The name "Matryoshka" is derived from one of the more common names for females in Russia before the 1917 communist revolution. Provincial (village) Russians often called their ladies "Matryona" or "Matryoshka." This name was derived from the Latin "ma-ter," which means, of course, "mother." The name connotes the image of a strong, sturdy, family matriarch. Today, the name has become synonymous with the dolls which nestle inside one another and have been beautifully hand-crafted and hand-painted.