# List of Russian federal subject name etymologies

The Russian Federation constitutionally consists of 85 federal subjects, 46 of which are oblasts ("provinces"), 9 are krais ("territories"), 22 are republics (one of them, Crimea, is claimed by Ukraine and not recognised internationally as a part of Russia), four are autonomous okrugs ("districts"), and three are the cities of federal significance (Sevastopol has the same international status as Crimea). The Jewish Autonomous Oblast remains the only example of this type, while other AOs had elevated to republican level in the early 1990s.
Most of Russia's oblasts and krais take their names from their administrative center; while autonomous entities (republics, autonomous okrugs and autonomous oblast) received their names from the native peoples they was created for by the Soviet government in 1920s–30s.

## Oblasts

All of the oblast names in Russian are based on the following model: "name of the central city" (with a few exceptions) + "-skaya" feminine adjective suffix.
| English name | Russian name | Meaning and notes |
| Amur | Амурская область, Amurskaya oblast′ | From the Amur River, which forms the southern border of the region |
| Arkhangelsk | Архангельская область Arkhangel′skaya oblast′ | The region of the city of Arkhangelsk, whose name the inhabitants traditionally associated with a monastery in the area dedicated to the Archangel Michael. |
| Astrakhan | Астраханская область, Astrakhanskaya oblast′ | The region of the city of Astrakhan, whose name is a corruption of old Turkic Haji Tarkhan. Tarkhan is possibly a Turco-Mongolian title standing for "great khan," or "king", while haji or hajji is a title given to one who has made the Islamic requisite of pilgrimage to Mecca. |
| Belgorod | Белгородская область, Belgorodskaya oblast′ | The region of the city of Belgorod, literally "white city". Compare: Belgrade |
| Bryansk | Брянская область, Bryanskaya oblast′ | The region of the city of Bryansk, known in medieval times as Debryansk, from Old East Slavic: дъбръ, romanized: dŭbrŭ, lit. 'dense woodland' |
| Chelyabinsk | Челябинская область, Chelyabinskaya oblast′ | The region of the city of Chelyabinsk. The city (initially a Russian fortress Chelyaba) received its name after a Bashkir locality, whose etymology is disputed. From Turkic title Çelebi From Bashkir siläbe "hollow, depression" |
| Irkutsk | Иркутская область, Irkutskaya oblast′ | The city of Irkutsk was named after the Irkut River with -sk suffix used for names of the cities. Its name was derived from the Buryat word for "spinning," and was used as an ethnonym among local tribes, who were known as Yrkhu, Irkit, Irgit, and Irgyt. |
| Ivanovo | Ивановская область, Ivanovskaya oblast′ | The city of Ivanovo was previously known as Ivanovo-Voznesensk and was formed as a result of the merger of two settlements: Ivanovo — from given name Ivan with typical -ovo suffix. Voznesensk — from Voznesensky posad, a workers′ settlement named after the near Ascension Church (Russian: Вознесение, romanized: Vozneseniye). This part was discarded in 1932 during anti-religious campaign. According to another version, residents criticized the name for being too long. |
| Kaliningrad | Калининградская область, Kaliningradskaya oblast′ | From its center Kaliningrad (Kalinin-city), renamed in 1946 in memory of the recently deceased Soviet leader Mikhail Kalinin. The region itself forms the northern part of former East Prussia. |
| Kaluga | Калужская область, Kaluzhskaya oblast′ | From Old Russian kaluga - "bog, quagmire". |
| Kemerovo | Кемеровская область, Kemerovskaya oblast′ | The city of Kemerovo, region's capital, was named after the surname of the first settlers — Kemerov. The ending "ovo" suggests a toponymic transition through a personal name. Another name of the Kemerovo oblast, Kuzbass, made official in 2020, is a short form of Kuznetsk Basin. This coal-mining region is called after Kuznetsk Alatau mountain range, which was named after Shors, a native people known archaically as Blacksmithing Tatars (Kuznetskiye Tatary), to distinguish these mountains from other Alataus. |
| Kirov | Кировская область, Kirovskaya oblast′ | The city of Vyatka was renamed to Kirov soon after the assassination of Sergei Kirov, a high Soviet official who was born in the region. |
| Kostroma | Костромская область, Kostromskaya oblast′ | The city of Kostroma received its name from the river it stands on. Its etymology is uncertain: Dialectal Kostra — shives Kostroma, Old East Slavic goddess. |
| Kurgan | Курганская область, Kurganskaya oblast′ | From the city of Kurgan. Its name is taken from a burial mound close to the original settlement. The word itself has Turkic origin. |
| Kursk | Курская область, Kurskaya oblast′ | The city of Kursk was named after Kur River. The name relates to a dialect word kur'ya ("long and narrow river bay"), while city's coat of arms with three partridges shows a folk etymology version of the origin of the name (Russian: куропатка, romanized: kuropatka "perdix") |
| Leningrad | Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast′ | The city of Leningrad (Lenin-city) was renamed back to St. Petersburg following the 1991 referendum, but Leningrad Oblast retained its name. |
| Lipetsk | Липецкая область, Lipetskaya oblast′ | From Lipetsk, literally "Linden city" |
| Magadan | Магаданская область, Magadanskaya oblast′ | From its capital, Magadan, which etymology is uncertain: Even word "mongodan" — marine sediment "mongot" — a dried tree, then "mongodan" is a plural of it Even nickname Magda — "rotten hemp" |
| Moscow | Московская область, Moskovskaya oblast′ | Moscow Oblast is the region surrounding Russia's capital Moscow. See Moscow below. Its unofficial name Podmoskovye (Russian: Подмосковье) literally means "under Moscow" |
