Medieval boy names

Medieval boy names starting with A

Aibek – Derived from Turkic ay ‘moon’ combined with the Turkish military title beg meaning ‘chieftain, master’

Algirdas – From the Baltic elements al ‘each’ and girdas ‘rumour, news’. This was the name of a 14th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania

Amias – Variant of AMYAS

Amis – Medieval name, a masculine form of AMICE. It appears in the medieval French poem ‘Amis and Amiles’, about two friends who make sacrifices for one another

Amyas – Meaning unknown, perhaps a derivative of AMIS. Alternatively, it may come from a surname that originally indicated that the bearer was from the city of Amiens in France. Edmund Spenser used this name for a minor character in his epic poem ‘The Faerie Queene’ (1590)

Arlotto – Medieval Italian name, recorded in Latin as Arlotus. It is possibly from Old French herlot meaning ‘vagabond, tramp’

Arslan – Turkish variant and Turkmen form of ASLAN

Aslan – From Turkic arslan meaning ‘lion’. This was a byname or title borne by several medieval Turkic rulers, including the Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan (a byname meaning ‘brave lion’) who drove the Byzantines from Anatolia in the 11th century. The author C. S. Lewis later used the name Aslan for the main protagonist (a lion) in his ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ series of books, first appearing in 1950

Aslanbek – Derived from Turkish aslan meaning ‘lion’ combined with the Turkish military title beg meaning ‘chieftain, master’

Ayaz – From Turkish and Azerbaijani ayaz meaning ‘frost’ or ‘dry and cold air’. This was the name of a slave and later companion of the 11th-century sultan Mahmud of Ghazni

Aybek – Alternate transcription of Kyrgyz/Kazakh Айбек (see AIBEK)

Aytac – Derived from Turkish ay meaning ‘moon’ and tac meaning ‘crown’ (of Persian origin)

Medieval boy names starting with B

Baadur – Georgian form of BAHADUR

Bahadir – Turkish form of BAHADUR

Bahadur – Persian form of the Turkic word bagatur meaning ‘hero, warrior, brave’

Barret – From a surname that was a variant of BARRETT

Barrett – From a surname probably meaning ‘strife’ in Middle English, originally given to a quarrelsome person

Barys – Belarusian form of BORIS

Batraz – Possibly from Turkic bagatur meaning ‘hero, warrior, brave’. This is the name of the leader of the superhuman Narts in Caucasian mythology

Beau – Means ‘beautiful’ in French. It has been occasionally used as an American given name since the late 19th century. It appears in Margaret Mitchell’s novel ‘Gone with the Wind’ (1936) as the name of Ashley and Melanie’s son

Beauden – Elaboration of French beau ‘beautiful’, using the popular den suffix sound found in such names as Braden, Hayden and Aidan. This name has become popular in New Zealand due to rugby player Beauden Barrett (1991-)

Beckett – From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English beke meaning ‘beak’ or bekke meaning ‘stream, brook’

Bela – The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It could be derived from Hungarian bel meaning ‘guts, bowel’ or Slavic блъ (belu) meaning ‘white’. This was the name of four Hungarian kings

Bendeguz – Hungarian variant of the Turkic name Mundzuk, possibly from moncuq meaning ‘jewel, bead’. This was the name of Attila the Hun’s father

Berislav – Derived from the Slavic elements birati ‘to take, to gather’ (in an inflected form) and slava ‘glory’

Blago – Croatian form of BLAGOY, as well as a Bulgarian variant

Blagoj – Macedonian form of BLAGOY

Blagoje – Serbian form of BLAGOY

Blagoy – Derived from South Slavic благ (blag) meaning ‘sweet, pleasant, good’

Blagun – Derived from South Slavic благ (blag) meaning ‘sweet, pleasant, good’

Blaz – Slovene and Croatian form of BLAISE. It is also associated with South Slavic blag meaning ‘sweet, pleasant, good’

Blazh – Medieval Slavic name derived from Slavic blagu meaning ‘good, blessed, happy’

Blazhe – Derived from South Slavic благ (blag) meaning ‘sweet, pleasant, good’

Boban – Diminutive of BOGDAN or SLOBODAN

Bogdan – Means ‘given by God’ from the Slavic elements bogu ‘god’ and dan ‘given’

Bogomil – Bulgarian and Macedonian form of BOGUMIL

Bogomir – Slovene form of BOHUMIR

Bogumil – Means ‘favoured by God’ from the Slavic elements bogu ‘god’ and milu ‘gracious, dear’

Bogumir – Medieval Slavic form of BOHUMIR

Boguslav – Medieval Slavic form of BOGUSLAW

Boguslaw – Means ‘glory of God’ from the Slavic elements bogu ‘god’ and slava ‘glory’. This name was borne by several dukes of Pomerania, beginning in the 12th century

Bohdan – Czech and Ukrainian form of BOGDAN

Bohumil – Czech and Slovak form of BOGUMIL

Bohumir – Derived from the Slavic element bogu ‘god’ combined with meru ‘great, famous’ or miru ‘peace, world’

Bohuslav – Czech, Slovak and Ukrainian form of BOGUSLAW

Bojan – Derived from the Slavic element boji meaning ‘battle’. This was the name of a 9th-century Bulgarian saint

