👼 The Ultimate Guide to 300+ Ukrainian Orthodox Baby Names (Meanings & Significance)

Introduction

Welcome to a journey into the heart of a faith forged over a thousand years ago on the banks of the Dnipro River. The story of Orthodoxy in Ukraine is one of profound beauty, deep spirituality, and incredible resilience. To choose a name from this tradition is to gift your child a legacy—a connection to the saints, princes, and poets who shaped a nation’s soul. It’s an inheritance of faith that has been lovingly passed down through generations, surviving empires and epochs.

This guide is dedicated to the rich world of Ukrainian Orthodox baby names. These are names that resonate with the golden domes of Kyiv, the ancient chants of the Pechersk Lavra, and the unbreakable spirit of the Ukrainian people. Whether you are honoring your own Ukrainian heritage or are drawn to names that are both strong and soulful, you are about to discover a treasure of options that are deeply rooted in history, holiness, and love. Let’s explore these timeless names for your little one.

📜 About the Orthodox Church of Ukraine

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine traces its spiritual lineage to the momentous baptism of Kyivan Rus’ in 988 AD by St. Volodymyr the Great. This event established Christianity as the heart of the nation’s identity. From Kyiv, the “Mother of Rus’ cities,” the faith radiated outwards, creating a unique culture of art, literature, and spirituality.

In Ukrainian Orthodoxy, the act of naming a child at baptism is profoundly significant. The child is named in honor of a patron saint, who becomes a heavenly protector and guide throughout their life. This creates a special bond, and the saint’s feast day, known as a “nameday” or den’ anhela (Day of the Angel), is often celebrated with as much joy as a birthday. Key saints include the enlighteners St. Volodymyr and St. Olha, the passion-bearers Borys and Hlib, and the great monastic founders of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. These Ukrainian Orthodox baby names are a living link to this sacred history.

🧒 Boy Names from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine

Ukrainian boy names are a powerful mix of apostolic figures, the noble saints of Kyivan Rus’, and beloved Slavic heroes. They carry a sense of strength, history, and unwavering faith.

