Russian, a Slavic language, is spoken primarily in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Russian is the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages and the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, boasting 144 million native speakers. Russian is one of six official languages of the United Nations. The earliest known Russian writing dates back to the 10th century and Russian literature started to gain popularity during the 19th century. Russian names have a strong sound and correct pronunciation sometimes eludes Western cultures and English speakers. Researching a Russian baby name and name meanings will be an easier task when you start with Baby Name Network.