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Eastern Europe and the Baltics

Serbian names

89 names used by Serbian families, arranged by the age in which each first appears, oldest first.

AllGirlsBoys

The Biblical WorldAbout 1200 BC to AD 100

AnnaGirlGreek and Latin form of Hebrew Ḥannah, 'grace, favour'.Biblical · peak 1891

LazarusBoyGreek form of Hebrew El'azar, 'God has helped'.Biblical · peak 2018 · forgotten

SimeonBoyHebrew Shim'on, from shama 'to hear', usually read as 'he has heard'.Biblical · peak 1880

StephenBoyGreek stephanos, 'crown, wreath'.Biblical · peak 1951

Ancient Greece800 BC to 146 BC

DemetriusBoyFrom Greek Demetrios, 'belonging to Demeter'.Greece · peak 1991

HelenaGirlGreek Helenē, of uncertain origin; a link to words for 'torch' or 'light' is often claimed but unproven.Greece · peak 1899

TheodoraGirlGreek, 'gift of God' (theos 'god' and dōron 'gift').Greece · peak 1908

Ancient Rome750 BC to AD 476

MarinaGirlFrom the Roman name Marinus, probably a derivative of the family name Marius; it was early associated with Latin…Rome · peak 1994

NataliaGirlFrom natalis 'of birth, birthday', especially dies natalis Domini 'Christmas Day'.Rome · peak 2020

TatianaGirlFrom the Roman family name Tatius, borne by the Sabine king Titus Tatius; the meaning of Tatius itself is unknown.Rome · peak 1999

The Early Middle Ages400 to 800

AnastasiaGirlGreek anastasis, 'resurrection'.Early Medieval · peak 2019

BorisBoyProbably from a Turkic Bulgar name (Bogoris); its link with Slavic borisŭ 'fighter' is a later folk explanation.Early Medieval · peak 1970

BranimirBoyFrom Slavic braniti 'to defend' and mir 'peace, world' (some scholars think -mir in old names first reflected…Early Medieval · forgotten

CyrilBoyGreek Kyrillos, from kyrios 'lord'.Early Medieval · peak 1916

DragomirBoyFrom Slavic drag 'dear, precious' and mir 'peace, world' (some scholars think -mir in old names first reflected…Early Medieval · forgotten

IgorBoyFrom Old Norse Ingvarr, from the god Yngvi and varr 'watchful' or herr 'army'.Early Medieval

KosaraGirlAn old South Slavic name; often linked to kosa 'hair, braid', but the origin is not settled.Early Medieval · forgotten

LudmilaGirlFrom Slavic ľud 'people' and mil 'dear, gracious'.Early Medieval

MariaGirlFrom Hebrew Miryam, of uncertain meaning; many explanations ('bitter', 'beloved', an Egyptian root) have been…Early Medieval · peak 1966

OlgaGirlFrom Old Norse Helga, from heilagr 'holy, sacred', brought by the Varangian rulers of Kievan Rus.Early Medieval · peak 1897

ParaskeviGirlGreek paraskeuē, 'preparation', the Greek name for Friday, the day of preparation before the Sabbath.Early Medieval

RadomirBoyFrom Slavic rad 'glad, eager' and mir 'peace, world' (some scholars think -mir in old names first reflected Germanic…Early Medieval · forgotten

TomislavBoyFrom Slavic tomiti 'to torment, strive' and slava 'glory'.Early Medieval

VladimirBoyFrom Slavic vlad 'rule' and mir 'peace, world' (some scholars think -mir in old names first reflected Germanic -mar…Early Medieval · peak 2016

VojislavBoyFrom Slavic voj 'warrior, war' and slava 'glory'.Early Medieval · forgotten

The High and Late Middle Ages1100 to 1450

BogdanBoyFrom Slavic bog 'god' and dan 'given': 'given by God'.Middle Ages

DespinaGirlFrom Greek despoina 'lady, mistress', used of the Virgin Mary.Middle Ages · peak 1976

DobrosławaGirlFrom Slavic dobro 'good' and slava 'glory, fame'.Middle Ages · forgotten

ĐorđeBoySerbian form of George, from Greek georgos 'farmer'.Middle Ages

DušanBoyFrom Slavic duša 'soul'.Middle Ages

FilipBoyFrom Greek philos 'loving' and hippos 'horse'.Middle Ages · peak 2012

IrinaGirlFrom Greek Eirene 'peace'.Middle Ages · peak 2019

JefimijaGirlSerbian form of Euphemia, from Greek euphemia 'good speech, good repute'.Middle Ages · forgotten

JelenaGirlSerbian and Croatian form of Helen, from Greek Helene, of uncertain origin.Middle Ages · peak 2017

JovanBoySerbian form of John, from Hebrew Yohanan 'Yahweh is gracious', through Greek Ioannes.Middle Ages · peak 1979

KseniaGirlFrom Greek xenia 'hospitality', from xenos 'guest, stranger'.Middle Ages

LazarBoyFrom Hebrew Elazar 'God has helped', through Greek Lazaros.Middle Ages

LukaBoyFrom Greek Loukas, 'man from Lucania' in southern Italy.Middle Ages · peak 2020

MarkoBoyFrom the Roman name Marcus, usually linked to the god Mars.Middle Ages · peak 2006

