Dimka is a Russian diminutive of Dmitriy. While primarily used as a familiar or affectionate form of the full name, it can also stand alone as an informal given name in Russian-speaking contexts. The root of the name chain is the Greek Demetrios, derived from the goddess Demeter, and later Latinized as Demetrius. The name Dmitriy was borne by several medieval princes of Moscow and Vladimir, and famously by the chemist Dmitriy Mendeleev (1834–1907), creator of the periodic table. Dimka is not to be confused with the Nigerian surname Dimka, borne by Lieutenant Colonel Bukar Suka Dimka (1940–1976), who led an abortive coup in Nigeria in 1976. The Nigerian Dimka is unrelated etymologically; the Russian name stems from the same Greek root as Demetrius. Meaning: Diminutive of Dmitriy, which is the Russian form of Demetrius, derived from the Greek goddess Demeter Origin: Russian Type: Diminutive / Hypocoristic Usage Regions: Russia, other Slavic-speaking areas