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 | 
|
| благородный | noble | 
(arch. gen. plu. благородныхъ) |
| благородство | nobility | 
|
| близнец | twin | 
(plu. близнецы) |
| бракосочетавшийся | the one who got married | 
(arch. prep. plu. бракосочетавшихсѧ) |
| брат | brother | 
(arch. братъ) |
| бременная | pregnant | 
|
| вдова | widow | 
|
| вдовец | widower | 
(arch. вдовецъ) |
| вдовый | widowed | 
(masc. s.f. вдовъ) |
| взрослый | adult | 
|
| владелец | bearer, owner, proprietor | 
|
| внебрачный ребёнок | illegitimate child | 
|
| внук | grandson | 
|
| внучка | granddaughter | 
|
| восприемник | godparent | 
(instr. plu. воспріемниками) |
| вступающий | the one entering (into marriage, for example) | 
(plu. instr. вступающими) |
| глава | head (of household) | 
(arch. dat. главѣ) |
| господин | sir, lord, master of an estate | 
(gen. господина) |
| гражданин | citizen (male) | 
(gen. гражданина) |
| гражданка | citizen (female) | 
|
| дворянин | nobleman | 
(arch. дворянинъ) |
| дворянка | noblewoman | 
|
| дворянство | nobility | 
|
| двоюродная сестра | cousin (female) | — |
| двоюродный брат | cousin (male) | — |
| девица | maiden | 
(arch. дѣвица) |
| девка | girl | 
(plu. девки) |
| дед (дедушка) | grandfather | 
|
| дитя | child | 
(plu. дети) |
| домашний | household (sometimes acts as a noun) | 
(arch. plu. домашнiе) |
| дочь | daughter | 
(plu. дочери) |
| духовный | spiritual, soul | 
(plu. духовные) |
| дядя | uncle | 
|
| жена | wife | 
|
| женатый | married (of a man) | 
|
| жених | groom | 
(arch. prep. женихѣ) |
| житель | inhabitant, occupant | 
|
| законный | lawful (often paired with wife) | 
(fem. nom. законная) |
| земледелец | farmer | 
(arch. земледѣлецъ) |
| имя | name | 
|
| крестьянин | peasant | 
(arch. крестьянинъ) 
(plu. крестьяне) |
| люди (gen. людей) | people | 
|
| мама | mama, mom | 
|
| мать (arch. матерь) | mother | 
|
| мещанин (plu. мѣщане) | petty bourgeois, middle-class | 
(arch. мѣщанинъ) 
(arch. fem. мѣщанка) |
| младенец | baby | 
(arch. младенецъ) 
(gen. младенца) |
| муж | husband | 
(arch. prep. мужѣ) |
| мужик | peasant | — |
| 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 | — |
| нотариус | notary | 
|
| 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 | 
|
| ребёнок | child | 
|
| родитель (plu. родители) | parent | 
(gen. родителей) |
| родной | native full or biological | 
(abb. рдной) |
| рождающийся | the one who was born | 
(prep. рождающихся) |
| 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) |
| хозяин | master, head, host | 
(arch. хозяинъ) |
| 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.