Bojidar – Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Божидар (see BOZHIDAR)

Bolek – Diminutive of BOLESLAW

Boleslav – Czech and Russian form of BOLESLAW

Boleslaw – Derived from the Slavic elements bolye ‘more, greater’ and slava ‘glory’. This was the name of kings of Poland, starting in the 11th century with the first Polish king Boleslaw the Brave

Bor – Short form of names containing bor, such as BORISLAV or BORIS. It is also a South Slavic word meaning ‘pine tree’

Boris – From the Turkic name Bogoris, perhaps meaning ‘short’ or ‘wolf’ or ‘snow leopard’. It was borne by the 9th-century King Boris I of Bulgaria who converted his country to Christianity, as well as two later Bulgarian emperors. The name was popularized in the Slavic world due to the 11th-century Saint Boris, who was a Russian prince martyred with his brother Gleb. His mother may have been Bulgarian. Another famous bearer was the 16th-century Russian emperor Boris Godunov, later the subject of a play of that name by Aleksandr Pushkin

Borislav – Derived from the Slavic element borti ‘battle’ combined with slava ‘glory’

Borisu – Medieval Slavic form of BORIS, probably ultimately of Turkic origin

Borivoi – Medieval Slavic form of BORIVOJ

Borivoj – Derived from the Slavic elements borti ‘battle’ and voji ‘soldier’. This name was borne by a 9th-century duke of Bohemia

Borivoje – Serbian form of BORIVOJ

Borko – Derived from the Slavic element borti meaning ‘fight, battle’

Borna – Derived from the Slavic element borti meaning ‘fight, battle’

Boro – Diminutive of BORISLAV or BORIS

Borut – Diminutive of BORIS

Borya – Diminutive of BORIS

Borys – Polish and Ukrainian form of BORIS

Bosko – Diminutive of BOGDAN or BOZIDAR

Boyan – Bulgarian form of BOJAN

Boyko – Originally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element boji meaning ‘battle’

Boza – Diminutive of BOZIDAR

Bozhidar – Bulgarian and Macedonian form of BOZIDAR

Bozho – Medieval Slavic form of BOZO

Bozidar – Means ‘divine gift’ from the Slavic elements bozy ‘divine’ and daru ‘gift’. It is a Slavic translation of Theodore

Bozo – Originally a diminutive of BOZIDAR and other names beginning with the Slavic element bozy meaning ‘divine’

Bozydar – Polish cognate of BOZIDAR

Branimir – Derived from the Slavic element borna ‘protection’ combined with miru meaning ‘peace, world’

Branislav – Form of BRONISLAW in several languages

Branko – Diminutive of BRANISLAV or BRANIMIR

Bratislav – Derived from the Slavic elements bratu ‘brother’ and slava ‘glory’

Bratomil – Medieval Slavic form of BRATUMIL

Bratoslav – Medieval Slavic form of BRATISLAV

Bratumil – Derived from the Slavic elements bratu ‘brother’ and milu ‘gracious, dear’

Bretislav – Possibly from Czech brecet ‘cry, weep’ combined with the Slavic element slava ‘glory’

Bronimir – Polish form of BRANIMIR

Bronislav – Czech and Russian form of BRONISLAW

Bronislaw – Derived from the Slavic elements borna ‘protection’ and slava ‘glory’. A famous Polish anthropologist, Bronislaw Malinowski (1884-1942), has borne this name

Bronislovas – Lithuanian form of BRONISLAW

Bronius – Short form of BRONISLOVAS

Byelobog – Means ‘the white god’ from Slavic byelo ‘white’ and bogu ‘god’. This was the name of the Slavic god of the sun, happiness and fortune

Medieval boy names starting with C

Cagatay – From the Mongolian name Tsagadai (of unknown meaning), which was borne by the second son of Genghis Khan, known as Chagatai in English

Caner – From Turkish can meaning ‘soul, life’and er meaning ‘brave man’

Casimir – English form of the Polish name Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element kaziti ‘to destroy’ combined with miru ‘peace, world’. Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty

Casimiro – Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of CASIMIR

Cedomir – Derived from the Slavic elements chedo meaning ‘child’ and miru meaning ‘peace, world’

Cengiz – Turkish form of GENGHIS

Cestmir – Derived from the Slavic elements chisti ‘honour’ and meru ‘great, famous’ or miru ‘peace, world’

Chagatai – Usual English spelling of CAGATAY

Chedomir – Alternate transcription of Macedonian Чедомир (see CEDOMIR)

Chernobog – Means ‘the black god’ from Slavic cherno ‘black’ and bogu ‘god’. Chernobog was the Slavic god of darkness, evil and grief

Chestibor – Medieval Slavic form of CZCIBOR

Chestimir – Medieval Slavic form of CESTMIR

Chestirad – Possible medieval Slavic form of CTIRAD

Chestislav – Medieval Slavic form of CZESLAW

Chingis – Mongolian form of GENGHIS

Cibor – Variant of CZCIBOR

Cooper – From a surname meaning ‘barrel maker’ in Middle English

Crt – Short form of CRTOMIR

Crtomir – Derived from the Slavic elements crt ‘hatred’ and miru ‘peace, world’. This is the name of the hero in the Slovene national epic ‘Baptism on the Savica’ (1835) by France Preseren