| Murmansk | Мурманская область, Murmanskaya oblast′ | Murmansk, region's capital, is named for the Murman Coast (Murmanskiy bereg), which is in turn derived from an archaic term in Russian for "Norwegian". |
| Nizhny Novgorod | Нижегородская область, Nizhegorodskaya oblast′ | Nizhny Novgorod literally means "Lower New Town". The prefix "lower" is used to distinguish it from Veliky Novgorod ("Great New Town") and Novhorod-Siverskyi ("New Town in Severia"). Russian name for this oblast is Nizhegorodskaya (literally "of Lower Town"), and not Nizhne(-)novgorodskaya as one might expect. |
| Novgorod | Новгородская область, Novgorodskaya oblast′ | Literally "Region of New Town", after its capital Veliky Novgorod, which means "Great New Town" as stated above. Before 1999 was known as just Novgorod. |
| Novosibirsk | Новосибирская область, Novosibirskaya oblast′ | Literally "Region of New Siberian Town" |
| Omsk | Омская область, Omskaya oblast′ | The name of Omsk city is derived from the Om River which in turn is probably originates from the Baraba Tatar om "quiet". |
| Orenburg | Оренбургская область, Orenburgskaya oblast′ | The city of Orenburg (Or River + German: Burg "castle") was founded near the meeting of the Or and Ural rivers, but was later moved down the Ural. The initial place of the fortress became known as Orsk. |
| Oryol | Орловская область, Orlovskaya oblast′ | From Oryol, literally "eagle" |
| Penza | Пензенская область, Penzenskaya oblast′ | City of Penza is named after Penza River, whose name possibly comes from Mordvin for edge, end, border or muddy, swampy Proto-Mari for stream an ancient Mordovian male given name Piyanza. |
| Pskov | Псковская область, Pskovskaya oblast′ | The name of the main city, originally Pleskov (historic Russian spelling Плѣсковъ, Plěskov), may be loosely translated as "[the town] of purling waters". |
| Rostov | Ростовская область, Rostovskaya oblast′ | The city of Rostov on Don originates from a fortress named for Dimitry of Rostov, a metropolitan bishop of the old northern town of Rostov the Great. The word "Rostov" is usually associated with a personal name Rost (lit. "growth"). Compare: Rostislav |
| Ryazan | Рязанская область, Ryazanskaya oblast′ | The region was named after its capital, which was initially known as Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky and officially took the name of ancient city of Ryazan in 1778. The original Ryazan, the capital of medieval principality, was devastated by Mongols in 1237. The name of the city is an Old Russian possessive adjective Рѣзань (Rězan′), related with archaic male given name Rezan, which is a short form of rezanny "[child] cutted from [the womb]" The city possibly retained its name after the surrounding region, which in the Middle Ages was allegedly "cut off" from another Rus' lands by dense forests and swamps. Vladimir Minorsky connected Ryazan with Arthania. |
| Sakhalin | Сахалинская область, Sakhalinskaya oblast′ | This region received its name from its largest island, which name is supposed to originate from Manchu Saghalien ula anga hata "island in the mouth of Black River." Thus Sakhalin is "Black" |
| Samara | Самарская область, Samarskaya oblast′ | Regional center Samara is named after Samara River, which etymology is uncertain: from Indo-Iranian for "summer river/water" from Tatar and Chuvash samar, Kalmyk samr "bag, bowl" |
| Saratov | Саратовская область, Saratovskaya oblast′ | From Turkic Sary Tau "Yellow Mountain", russianized as Saratov (meaningless Sarat + -ov suffix) or Sar Atau "Boggy Island". |
| Smolensk | Смоленская область, Smolenskaya oblast′ | From the city of Smolensk on Smolnya River (smola "resin" or smol′ "black soil") |
| Sverdlovsk | Свердловская область, Sverdlovskaya oblast′ | Regional center Ekaterinburg was known as Sverdlovsk in 1924–91 after the early Soviet leader Yakov Sverdlov. |
| Tambov | Тамбовская область, Tambovskaya oblast′ | The name "Tambov" originates from Moksha "томба" (tomba) meaning "abyss", or "deep pool". |
| Tomsk | Томская область, Tomskaya oblast′ | The city of Tomsk is located on the bank of the Tom River, which name derives from Ket words tom "river" or tuma "dark, black" |
| Tula | Тульская область, Tul′skaya oblast′ | Etymology of Tula |
| Tver | Тверская область, Tverskaya oblast′ | The name of the city of Tver is of Finno-Ugric origin, Tiheverä while folk etymology traces it back to Old Russian tverd′ "fortress" (compare Polish twierdza) |
| Tyumen | Тюменская область, Tyumenskaya oblast′ | In 1586, a fortress was constructed on the site of the former Siberian Tatar town of Chingi-Tura ("city of Chingis"), also known as Tyumen, from the Turkish and Mongol word for "ten thousand" – tumen. |
| Ulyanovsk | Ульяновская область, Ulyanovskaya oblast′ | The city of Simbirsk was renamed Ulyanovsk in 1924 since it was the birthplace of Vladimir Lenin, leader of October Revolution and founder of the Soviet Union, whose actual last name was Ulyanov. |
| Vladimir | Владимирская область, Vladimirskaya oblast′ | The city of Vladimir was founded by the Grand Prince Vladimir II Monomakh. See Vladimir#Etymology |
| Volgograd | Волгоградская область, Volgogradskaya oblast′ | Volga River + -grad "town/city" = Volgograd |
| Vologda | Вологодская область, Vologodskaya oblast′ | From Old Veps valgeda (modern vauged) "white" |
| Voronezh | Воронежская область, Voronezhskaya oblast′ | from the hypothetical Slavic personal name Voroneg from voron- (Proto-Slavic vorn) in the meaning of "black, dark" and the suffix -ezh (-azh, -ozh). In the 8th - 9th centuries it allegedly marked a vast territory covered with black forests (oak forests) and the main "city" of the early town-planning complex could repeat the name of the region. |
| Yaroslavl | Ярославская область, Yaroslavskaya oblast′ | The city of Yaroslavl was founded by the Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise and named after him with addition of -l′ suffix. |

