Unique baby names have grown in popularity in Odesa and other southern regions

In Odesa region, as in other regions of the south in general, parents are increasingly choosing short, international or rarely used names for their children. Both classic Ukrainian and unique variants are popular, making modern name trends more diverse.

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.

The choice of a name for a child remains a combination of parents' personal preferences, modern fashion, and traditions that remain relevant beyond time. These trends are especially noticeable in large cities, where families are more likely to choose short, international or rarely used names.

According to the Odesa Interregional Department of Justice, which covers Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions, as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, in the second quarter of 2025, parents continued to combine classic Ukrainian names with rarer and foreign variants.

The most popular names in Ukraine

Among girls, the most popular names were Sofia, Eva, Emilia, Solomia, Maria, Zlata, and Milana. Boys were most often named Artem, Matvii, Maksym, Mark, Tymofii, Oleksandr, and David.

These names are popular in all regions, although there are local peculiarities. In the western regions, Solomiya, Justyna, and Ulyana are more commonly chosen, and among boys, Mark and Demian. In the central and southern regions, Milana, Eva, Sofia, and Maria are popular, and among boys, Artem, Vladislav, Bohdan, and Dmytro. In the east of the country, parents prefer Sofia, Polina, Eva, and Zlata, as well as Artem, Mark, Matthew, and Timothy.

Fashion for short and international names

In big cities, people are increasingly choosing names that are easy to pronounce in different languages. Among them are Mia, Emma, Leah, Nicole, Theo, Leon, Lucas, and Mark. This trend shows that parents want to give their children a modern name that will sound relevant abroad.

Rarely used names are gaining popularity

Along with the national fashion, the number of unique names is growing. In the second half of 2025, Aviella, Theona, Sapphira, Renesmee, Noema, Yasmina, and Kiara were common among girls, and Aeneas, Theo, Odin, Ragnar, Avenir, Silas, and Zlatan among boys. Such names are still rare, but they form a vivid picture of modern name preferences in Ukraine.

Last year, Yulia Nikandrova, the former head of the Odesa Service for Children, spoke on Intent.Insight about a typical request from candidates for guardians and adoptive parents. According to her, many applicants want "a healthy girl of three to five years old without brothers and sisters." At the same time, she emphasized that not all families are ready for the challenges of adoption.

Анна Літман