Yefim as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Yefim

What is the meaning of the name Yefim ?

The baby name Yefim is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced YEH-feem (IPA: /ˈjefim/).

Yefim is Russian in Origin.

Yefim is an East Slavic masculine name (Russian: Ефим) ultimately derived from Greek Euthymios, transmitted through Church Slavonic as Evfimii/Efimii. It combines eu “good” with thymos “spirit, heart,” yielding the sense “cheerful,” “of good spirit,” or “well-disposed.” In Russian usage, Yefim functions both as an independent name and as a colloquial form of Yefimiy (Ефимий). The feminine counterpart parallels Euphemia: Yefimiya/Efimiya. Common nicknames include Fima and Yefimka.

Adopted into Slavic naming after Christianization, the name gained currency through veneration of Orthodox saints bearing the Greek original, especially Euthymius the Great; Russian Orthodox calendars assign name days accordingly. Yefim was widely familiar in the Russian Empire and remained recognizable through the Soviet period, though it is rarer among newborns today. Variants and transliterations include Efim, Yevfimiy, and Yefimiy; Ukrainian Yefym and Belarusian Jafim also appear. Notable bearers include pianist Yefim Bronfman and chess grandmaster Yefim Geller.