Olga (name)
An icon of St. Olga | |
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Old Norse |
| Derivation | Helga |
| Meaning | Holy; blessed |
| Other names | |
| Variant forms | Olha, Volha |
| Related names | Olja, Oleg |
Olga (Russian: Ольга) is a Russian feminine given name of Scandinavian origin. It is the equivalent of Helga, and derived from the Old Norse adjective heilagr (lit. 'prosperous, successful'). The name was brought by Scandinavian settlers who founded Kievan Rus' in the 9th century.
It is also used in Ukraine (Ольга, transliterated Olha), Belarus (Вольга, transliterated Vol'ha), Bulgaria (Олга transliterated Olga), the Czech Republic, Greece and Cyprus (Όλγα, Ólgha), Georgia (ოლგა (Olga) or more archaic ოლღა (Olgha)), Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia (Serbian Олга or Оља), the Balkans, Western Europe and Latin America (Olga). It is also much in use in Scandinavia.
The masculine counterpart is Oleg (Олeг).