Ctibor – Czech form of CZCIBOR

Ctirad – Derived from the Slavic elements chisti meaning ‘honour’ and rad meaning ‘happy, willing’. In Czech legend this was the name of one of the men tricked by Sarka

Cvetko – Masculine form of CVETKA

Czcibor – Derived from the Slavic elements chisti ‘honour’ and borti ‘battle’

Czeslaw – Derived from the Slavic elements chisti ‘honour’ and slava ‘glory’

Medieval boy names starting with D

Dado – Croatian diminutive of DAMIR and other names containing the sound da

Dalibor – Derived from the Slavic elements dali meaning ‘distance’ and borti meaning ‘to fight’

Dalimil – Derived from the Slavic elements dali meaning ‘distance’ and milu meaning ‘gracious, dear’

Damir – Possibly derived from the Slavic elements dan ‘given’ and miru ‘peace, world’. Otherwise, it might be of Turkic origin

Danko – Diminutive of GORDAN, DANILO or DANIJEL

Darko – Originally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element daru meaning ‘gift’

Daumantas – From Lithuanian daug ‘much’ and mantus ‘intelligent’. This name was borne by a 13th-century Lithuanian ruler of Pskov who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Dazbog – Variant of DAZHDBOG

Dazhdbog – Possibly means ‘the giving god’ in Slavic. He was a Slavic god of the sun and light, a son of Svarog. In some myths he is the ancestor of the Russian people

Deforest – From a French surname meaning ‘from the forest’. It was originally given in honour of American author John Deforest (1826-1906)

Deforrest – Variant of DEFOREST

Demir – Means ‘iron’ in Turkish

Desislav – Derived from Slavic elements, possibly deseti meaning ‘ten’, combined with slava ‘glory’

Dobri – Diminutive of DOBROSLAV

Dobrogost – Derived from the Slavic elements dobru ‘good’ and gosti ‘guest’

Dobromil – Derived from the Slavic elements dobru ‘good’ and milu ‘gracious, dear’

Dobroslav – Derived from the Slavic elements dobru ‘good’ and slava ‘glory’

Dobroslaw – Polish form of DOBROSLAV

Domagoj – Derived from the Slavic elements domu ‘home’ and gojiti ‘grow, heal, foster, nurture’

Domantas – From Old Lithuanian dotas ‘gift’ and mantus ‘intelligent’. It is sometimes conflated with DAUMANTAS

Domas – Short form of DOMINYKAS or DOMANTAS

Dragan – Derived from the Slavic element dragu meaning ‘precious’

Drago – Derived from the Slavic element dragu meaning ‘precious’. It is also a short form of other Slavic names beginning with that element

Dragomir – Derived from the Slavic element dragu meaning ‘precious’ combined with miru meaning ‘peace, world’

Dragos – Variant of DRAGO

Dragoslav – Derived from the Slavic elements dragu meaning ‘precious’ and slava ‘glory’

Dragutin – Derived from the Slavic element dragu meaning ‘precious’

Drahomir – Czech and Slovak form of DRAGOMIR

Drahoslav – Czech and Slovak form of DRAGOSLAV

Drasko – Diminutive of names containing the Slavic element dragu meaning ‘precious’

Drazen – Derived from the Slavic element dragu meaning ‘precious’

Drazhan – Medieval Slavic form of DRAZEN

Dubravko – From the old Slavic word dubrava meaning ‘oak grove’

Dusan – Derived from Slavic dusha meaning ‘soul, spirit’

Dusko – Variant of DUSAN

Dzvezdan – Masculine form of DZVEZDA

Dzvonimir – Macedonian form of ZVONIMIR

Dzvonko – Diminutive of DZVONIMIR

Medieval boy names starting with E

Eimantas – From the Baltic elements ei- ‘to go’ and mantus ‘intelligent’

Eldar – From Turkic el meaning ‘country, society’ combined with the Persian suffix (dar) meaning ‘possessor’

Elnur – Means ‘light of the people’ in Azerbaijani, ultimately derived from Turkic el ‘country, society’ and Arabic (nur) ‘light’

Ercan – From Turkish er meaning ‘brave man’ and can meaning ‘soul, life’

Erkan – From Turkish er ‘brave man’ and kan ‘blood’

Ertugrul – From Turkish er meaning ‘brave man’ and tugrul, referring to a mythical bird of prey

Esme – Means ‘esteemed’ or ‘loved’ in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name

Medieval boy names starting with F

Flemming – From a medieval Norse nickname meaning ‘from Flanders’

Forest – Variant of FORREST, or else directly from the English word forest

Forrest – From an English surname meaning ‘forest’, originally belonging to a person who lived near a forest. In America it has sometimes been used in honour of the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877). This name was borne by the title character in the movie ‘Forrest Gump’ (1994) about a loveable simpleton. Use of the name increased when the movie was released, but has since faded away

Foster – From an English surname that has several different origins: see FOSTER (1), FOSTER (2), FOSTER (3) and FOSTER (4)

