Gender Feminine
Scripts Ольга(Russian, Ukrainian) Олга(Serbian, Bulgarian) Όλγα(Greek)
Pronounced Pron. OL-gə(Russian) AWL-ga(Polish, German) AWL-ka(Icelandic) OL-gaw(Hungarian) OL-gha(Spanish) OL-ga(Czech)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

Russian form of the Old Norse name Helga. The 10th-century Saint Olga was the wife of Igor I, the ruler of Kievan Rus (a state based around the city of Kyiv). Like her husband she was probably a Varangian, who were Norse people who settled in eastern Europe beginning in the 9th century. Following Igor's death she ruled as regent for her son Svyatoslav for 18 years. After she was baptized in Constantinople she attempted to convert her subjects to Christianity, though this goal was only achieved by her grandson Vladimir.

Related Names

VariantsOlha(Ukrainian) Oili(Finnish)
DiminutivesOlya(Russian) Olgica, Olja(Serbian)
Other Languages & CulturesVolha(Belarusian) Olgica(Macedonian) Oľga(Slovak)
Same SpellingOľga
User SubmissionsÒlga, Olgá

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   natural   wholesome   strong   strange   simple   serious  

Name Days

Austria: July 11
Bulgaria: July 11
Croatia: July 11
Czechia: July 11
Estonia: May 31
Finland: July 23
France: July 11
Greece: July 11
Hungary: July 27
Latvia: August 11
Norway: March 30
Poland: July 11
Poland: July 24
Russia: July 24
Spain: July 11
Sweden: November 21

Images

Painting of Saint Olga by Mikhail Nesterov (1892)Painting of Saint Olga by Mikhail Nesterov (1892)

Categories

Entry updated June 9, 2023