Name profile

GirlPronounced Russian /ˈolʲ.ɡə/; Polish /ˈɔl.ɡa/; Icelandic /ˈɔl.ka/; Hungarian /ˈol.ɡɒ/; Spanish /ˈol.ɣa/; Czech /ˈol.ɡa/Kazakh language family

Oľga

Russian form of the Old Norse name Helga.

Quick answer

Oľga is a girl name.

Pronunciation: Russian /ˈolʲ.ɡə/; Polish /ˈɔl.ɡa/; Icelandic /ˈɔl.ka/; Hungarian /ˈol.ɡɒ/; Spanish /ˈol.ɣa/; Czech /ˈol.ɡa/.

GenderGirl
PronunciationRussian /ˈolʲ.ɡə/; Polish /ˈɔl.ɡa/; Icelandic /ˈɔl.ka/; Hungarian /ˈol.ɡɒ/; Spanish /ˈol.ɣa/; Czech /ˈol.ɡa/
Language familyKazakh

Meaning and history

Russian form of the Old Norse name Helga. The 10th-century Saint Olga was the wife of Igor I, the ruler of Kievan Rus (a state based around the city of Kyiv). Like her husband she was probably a Varangian, who were Norse people who settled in Eastern Europe beginning in the 9th century. Following Igor's death she ruled as regent for her son Svyatoslav for 18 years. After she was baptized in Constantinople she attempted to convert her subjects to Christianity, though this goal was only achieved by her grandson Vladimir. A famous bearer is the retired Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut (1955-), whose name is Вольга (Vol'ha) in her native Belarusian.

Notes and context

Usage: russian, polish, german, swedish, norwegian, danish, icelandic, finnish, estonian, latvian, hungarian, italian, spanish, portuguese, romanian, czech, slovene, serbian, bulgarian, greek | Russian: Ольга; Serbian: Олга; Greek: Όλγα