No.	Name	Meaning	Religious/Cultural Significance
1	Volodymyr	To Rule with Greatness	For St. Volodymyr the Great, who baptized Kyivan Rus’. The quintessential Ukrainian name.
2	Ivan	God is Gracious	For St. John the Baptist. One of the most popular names in Ukraine.
3	Mykhailo	Who is like God?	For the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Kyiv and Ukraine.
4	Andriy	Manly, Brave	For St. Andrew the Apostle, who tradition says first brought the Gospel to the hills of Kyiv.
5	Petro	Rock, Stone	For the Chief Apostle, St. Peter.
6	Pavlo	Small, Humble	For the Holy Apostle Paul.
7	Yaroslav	Fierce Glory	For Yaroslav the Wise, a great Kyivan prince and son of St. Volodymyr.
8	Borys	Wolf, Short	For St. Borys, a beloved passion-bearer and son of St. Volodymyr.
9	Hlib	Heir of God	For St. Hlib, martyred alongside his brother St. Borys.
10	Vasyl	Royal, Kingly	For St. Basil the Great.
11	Hryhoriy	Watchful, Alert	For St. Gregory the Theologian.
12	Dmytro	Devotee of Demeter	For St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki.
13	Oleksandr	Defender of Mankind	A classic Orthodox name.
14	Serhiy	Servant	For St. Sergius of Radonezh.
15	Danylo	God is my Judge	For the Prophet Daniel and King Danylo of Galicia.
16	Roman	Roman	For St. Romanos the Melodist.
17	Ihor	Warrior	For St. Ihor, a sainted Prince of Kyiv.
18	Oleh	Holy, Sacred	For a revered Prince of Kyiv.
19	Matviy	Gift of God	For the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew.
20	Luka	From Lucania	For the Apostle and Evangelist Luke.
21	Antoniy	Priceless	For St. Anthony of the Kyiv Caves, the founder of monasticism in Kyivan Rus’.
22	Feodosiy	Giving to God	For St. Theodosius of the Kyiv Caves.
23	Yuriy	Farmer	A common form of George.
24	Taras	From Taras	For St. Tarasios; a hugely popular name due to the national poet, Taras Shevchenko.
25	Stepan	Crown, Wreath	For the Protomartyr St. Stephen.
26	Nazar	From Nazareth	A biblical name popular in Ukraine.
27	Ostap	Stable, Well-Established	Ukrainian form of Eustathios (Eustace).
28	Bohdan	Given by God	A popular Slavic name with clear Christian meaning.
29	Kyrylo	Lordly	For St. Cyril, who created the Cyrillic alphabet.
30	Pylyp	Lover of Horses	For the Apostle Philip.
31	Mykola	Victory of the People	For St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, a deeply beloved saint in Ukraine.
32	Lev	Lion	For St. Leo the Great, Pope of Rome.
33	Semen	He has Heard	Ukrainian form of Simeon.
34	Yosyp	God will Increase	For St. Joseph the Betrothed.
35	Yakiv	Supplanter	Ukrainian form of Jacob.
36	Ilya	The Lord is my God	For the great Prophet Elijah.
37	Kostiantyn	Constant, Steadfast	For St. Constantine the Great.
38	Yevhen	Noble	For St. Eugene.
39	Vitaliy	Full of Life	For St. Vitalis.
40	Viktor	Victor	A popular martyr’s name.
