Svetlana is a common Russian female name, eriving from the Russian word for "light", "clean" or "holy". The name was coined by Alexander Vostokov and popularized by Vasily Zhukovsky in his eponymous ballade, first published in 1813. In Russian Orthodox Church Svetlana is used as Russian translated name as Saint Photina (meaning "enlighted" in Greek), the Samaritan woman at the Jacob's well in John 4.