## Krais

| English name | Russian name | Meaning and notes |
| Altai | Алтайский край, Altaiskiy kray | After Altai Mountains. The name comes from two words: al "gold/reddish/yellowish" in Mongolic language, and -tai "mountain" in Turkic languages too; thus, literally, the "Golden Mountain". |
| Kamchatka | Камчатский край, Kamchatskiy kray | From Kamchatka Peninsula, which etymology is disputed: From Kamchatka River, which got its name from the 17th-century explorer Ivan Kamchaty. His surname has derived from archaic name for silk — kamchataya tkan′. He was allegedly involved in collecting yasak from indigenous peoples and was later found dead along with his colleagues. Kamchaty's campaign gave birth to the legend among the Itelmens about the glorious warrior Konshat. From dialectal kamchat "big beaver" (probably derived from Tatar kama ). From Yakut khamsa/kamcha "smoking pipe" or kham-sat "to waver". |
| Khabarovsk | Хабаровский край, Khabarovskiy kray | From the city of Khabarovsk, named after 17th-century explorer Yerofey Khabarov. |
| Krasnodar | Краснодарский край, Krasnodarskiy kray | From the city of Krasnodar. See Krasnodar#Name |
| Krasnoyarsk | Красноярский край, Krasnoyarskiy kray | From the city of Krasnoyarsk. It was founded as a fort and named Krasny Yar ('red steep-riverbank') a literal translation of Yarin (a dialect of Khakas) name of the place, Kyzyl Char. |
| Perm | Пермский край Permskiy kray | From the city of Perm. See Perm, Russia#Etymology |
| Primorsky | Приморский край, Primorskiy kray | Literally "Littoral Region" denoting its location on the coast of the Sea of Japan. |
| Stavropol | Ставропольский край, Stavropol′skiy kray | From the city of Stavropol which name is a Russian rendering of the Greek Stauropolis (Ancient Greek: Σταυρούπολις "City of the Cross"). |
| Zabaykalsky | Забайкальский край, Zabaikal′skiy kray | Literally "Transbaikal Region", despite modern Zabaykalsky Krai has no access to the lake in contrast with imperial Transbaikal Oblast. In 1934–2008 the region was known as Chita Oblast after its capital, Chita. |

