are' sound in English.
  3. Inessa - never been keen on this one.
  4. Larissa (Lara) - love Larissa
  5. Lydia- nice but very popular.
  6. Natalya- again depends if you don't mind the English 'are-lee-ya' at the end rather than east European 'Alya' sound.
  7. Nina - beautiful and timeless.
Summergarden · 03/07/2019 12:00

Love Clara and Lydia. Also think they are so straightforward to spell that your girl will never need to correct anyone.

I love all these names actually, but think your spelling of Natalya will mean constant corrections for your daughter here in the U.K...

Lunde · 03/07/2019 12:02

Tatiana/Tanya
Ludmila/Mila
Yelena/Elena
Samara
Yulia
Alina/Alena
Nadya/Nadia

Zoobunny · 03/07/2019 12:05

Love Lydia. Don’t like the others.

Kanga83 · 03/07/2019 12:07

I know a Russian Arabella and Lillia. Both don't sound different in English either and would work with the Spanish link.

ZaZathecat · 03/07/2019 12:11

Natacha
Marina

separatebeds · 03/07/2019 12:12

Katinka

autumndreaming · 03/07/2019 12:19

Katinka, Polina, Katya

Out of your list I like Anna, Clara and Nina

breakfastpizza · 03/07/2019 12:23

Katinka is lovely, nn Tinks.

BuzzShitbagBobbly · 03/07/2019 12:40

Larissa is nice.
I also know a Russian Yelena, which sounds quite nice.

Inessa sounds like it will be hard work her whole life. is it Alissa, Clarissa, Anita...?

BuzzShitbagBobbly · 03/07/2019 12:41

I knew two Ninas.

One was forever "nee-naw" as in police siren.
The other was just a bitch.

Peachbubble · 03/07/2019 12:58

I like Clara and Larissa the best

Original poster
Goostacean · 03/07/2019 13:08

Wow, I'm really surprised by all the love for Larissa!

OP posts:
elliandher5 · 03/07/2019 13:16
  1. Anna - simple and timeless. A classic and never going to be misspelled or mispronounced
  2. Clara - GORGEOUS - my favourite out of your list
  3. Inessa - not keen, reminds me of Vanessa which is a middle aged business woman's name Grin
  4. Larissa (Lara) - very pretty. My lash technician is actually called Larissa and I've always thought it's a gorgeous name. Like Lara as a name on its own even more though! (It's my middle name)
  5. Lydia - it's okay, not dreadful but I'm not head over heels for it. Lara / Larissa is much nicer imo.
  6. Natalya - always loved this name but never seen it spelt this way before. It's my younger sister's name but she is known as Tali.
  7. Nina - it's ok. Just a bit plain and nothing special if you ask me.

Ellianna x

PrettyBelle · 03/07/2019 13:18

In Russian, Larisa is spelled with one "s".

Samara is not a name, it's a town.

Katinka is not the correct spelling - Katenka would be a diminutive of Katya.

helpmum2003 · 03/07/2019 13:20

All gorgeous names.

I would think Inessa will have spelling issues.

Natalya may get spelled as Natalia?

For me Larissa and Natalya best reflect a Russian heritage (in the eyes of a Brit!!)

RickOShay · 03/07/2019 13:22

Love Tatiana.
Also love Oksanna and Katya, but think it may be a diminutive of Katarina.

RickOShay · 03/07/2019 13:22

Or maybe not Grin

Original poster
Goostacean · 03/07/2019 13:34

Thank you for all the suggestions, but this is definitely the shortlist- I've considered a huge number of names Ekaterina (Katya, Katrina, etc), Marina, Olga... the works!

I like Anna and Clara, but I wonder if they are a bit "meh". Nothing special. Slightly feel that way about Lydia- I keep forgetting it's on the shortlist.

Not too keen on Nat or Tali, plus you're right that it'd be a lifetime of "Natalya with a y", so that's probably off the list.

Nina was the favourite for DS, but he ended up being a boy, clearly. I'm less keen on it now- does make me think of sirens! Thanks to a teasing comment from my mum, which proves why you should never discuss names before the birth...

I really love Inessa, little Nessy, shame no one else seems to! Also like Larissa/Larisa (I feel like Larissa keeps the sibilance of the S- whereas Larisa might end up La-ree-day?)

OP posts:
Fatkins · 03/07/2019 15:05

Anna is my clear favourite, followed by Inessa and Clara.

I think you love Inessa the most though, so I'd go for that. The only slight hesitation I would have is that it might get misheard as Vanessa and she might end up having to correct people a lot; "Hi, I'm Inessa", "sorry, Vanessa?", "No, INessa". That kind of thing. But it isn't the biggest of deals.

Tillygetsit · 03/07/2019 23:13

I love Inessa. Really pretty and Nessy is super cute.