Gennady

Gennady is the Russian form of the Greek Gennadios, from gennadas, noble or high-born. It belongs to early Christian bishops and, in Russia, to cosmonauts and chess champions: Gennady Padalka, who logged more days in space than almost anyone; Gennady Kasparov among the grandmasters. The familiar short form is Gena, warmer and domestic, known to any Russian child from the beloved cartoon crocodile of the same name. Three syllables with the stress on the second, a soft d, an open ending. Gennady reads strong and classical, a name of launch pads, chessboards, and long quiet evenings at the kitchen table.