41	Valentyn	Strong, Healthy	For St. Valentine.
42	Maksym	Greatest	For St. Maximos the Confessor.
43	Anatoliy	Sunrise	For St. Anatolius.
44	Artem	Unharmed, of Artemis	For St. Artemius.
45	Oleksiy	Helper, Defender	For St. Alexis, Man of God.
46	Valeriy	Strong, Healthy	For St. Valerius.
47	Fedir	Gift of God	Ukrainian form of Theodore.
48	Hennadiy	Noble, Generous	For St. Gennadius.
49	Ihor	Warrior	For St. Igor of Chernigov.
50	Leonid	Son of a Lion	A popular saint’s name.
51	Nestor	Homecoming	For St. Nestor the Chronicler of the Kyiv Caves.
52	Panteleymon	All-Merciful	For the Great Martyr and Healer.
53	Rostyslav	To Increase Glory	A sainted Slavic prince.
54	Sviatoslav	Holy Glory	A Kyivan prince, son of St. Olha.
55	Tymofiy	Honoring God	For St. Timothy.
56	Zakhar	The Lord has Remembered	For the Prophet Zechariah.
57	Abram	Father of Many	For the Patriarch Abraham.
58	Adam	Man, Earth	For the Forefather Adam.
59	Adrian	From Hadria	For the sainted martyr.
60	Atanasiy	Immortal	For St. Athanasius.
61	Venedykt	Blessed	For St. Benedict.
62	Havrylo	God is my Strength	For the Archangel Gabriel.
63	Herasym	Old Man, Honored	For St. Gerasimos.
64	Herman	Army Man	For St. Germanus.
65	Davyd	Beloved	For King David.
66	Denys	Follower of Dionysus	For St. Dionysius.
67	Yefrem	Fruitful	For St. Ephrem the Syrian.
68	Zynoviy	Life of Zeus	For St. Zenobius.
69	Iryney	Peaceful	For St. Irenaeus.
70	Isydor	Gift of Isis	For St. Isidore.
71	Iosyf	God will Increase	A variant of Yosyp.
72	Kliment	Merciful, Gentle	For St. Clement.
73	Kornyliy	Horn	For St. Cornelius.
74	Lavrentiy	From Laurentum	For St. Lawrence.
75	Marko	Of Mars, Warlike	Ukrainian form of Mark.
76	Martyn	Of Mars, Warlike	For St. Martin of Tours.
77	Myron	Myrrh, Peace	For a sainted bishop.
78	Naum	Comforter	For the Prophet Nahum.
79	Nykyfor	Victory-bearer	For St. Nikephoros.
80	Orest	Of the Mountains	For a sainted martyr.
81	Pankratiy	All-Powerful	For St. Pankratios.
82	Platon	Broad-shouldered	For a sainted martyr.
83	Prokip	Progress, Advance	For St. Prokopios.
84	Rafail	God has Healed	For the Archangel Raphael.
85	Sava	Old Man	For St. Sava.
86	Samiylo	God has Heard	For the Prophet Samuel.
87	Severyn	Stern	For St. Severinus.
88	Sylvestr	From the Forest	For St. Sylvester.
89	Sofron	Self-controlled	For St. Sophronius.
90	Tyt	Title of Honor	For St. Titus.
91	Foma	Twin	For the Apostle Thomas.
92	Yulian	Youthful	For St. Julian.
93	Yakym	God will Establish	For St. Joachim, father of the Theotokos.
94	Vyacheslav	More Glory	A sainted Slavic prince.
95	Vsevolod	All-Ruler	A sainted Kyivan prince.
96	Yarema	God will Uplift	For the Prophet Jeremiah.
97	Filaret	Lover of Virtue	A saintly name.
98	Trofym	Nutritious	For St. Trophimus.
99	Patryk	Nobleman	For St. Patrick.
100	Erazm	Beloved	For St. Erasmus.

