Olga

See also: olga, ólga, òlga, Òlga, Oľga, Olgą, Òlgą, and Òlgã

English

Etymology

Borrowed in the 19th century from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga), name of a Kievan knyaginya (Saint Olga of Kiev), a medieval form of Helga, Old Norse heilagr (“holy; inviolable, sacred”). Doublet of Helga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈoʊlɡə/, /ˈɒlɡə/

Proper noun

Olga

1. A female given name from Russian.
   • 1993, Oscar Hijuelos, The Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Montez O'Brien, →ISBN, page 6:

     Olga was named after a Russian ballerina whose picture had once appeared in a local advertisement for a ballet company that was to perform in Philadelphia during the weeks of her impending conception, and who was shown pirouetting on a point of light, impressing their mother.

2. A transliteration of the Russian female given name О́льга (Ólʹga).
   • 1910, Lucy de Grasse Martin, “Magnificent Olga”, in The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, volume LXXX, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co.; London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd., page 130, column 1:

     OLGA YOURIEVNA SOLENSKY and I followed the black-veiled nun through the chaste, white, highly polished salons of the convent while she explained to me the origin of her curious name, with which certain highly considered Russian saints had had to do. In Russia, it seems, they called her Olga, daughter of Youri.

Usage notes

• Fashionable in several West European countries around 1900.

Related terms

• Oleg

Translations

female given name

• Armenian: Օլգա (Ōlga)
• Belarusian: Во́льга f anim (Vólʹha)
• Catalan: Olga f
• Danish: Olga c
• Faroese: Olga
• Finnish: Oili (fi)
• Galician: Olga (gl) f
• Georgian: ოლგა (olga)
• German: Olga (de) f
• Greek: Όλγα (el) f (Ólga)
• Hebrew: אולגה f (ólga)
• Ingrian: Oljga
• Italian: Olga (it) f
• Latin: Olga f, Sāncta f (meaning translation)
• Latvian: Olga f
• Marathi: ओल्गा f (olgā)
• Norwegian: Olga (no) f
• Polish: Olga (pl) f
• Portuguese: Olga (pt) f
• Russian: О́льга (ru) f anim (Ólʹga)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Олга f

  Roman: Olga f

• Skolt Sami: Ååʹlga
• Slovak: Oľga f
• Spanish: Olga (es) f
• Swedish: Olga (sv) c
• Ukrainian: О́льга f anim (Ólʹha)

Anagrams

• algo-, gola, Gola, gaol, algo, Lago, goal, Galo

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈolɡa]

Proper noun

Olga f

1. a female given name

Declension

Declension of Olga (sg-only hard feminine)

	singular
nominative	Olga
genitive	Olgy
dative	Olze
accusative	Olgu
vocative	Olgo
locative	Olze
instrumental	Olgou

Danish

Etymology

Derived from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga).

Proper noun

Olga

1. a female given name

Estonian

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈolʲɡ̊ɑ/, [ˈolʲɡ̊ɑ]

Proper noun

Olga

1. a female given name

Faroese

Etymology

Derived from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga). Doublet of Helga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔl.ka/

Proper noun

Olga f

1. a female given name

Usage notes

Matronymics

• son of Olga: Olguson
• daughter of Olga: Olgudóttir

Declension

	Singular
	Indefinite
Nominative	Olga
Accusative	Olgu
Dative	Olgu
Genitive	Olgu

Finnish

Etymology

Derived from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga). First recorded as a given name of Finns in 1812.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈolɡɑ/, [ˈo̞lɡɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -olɡɑ
• Syllabification^(key): Ol‧ga

Proper noun

Olga

1. a female given name
   • 1973, Aulikki Oksanen, Isosisko ja pikkuveli, Kirjayhtymä, →ISBN, page 155:

     —Tyttö vai poika?
     —Tyttö. Olga Ilona.
     —Olga?
     —Olga niin, kaippa se nimeensä tottuu. Se on isoäidin mukaan. isoäiti oli minulle isä ja äiti ja se on aikamoinen saavutus yhdeltä ihmiseltä.

     —A girl or a boy?
     —A girl. Olga Ilona.
     —Olga?
     —Olga yes, guess she'll get used to her name. It's after her grandmother, she was both a father and a mother to me, and that's an achievement from just one person.