Franklin – From an English surname that was derived from Middle English frankelin ‘freeman’. A famous bearer of the surname was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher. The name has commonly been given in his honour in the United States. It also received a boost during the term of American president Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)

Franklyn – Variant of FRANKLIN

Fraser – From a Scottish surname that is of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was Simon Fraser (1776-1862), a Canadian explorer

Frazier – Variant of FRASER

Medieval boy names starting with G

Garnet – From an English surname that either referred to a person who made hinges (Old French carne) or was derived from the Norman name GUARIN

Garnett – Variant of GARNET (2)

Garsea – Meaning unknown, possibly related to the Basque word hartz meaning ‘bear’. This was the name of several medieval kings of Navarre and Leon

Genghis – From the title Genghis (or Chinggis) Khan, meaning ‘universal ruler’, which was adopted by the Mongol Empire founder Temujin in the late 12th century. Remembered both for his military brilliance and his brutality towards civilians, he went on to conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe

Gojko – From Slavic gojiti meaning ‘grow, heal, foster, nurture’

Goker – From Turkish gok meaning ‘sky’ and er meaning ‘brave man’

Gokhan – From Turkish gok meaning ‘sky’ and han, which is from the title khan meaning ‘leader’

Goksu – From Turkish gok meaning ‘sky’ and su meaning ‘water’

Goran – Means ‘mountain man’, derived from South Slavic gora meaning ‘mountain’. It was popularized by the Croatian poet Ivan Goran Kovacic (1913-1943), who got his middle name because of the mountain town where he was born

Gordan – Derived from South Slavic gord meaning ‘dignified’. This name and the feminine form Gordana were popularized by the publication of Croatian author Marija Juric Zagorka’s novel ‘Gordana’ (1935)

Gosta – Swedish variant of GUSTAV

Gostav – Swedish variant of GUSTAV

Gostislav – Derived from the Slavic elements gosti ‘guest’ and slava ‘glory’

Grant – From an English and Scottish surname that was derived from Norman French grand meaning ‘great, large’. A famous bearer of the surname was Ulysses Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War who later served as president. In America the name has often been given in his honour

Granville – From an English surname that was derived from a Norman place name GRAINVILLE

Grenville – From a surname that was a variant of GRANVILLE

Gunay – Derived from the Turkic elements gun ‘sun’ and ay ‘moon’

Gustaaf – Dutch form of GUSTAV

Gustaf – Swedish and German variant of GUSTAV

Gustav – Possibly means ‘staff of the Geats’, derived from the Old Norse elements gautr ‘Geat, Goth’ and stafr ‘staff’. However, the root name Gautstafr is not well attested in the Old Norse period. Alternatively, it might be derived from the Slavic name GOSTISLAV. This name has been borne by six kings of Sweden, including the 16th-century Gustav I Vasa

Gustave – French form of GUSTAV. This name was borne by the French artist Gustave Dore (1832-1883)

Gustavo – Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of GUSTAV

Gustavs – Latvian form of GUSTAV

Gustaw – Polish form of GUSTAV

Gusztav – Hungarian form of GUSTAV

Guus – Short form of AUGUSTUS or GUSTAAF

Medieval boy names starting with H

Horymir – Possibly from the Slavic elements gora meaning ‘mountain’ and miru meaning ‘peace, world’

Medieval boy names starting with I

Ildar – Tatar form of ELDAR

Ilkay – Means ‘new moon’ in Turkish, derived from ilk ‘first’ and ay ‘moon’

Ilker – Means ‘first man’ in Turkish, derived from ilk ‘first’ and er ‘man, brave’

Ilkin – Means ‘first’ in Turkish and Azerbaijani

Ilmar – Estonian form of ILMARINEN

Ilmari – Short form of ILMARINEN

Ilmarinen – Derived from Finnish ilma ‘air’. Ilmarinen is an immortal smith in Finnish mythology, the creator of the sky and the magic mill known as the Sampo. He is one of the main characters in the Finnish epic the ‘Kalevala’

Ilmars – Latvian form of ILMARINEN

Islambek – Derived from Islam, the name of the religion (ultimately from Arabic ), combined with the Turkish military title beg meaning ‘chieftain, master’

Medieval boy names starting with J

Jamaar – Variant of JAMAR

Jamar – Recently created name, possibly a blend of JAMAL and LAMAR. It has been in general use in America since the 1970s

Jarek – Diminutive of Slavic names beginning with the element yaru meaning ‘fierce, strong’, such as JAROSLAW or JAROSLAV

Jarmil – Derived from the Slavic elements yaru meaning ‘fierce, energetic’ and milu meaning ‘gracious, dear’

Jarogniew – Derived from the Slavic elements yaru meaning ‘fierce, energetic’ and gnyevu meaning ‘anger’

Jaromir – Derived from the Slavic elements yaru meaning ‘fierce, energetic’ and miru meaning ‘peace, world’

Jaropelk – Derived from the Slavic elements yaru meaning ‘fierce, energetic’ and pulku meaning ‘people, host’

