Nadezhda (given name)

Nadezhda
PronunciationBulgarian: [nɐˈdɛʒdə]
Russian: [nɐˈdʲeʐdə]
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameBulgaria/Russia/Serbia
MeaningHope
Other names
Related namesNadia, Nadja, Nadine, Nadina, Nadeschda

Nadezhda or Nadežda (Cyrillic: Надежда) is a Slavic female given name popular in Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia and other Slavic countries, as well as other former Soviet states such as Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan etc. It means "hope". The name is a translation of the Greek name Ἐλπίς (Elpis), with the same meaning.

A Russian-language diminutive form of this name is Nadia (Cyrillic Надя). The Belarusian version is Nadzeya (Надзея, Łacinka: Nadzieja, like in Polish), the Ukrainian version is Nadiya (Надія), and the Czech version is Naděžda, where it can also be shortened to Nad'a. In Serbo-Croatian, it can be shortened to Nada or Nađa.

Notable people with these names include:

In politics and public life

  • Nadezhda Alliluyeva (Надежда Аллилуева, 1901–1932), second wife of Joseph Stalin
  • Nadezhda Bondarenko (Надежда Бондаренко, born 1950), Transnistrian politician and presidential candidate in the 2006 election
  • Nadezhda Chaikova (Надежда Чайкова, 1963–1996), Russian correspondent known for exposés of Russian military atrocities and close contacts with the Chechen rebels
  • Nadezhda Joffe (Надежда Иоффе, 1906–1999), Soviet Trotskyist and daughter of Soviet leader Adolph Joffe
  • Nadezhda Krupskaya (Надежда Крупская, 1869–1939), Russian Marxist revolutionary and wife of Vladimir Lenin
  • Nadezhda Neynsky, (Надежда Нейнски, born 1962; formerly Nadezhda Mihaylova, Надежда Михайлова), MEP since 2009, Bulgarian foreign minister 1997–2001, also leader of the Union of Democratic Forces from 2002 to 2005
  • Nadezhda Sigida (Надежда Сигид, 1862–1889), Russian revolutionary and central figure of the Kara katorga tragedy
  • Nadezhda Stasova (1822–1895), early Russian feminist and educator
  • Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (Надежда Толоконникова, born 1989), political activist and artist, nicknamed Nadya Tolokno (Надя Толокно); member of the feminist punk-rock collective Pussy Riot
  • Nadezhda Tylik, a Kursk sailor's mother who was forcibly sedated on an internationally distributed news clip
  • Nadezhda Vasilyeva (Надежда Васильева, died 1971), one of several women claiming to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia

Sports

  • Nadezhda Belonenko (Надежда Белоненко, 1911–1964), Soviet-Russian tennis player
  • Nadezhda Besfamilnaya (Надежда Бесфамильная, born 1950), Olympic bronze medal-winning Soviet sprinter
  • Nadezhda Chizhova (Надежда Чижова, born 1945), Olympic gold, silver and bronze medal-winning Soviet shot putter
  • Nadia Comăneci (born 1961) Romanian gymnast and a five-time Olympic gold medalist
  • Nadezhda Frolenkova (Надежда Фроленкова, born 1989), Ukrainian ice dancer
  • Nadezhda Gumerova (Надежда Гумерова, born 1949), Kazakhstani long-distance runner
  • Nadezhda Ilyina (Надежда Ильина, 1949–2013), Olympic bronze medal-winning Soviet sprinter
  • Nadezhda Khnykina-Dvalishvili (Надежда Хныкина-Двалишвили, ნადეჟდა დვალიშვილ-ხნიკინა, 1933–1994), Olympic bronze medal-winning Soviet track and field athlete
  • Nadezhda Konyayeva (Надежда Коняева, born 1931), Olympic bronze medal-winning Soviet javelin thrower
  • Nadezhda Kosintseva (Надежда Косинцева, born 1985), Russian chess player
  • Nadia Marcinko (Naďa or Nadežda Marcinková, born 1986), Slovak American pilot
  • Naďa Mertová, Czechoslovak orienteering competitor
  • Nadezhda Mushta (Надежда Мушта, 1953–2017, married name Olizarenko), Olympic gold and bronze medal-winning Soviet middle distance runner
  • Nadezhda Ralldugina (born 1957), Soviet middle distance runner
  • Nadezhda Stepanova (born 1959), Russian long-distance runner
  • Nadezhda Torlopova (Надежда Торлопова, born 1978), Olympic silver medal-winning Russian boxer
  • Nadezhda Vinogradova (born 1958), Soviet heptathlete
  • Nadezhda Wijenberg (Надежда Вейенберг, born 1964), Russian-born long-distance runner who represented the Netherlands at the Sydney Olympics in 2000
  • Nadezhda Yakubovich (Надежда Якубович, born 1954), Soviet javelin thrower
  • Nadezhda Yevstyukhina (Надежда Евстюхина, born 1988), Russian weightlifter

In the arts

  • Nadezhda Babkina (born 1950), Russian and Soviet folk singer
  • Nadežda Čačinovič (born 1947), Croatian philosopher, sociologist and author of Slovene descent
  • Naďa Konvalinková (Naděžda Konvalinková; born 1951), Czech actress
  • Nadezhda Mandelstam (Надежда Мандельштам, 1899–1980), Russian writer and wife of poet Osip Mandelstam
  • Nadezhda von Meck (Надежда фон Мекк, 1831–1894), Russian widow best known for her relationship with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  • Nadezhda Mikhalkova (Надежда Михалкова, born 1986), Russian actress and daughter of Nikita Mikhalkov
  • Nadezhda Misyakova (Надежда Мисякова, born 2000), Belarusian singer
  • Nadezhda Obukhova (Надежда Обухова, 1886–1961), Russian mezzo-soprano
  • Nadežda Petrović (Надежда Петровић, 1873–1915), Serbian painter
  • Nadezhda Plevitskaya (Надежда Плевицкая, 1884–1940), Russian singer
  • Nađa Regin (Nadežda Poderegin, 1931–2019), Serbian singer
  • Nadezhda Repina (Надежда Репина, 1809–1867), Russian actress and soprano
  • Nadezhda Rumyantseva (Надежда Румянцева, 1930–2008), Soviet and Russian actress
  • Nadezhda Teffi (Надежда Тэффи, 1872–1952), Russian humorist writer
  • Nadezhda Udaltsova (Надежда Удальцова, 1886–1961), Russian avant-garde artist
  • Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel (Надежда Забела–Врубель, 1868–1913), Russian soprano

In the military

  • Nadezhda Durova (Надежда Дурова, 1783–1866), woman who became a decorated soldier during the Napoleonic wars
  • Nadezhda Popova (Надежда Попова, 1921–2013), squadron commander during World War II awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union

Fictional characters

  • Nadezhda, original Russian name of Elizabeth Jennings on the TV series The Americans
  • Nadezhda, on the TV series Dexter, who goes by the diminutive Nadia
  • Nadia, on the TV series LOST, is Sayid's love interest
  • Nadia, the main character on the Netflix TV series Russian Doll

See also