Consorts of Russian tsars

[Stephanie Sures]

When Peter (eventually Tsar Peter III) married the woman who would
eventually become Catherine (Ekaterina) the Great, Catherine's name was
originally Sofia. Similarly, when Nicholas II married Alix of Hesse-
Darmstadt, her name got changed to Alexandra Feodrovna.
Does this name-changing from non-Russian to Russian names have more to do
with these consorts' conversion to Orthodoxy (religious aspect), or is it a
political issue, or something else? I know that consorts of future
tsars/tsaritsas were required to convert to Orthodoxy, but the name issue
is puzzling.

Thanks, and happy holidays.
Stephanie.

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