Ukrainian Baby Names With Meanings

The formation of Ukrainian names is a complex process that has evolved over time. Most Ukrainian surnames are formed by adding possessive and other suffixes to given names, place names, professions, and other words. Family names are rare except among those of aristocratic ancestry and then come before the personal name .

Ukrainian first names mostly originate from one of three sources: Orthodox church tradition (which derives from sources of Greek origin), Catholic church tradition (of Latin origin), or native pre-Christian Slavic origins. Pre-Christian wishful names were given in the hope of controlling the fate of the people.

Ukrainian middle names are patronymic, which means they combine the father’s first name with the suffix “–vych” or “–yovych” for men (meaning ‘son of’) or “–ivna” or “–yivna” for women (meaning ‘daughter of’)