Jaroslav – Czech and Slovak form of JAROSLAW

Jaroslavas – Lithuanian form of JAROSLAW

Jaroslaw – Means ‘fierce and glorious’, derived from the Slavic elements yaru meaning ‘fierce, energetic’ and slava meaning ‘glory’

Medieval boy names starting with K

Kalin – Masculine form of KALINA

Kasimir – German form of CASIMIR

Kazik – Diminutive of KAZIMIERZ

Kazimieras – Lithuanian form of CASIMIR

Kazimierz – Polish form of CASIMIR

Kazimir – Czech, Slovak and Hungarian form of CASIMIR

Kazmer – Hungarian form of CASIMIR

Krasimir – Derived from the Slavic elements krasa ‘beauty, adornment’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Kresimir – From the Slavic elements kresu ‘spark, light, rouse’ and miru ‘peace, world’. This was the name of four kings of Croatia

Kreso – Diminutive of KRESIMIR

Kruno – Short form of KRUNOSLAV

Krunoslav – Derived from the Slavic elements kruna ‘crown’ (a derivative of Latin corona) and slava ‘glory’

Krzesimir – Polish form of KRESIMIR

Kustaa – Finnish form of GUSTAV

Kusti – Finnish diminutive of KUSTAA or AUKUSTI

Kvetoslav – Derived from the Slavic elements cvetu ‘flower’ and slava ‘glory’

Kyosti – Finnish form of GUSTAV

Medieval boy names starting with L

Laci – Diminutive of LASZLO

Ladislao – Italian form of VLADISLAV

Ladislas – Latinized form of VLADISLAV

Ladislaus – Latinized form of VLADISLAV

Ladislav – Czech, Slovak, Slovene and Croatian form of VLADISLAV

Lado – Short form of VLADIMER

Lamar – From a French and English surname, originally from a place name in Normandy, which was derived from Old French la mare meaning ‘the pool’

Lan – Slovene short form of MILAN

Laszlo – Hungarian form of VLADISLAV. Saint Laszlo was an 11th-century king of Hungary, looked upon as the embodiment of Christian virtue and bravery

Lech – From the name of the Slavic tribe the Lendians, called the Ledzianie in Polish. According to Slavic legend this was the name of the founder of the Polish people. A famous bearer was the Polish president Lech Walesa (1943-)

Lechoslaw – Derived from the Polish name LECH combined with the Slavic element slava meaning ‘glory’

Les – Short form of LESLIE or LESTER

Leslaw – Short form of LECHOSLAW

Lesley – Variant of LESLIE

Leslie – From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Scottish place name, probably derived from Gaelic leas celyn meaning ‘garden of holly’. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s

Leszek – Diminutive of LECH

Lev – Means ‘lion’ in Russian, functioning as a vernacular form of Leo. This was the real Russian name of both author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) and revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)

Lew – Polish cognate of LEV (1)

Liudevit – Medieval Slavic form of LUDOVIT

Ljuban – Serbian and Croatian form of LYUBEN

Ljube – Diminutive of LJUBOMIR

Ljuben – Macedonian form of LYUBEN

Ljubisa – From the Slavic element lyuby meaning ‘love’ combined with a diminutive suffix

Ljubo – Diminutive of LJUBOMIR

Ljubomir – Croatian, Serbian and Macedonian form of LUBOMIR

Ljudevit – Croatian cognate of LUDOVIT

Ljudmil – Macedonian masculine form of LUDMILA

Ljupcho – Alternate transcription of Macedonian Љупчо (see LJUPCO)

Ljupco – Diminutive of LJUBOMIR

Luben – Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Любен (see LYUBEN)

Lubomierz – Polish form of LUBOMIR

Lubomir – Derived from the Slavic elements lyuby ‘love’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Lubos – Short form of LUBOMIR and other names beginning with the Slavic element lyuby meaning ‘love’

Ludovit – Means ‘master of the people’ from the Slavic elements lyudu ‘people’ and vit ‘master, lord’

Lyov – Diminutive of LEV (1)

Lyuben – Derived from the Slavic element lyuby meaning ‘love’

Lyubomir – Bulgarian form of LUBOMIR

Lyudmil – Bulgarian masculine form of LUDMILA

Medieval boy names starting with M

Mac Beatha – Gaelic form of MACBETH

Macbeth – Anglicized form of the Gaelic given name Mac Beatha meaning ‘son of life’, implying holiness. This was the name of an 11th-century Scottish king. Shakespeare based his play ‘Macbeth’ loosely on this king’s life

Mantas – From Lithuanian mantus meaning ‘intelligent’. Herkus Mantas was a 13th-century Prussian hero who fought against the Teutonic Knights

Mantvydas – From the Baltic elements mantus ‘intelligent’ and vyd ‘to see’

Mayrbek – Derived from Nakh майра (mayra) meaning ‘husband, brave man’ combined with the Turkish military title beg meaning ‘chieftain, master’

Mechislav – Russian form of MIECZYSLAW

Mieczyslaw – Derived from the Slavic element mechi ‘sword’ combined with slava ‘glory’

Miervaldis – Latvian name derived from the Baltic elements mier ‘peace’ and vald ‘rule’

Mieszko – Diminutive of MIECZYSLAW. This was the name of two rulers of Poland, including Mieszko I who converted the country to Christianity