## Republics

| English name | Russian name | Native name | Titular nationality | Meaning and notes |
| Adygea | Республика Адыгея, Respublika Adygeya | Adyghe: Адыгэ Республик, Adygæ Respublik | Adyghe | |
| Altai | Республика Алтай, Respublika Altai | Altai: Алтай Республика, Altay Respublika Kazakh: Алтай Республикасы, Altaı Respýblıkasy | Altai | From Altai Mountains. See Altai Krai above. The name Gorny Altai (Russian: Горный Алтай), literally "Mountainous Altai" is also used to distinguish it from Altai Krai, which is mostly plain. |
| Bashkortostan | Республика Башкортостан, Respublika Bashkortostan | Bashkir: Башҡортостан Республикаһы, Bashqortostan Respublikahy | Bashkirs | From the endonym of Bashkirs bashqort with adding of -stan suffix. Unofficial name Bashkiria (Russian: Башкирия) is also frequently used. |
| Buryatia | Республика Бурятия, Respublika Buryatiya | Buryat: Буряад Улас, romanized: Buryaad Ulas | Buryats | |
| Chechnya | Чеченская Республика, Chechenskaya Respublika | Chechen: Нохчийн Республика, romanized: Nokhchiyn Respublika | Chechens | |
| Chuvashia | Чувашская Республика, Chuvashskaya Respublika | Chuvash: Чӑваш Республики, Chovash Respubliki | Chuvash | |
| Crimea | Республика Крым, Respublika Krym | Ukrainian: Республіка Крим, Respublika Krym Crimean Tatar: Къырым Джумхуриети, Qırım Cumhuriyeti | none | See Crimea#Name |
| Dagestan | Республика Дагестан, Respublika Dagestan | see here | none | Turkic dağ "mountain" + Persian -stan "land". |
| Ingushetia | Республика Ингушетия, Respublika Ingushetiya | Ingush: ГӀалгӏай Мохк, Ghalghai mokhk | Ingush | See Ingushetia#Etymology |
| Kabardino-Balkaria | Кабардино-Балкарская Республика, Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika | Kabardian: Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, Qeberdei-Baĺqêr Respublike; Karachay-Balkar: Къабарты-Малкъар Республика, Qabarty-Malqar Respublika | Kabardians and Balkars | |
| Kalmykia | Республика Калмыкия, Respublika Kalmykiya | Kalmyk: Хальмг Таңһч, Hal′mg Taŋghch | Kalmyks | |
| Karachay-Cherkessia | Карачаево-Черкесская Республика, Karachayevo-Cherkesskaya Respublika | Karachay-Balkar: Къарачай-Черкес Республика, Qarachay-Cherkes Respublika Kabardian: Къэрэшей-Шэрджэс Республикэ, Qereshei-Sherjes Respublike Nogai: Карашай-Шеркеш Республика, Karashay-Sherkesh Respublika | Karachays and Cherkess | |
| Karelia | Республика Карелия, Respublika Kareliya | Karelian: Karjalan tazavaldu; Finnish: Karjalan tasavalta; Veps: Karjalan Tazovaldkund | Karelians | |
| Khakassia | Республика Хакасия, Respublika Khakasiya | Khakas: Хакас Республиказы, Khakas Respublikazy | Khakas | |
| Komi | Республика Коми, Respublika Komi | Komi: Коми Республика, romanized: Komi Respublika | Komi-Zyrians | |
| Mari El | Республика Марий Эл, Respublika Mariy El | Meadow Mari: Марий Эл Республик, Mariy El Respublik Hill Mari: Мары Эл Республик, Mary El Respublik | Mari | El is "country, region" in Mari. |
| Mordovia | Республика Мордовия, Respublika Mordoviya | Moksha/Erzya: Мордовия Республикась, Mordoviya Respublikas′ | Mokshas and Erzyas | The two native peoples of the region are usually summarized as Mordvins |
| North Ossetia–Alania | Республика Северная Осетия — Алания, Respublika Severnaya Osetiya — Alaniya | Ossetian: Республикӕ Цӕгат Ирыстон — Алани, Rêspublika Tsagât Iryshton — Âlâni | Ossetians | Forms the northern part of Ossetia, divided by Caucasus Mountains. Alternative name Alania was made official in 1994. The breakaway republic of South Ossetia did the same in 2017 to indicate its ethnic unity with the North. |
| Sakha | Республика Саха (Якутия), Respublika Sakha (Yakutiya) | Yakut: Саха Өрөспүүбүлүкэтэ, romanized: Sakha Öröspüübülükete | Yakuts | Yakut endonym Sakha was made official name of the region in 1990s. In Russian Yakutia is still used more widely. |
| Tatarstan | Республика Татарстан, Respublika Tatarstan | Tatar: Татарстан Республикасы, Tatarstan Respublikasy | Tatars | Tatars + -stan. Alternative name Tataria (Russian: Татария) became much less common since the fall of the Soviet Union. |
| Tuva | Республика Тыва, Respublika Tyva | Tuvan: Тыва Республика, romanized: Tyva Respublika | Tuvans | Tuvan name Tyva was made official in Russian in 90s, but Tuva is still widely used. |
| Udmurtia | Удмуртская Республика, Udmurtskaya Respublika | Udmurt: Удмурт Республика, Udmurt Respublika | Udmurts | See Udmurtia#Name |