Declension

Inflection of Olga (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		Olga	Olgat
genitive		Olgan	Olgien
partitive		Olgaa	Olgia
illative		Olgaan	Olgiin
		singular	plural
nominative		Olga	Olgat
accusative	nom.	Olga	Olgat
	gen.	Olgan
genitive		Olgan	Olgien Olgain rare
partitive		Olgaa	Olgia
inessive		Olgassa	Olgissa
elative		Olgasta	Olgista
illative		Olgaan	Olgiin
adessive		Olgalla	Olgilla
ablative		Olgalta	Olgilta
allative		Olgalle	Olgille
essive		Olgana	Olgina
translative		Olgaksi	Olgiksi
abessive		Olgatta	Olgitta
instructive		—	Olgin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Olga (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Olgani Olgani accusative nom. Olgani Olgani gen. Olgani genitive Olgani Olgieni Olgaini rare partitive Olgaani Olgiani inessive Olgassani Olgissani elative Olgastani Olgistani illative Olgaani Olgiini adessive Olgallani Olgillani ablative Olgaltani Olgiltani allative Olgalleni Olgilleni essive Olganani Olginani translative Olgakseni Olgikseni abessive Olgattani Olgittani instructive — — comitative — Olgineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Olgasi Olgasi accusative nom. Olgasi Olgasi gen. Olgasi genitive Olgasi Olgiesi Olgaisi rare partitive Olgaasi Olgiasi inessive Olgassasi Olgissasi elative Olgastasi Olgistasi illative Olgaasi Olgiisi adessive Olgallasi Olgillasi ablative Olgaltasi Olgiltasi allative Olgallesi Olgillesi essive Olganasi Olginasi translative Olgaksesi Olgiksesi abessive Olgattasi Olgittasi instructive — — comitative — Olginesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Olgamme Olgamme accusative nom. Olgamme Olgamme gen. Olgamme genitive Olgamme Olgiemme Olgaimme rare partitive Olgaamme Olgiamme inessive Olgassamme Olgissamme elative Olgastamme Olgistamme illative Olgaamme Olgiimme adessive Olgallamme Olgillamme ablative Olgaltamme Olgiltamme allative Olgallemme Olgillemme essive Olganamme Olginamme translative Olgaksemme Olgiksemme abessive Olgattamme Olgittamme instructive — — comitative — Olginemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Olganne Olganne accusative nom. Olganne Olganne gen. Olganne genitive Olganne Olgienne Olgainne rare partitive Olgaanne Olgianne inessive Olgassanne Olgissanne elative Olgastanne Olgistanne illative Olgaanne Olgiinne adessive Olgallanne Olgillanne ablative Olgaltanne Olgiltanne allative Olgallenne Olgillenne essive Olgananne Olginanne translative Olgaksenne Olgiksenne abessive Olgattanne Olgittanne instructive — — comitative — Olginenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Olgansa Olgansa accusative nom. Olgansa Olgansa gen. Olgansa genitive Olgansa Olgiensa Olgainsa rare partitive Olgaansa Olgiaan Olgiansa inessive Olgassaan Olgassansa Olgissaan Olgissansa elative Olgastaan Olgastansa Olgistaan Olgistansa illative Olgaansa Olgiinsa adessive Olgallaan Olgallansa Olgillaan Olgillansa ablative Olgaltaan Olgaltansa Olgiltaan Olgiltansa allative Olgalleen Olgallensa Olgilleen Olgillensa essive Olganaan Olganansa Olginaan Olginansa translative Olgakseen Olgaksensa Olgikseen Olgiksensa abessive Olgattaan Olgattansa Olgittaan Olgittansa instructive — — comitative — Olgineen Olginensa

Related terms

• Oili
• Helka

Statistics

• Olga is the 212^th most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 2,787 female individuals (and as a middle name to 1,364 more), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

German

Etymology

Derived from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga) in the 19th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔlɡa/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Olga

1. a female given name from Russian

Icelandic

Etymology

Derived from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔlka/

  Rhymes: -ɔlka

Proper noun

Olga f

1. a female given name

Latvian

Etymology

Derived from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga). First recorded as a given name of Latvians in 1858.

Proper noun

Olga f

1. a female given name
2. A transliteration of the Russian female given name О́льга (Ólʹga).

Related terms

• Elga

References

• Klāvs Siliņš: Latviešu personvārdu vārdnīca. Riga "Zinātne" 1990, →ISBN
• [1] Population Register of Latvia: Olga was the only given name of 21 409 persons in Latvia on May 21st 2010, including Russian speakers.

Norwegian

Etymology

Derived from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga) around 1800.

Proper noun

Olga

1. a female given name

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga), from Old Norse heilagr, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz. Doublet of Helga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔl.ɡa/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔlɡa
• Syllabification: Ol‧ga

Proper noun

Olga f (male equivalent Oleg)

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Olga

Declension

Declension of Olga

	singular	plural
nominative	Olga	Olgi
genitive	Olgi	Olg
dative	Oldze	Olgom
accusative	Olgę	Olgi
instrumental	Olgą	Olgami
locative	Oldze	Olgach
vocative	Olgo	Olgi

Further reading

• Olga in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈɔw.ɡɐ/ [ˈɔʊ̯.ɡɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈɔw.ɡɐ/ [ˈɔʊ̯.ɡɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈɔw.ɡa/ [ˈɔʊ̯.ɡa]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈɔl.ɡɐ/ [ˈɔɫ.ɣɐ]

• Hyphenation: Ol‧ga

Proper noun

Olga f

1. a female given name from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga), equivalent to English Olga

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈol.ɡa/

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Olga f (genitive/dative Olgăi)

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Olga

Derived terms

• Olguța

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ôːlɡa/

Proper noun

Ȏlga f (Cyrillic spelling О̑лга)

1. a female given name from Russian, equivalent to English Olga

Declension

    Declension of Olga

	singular	plural
nominative	Olga	Olge
genitive	Olge	Olga
dative	Olgi	Olgama
accusative	Olgu	Olge
vocative	Olgo	Olge
locative	Olgi	Olgama
instrumental	Olgom	Olgama

Further reading

• “Olga”, in Portal suvremenih hrvatskih osobnih imena [Portal of contemporary Croatian personal names] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2018–2024

Slovene

Proper noun

Olga f

1. a female given name from Russian

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈolɡa/ [ˈol.ɣ̞a]
• Rhymes: -olɡa
• Syllabification: Ol‧ga

Proper noun

Olga f

1. a female given name from Russian

Swedish

Etymology

Derived from Russian О́льга (Ólʹga). First recorded in Sweden in 1843.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Olga c (genitive Olgas)

1. a female given name