RUSSIAN NAMES

When I came abroad, I noticed that people were confused with my name. It was not a problem when I introduced myself as "Natasha", but after they saw my ID, it  made them puzzled The thing is, that my legal documents contain my official, "full" name, which is "Nataliya". Since my name is pretty easy, my new friends could understand this transformation. At the same time everyone refused to see the similiarity between a very common Russian name "Sasha" and its official form - "Alexander". "Short for "Alexander" is "Alex", assured me my foreign friends! They were surprised to know that in Russia this name also belongs to females.

Besides the official and short forms of Russian names, there are modifications of each name, which express different degrees of affection. Here are some of the most common Russian names in alphabetical order. First, is the short form, which is widely used between friends and co-workers in an unofficial atmosphere. The second - is the official form, which is used in all kinds of documents, as well as under official circumstances. The last group of names express a different degree of affection. These names are usually used in the family and with beloved ones

Anya - Anna - Anechka, Anuta, Annushka
Dasha - Daria - Dashenka
Galya - Galina - Galechka, Galochka
Inna - Inna - Innochka
Ira -Irina - Irochka, Irisha
Katya - Ekaterina (Katerina) - Katusha, Katenka
Ksenia - Ksenia - Ksushenka
Lara (Lora) - Larisa - Larisochka, Larochka
Lena - Elena - Lenochka, Lenusya
Lera - Valeria - Lerochka
Liza - Lizaveta - Lizochka
Lida - Lidiya - Lidochka, Lidusya
Luba - Lubov - Lubochka
Luda, Lusya - Ludmila - Ludochka, Milochka
Masha - Maria - Mar'ya - Mashenka - Manya
Jenya - Nadejda - Nadenka, Nadusha
Nastya - Anastasia - Nastenka, Nastusha
Natasha - Nataliya - Natashenka, Nata
Nelya - Nelly - Nelechka
Nina - Nina - Ninochka
Olya - Olga - Olechka,Olenka
Polya - Polina - Polechka, Polenka
Rita - Margarita - Ritochka, Ritulya
Svela - Svetlana - Svetochka, Svetik
Tamara -Tamara - Tamarochka
Tanya - Tatyana-Tanechka, Tanusha
Tonya - Antonina - Tonechka, Tosya
Valya - Valentina - Valechka, Valusha
Varya - Varvara - Varechka, Varusha
Vera - Vera - Verochka, Verunya
Yulya - Yulia - Yulechka
Zina - Zinaida - Zinochka, Zinulya
Zoya - Zoya - Zoechka

Usually, Slavic names have no meaning except for these:
Lubov  -"Love"      
Nadejda - "Hope"       
Vera -  "Faith"