Russian Surnames

Russian surnames have very similar endings, with the most common ones being -ev (-eva), -yov (-yova), -ov (-ova), -in (-ina), and -skiy (-skaya).
The endings vary depending on whether you are male or female. For example, in the common endings listed above, the ending -ev will be used by all males in the family, while the females will use the ending -eva.

Below is a table showing the common endings, and examples of famous Russian people to illustrate how the names are used. It is important to remember this gender difference, especially when you are addressing people in a formal setting. You would not want to offend the parents of your Russian lady, by mixing them up! We've included a couple of examples of how to say "Mr, Mrs and Miss" for these famous Russians.

(See here for information about Ukrainian surnames.)

Common Russian Surnames