Bulgarian Origin Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is Bulgarian. Bulgarian is the South Slavic language spoken in Bulgaria.
gender
usage
origin
Albena f Bulgarian
Created by Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov for the heroine in his drama Albena (1930). He may have based it on ablen, the name of a type of peony (a flowering plant).
Asen m Bulgarian
Meaning unknown, probably of Turkic origin. This was the name of a 12th-century Bulgarian emperor (Ivan Asen I) and several of his successors.
Bilyana f Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Biljana.
Bisera f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from the South Slavic word бисер (biser) meaning "pearl" (ultimately of Arabic origin).
Bistra f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "clean, pure" in Bulgarian and Macedonian, from Old Slavic bystrŭ.
Blaga f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Blagoy.
Blago m Croatian, Bulgarian
Croatian form of Blagoy, as well as a Bulgarian variant.
Blagorodna f Macedonian, Bulgarian
Means "noble" in Macedonian and Bulgarian.
Blagoy m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian благ (blag) meaning "sweet, pleasant, good".
Chavdar m Bulgarian
Derived from a Persian word meaning "leader, dignitary".
Dafina f Albanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "laurel" in Albanian, Bulgarian and Macedonian, of Greek origin.
Darina 2 f Slovak, Czech, Bulgarian, Russian
Derived from the Slavic word darŭ meaning "gift". It is sometimes used as a diminutive of names beginning with Dar.
Denica f Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Деница (see Denitsa).
Denitsa f Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Danica.
Deyan m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Dejan.
Diyan m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Dejan.
Goran m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Bulgarian
Derived from South Slavic gora meaning "mountain". It was popularized by the Croatian poet Ivan Goran Kovačić (1913-1943), who got his middle name because of the mountain town where he was born.
Grozda f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Feminine form of Grozdan.
Grozdan m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from Bulgarian грозде (grozde) or Macedonian грозје (grozje) meaning "grapes".
Iordan m Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Йордан (see Yordan).
Iskra f Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian
Means "spark" in South Slavic.
Iva 1 f Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian
Means "willow tree" in South Slavic.
Ivailo m Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Ивайло (see Ivaylo).
Ivayla f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Ivaylo.
Ivaylo m Bulgarian
Perhaps derived from an old Bulgar name meaning "wolf". This was the name of a 13th-century emperor of Bulgaria. It is possible that this spelling was the result of a 15th-century misreading of his real name Vulo from historical documents.
Kalin m Bulgarian
Masculine form of Kalina.
Kalina f Bulgarian, Macedonian, Polish
Means "viburnum tree" in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Polish.
Kaloyan m Bulgarian
From Greek καλός Ἰωάννης (kalos Ioannes) meaning "handsome John", the nickname of a 13th-century emperor of Bulgaria. He successfully defended the empire from the Fourth Crusade.
Kamen m Bulgarian
Means "stone" in Bulgarian. This is a translation of the Greek name Πέτρος (Petros).
Kapka f Bulgarian
Means "droplet" in Bulgarian.
Krastio m Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Кръстьо (see Krastyo).
Krastyo m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian кръст (krast) meaning "cross". This is a translation of the Greek name Stavros.
Lala f Bulgarian (Rare)
From Bulgarian лале (lale) meaning "tulip" (of Persian origin).
Lalka f Bulgarian
From Bulgarian лале (lale) meaning "tulip". It is derived via Turkish from Persian لاله (lāleh).
Liliya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian cognate of Lily.
Lilyana f Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Lillian.
Malina 2 f Bulgarian, Serbian, Polish
Means "raspberry" in several Slavic languages.
Mladen m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from the South Slavic word mlad meaning "young", ultimately from Old Slavic *moldŭ.
Momchil m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian момче (momche) meaning "boy".
Nadejda f Russian, Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Надежда (see Nadezhda).
Nadezhda f Russian, Bulgarian
Means "hope" in Russian and Bulgarian.
Nadia 1 f French, Italian, Spanish, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian
Variant of Nadya 1 used in Western Europe, as well as an alternate transcription of the Slavic name. It began to be used in France in the 19th century. The name received a boost in popularity from the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci (1961-).