MetodiyBoyFrom Greek methodos 'method, pursuit'.Middle Ages · forgotten

MilicaGirlFrom Slavic mil 'dear, gracious' with the diminutive suffix -ica.Middle Ages

MilošBoyFrom Slavic mil 'dear, gracious' with the suffix -oš.Middle Ages

NemanjaBoyName of the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty; its origin is unclear, with a folk reading 'one who has nothing' (ne…Middle Ages

NikolaBoyFrom Greek nike 'victory' and laos 'people'.Middle Ages · peak 2020

PetarBoyFrom Greek petros 'stone', translating Aramaic kepha.Middle Ages

RastkoBoyFrom Slavic rasti 'to grow'.Middle Ages · forgotten

SavvaBoyFrom Aramaic saba 'old man, elder'.Middle Ages

SimonidaGirlFrom Greek Simonis, a name built on Simon.Middle Ages · forgotten

StefanBoyFrom Greek stephanos 'crown, wreath'.Middle Ages · peak 1991

TeodoraGirlFrom Greek theos 'god' and doron 'gift'.Middle Ages · peak 1907

TvrtkoBoyBosnian and Croatian name from tvrd 'firm, hard'.Middle Ages · forgotten

UrošBoyA Serbian royal name of unclear origin; proposals include a Hungarian word úr 'lord'.Middle Ages

VukBoySerbian vuk 'wolf', traditionally given as a protective name.Middle Ages

ZofiaGirlFrom Greek sophia 'wisdom'.Middle Ages · peak 2011

The Renaissance1400 to 1600

AleksandraGirlFrom Greek alexein 'to defend' and aner, andros 'man'.Renaissance · peak 2008

AngelinaGirlFrom Greek angelos 'messenger, angel'.Renaissance · peak 2005

ArsenyBoyFrom Greek arsen 'male, virile'.Renaissance

The Age of Revolutions1750 to 1837

BrankoBoyShort form of Branimir or Branislav, from braniti 'to defend'.Revolutions

DanicaGirlSouth Slavic danica 'morning star', the planet Venus, from dan 'day'.Revolutions · peak 2007

MilanBoyFrom Slavic mil 'dear, gracious'.Revolutions · peak 2020

StoyanBoyFrom Slavic stoyati 'to stand, remain', traditionally given so a child would survive.Revolutions

StoyankaGirlFeminine of Stoyan, from stoyati 'to stand, to stay', traditionally given so that a child would survive.Revolutions · forgotten

VeraGirlRussian vera 'faith', a translation of the Greek saint's name Pistis.Revolutions · peak 1899

Victorian and Belle Époque1837 to 1914

BiljanaGirlUsually derived from South Slavic bilje 'herbs, plants'.Victorian

DesankaGirlA Serbian name of debated origin; it is often linked to Slavic desiti 'to find' or to the Greek Despina, but no…Victorian · forgotten

DraganBoyFrom Slavic drag 'dear, precious'.Victorian

DraganaGirlFrom Slavic drag 'dear, precious'.Victorian

DubravkaGirlFrom South Slavic dubrava 'oak grove'.Victorian

GordanaGirlA South Slavic name usually linked to gord 'proud', though some connect it to the city of Gordion or the Gordian…Victorian

IvaGirlUncertain. In Slavic languages iva means 'willow', and Iva is also a feminine of Ivan (from John); the American…Victorian · peak 1897 · forgotten

IvanaGirlFeminine of Ivan (John), from Hebrew Yohanan 'Yahweh is gracious'.Victorian · peak 2010

JagodaGirlPolish and South Slavic jagoda 'berry' (in Croatian also 'strawberry').Victorian

JovanaGirlSerbian feminine of Jovan (John), from Hebrew Yohanan 'Yahweh is gracious'.Victorian · peak 2001

LjiljanaGirlFrom Serbian and Croatian ljiljan 'lily'.Victorian

MarijaGirlThe Maltese form of Maria, from Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning is uncertain.Victorian

MilaGirlShort form of names containing mil 'dear, gracious', such as Ludmila or Milena; also used independently.Victorian · peak 2018

MilenaGirlFrom Slavic mil 'dear, gracious' with the feminine ending -ena.Victorian · peak 2019

MirjanaGirlA South Slavic form related to Miriam and Mariana; the popular link to mir 'peace' is a folk association, not the…Victorian

MiroslavaGirlFrom Slavic mir 'peace, world' and slava 'glory'.Victorian

RadmilaGirlFrom Slavic rad 'glad, eager' and mil 'dear, gracious'.Victorian · forgotten

SlobodanBoyFrom Slavic sloboda 'freedom'.Victorian · forgotten

SnežanaGirlFrom Slavic sneg/snijeg 'snow'.Victorian

SvetlanaGirlFrom Russian svet 'light' or svetly 'bright'.Victorian

TsvetanaGirlFrom Bulgarian tsvete 'flower'.Victorian · forgotten

VesnaGirlSlavic vesna 'spring (the season)'.Victorian

VlastaGirlFrom Slavic vlast 'rule, power, homeland'.Victorian · forgotten

ZlataGirlFrom Slavic zlato 'gold'.Victorian

ZoraGirlSlavic zora 'dawn'.Victorian · peak 1884

ZoranBoyFrom Slavic zora 'dawn'.Victorian

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.