👧 Girl Names from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine

Ukrainian girl names are known for their beauty and strength, honoring the Theotokos, the great female saints, and Slavic virtues like faith, hope, and love.

No.	Name	Meaning	Religious/Cultural Significance
1	Olha	Holy, Sacred	For St. Olha of Kyiv, grandmother of St. Volodymyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles.
2	Mariya	Bitter, Wished-for Child	For the Most Holy Theotokos (Virgin Mary).
3	Hanna	Grace, Favor	For St. Anna, mother of the Theotokos. A timeless name in Ukraine.
4	Kateryna	Pure	For the Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria.
5	Olena	Light, Torch	For St. Helen, mother of Constantine the Great.
6	Sofiya	Wisdom	For St. Sophia and her three daughters. Hugely popular.
7	Iryna	Peace	For the Great Martyr Irene.
8	Anastasiya	Resurrection	A beautiful and popular name.
9	Vira	Faith	For St. Vera (Faith), one of St. Sophia’s daughters.
10	Nadiya	Hope	For St. Nadezhda (Hope), one of St. Sophia’s daughters.
11	Lyubov	Love	For St. Lyubov (Charity), one of St. Sophia’s daughters.
12	Yulia	Youthful	For the holy martyr Julia.
13	Tetyana	Father’s Daughter	For the holy martyr Tatiana.
14	Oksana	Hospitality	A very popular Ukrainian form of Xenia. For St. Xenia.
15	Lyudmyla	Love of the People	For St. Ludmila of Bohemia, a beloved Slavic saint.
16	Svitlana	Light	The Slavic equivalent of Photini (for St. Photini).
17	Nataliya	Christmas Day	For the holy martyr Natalia.
18	Yelyzaveta	My God is an Oath	For St. Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist.
19	Varvara	Foreign, Strange	For the Great Martyr Barbara.
20	Yevheniya	Noble	For the holy martyr Eugenia.
21	Oleksandra	Defender of Mankind	For the holy martyr Empress Alexandra.
22	Lesya	Defender of Mankind	A common diminutive of Oleksandra, famous for the poet Lesya Ukrainka.
23	Viktoriya	Victory	For a sainted martyr.
24	Valentyna	Strong, Healthy	For the virgin-martyr Valentina.
25	Larysa	Citadel	For a 4th-century martyr.
26	Zoya	Life	For the holy martyr Zoe.
27	Yeva	To Live	For the Fore-mother Eve.
28	Marta	Lady, Mistress	For St. Martha of Bethany.
29	Solomiya	Peace	For Salome, the Myrrh-Bearing Woman.
30	Khrystyna	Follower of Christ	For the Great Martyr Christina.
31	Roksolana	Woman from the Roxolani tribe	A famous historical Ukrainian figure.
32	Ruslana	Lion	Feminine of Ruslan.
33	Polina	Small	A form of Apollinaria.
34	Dariya	To Possess Good	For the holy martyr Daria.
35	Lidiya	From Lydia	For St. Lydia, the first European convert.
36	Miroslava	Peace and Glory	A classic Slavic name.
37	Bohdana	Given by God	Feminine form of Bohdan.
38	Zlata	Golden	For St. Zlata of Meglen.
39	Yaroslava	Fierce Glory	Feminine form of Yaroslav.
40	Yuliana	Youthful	For St. Juliana.
41	Nina	N/A	For St. Nina, Enlightener of Georgia.
42	Antonina	Priceless	For the holy martyr Antonina.
43	Anhelina	Angel, Messenger	For St. Angelina of Serbia.
44	Ahafia	Good	For St. Agatha.
45	Alevtyna	Strong, Healthy	A form of Valentina.
46	Alla	Other, To Ascend	For a sainted martyr.
47	Vasylina	Royal	Feminine of Vasyl.
48	Halyna	Calm, Serene	For St. Galina.
49	Hlafira	Elegant	For a righteous saint.
50	Yevdokiya	Good Will	For St. Eudocia.
51	Zinaida	Of Zeus	For a holy martyr.
52	Inna	Strong Water	An early male saint, now used as a female name.
53	Iraida	Hero’s Descendant	For a holy martyr.
54	Kapitolina	Head	For a holy martyr.
55	Klavdiya	Lame	For St. Claudia.
56	Kylyna	Eagle-like	For St. Aquilina.
57	Kyra	Lady, Ruler	For St. Kyra.
58	Leokadiya	Bright, Clear	For a holy martyr.
59	Lina	Tender	Diminutive of many names like Anhelina.
60	Maya	N/A	A popular modern name.
61	Margarita	Pearl	For the Great Martyr Marina (Margaret).
62	Maryna	Of the Sea	For the Great Martyr Marina.
63	Melaniya	Black, Dark	For St. Melania.
64	Motrona	Lady	For St. Matrona.
65	Nelya	N/A	A form of Eleanor or Korneliya.
66	Nila	N/A	A saintly name.
67	Nonna	Ninth	For St. Nonna, mother of St. Gregory.
68	Pelahiya	Of the Sea	For St. Pelagia.
69	Praskoviya	Preparation (Friday)	For St. Paraskeva.
70	Raisa	Easy-going	For a holy martyr.
71	Rymma	N/A	An early male saint, now a female name.
72	Serafima	Fiery, Ardent	Feminine of Seraphim.
73	Snezhana	Snow Maiden	A beautiful Slavic name.
74	Stefaniya	Crown, Wreath	For St. Stephanie.
75	Tamara	Palm Tree	For St. Tamar of Georgia.
76	Faina	Shining	For a holy martyr.
77	Fotyna	Light	Ukrainian form of Photini.
78	Uliana	Youthful	A form of Juliana.
79	Ustyna	Just, Fair	For St. Justina.
80	Yaroslava	Fierce Glory	A noble Slavic name.
81	Diana	Divine	A popular name. St. Diana is on some calendars.
82	Eva	To Live	A form of Yeva.
83	Emma	Universal	A popular name.
84	Erika	Eternal Ruler	A popular name.
85	Inesa	Pure, Holy	A form of Agnes.
86	Karina	Dear Little One	A popular name.
87	Klavdiya	Lame	Claudia.
88	Liliya	Lily	A beautiful floral name.
89	Marta	Lady	Martha.
90	Milana	Gracious, Dear	A popular Slavic name.
91	Monika	Advisor	For St. Monica.
92	Olesya	Defender of Mankind	A diminutive of Oleksandra.
93	Renata	Reborn	A name with Christian meaning.
94	Sabina	Sabine Woman	An early martyr.
95	Stela	Star	Stella.
96	Tereza	To Harvest	For St. Teresa.
97	Veronika	She who brings victory	For St. Veronica.
98	Vita	Life	A beautiful name with clear meaning.
99	Dana	God is my Judge	Feminine of Daniel, or a Slavic name meaning “given.”
100	Lana	Light, Wool	A short form of Svitlana.