Mijo – Diminutive of MILAN or MIHOVIL

Milan – From the Slavic element milu meaning ‘gracious, dear’, originally a short form of names that began with that element. A city in Italy bears this name, though it originates from a different source

Mile – Originally a diminutive of Slavic names containing the element milu ‘gracious, dear’

Milen – Variant of MILAN

Milenko – Serbian and Croatian diminutive of MILAN

Miles – From the Germanic name Milo, introduced by the Normans to England in the form Miles. The meaning is not known for certain. It is possibly connected to the Slavic name element milu meaning ‘gracious’. From an early date it was associated with Latin miles ‘soldier’

Milivoj – Derived from the Slavic elements milu ‘gracious’ and voji ‘soldier’

Miljenko – Croatian diminutive of MILAN

Milko – Diminutive of Slavic names containing the element milu ‘gracious, dear’

Millard – From an occupational English surname meaning ‘guardian of the mill’ in Old English

Milo – Old Germanic form of MILES, as well as the Latinized form. This form of the name was used in official documents during the Middle Ages, and it has been used independently since the 19th century

Milodrag – Possible medieval Slavic form of MIODRAG

Milogost – Derived from the Slavic elements milu meaning ‘gracious, dear’ and gosti meaning ‘guest’

Miloje – From the Slavic element milu meaning ‘gracious, dear’, originally a diminutive of names that began with that element

Milojica – Diminutive of MILOJE

Milomir – Derived from the Slavic elements milu meaning ‘gracious, dear’ and miru meaning ‘peace’ or ‘world’

Milorad – Derived from the Slavic elements milu ‘gracious, dear’ and rad ‘happy, willing’

Milos – Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element milu ‘gracious, dear’. This was the name of a 14th-century Serbian hero who apparently killed the Ottoman sultan Murad I at the Battle of Kosovo

Milosh – Medieval Slavic form of MILOS

Miloslav – Derived from the Slavic elements milu ‘gracious, dear’ and slava ‘glory’

Miloslaw – Polish cognate of MILOSLAV

Milosz – Polish cognate of MILOS

Milton – From an English surname that was from a place name meaning ‘mill town’ in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote ‘Paradise Lost’

Mindaugas – Possibly from Lithuanian mintis ‘thought’ or minti ‘remember’ combined with daug ‘much’. This was the name of a 13th-century ruler of Lithuania

Miodrag – Derived from the element mio, a Serbo-Croatian form of the Slavic element milu meaning ‘dear’, combined with dragu meaning ‘precious’

Miomir – Derived from the element mio, a Serbian form of the Slavic element milu meaning ‘dear’, combined with miru meaning ‘peace’ or ‘world’

Miran – Derived from the Slavic element miru meaning ‘peace’ or ‘world’

Mirce – Derived from the Slavic element miru meaning ‘peace, world’

Mircea – Romanian form of MIRCE. This name was borne by a 14th-century ruler of Wallachia

Mirche – Alternate transcription of Macedonian Мирче (see MIRCE)

Mirco – Italian variant of MIRKO

Mirek – Diminutive of MIROSLAV and other names beginning with the Slavic element miru meaning ‘peace’ or ‘world’

Mirko – Originally a diminutive of MIROSLAV and other names containing the element miru ‘peace, world’

Miro – Short form of MIROSLAV

Miroslav – Derived from the Slavic elements miru ‘peace, world’ and slava ‘glory’. This was the name of a 10th-century king of Croatia who was deposed by one of his nobles after ruling for four years

Miroslaw – Polish form of MIROSLAV

Misa – Serbian diminutive of MIHAILO, MIROSLAV and other names beginning with a similar sound. In Slovenia it is typically feminine

Misko – Serbian and Croatian diminutive of MIHAILO, MIHAEL, MIROSLAV and other names beginning with a similar sound

Mislav – Derived from the Slavic element mysli ‘thought’ or moji ‘my’ combined with slava ‘glory’. This was the name of a 9th-century duke of Croatia, also called Mojslav

Mladen – Derived from the Slavic word младъ (mladu) meaning ‘young’

Moimir – Medieval Slavic form of MOJMIR

Mojmir – Derived from the Slavic elements moji meaning ‘my’ and miru meaning ‘peace’ or ‘world’. This was the name of a 9th-century ruler of Moravia

Momir – Serbian form of MOJMIR

Mscislaw – Polish form of MSTISLAV

Mstislav – Means ‘vengeance and glory’ from the Slavic elements misti ‘vengeance’ and slava ‘glory’

Mundzuk – Old Turkic form of BENDEGUZ

Myles – Variant of MILES

Medieval boy names starting with N

Nascimbene – Medieval Italian name meaning ‘born well’

Nedelcho – Masculine form of NEDELYA

Nedeljko – Derived from Croatian nedjelja and Serbian недеља (nedelja) meaning ‘Sunday’

Nedelko – Macedonian form of NEDELJKO

Nediljko – Variant of NEDELJKO

Nedjeljko – Variant of NEDELJKO

Nedyalko – Bulgarian form of NEDELJKO

Nevil – Variant of NEVILLE

Neville – From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning ‘new town’ in Norman French. As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian

Ninoslav – From a Slavic element, possibly nyni ‘now’, combined with slava ‘glory’

Norris – From an English surname, either NORRIS (1) or NORRIS (2)

Novak – From Serbian нов (nov) meaning ‘new’

Nuno – Medieval Portuguese and Spanish name, possibly from Latin nonus ‘ninth’ or nunnus ‘grandfather’. Saint Nuno was a 14th-century Portuguese general who defeated a Castilian invasion

Medieval boy names starting with O

Ognen – Macedonian form of OGNYAN

Ognian – Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Огнян (see OGNYAN)

Ognjan – Croatian and Serbian variant form of OGNYAN

Ognjen – Croatian and Serbian form of OGNYAN

Ognyan – Derived from Bulgarian огнен (ognen) ‘fiery’

Oguzhan – From Oguz, the name of an ancient Turkic people, combined with Turkish han meaning ‘khan, ruler, leader’

Medieval boy names starting with P

Page – From a surname that was a variant of PAIGE

Parker – From an English occupational surname that meant ‘keeper of the park’

Peda – Diminutive of PREDRAG

Pedja – Alternate transcription of Serbian Пеђа (see PEDA)

Perun – Means ‘thunder’ in Slavic. In Slavic mythology Perun was the god of lightning, sometimes worshipped as the primary god. The oak was his sacred tree

Petko – Derived from Bulgarian Петък (Petak) or Macedonian Петок (Petok) meaning ‘Friday’. This is a vernacular form of Paraskeve

Plamen – Derived from South Slavic plamen meaning ‘flame, fire’

Preben – Modern Danish form of the name Pridbjorn, which was a medieval Scandinavian form of the Slavic (Wendish) name Pridbor, which was derived from Slavic prid ‘first’ and borti ‘battle’. It was imported into Danish via the medieval Putbus family, who were Slavic nobles from Rugen in Pomerania

Predrag – Derived from the Slavic element dragu meaning ‘precious’ combined with a superlative prefix

Premek – Diminutive of PREMYSL

Premislav – Possible medieval Slavic form of PRZEMYSLAW

Premysl – From an old Slavic name that meant ‘trick, stratagem’, from pre ‘over’ and mysli ‘thought, idea’. This was the name of the founder of the Premyslid dynasty, which ruled Bohemia from the 9th to the 14th century

Pridbjorn – Old Danish form of PREBEN

Pridbor – Earlier Slavic form of PREBEN

Przemek – Diminutive of PRZEMYSLAW

Przemko – Diminutive of PRZEMYSLAW

Przemo – Diminutive of PRZEMYSLAW

Przemysl – Polish form of PREMYSL. This was the name of a 13th-century king of Poland

Przemyslaw – Medieval variant of PRZEMYSL, with the addition of the Slavic element slava

Medieval boy names starting with R

Raclaw – Short form of RADOSLAW

Rade – Originally a diminutive of MILORAD and other Slavic names containing the element rad meaning ‘happy, willing’

Radek – Diminutive of Slavic names beginning with rad meaning ‘happy, willing’

Radim – Short form of RADOMIR

Radimir – Russian variant of RADOMIR

Radko – Diminutive of Slavic names beginning with the element rad ‘happy, willing’

Radmilo – Serbian form of RADOMIL

Radomil – Derived from the Slavic elements rad ‘happy, willing’ and milu ‘gracious, dear’

Radomir – Derived from the Slavic element rad ‘happy, willing’ combined with meru ‘great, famous’ or miru ‘peace, world’

Rados – Short form of RADOSLAV, RADOMIR, and other names beginning with the Slavic element rad meaning ‘happy, willing’

Radoslav – Form of RADOSLAW in several languages

Radoslaw – Derived from the Slavic elements rad ‘happy, willing’ and slava ‘glory’

Radovan – Derived from the Slavic element rad ‘happy, willing’ combined with another element of unknown meaning

Radu – Old Romanian diminutive of Slavic names beginning with the element rad ‘happy, willing’. This was the name of a 13th-century ruler of Wallachia

Raduz – Derived from the Czech word rad ‘happy, glad’. The Czech author Julius Zeyer probably created it for a character in his play ‘Raduz and Mahulena’ (1898)

Radzim – Short form of RADZIMIERZ

Radzimierz – Polish form of RADOMIR

Ranko – Derived from the Slavic word ранъ (ranu) meaning ‘early’

Ratimir – Derived from the Slavic elements rati meaning ‘war, battle’ and miru meaning ‘peace, world’

Ratko – Diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element rati meaning ‘war, battle’

Ratomir – Serbian form of RATIMIR

Rayko – Bulgarian variant of RADKO

Rayno – Bulgarian variant of RADKO

Razvan – Meaning unknown, possibly related to the name RADOVAN. Alternatively it may have been brought to Romania from India by Gypsies, and may mean something like ‘bringer of good news’

Rostislav – Derived from the Slavic elements rasti ‘growth’ and slava ‘glory’

Medieval boy names starting with S

Salambek – Derived from Arabic (salaam) meaning ‘peace’ combined with the Turkish military title beg meaning ‘chieftain, master’

