Russian name for a nonRussian boy these days

[Lactosan83]

Hi all, am writing regarding concern I have for my future nephew.

My sis has a husband of Eastern European heritage, and they live internationally, with plans to spend some time in UK in the near future.
They are expecting a baby boy (yey!!), and plan to give him an Eastern European name to honour his father's roots. All peachy and great.

However, I am worried as they seem to have settled on a name that sounds specifically very "Russian". I am afraid what that will do to a baby boy growing up in current political circumstances, and who has no relationship with Russia (his father is Eastern European, but not Russian).
Will he be bullied / discriminated? Will he need to spend his days explaining that he's not really Russian etc?

I believe that confusion is best to be avoided, and hope they can find another EE name that doesn't ring "Russia" to everyone who hears it. Am I wrong? Am I over the top?

Wanted to check with you before I say anything to them. Any input is appreciated.

Thank you all, this is all very insightful.

Name is Sergei. It sounds like an epitome Russian name to me, although I understand it to be present in other E European countries too. Whenever I google it says "Russian name".

Just trying to make the right thing, didn't mean to offend.

All names including Vladimir are fine. I quite like the name Vladimir. I wouldn't name him Nigel after Farage tho.

I think people are more likely to think of meerkats!

Sergei Is absolutely fine. It screams "Eastern European" to me rather than specifically Russian.

I'm with Riverlee!

@Riverlee

I think people are more likely to think of meerkats!

Or the Impaler.

Who was Romanian.

To all of you saying “not Vladimir”, did you know that Volodymir is the same name in Ukrainian? Same as Kiev, Kyiv

If you're talking about "Dracula" he was a Vlad.

There probably aren't many names that I would pinpoint as Russian. Eastern European, yes but not specifically Russian. And there are several countries in Eastern Europe.

Do you live in a particularly racist area?

Most people won’t know the difference between a Russian or Ukrainian name. They might even think of it fondly! Or just find it interesting. I really wouldn’t worry.

Also this isn’t the 1920s where everyone hated Germans. We’re a bit more multicultural and understanding these days.

Also I know Russian people in the uk. There are here because they DO NOT like putin.

Let’s remember Putin snd Russia aren’t the same thing.

I don’t even think Vladimir is an issue tbh. Just don’t call him Putin.

Apart from that please leave it be.

@Lactosan83

Thank you all, this is all very insightful.

Name is Sergei. It sounds like an epitome Russian name to me, although I understand it to be present in other E European countries too. Whenever I google it says "Russian name".

Just trying to make the right thing, didn't mean to offend.

I wouldn’t think Russian I’d think Eastern European. I love the name! But I think cute meetcat.

Would you personally bully or discriminate a CHILD based on their name or place of origin, OP?

To not call your baby of Eastern European parentage Sergei because of the current situation with Russia would be ridiculous. Pretty sure it’s a standard name in other Eastern European countries too (my great grandfather was Sergei and was from E Europe not Russia). I think it’s completely fine.

I also think you definitely shouldn’t offer an opinion in any case - I know you’ve said you don’t want comments on that but…

@Villagewaspbyke

Voldymyr is essentially Vladimir in Ukrainian though!

or Voldemort.. bit of a theme

But unless it’s Vladimir, or Boris, I wouldn’t worry about it. However you are perfectly at liberty to say maybe use the Russian name as a middle name - just say if casually and only once.

You're being ridiculous, OP. Keep out of it!

Why on earth would anyone discriminate against a child for having a Russian name? 😲 I have many Russian friends, I don't discriminate against them? I don't judge them for a war they had nothing to do with?! The UK is a multicultural society, people surely aren't this ignorant nowadays.

I live in London and here it is very very common for children to have foreign names including Eastern European. I work with a lot of Eastern Europeans who have moved here and brought their children up with dual nationalities and given them names from their home country.

A lot of Russian names are also names in other Eastern European countries so it would be very hard for somebody to identify the exact country of origin unless they are familiar with the names.

He isn't growing up right now though - he isn't even born. Worrying about how his name will be perceived in light of current events, is over the top .

Why on earth would anyone discriminate against a child for having a Russian name? 😲 I have many Russian friends, I don't discriminate against them? I don't judge them for a war they had nothing to do with?! The UK is a multicultural society, people surely aren't this ignorant nowadays.

This. One, most Russians (esp outside Russia) are horrified by what's going on. Then there's the fact that in most multi-cultural cities you'll have kids with names from Carter to Muhammad; no one blinks an eye. Then there's the fact that lots of Russian names aren't glaringly Russian (Anton, Alexander, Tanya, Julia).

Just don't call him Ivan; you're setting yourself up for a fall come the toddler years .

But more generally - do we live in a world where being Russian (or whatever other nationality) is a perceived cause for shame and stigma? Is that what you want to teach your kids? A huge problem at the mo is that the propaganda within Russia perpetuates the idea that the west is hostile to Russia, that ordinary Russians aren't welcome, "us against the world". With the obvious consequences of driving them further towards nationalism. Please don't contribute to this.

Having lived in a city that had a huge multi cultural population and of those a huge number of Eastern Europeans, I don't think anyone would bat an eyelid. I worked with a Vlad and no-one said anything about his name. in fact he was the one who made a joke about it (whether that was due to comments elsewhere of course I can't say). The most I ever said to some was,' make sure I say it right, or make sure I spell it right' and that was only once when I was unsure. Lots of names we think are 'English' aren't really, so I would just say nothing.

The US and Britain have got up to some pretty fucking rum stuff over the years and our names seem to have got away with it. I would definitely also be more concerned about that —bastard— meerkat.

The meaning of Sergei is the ‘servant’. This name is a variant form of the Bulgarian given name Sergey. The name takes its meaning from the Latin word ‘sergius’, meaning ‘servant’. It refers to a person who does a duty or a task for others and is known for their loyalty.

Sounds good.

My favourite girl's name is Russian so this question just makes me sad. If someone's harassing a person just for having a Russian name then they're a bigot, plain and simple. I would hope that people have enough intelligence to know that having a Russian name doesn't imply support for Putin's actions, just like how having an Arabic name doesn't imply support for Islamist terrorism.

Unfortunately a lot of innocent people will suffer, including children, from bullying and discrimination based on something they can’t change. You can’t choose where you were born.