Russian Vocabulary: People and Family
Below is an alphabetical list of family terms found in Russian records. Each word is generally listed first in its modern nominative form, followed by relevant variants, including some with archaic spelling. If the word you are looking for is not found here, consider looking at our other word lists or the FamilySearch Wiki Russian Genealogical Word List. If you're still struggling to find the right word, it may be a person's or place name. Follow the guidelines listed under Practical Suggestions and use other resources on our site such as those found on the Names page.
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Abbreviation | Meaning | Abbreviation | Meaning |
| nom. | nominative case | masc. | masculine |
| acc. | accusative case | fem. | feminine |
| gen. | genitive case | neut. | neuter |
| prep. | prepositional case | plu. | plural |
| dat. | dative case | past | past |
| instr. | instrumental case | pres. | present |
| arch. | archaic | s.f. | short form (for adjectives) |
Russian | English | Examples |
| бабушка | grandmother | 
|
| близнец | twin | 
(plu. близнецы) |
| брак (arch. бракъ) | marriage | 
(arch. бракъ) |
| бракосочетавшийся | the one who got married | 
(arch. prep. plu. бракосочетавшихсѧ) |
| бракосочетание (dat. бракосочетанiю) | wedding | 
(arch. бракосочетанiю) |
| брат | brother | 
(arch. братъ) |
| бременная | pregnant | 
|
| вдова | widow | 
|
| вдовец | widower | 
(arch. вдовецъ) |
| вдовый | widowed | 
(masc. s.f. вдовъ) |
| венчание | wedding | 
(arch. gen. вѣнчанiя) |
| внебрачный ребёнок | illegitimate child | 
|
| внук | grandson | 
|
| внучка | granddaughter | 
|
| восприемник | godparent | 
(instr. plu. воспріемниками) |
| вступающий | the one entering (into marriage, for example) | 
(plu. instr. вступающими) |
| двоюродная сестра | cousin (female) | — |
| двоюродный брат | cousin (male) | — |
| девица | maiden | 
(arch. дѣвица) |
| девка | girl | 
(plu. девки) |
| дед (дедушка) | grandfather | 
|
| дитя | child | 
(plu. дети) |
| дочь | daughter | 
(plu. дочери) |
| дядя | uncle | 
|
| жена | wife | 
|
| женатый | married (of a man) | 
|
| жених | groom | 
(arch. prep. женихѣ) |
| женский | female | 
(arch. gen. женска) |
| законный | lawful (often paired with wife) | 
(fem. nom. законная) |
| имя | name | 
|
| люди (gen. людей) | people | 
|
| мама | mama, mom | 
|
| мать (arch. матерь) | mother | 
|
| младенец | baby | 
(arch. младенецъ) 
(gen. младенца) |
| муж | husband | 
(arch. prep. мужѣ) |
| мужской | male | 
(arch. gen. мужеска) |
| мужчина | man | — |
| невеста | bride, fiancee | 
(arch. prep. невѣстѣ) |
| невестка | daughter-in-law, sister-in-law (brother's wife) | 
|
| незаконноприжитой | illegitimate (child) | 
|
| незаконнорождёный | illegitimate (child) | — |
| новобрачный | newlywed | — |
| новорождёный | newborn | — |
| обручение | engagement, betrothal | 
|
| опекун | guardian | — |
| отец | father | 
(gen. отца) |
| отчество | patronym | 
|
| папа | papa, dad | 
|
| племянник | nephew | 
|
| племянница | niece | 
|
| потомок | descendant | 
|
| потомственный | hereditary | 
|
| прабабушка | great grandmother | — |
| правнук | great grandson | — |
| правнучка | great granddaughter | — |
| прадедушка | great grandfather | — |
| предок | ancestor, forefather | 
|
| разведник | divorcé This term is not standard, though it appears in a 20th-century document reviewed by our researchers. Although it does not appear in contemporary dictionaries, its meaning is understood from the context. | 
(arch. разведникъ) |
| разведница | divorcée This term is not standard, though it appears in a 20th-century document reviewed by our researchers. Although it does not appear in contemporary dictionaries, its meaning is understood from the context. | 
|
| развод (dat. разводу) | divorce | 
(dat. разводу) |
| ребёнок | child | 
|
| родитель (plu. родители) | parent | 
(gen. родителей) |
| родной | native full or biological | 
(abb. рдной) |
| рождающийся | the one who was born | 
(prep. рождающихся) |
| рождение (gen. рожденiя, рожденїѧ) | birth | 
(arch. gen. рожденiя) |
| семья | family | 
(plu. семьи) |
| сестра | sister | 
|
| супруг | spouse, husband | 
(plu. супруговъ) |
| супруга | spouse, wife | 
|
| сын (abb. снъ, plu. сыновья) | son | 
(arch. сынъ) |
| умерший | deceased person | 
(arch. gen. умершаго) 
(arch. gen. оумершагѡ) |
| урождённая | originally born, nee | 
(fem. gen. урождённой) |
| фамилия | surname | 
(arch. фамилїѧ) |
| холостой | single, unmarried | 
(s.f. masc. холостъ) |
To view translations of specific words and phrases you may encounter in a certain document type, visit the corresponding Document Types page of this tutorial.
- Ilya Repin, На дерновой скамье. Красное село., 1876, Oil on canvas. Wikimedia Commons.(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Repin_turf_bench.jpg : accessed 27 August 2024). This image is in the public domain.