Snezhana

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Croatian/Bulgarian/Serbian/Macedonian/Russian
Meaning: “snow.”
(snyeh-ZHAH-nah)

The name is derived from the Slavonic element sneg, meaning “snow.” Other sources contend that the later part is derived from the word žena meaning woman, however, there seems to be a masculine form that pre-dates the feminine form, Snežan, and in that case, it would be rather unlikely that the suffix is related to žena. Snow White is often transliterated as Snezhana in Bulgarian, Russian and other South Slavic languages. In 2005, it was the 5th most popular female name in Macedonia.

Other forms of the name include:

• Snezhala (Bulgarian: snyeh-ZHAH-lah)
• Sniježana/Snježana (Croatian/Slovene: snee-yeh-ZHAH-nah; snyeh-ZHAH-nah)
• Snježna (Croatian: SNYEHZH-nah)
• Śnieżka (Polish: very obscure, also a direct translation of Snow White in Polish. SHNYESH-kah)
• Snezhana Снежана (Russian/Bulgarian/Macedonian/Ukrainian: snyeh-ZHAH-mah)
• Snežana Снежана (Serbian)
• Sneža/Snežka/Snežna (Slovene: Sneh-zhah, Snesh-kah, Snezh-nah)
• Snežanka/Snežica (Slovene: sneh-ZHAHN-kah, sneh-ZHEET-sah)

Southern Slavic masculine forms are: Snežan, Snježko and Snježan.

The designated name-day in Bulgaria is December 14, in other countries, it is August 5.