Nadezhda (given name) explained

Nadezhda
Gender:	Female
Meaning:	Hope
Origin:	Bulgaria/Russia/Serbia
Related Names:	Nadia, 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". 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