🇺🇦 Orthodox Church of Ukraine

This list distills the names most deeply connected to the saints and history of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, from Kyivan Rus’ to the present day.

No.	Name	Meaning	Significance
1	Volodymyr	To Rule with Greatness	The Enlightener of Kyivan Rus’.
2	Olha	Holy, Sacred	The first Christian ruler of Kyivan Rus’.
3	Mykhailo	Who is like God?	The patron saint of Kyiv.
4	Andriy	Manly, Brave	The apostle who first preached in Ukraine.
5	Antoniy	Priceless	Co-founder of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
6	Feodosiy	Giving to God	Co-founder of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
7	Borys	Wolf, Short	The holy Passion-Bearer.
8	Hlib	Heir of God	The holy Passion-Bearer.
9	Yaroslav	Fierce Glory	The great and wise Prince of Kyiv.
10	Anna	Grace, Favor	Wife of St. Volodymyr; a timeless name.
11	Ihor	Warrior	A sainted Prince of Kyiv.
12	Nestor	Homecoming	The Chronicler of the Kyiv Caves.
13	Danylo	God is my Judge	The great King of Galicia-Volhynia.
14	Ivan	God is Gracious	A universally popular name in Ukraine.
15	Mariya	Bitter	The Theotokos is deeply venerated.
16	Taras	From Taras	A cultural Christian name via the poet Shevchenko.
17	Petro Mohyla	Rock, Stone	A great Metropolitan of Kyiv (Mohyla is the surname).
18	Yuriy	Farmer	A popular name for St. George.
19	Sviatoslav	Holy Glory	A historic Kyivan prince.
20	Lyudmyla	Love of the People	A beloved Slavic saint.
21	Vasyl	Royal, Kingly	A popular hierarchical name.
22	Svitlana	Light	The popular Slavic name for St. Photini.
23	Oksana	Hospitality	The national form of Xenia.
24	Mykola	Victory of the People	St. Nicholas is one of the most beloved saints.
25	Kateryna	Pure	A classic and beloved saint’s name.
26	Olena	Light, Torch	A classic name for St. Helen.
27	Hanna	Grace, Favor	Simple, classic, and deeply religious.
28	Roman	Roman	A popular saint and princely name.
29	Pavlo	Small, Humble	For the Apostle Paul.
30	Sofiya	Wisdom	A hugely popular name and a major cathedral in Kyiv.

💖 Slavic Baby Names

This list features names popular across the Slavic Orthodox world, all of which are cherished in Ukraine. These Slavic baby names often have beautiful meanings related to glory, peace, and faith.