## Autonomous okrugs and oblasts

| English name | Russian name | Native name | Titular nationality | Meaning and notes |
| Chukotka | Чукотский автономный округ, Chukotski avtonomnyi okrug | Chukot: Чукоткакэн автономныкэн округ, Chukotkaken avtonomnyken okrug | Chukchi | Chukchi, Russian exonym for the native people of the land, has derived from Chukot word chauchu "rich in reindeer". |
| Khanty-Mansi | Ханты-Мансийский автономный округ Khanty-Mansiyski avtonomnyi okrug | Khanty: Хӑнты-Мансийской автономной округ Ȟănty-Mansiyskoi avtonomnoi okrug Mansi: Ханты-Мансийский автономный округ Hanty-Mansiyski avtonomnyi okrug | Khanty and Mansi | Alternative name Yugra (official since 2003) is an archaic collective name for lands and peoples between the Pechora River and the Urals |
| Nenets | Ненецкий автономный округ Nenetski avtonomnyi okrug | Nenets: Ненёцие автономной ӈокрук Nenyotsiye awtonomnoi ŋokruk | Nenets | |
| Yamalo-Nenets | Ямало-Ненецкий автономный округ Yamalo-Nenetski avtonomnyi okrug | Nenets: Ямалы-Ненёцие автономной ӈокрук Yamaly-Nenyotsiye awtonomnoi ŋokruk | Nenets | Nenets people + Yamal Peninsula |
| Jewish | Еврейская автономная область Yevreiskaya avtonomnaya oblast′ | Yiddish: ייִדישע אװטאָנאָמע געגנט yidishe avtonome Gegnt | Jews | The Russian name for Jews yevrei is a cognate of the modern English word Hebrew (See Hebrew#Etymology). |

## Federal cities

| English name | Russian name | Meaning and notes |
| Moscow | Москва Moskva | From the Moskva River. See Etymology of Moscow |
| St. Petersburg | Санкт-Петербург Sankt-Peterburg | Named by Emperor Peter the Great after his patron saint (German: Sankt "saint" and Burg "fortress"). Soviet-era name Leningrad is still retained in the name of the surrounding oblast. |
| Sevastopol | Севастополь Sevastopol′ | Greek sebastos "venerable" and polis "city" |