Fun Facts About the Name Ostap
- 47 babies named Ostap: U.S. records list 47 babies given the name Ostap from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ostap Mean?
Ostap is a Ukrainian masculine given name meaning "steadfast" or "stable." It is the vernacular Ukrainian form of the church name Євстафій (Yevstafiy), which comes from the Greek Εὐστάθιος (Eustathios). The Greek name is formed from εὖ (eu), "good, well," and a second element related to ἵστημι (histēmi), "to stand," giving the literal sense "standing well" or "standing firm." The Russian form Остап and the Belarusian form Астап are closely related. In English, Ostap is sometimes treated as an equivalent of Eustace, but Eustace derives from the similar Greek name Εὐστάχιος (Eustachios), "fruitful," and the two names have often been confused because the martyr venerated in the East as Eustathios is known in the West as Eustace.
Ostap Name History & Origins
Ostap entered Slavic usage through the Byzantine church. In Ukrainian church tradition the full form was Євстафій (Yevstafiy), taken from Greek Εὐστάθιος. Ostap is usually explained as a shortened everyday form of that name, with the initial syllable lost and the ending adapted to Ukrainian speech. The closely related Russian form is Остап; the Belarusian form is Астап. Because the name came through the church calendar, it was linked with Saint Eustathius, a martyr honored in the Eastern Church.
By the nineteenth century, Ostap was in use in Ukrainian-speaking areas. The kobzar Ostap Veresai (1803 - 1890) is a documented bearer. In literature, Nikolai Gogol used the name for Ostap, the elder son of Taras Bulba, in Taras Bulba (1835), and Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov used it for the rogue Ostap Bender in The Twelve Chairs (1928) and The Little Golden Calf (1931). These are famous literary uses, not the name's origin. The Ukrainian writer Ostap Vyshnia (1889 - 1956) also used Ostap as a pen name.
Ostap remains a traditional masculine name in Ukraine and is occasionally used in Ukrainian diaspora communities. Outside those contexts it is uncommon.
How Popular is the Name Ostap?
Ostap has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #7,547 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,547 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #8,135 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #11,881 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #8,144 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #13,530 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #13,547 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ostap Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are patient, persevering and strong willed. You are a good student, absorbing knowledge easily and retaining it well. You are either a saint or a sinner. You tend to hold things inside and suffer in silence. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Ostap's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ostap's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.