Russian names consist of three parts: и́мя first name, о́тчество patronymic and фами́лия last name.
If you'd like to find out what a person's first name is, ask:
| Как вас зову́т? | What is your name? |
| Как ва́ше и́мя? | What is your name? |
You can then tell yours by saying:
| Меня́ зовут́... | My name is... |
| Моё и́мя... | My (first) name is... |
The patronymic is a Russian's second name. It is formed from the father's first name. In English, there are last names which are similar to the Russian patronymic: Johnson, Peterson. The ending for the patronymic will depend on whether it belongs to a son or a daughter. This table gives examples of common patronymics and shows how they are formed:
| Father's name | Son's patronymic | Daughter's patronymic |
| Алекса́ндр | Алекса́ндрович | Алекса́ндровна |
| Никола́й | Никола́евич | Никола́евна |
Adults address each other using a full first name and the patronymic: Ива́н Алекса́ндрович! Татья́на Никола́евна! Non-Russians will also use this form of address when speaking to Russians. But when Russians address foreigners in formal or diplomatic circles, they use господи́н Mr. or госпожа́ Mrs./Ms. and the individual's last name.