Names?

[Eduard]

Nil — a man's Russian personal name. Occurs from Greek Νείλος. In the history of Orthodox Church a lot of persons with name Nil.

I'm aware who Neil is (we have a very nice statue of him at the Ringling Museum of Art here in Sarasota) but what I'm saying is that I have never heard of any Russian man in recent history by this name.

[Olly]

but what I'm saying is that I have never heard of any Russian man in recent history by this name.

Yes, it is VERY old name. )
But:
Nil Gilevich — the Belarusian poet, the translator, the public figure.
Nil Zuyev — the Russian statesman.
Nil Kropalov — the Russian stage and film actor.
Nil Novikov — Soviet party and the statesman.
Nil Oznobishin — the Russian circus performer, the writer.
Nil Popov — the Russian historian, the archivist.
Nil Postnik — Christian sacred, the author of ascetic compositions.
Nil Puschin — the major general on the admiralty, the chief of the Head hydrographic department and the chairman of Sea scientific committee.
Nil Rossansky — Christian sacred.
Nil Sokolov — the professor of private pathology and therapy of Imperial army medical college in St. Petersburg.
Nil Sorsky — the church politician, the writer.
Nil Ushakov — the first Russian mayor of Riga after disintegration of the USSR.
Nil Fasakhov — the Soviet volleyball player.
Nil Filatov — the Russian doctor, one of founders of pediatrics in Russia, the founder of school of sciences.
Nil Danilovich Tchuprov — the Soviet military leader.
Nil Shevnin — the major general, the hero of Fridlandsky battle.
Nil Yablonsky — the Soviet artist and the teacher.

[Eduard]

I learn something new every day! 

[Ranetka]

There are lots of nils in classic russian literature. I can also suggest vicktor and anton.

[Gator]

I like the concept of a Russian name to announce his heritage.   Which name?  Much depends upon how the name sounds with your surname.  And the common shortened form is also important.
 
Personally, I like Alexander.  It has a regal sound.  And the shortened version "Sasha" is cool.  However, Alexander is also an English name so your son will not sound as if he has Russian blood. 
 
Names of successful Russian leaders are good, Petra-Peter and Vladimir-Vlad.   Serghei has an athletic sound.  Igor is popular in Russia yet just does not sound well with most English surnames.
 
Time to be silly.  If you have an Irish ancestry, you could call him O'I/O. 
 
In America we can encounter some unique names especially in African-American culture.   The best so far IMO is the following:
                                                                               LA-A
 
One of my friends is an ER physician and encountered this name when reading the chart for a female patient.  He asked her, "How do you feel lay a?"

She replied,  "My name not lay a, it is Ladasha."

[SANDRO43]

Personally, I like Alexander.  It has a regal sound.  And the shortened version "Sasha" is cool.  However, Alexander is also an English name so your son will not sound as if he has Russian blood.

But if it is given as Aleksandr and pronounced Ali(e)xandr, it will . It can also be shortened to Alex, Alec - and Sandro (only in Italian).

IINM, it is also shortened to Shura in Russian.

A multi-purpose name .

[ghost of moon goddess]

But if it is given as Aleksandr and pronounced Ali(e)xandr, it will . It can also be shortened to Alex, Alec - and Sandro (only in Italian).

IINM, it is also shortened to Shura in Russian.

A multi-purpose name .

Shura and Sasha are gender-neutral names, short for Aleksandr and Aleksandra

[SANDRO43]

Shura and Sasha are gender-neutral names, short for Aleksandr and Aleksandra

So not only multi-purpose, but also multi-gender .

[BC]

In America we can encounter some unique names especially in African-American culture.   The best so far IMO is the following:
                                                                               LA-A
 
One of my friends is an ER physician and encountered this name when reading the chart for a female patient.  He asked her, "How do you feel lay a?"

She replied,  "My name not lay a, it is Ladasha."

Working with military customers in my business can be interesting as lastname, firstname is very common on forms.

A couple of interesting names we have come across lately:

Little, Peter
Going, Dawn

I think they would make a fine couple.

This is first hand, seen with my own eyes.. not from some list of funny names on the net.

So do your child a favor and also consider reverse order.

[Muzh]

How about Worf?

[newjason]

How about Worf?

LOL

ok then why not...   Rubel

[I/O]

BC: IMO some kids have the right to hate their parents on the basis of names and initials. I have a friend whos name is Bradley U. Mengal and even my own situation has caused some consternation over the years with the nuisance value of my initials being M.R - what are your initials sir? M.R. Yes but what are your initials? M f%%%*%& R...!!! It became further complicated when I married my ex wife as her initials were M.S. so we had Mr and Ms, quite a PITA. 

[BC]

I used to chuckle at my airline tickets....    xxxxxxxxx B.MR....  and yes I drove a BMW...  We used to call them 'Beemers' back then.

