In Russian, Masha (Маша) is a diminutive of Maria. It has been used as a nickname or as a pet name for women named Maria or Marie. An alternative spelling in the Latin alphabet is "Macha". In Serbo-Croatian and Slovene, "Maša" is a diminutive of "Marija" but can be a given name in its own right.

The Jewish name Masha (מַשה)[1] is of Biblical extraction. Tradition has it that the first Masha was named after a departed male named Moshe (Moses).

Other diminutives of Maria

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There are a large number of diminutives (nicknames) in Russian for Maria beside Masha:

  • Marusya (Маруся)
  • Manya (Маня)
  • Manyunya (Манюня)
  • Manyasha (Маняша)
  • Mashunya (Машуня)
  • Mashuta (Машута)
  • Mashenka (Машенька)
  • Mar'ya (Марья)
  • Mashulya (Машуля)
  • Mashka (Машка)

Notable people

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Fictional characters

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References

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  1. ^ "Where Does the Jewish name Masha Come From?". www.chabad.org. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
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