No.	Name	Meaning	Significance
1	Bohdan	Given by God	A purely Slavic name with Christian meaning.
2	Mila	Gracious, Dear	A popular short name.
3	Miroslav	Peace and Glory	A noble, historic name.
4	Zlata	Golden	For St. Zlata of Meglen.
5	Stanislav	To Stand with Glory	A classic Slavic name.
6	Vira	Faith	The Slavic name for St. Vera.
7	Rostyslav	To Increase Glory	A princely name.
8	Lyudmyla	Love of the People	For a Czech saint beloved in Ukraine.
9	Vyacheslav	More Glory	A sainted princely name.
10	Nadiya	Hope	The Slavic name for St. Nadezhda.
11	Sviatoslav	Holy Glory	A name of the Kyivan princes.
12	Lyubov	Love	The Slavic name for St. Agape/Charity.
13	Kazimir	To Destroy Peace	A royal name.
14	Svitlana	Light	A beautiful Slavic name.
15	Bohuslav	God’s Glory	A pious Slavic name.
16	Snezhana	Snow Maiden	A beautiful nature name.
17	Dobromil	Good and Gracious	A virtuous name.
18	Jadwiga	Battle	A Polish saint’s name.
19	Lech	N/A	A legendary founder of Poland.
20	Lada	Goddess of Harmony	A pre-Christian name sometimes used.
21	Mieszko	Bear	A Polish royal name.
22	Olesya	Defender of Mankind	A popular Ukrainian/Belarusian diminutive.
23	Radomir	Happy Peace	A positive name.
24	Slava	Glory	A short name for many Slavic names.
25	Vadim	To Know	A sainted name.
26	Wanda	N/A	A legendary Polish queen.
27	Zoryana	Star, Dawn	A beautiful Slavic name.
28	Yaropolk	Fierce People	A Kyivan princely name.
29	Waclaw	More Glory	The Polish form of Vyacheslav.
30	Ziven	Vigorous, Living	A vibrant Slavic name.

🙏 Ukrainian Christian Names

This selection represents a blend of traditional Orthodox saints’ names and popular cultural names used by Christian families in modern Ukraine, creating a list of authentic Ukrainian Christian names.

No.	Name	Meaning	Significance
1	Taras	From Taras	A cultural name with the status of a patron saint.
2	Lesya	Defender of Mankind	A cultural name from the poet Lesya Ukrainka.
3	Ostap	Stable, Well-Established	A traditional name popularized by literature.
4	Solomiya	Peace	A biblical name popularized by singer Solomiya Krushelnytska.
5	Nazar	From Nazareth	A biblical name with a strong Ukrainian feel.
6	Oksana	Hospitality	The most popular Ukrainian form of Xenia.
7	Bohdan	Given by God	A perennially popular and pious name.
8	Roksolana	Woman from the Roxolani tribe	A powerful historical name.
9	Danylo	God is my Judge	Both a prophet and a great Ukrainian king.
10	Khrystyna	Follower of Christ	A direct and beautiful Christian name.
11	Maksym	Greatest	A popular modern name with a saintly connection.
12	Milana	Gracious, Dear	A very popular modern Slavic name.
13	Artem	Unharmed, of Artemis	A very popular name in modern Ukraine.
14	Vlada	To Rule	Short for Vladyslava.
15	Vladyslav	To Rule with Glory	A classic Slavic name.
16	Yana	God is Gracious	A form of Ioanna (Joanna).
17	Markiyan	Of Mars, Warlike	For a Ukrainian cultural figure.
18	Marta	Lady, Mistress	A simple, international saint’s name.
19	Artur	Bear Man	A popular Western name with an Orthodox saint.
20	Diana	Divine	A popular Western name with a saint.
21	Denys	Follower of Dionysus	A popular modern name.
22	Veronika	She who brings victory	A popular international saint’s name.
23	Timur	Iron	A popular name.
24	Vitalina	Full of Life	A beautiful and popular name.
25	Ruslan	Lion	A popular name from literature.
26	Anhelina	Angel, Messenger	A beautiful saint’s name.
27	David	Beloved	The Ukrainian spelling is Davyd, but David is popular.
28	Eva	To Live	A very popular modern choice.
29	Kyrylo	Lordly	A classic saint’s name.
30	Zlata	Golden	A beautiful and popular saint’s name.

☦️ Eastern Orthodox Names

This list features classic Eastern Orthodox names that are cherished across the world, presented here in their beautiful Ukrainian forms.

