Svetlana

For other uses, see Svetlana (disambiguation).

Svetlana
220px Svetlana is often used in reference to the Samaritan woman at the well in the Biblical Gospel of John. It is the Russian version of the Greek saint name Photini, meaning "enlightened"
Gender	female (feminine)
Origin
Word/name	Slavic (Russian)
Meaning	"light", "pure"
Region of origin	Russia
Other names
Nickname(s)	Svetka, Sveta, Svetla, Svietla, Svietlanka, Svetulya, Svetochka, Lana

Svetlana (Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian: Светлана; Belarusian: Святла́на; Ukrainian: Світла́на) is a common Slavic female name, deriving from the Slavic root свет svet, which translates into English as "light", "shining", "luminescent", "pure", "blessed", or "holy", depending upon context. The name was coined by Alexander Vostokov and popularized by Vasily Zhukovsky in his eponymous ballad, first published in 1813. The name is also used in Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia, and Serbia, with a number of occurrences in non-Slavic countries.

In the Russian Orthodox Church Svetlana is used as a Russian translation of Photina (derived from φως (phos), meaning "light" in Greek), a name sometimes ascribed to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well (the Bible, John 4).

Etymologically, similar names to this are Lucia (of Latin origin, meaning "light"), Claire ("light" or "clear" in French, equivalent to Spanish Clara), Roxana (from Old Persian, "little shiny star, light"), and Shweta (Sanskrit, "white, pure").

The Ukrainian equivalent is Svitlana (Світлана), the Belarusian, Sviatlana (Святлана). The Polish variant is Świetlana.

Russian language diminutives include Sveta (Света) and Lana.

Sveta also means "saint" in Macedonian. The Slavic element Svet means "blessed, holy, bright".

Serbian language diminutives of the name are Sveta (Света), and Ceca (Цеца, pronounced Tsetsa).

Sveta also means World, Sacred, and Saint.

People named Svetlana

• Svetlana Abrosimova, professional basketball player
• Svetlana Alexievich, journalist, Writer, Nobel Price winner for literature 2015
• Svetlana Alliluyeva, the youngest daughter of Joseph Stalin
• Svetlana Biryukova (born 1991), Russian long jumper
• Svetlana Boiko, Russian fencer
• Svetlana Boginskaya, Soviet Belarusian gymnast
• Svetlana Bolshakova, Belgian triple jump athlete
• Svetla Bozhkova (or Svetlana), Bulgarian discus thrower
• Svetlana Cherkasova, Russian middle distance runner
• Svetlana Chmakova, Russian-born comics artist
• Svetlana Ishmouratova, Russian biathlete and soldier
• Svetlana Kapanina, Russian aerobatic pilot
• Svetlana Khodchenkova, Russian actress
• Svetlana Khorkina, Russian gymnast
• Svetlana Koroleva (model), Russian model
• Svetlana Koroleva (water polo), Kazakhstani waterpolo player
• Svetlana Koroleva-Babich, Soviet javelin thrower
• Svetlana Krachevskaya, Soviet Olympic silver medalist in shot put
• Svetlana Kuzina, Russian water polo player
• Svetlana Nikolaevna Kryuchkova, Russian actress
• Svetlana Valentinovna Kryuchkova, Russian volleyball player
• Svetlana Kulikova, Russian ice dancer
• Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russian tennis player
• Svetlana Loboda, Ukrainian singer
• Svetlana Lunkina, Russian ballet dancer
• Svetlana Masterkova, Russian middle distance runner
• Svetlana Matveeva, Russian chess player
• Svetlana Maziy, Ukrainian rower
• Svetlana Medvedeva, wife of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev
• Svetlana Melnikova, Soviet discus thrower and shotputter
• Svetlana Moskalets, Russian heptathlete
• Svetlana Nageykina, Soviet/Russian cross-country skier
• Svetlana Pankratova, world record-holder for longest female legs
• Svetlana Paramygina, Soviet Belarusian biathlete
• Svetlana Petcherskaia, Russian biathlete
• Svetlana Pletneva, Russian archeologist and historian
• Svetlana Ražnatović, Serbian pop-folk singer from Serbia
• Svetlana Savitskaya, Soviet cosmonaut
• Svetlana Smirnova, Soviet and Russian actor
• Svetlana Smirnova (sport shooter), Soviet and Russian sport shooter
• Svetlana Ulmasova, Soviet long-distance runner
• Svetlana Zainetdinova, Soviet-Estonian chess player and coach
• Svetlana Zakharova (dancer), principal dancer with the Bolshoï Ballet
• Svetlana Zakharova (athlete), Russian long-distance runner
• Svetlana Vysokova, Russian speed skater

See also

• Slavic names
• Svetlina (disambiguation)
• Alexander Vostokov
• Shweta, equivalent South Asian name
• Keiko, equivalent Japanese name

External links

• Behind the name: Svetlana