DWTS Pro Shares Emotional Reason For Baby’s Middle Name

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Heavy The DWTS pro shared details with fans.

A “Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer shared new details on her newborn baby’s name.

On May 30, 2023, DWTS season 30 mirrorball champion Daniella Karagach welcomed a baby girl with her husband, Pasha Pashkov. The couple revealed they named their baby Nikita, but one week later, Karagach shared that her daughter’s middle name is in tribute to a beloved family member who passed away in 2022.

Here’s what you need to know:


Daniella Karagach Revealed that She Gave Her Daughter Her Grandmother’s Name

On her Instagram story on June 6, 2023, Karagach, 30, shared a series of photos of  her baby and revealed her full name: Nikita Sofia Pashkova.

“Middle name comes after my grandma who passed last year,” the new mom wrote. She also added that Nikita’s birth weight was 8 lbs 10 oz, 19 inches.

The dancer did not give details on which side of her family her grandmother Sofia is from. Karagach’s parents, Regina and Mark Karagach, are immigrants from Moldava. According to DWTS Fandom, Karagach’s parents divorced when she was a baby and her mother raised her on her own until she married Karagach’s stepfather.

As for the breakdown of the rest of the baby’s name, Nikita is a Slavik name  that means “unconquerable.”

And as for the “a” that is added to baby Nikita’s last name – as well as her famous mama’s married name – that is part of Russian tradition on her father Pasha Pashkov’s side. According to JustRussian.com,. typical Russian surnames end in an “a” for women. A common paired name ending is  “ov” for a man and “ova” for a woman. Karagach sometimes goes by her full married name of Daniella Karagach Pashkova.


Daniella Karagach Gave Fans a Look at Her 1st Week With Baby Nikita

Karagach and Pashkov had plenty of time to come up with a baby name. The dancers were married for more than eight years before they welcomed Nikita.

“We’ve wanted a family ever since we’ve gotten married and we’ve been married for eight and a half years, so we are more than ready to have a baby,” Karagach told People when she first announced her pregnancy in November 2022.

One month later, the expectant mom celebrated her 30th birthday by announcing the gender of her baby. “IT’S A …..BABY GIRL,” Karagach  captioned an Instagram post at her 30th birthday party in December. “Pasha and I are OVER THE MOON to finally share this beautiful news with you!!!! This is a birthday I’ll never forget. …Thank you for celebrating me and baby girl!!!”

Karagach also shared pregnancy milestones, and now that the baby is here she is continuing to share with fans. On June 6, 2023, the DWTS pro posted a montage of pics from her first week as a mother.

On her Instagram story, she included photos from her stay in the hospital as well as a look at the new family settling in at home. “Celebrating Nikita’s 1 week with a lil coffee outing☺️Parents def need some ☕,” Karagach captioned another pic of Nikita sleeping in her car seat.

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