No.	Name	Meaning	Significance
1	Atanasiy	Immortal	For St. Athanasius the Great.
2	Fotyna	Light	For St. Photini, the Samaritan Woman.
3	Kostiantyn	Constant, Steadfast	For St. Constantine the Great.
4	Paraskeva	Preparation (Friday)	For the beloved martyr St. Paraskeva.
5	Hryhoriy	Watchful, Alert	For St. Gregory the Theologian.
6	Yevdokiya	Good Will	For St. Eudocia.
7	Teodor	Gift of God	For the many military saints named Theodore.
8	Feodora	Gift of God	For St. Theodora.
9	Panteleymon	All-Merciful	For the Great Martyr and Healer.
10	Pelahiya	Of the Sea	For St. Pelagia.
11	Spyridon	Spirit	For St. Spyridon the Wonderworker.
12	Kylyna	Eagle-like	For St. Aquilina.
13	Lavrentiy	From Laurentum	For St. Lawrence the Archdeacon.
14	Ahafia	Good	For St. Agatha.
15	Herman	Army Man	For St. Germanus of Constantinople.
16	Yefymiya	Well-spoken	For St. Euphemia.
17	Ignatiy	Fiery	For St. Ignatius of Antioch.
18	Fevroniya	N/A	For St. Febronia.
19	Sofron	Self-controlled	For St. Sophronius of Jerusalem.
20	Ustyna	Just, Fair	For St. Justina.
21	Prokip	Progress, Advance	For St. Prokopios.
22	Anisiya	Fulfillment, Advantage	For St. Anisia.
23	Herasym	Old Man, Honored	For St. Gerasimos of the Jordan.
24	Iraida	Hero’s Descendant	For a sainted martyr.
25	Pankratiy	All-Powerful	For St. Pankratios.
26	Klavdiya	Lame	For St. Claudia.
27	Sylvestr	From the Forest	For St. Sylvester, Pope of Rome.
28	Maryna	Of the Sea	For St. Marina the Great Martyr.
29	Filaret	Lover of Virtue	For St. Philaret the Merciful.
30	Zinaida	Of Zeus	For a sainted martyr.

📌 Conclusion

Choosing one of these Ukrainian Orthodox baby names is a beautiful way to connect your child to a deep wellspring of faith, history, and culture. These are names that have been spoken in prayer and song for over a millennium, carrying stories of princely saints, humble monastics, and courageous martyrs. They represent a spiritual heritage that is both ancient and vibrantly alive today.

We hope this guide has been a source of inspiration and guidance on your sacred journey of choosing a name. May the patron saint your child is named for be a constant source of protection and prayer throughout their life. Please bookmark this page and share it with others looking for a name with soul and story.

Still deciding? Browse more faith-based baby name lists on Teamnamecraft.com.

❓ FAQs

1. What makes Ukrainian Orthodox baby names unique?
They have a unique blend of classic Orthodox names (Ivan, Petro), distinct Slavic names (Bohdan, Svitlana), and names of the Kyivan Rus’ nobility who became saints, like Volodymyr, Olha, Yaroslav, Borys, and Hlib. The Ukrainian spellings and pronunciations also give them a unique character.

2. Are these names still used in modern Ukraine?
Yes, many are timeless and perennially popular, such as Ivan, Andriy, Mariya, and Hanna. Others, like Volodymyr and Olha, are classic national names. There is also a modern trend of reviving ancient princely names like Yaroslav and Sviatoslav.

3. What is a “nameday” or “den’ anhela”?
In the Orthodox tradition, a nameday is the feast day of the saint a person is named after. For many Ukrainians, this is a very important celebration, sometimes even more so than a birthday, as it honors their heavenly patron.

4. Who are the most important saints for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church?
St. Volodymyr the Great and St. Olha of Kyiv are the foundational “Equals-to-the-Apostles.” The Archangel Michael is the patron of Kyiv. The monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, like St. Anthony and St. Theodosius, are also deeply revered.

5. How do you pronounce some of these names?
Ukrainian pronunciation can differ from other Slavic languages. For instance, “H” is often a softer, breathy sound, and the letter “и” (y) is a short “i” sound. “Hryhoriy” is not “Gregory,” and “Volodymyr” has a different cadence than “Vladimir.” We recommend searching for audio guides for specific names.