CANDACE FLEMING

Russian Names

Anastasia and Alexei
Grand Duchess Anas­ta­sia Niko­laev­na and Tsare­vich Alex­ei Niko­lae­vich of Rus­sia at Liva­dia Palace (pho­to cred­it: Romanov Col­lec­tion, Gen­er­al Col­lec­tion, Bei­necke Rare Book and Man­u­script Library, Yale University)

From “Before You Begin,” in The Fam­i­ly Romanov:

“Rus­sians have three names: a first name, a father’s name with –ovich or –evich added (mean­ing “son of”) if male, or –evna or –ovna (mean­ing “daugh­ter of” if female); and a last, or fam­i­ly name.

“There­fore, Nicholas II’s daughter’s full name was Anas­ta­sia Niko­laev­na Romano­va; his son’s full name was Alex­ei Niko­lae­vich Romanov.”

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