As Gator said, Alexandr for a middle name is just fine.. it's what we did and works well in all three passports despite transliteration.

I do like Roc though....

[Faux Pas]

I like the concept of a Russian name to announce his heritage.   Which name?  Much depends upon how the name sounds with your surname.  And the common shortened form is also important.
 
Personally, I like Alexander.  It has a regal sound.  And the shortened version "Sasha" is cool.  However, Alexander is also an English name so your son will not sound as if he has Russian blood. 
 
Names of successful Russian leaders are good, Petra-Peter and Vladimir-Vlad.   Serghei has an athletic sound.  Igor is popular in Russia yet just does not sound well with most English surnames.
 
Time to be silly.  If you have an Irish ancestry, you could call him O'I/O. 
 
In America we can encounter some unique names especially in African-American culture.   The best so far IMO is the following:
                                                                               LA-A
 
One of my friends is an ER physician and encountered this name when reading the chart for a female patient.  He asked her, "How do you feel lay a?"

She replied,  "My name not lay a, it is Ladasha."

I have a friend, an optometrist told me once he had a patient named D'. Which is supposed to be the spelling of De'postrophe (you can't make this stuff up) 

[SANDRO43]

Here in Italy, the prize for strange given names goes to the region of Emilia-Romagna (capital city: Bologna).

Its population was always traditionally extremist - either Communist or Fascist, nothing inbetween - and its children were saddled for life with awkward names reflecting their families' political passions.

After WWII, the swing was obviously all to the left - some famous examples:
- Idea Socialista
- Anticlera Risveglio (anti-clerical wake-up)
- Ateo, Negadio (atheist, God denier)
- Pravda, Rude Pravo (Russian and Romanian newspapers)

Multiple children excited weird compositions:
- Una, Noce, Moscata: A, Nut, Meg (to triplet daughters)
- Sole, Dello, Avvenire: Sun, Of, the Future (to triplet sons)

Some fathers had a speficic hobby/occupation:
- A hunter: Breda, Flobert (a BB airgun)
- A pharmacist: Radio, Ulna (arm bones)
- A chemist: Formaldeide (Formaldehyde)

Also a father's heartfelt confession regarding a daughter:
- Antevleva (An te vleva, local dialect for "I did not want you")

[Anotherkiwi]

After looking at your neighbours, I thought that "Joey" would be the obvious one!     As for a middle name, try Felix - the lucky one (and not a cat!), especially when you look at all those initials.

[I/O]

especially when you look at all those initials.

Trust me, there was a combination of names we liked which produced those famous initials - alas we opted out of that.

[mendeleyev]

Here is a list: http://russianreport.wordpress.com/russian-language/russian-names/

but personally I think that Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleyev would be a great name!

On a more serious note, take up the old Russian tradition of the first name being the saint name on the day of his birth, the middle name being yours, and of course your family name. Nickname him Mendeleyev! 

[newjason]

I am one who can tell you first hand about obscure, original names, as my birth given name is so unique that I have yet to find another person with the same name. growing up it was very hard to get used to being the only one with my name.  However, as I got older and became an adult, it became more of a conversation starter and a great way to have a little fun. It is so unique that now it my only name. No one gets me confused with someone else for sure. I just say, I have 1 name and it stands on it's own. Like   Prince,  or  Maddonna or Sting. ( I don't claim to be like them at all btw )
So, it's  something to think about.
My advice would be , better something to avoid.

On another note more of a comic anecdote...
my very good friend has three children, and (this is the honest to god truth) he and his wife named them,  Nikki( girl ) , Six ( girl ) and  Seven ( boy ).
I did not believe him when he told me this because all the kids use their middle names and no one ever calls them by these birth names. But it was verified, more than once, I have taken a call for him from Seven's teacher... and I have seen their ID. I was shocked 
So it's...  Nikki Six and Seven. 
And no he is not a motley crue fan.
He said it had something to do with the show " married with children "  but as I did not watch that show, I can't explain it to you.

anyway, I am still liking  Robert Mathias 

[I/O]

anyway, I am still liking  Robert Mathias

................which is near enough to my names reversed.

[Shadow]

To be honest I never understand how people can have trouble choosing names.
In both cases, the name was decided on at the first confirmation of pregnancy, and there was a male and a female option as we did not have knowledge of gender.

[newjason]

................which is near enough to my names reversed.

and what does your wife think about that?

[Anotherkiwi]

and what does your wife think about that?

Who do you think made the choice? Mrs I/O is very traditional! 

[newjason]

Who do you think made the choice? Mrs I/O is very traditional! 

LOL   

[Faux Pas]

I just now heard of a baby girl named Troy Gold Dickerman *sharing*

Don't name your baby that I/O