Nadya 1 f Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian
Russian and Bulgarian diminutive of Nadezhda. It is also an alternate transcription of Ukrainian Надія (see Nadiya).
Nayden m Bulgarian
Means "found", derived from Bulgarian найда (nayda) meaning "to find".
Nedelcho m Bulgarian
Masculine form of Nedelya.
Nedelya f Bulgarian
Means "Sunday" in Bulgarian.
Nedyalka f Bulgarian
Bulgarian feminine form of Nedeljko.
Nedyalko m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Nedeljko.
Neli f Bulgarian
Diminutive of Nedelya or Aneliya.
Nevena f Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Serbian
Derived from South Slavic neven meaning "marigold".
Ognian m Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Огнян (see Ognyan).
Ognyan m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian огнен (ognen) meaning "fiery".
Ognyana f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Ognyan.
Parvan m Bulgarian
From Bulgarian първи (parvi) meaning "first".
Pencho m Bulgarian
Diminutive of Petar or Petko.
Petko m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from Bulgarian Петък (Petak) or Macedonian Петок (Petok) meaning "Friday". This is a vernacular form of Paraskeve.
Plamen m Bulgarian, Serbian
Means "flame, fire" in South Slavic.
Ralitsa f Bulgarian
Means "larkspur (flower)" in Bulgarian.
Rosa 2 f Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian
Means "dew" in the South Slavic languages.
Rosica f Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Росица (see Rositsa).
Rositsa f Bulgarian
Diminutive of Rosa 2.
Roza 1 f Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "rose" in Russian, Bulgarian and Macedonian. It is a cognate of Rosa 1.
Rumen m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "ruddy, rosy" in Bulgarian and Macedonian.
Rumena f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Feminine form of Rumen.
Rumiana f Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Румяна (see Rumyana).
Rumyana f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Rumen.
Ruzha f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "hollyhock" in Bulgarian (referring to flowering plants from the genera Alcea and Althaea). This is also an alternate transcription of Macedonian Ружа (see Ruža).
Siyana f Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian сияние (siyanie) meaning "glow, shine, light".
Snezhana f Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Russian and Bulgarian form of Snježana, as well as an alternate transcription of Macedonian Снежана (see Snežana).
Spas m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian спасен (spasen) meaning "saved".
Stamen m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from Bulgarian and Macedonian стамен (stamen) meaning "firm".
Stoyan m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian стоя (stoya) meaning "to stand, to stay".
Stoyanka f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Stoyan.
Stoyko m Bulgarian
Diminutive of Stoyan.
Trayan m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Trajan 2.
Tsveta f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Tsvetan.
Tsvetan m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian цвет (tsvet) meaning "flower, blossom".
Tsvetana f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Tsvetan.
Tsvetanka f Bulgarian
Feminine diminutive of Tsvetan.
Valko m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian вълк (valk) meaning "wolf".
Velichko m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian велик (velik) meaning "great".
Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, Georgian
Means "faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Vesela f Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian весел (vesel) meaning "cheerful".
Veselin m Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian
Derived from South Slavic vesel meaning "cheerful".
Vyara f Bulgarian
Bulgarian cognate of Vera 1.
Yasen m Bulgarian
Means both "ash tree" and "clear, serene" in Bulgarian.
Yavor m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Javor.
Yordan m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Jordan.
Yordana f Bulgarian
Bulgarian feminine form of Jordan.
Yordanka f Bulgarian
Bulgarian feminine form of Jordan.
Zdravko m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from South Slavic zdrav meaning "healthy", ultimately from Old Slavic sŭdorvŭ.
Zhelyazko m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian желязо (zhelyazo) meaning "iron".
Zhivka f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Feminine form of Živko.
Zhivko m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian form of Živko, as well as an alternate transcription for Macedonian.
Zlatan m Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Slovene
Derived from South Slavic zlato meaning "gold", a derivative of Old Slavic zolto.
Zlatka f Bulgarian
Diminutive of Zlata.
Zora f Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak
Means "dawn, aurora" in the South Slavic languages, as well as Czech and Slovak.
Zornitsa f Bulgarian
Means "morning star" in Bulgarian.