Baby names for a multicultural / expat family in Ukraine

Choosing a name for a baby is a hard task itself. Basically, you’re naming a human who haven’t been born yet! In a multicultural and/or expat family it could be even harder. 

Expat parents often feel the need to include multiple cultures in the name and make it sound good to the people of the country where they actually live. Sometimes a chosen name can represent something funny or even offensive in another language, so, if you’re planning for a baby abroad, it’s better to be careful!

There are no naming laws in Ukraine. It means you can choose almost any name in the world! But, here are some tips to do it right:

1.  Try to choose an international-sounding name. Some names are recognized in most of the world. Names like Maria, Anna, and Sofia may not be very original but it’s hard to vandalize their pronunciation. Parents just need to deal with the fact that every language has their version of the name (for example: Mary, Mariya, Masha etc.)
2. There are no second names in Ukraine. If you want a second name for your child, it has to be hyphenated, like Anna-Maria.
3. Ukrainian people usually have paternal names (like Mykhaylovych, Ivanovna). If you don’t want your child to have a paternal name, you can refuse it during the baby’s registration.
4. Try not to use sounds that Slavic people cannot pronounce. For example, too many vowels or the sound “th”. Names like Heather, Ethan, Hugh, Vaughn are really hard to pronounce for Ukrainians and they might be confused about it.
5. Try not to use names that sound like something from Ukrainian or Russian language. For example, the name Portia means “food ration” in Ukrainian. Misha is a popular girl name in the US, but in Ukrainian and Russian it’s strictly men’s diminutive name.

And, the last but not the least, remember: it’s impossible to please everybody. In the end, just forget all the rules, pick the name you like and be happy!