Samo – Meaning uncertain. This was the name of a 7th-century ruler of the Slavs, who established a kingdom including parts of modern Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. He was possibly of Frankish origin

Saulius – Masculine form of SAULE. This is also the Lithuanian form of SAUL

Sener – From Turkish sen meaning ‘happy’ and er meaning ‘brave man’

Serkan – Means ‘leader, chief’ from Turkish ser ‘head, top’ and kan ‘blood’

Slava – Short form of Slavic names containing the element slava ‘glory’

Slaven – Derived from Slavic slava meaning ‘glory’

Slavko – Derived from Slavic slava meaning ‘glory’

Slavomir – Croatian and Serbian form of SLAWOMIR

Slawomir – Derived from the Slavic element slava meaning ‘glory’ combined with meru meaning ‘great, famous’ or miru meaning ‘peace, world’

Sobeslav – Medieval Slavic form of SOBIESLAW

Sobieslaw – Derived from Slavic elements, possibly sebe meaning ‘for oneself’, combined with slava ‘glory’. This name (in the Czech form Sobeslav) was borne by two 12th-century dukes of Bohemia

Spencer – From a surname that meant ‘dispenser of provisions’, derived from Middle English spense ‘larder, pantry’. A famous bearer was American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967). It was also the surname of Princess Diana (1961-1997)

Stan – Probably a short form of STANISLAV

Stane – Short form of STANISLAV and other Slavic names beginning with the element stani meaning ‘stand, become’

Stanimir – Derived from the Slavic elements stani ‘stand, become’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Stanislas – Latinized form of STANISLAV

Stanislav – Derived from the Slavic elements stani meaning ‘stand, become’ combined with slava meaning ‘glory’

Stanislavs – Latvian form of STANISLAV

Stanislaw – Polish form of STANISLAV. Two kings of Poland have borne this name

Stanislovas – Lithuanian form of STANISLAV

Stanko – Diminutive of STANISLAV

Stas – Russian diminutive of STANISLAV

Stasys – Short form of STANISLOVAS

Stojan – Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian and Slovene form of STOYAN

Stoyan – Derived from Bulgarian стоя (stoya) ‘to stand, to stay’

Stribog – Possibly means ‘flowing god’ in Slavic. Stribog was the Slavic god of the wind, cold, ice and frost

Sture – Derived from Old Norse stura ‘to be contrary’. This was the name of three viceroys of Sweden

Svante – Swedish short form of SVANTEPOLK

Svantepolk – Old Norse form of SVYATOPOLK. It was borne by the prominent 13th-century Swedish nobleman Svantepolk Knutsson. He may have been named after a relative of his Pomeranian mother

Svantovit – Variant of SVETOVID

Svarog – Derived from Slavic svar ‘bright, clear’. This was the name of the Slavic god of the sky and sun. He was originally the supreme god in Slavic mythology

Svatopluk – Czech form of SVYATOPOLK

Svatoslav – Czech form of SVYATOSLAV

Svetomir – Serbian and Bulgarian form of SWIETOMIERZ

Svetopolk – Possible medieval Slavic form of SVYATOPOLK

Svetoslav – Bulgarian form of SVYATOSLAV

Svetovid – Derived from the Slavic elements svetu ‘blessed, holy’ and vidu ‘sight, view’. This was the name of a four-headed Slavic god of war and light

Svyatopolk – Means ‘blessed people’ from the Slavic elements svetu ‘blessed, holy’ and pulku ‘people, host, army’

Svyatoslav – Derived from the Slavic elements svetu ‘blessed, holy’ and slava ‘glory’

Swietomierz – Derived from the Slavic elements svetu ‘blessed, holy’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Swietopelk – Polish form of SVYATOPOLK

Swietoslaw – Polish form of SVYATOSLAV

Medieval boy names starting with T

Tage – From the medieval Danish byname Taki, derived from Old Norse taka meaning ‘to take, to capture’

Taki – Old Danish form of TAGE

Tamerlane – Westernized form of Timur i Leng (see TIMUR)

Tarmo – Means ‘vigour, energy, drive’ in Estonian and Finnish

Tautvydas – From the Baltic elements tauta ‘intelligent’ and vyd ‘to see’

Tayler – Variant of TAYLOR

Taylor – From an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French tailleur, ultimately from Latin taliare ‘to cut’. Its modern use as a feminine name may have been influenced by the British-American author Taylor Caldwell (1900-1985)

Temir – Kazakh form of Temur (see TIMUR)

Temujin – Means ‘of iron’ in Mongolian, derived ultimately from the Turkic word temur ‘iron’. This was the original name of the Mongolian leader better known by the title Genghis Khan. Born in the 12th century, he managed to unite the tribes of Mongolia and then conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe

Temur – Old Turkic form of TIMUR

Temuri – Georgian form of TIMUR

Tian – Variant of TIJAN

Tihomir – Derived from the Slavic elements tikhu ‘quiet’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Tijan – Possibly a short form of SEBASTIJAN or KRISTIJAN, or a masculine form of TIJANA

Tikhomir – Medieval Slavic form of TIHOMIR

Timour – Variant of TIMUR

Timucin – Turkish form of TEMUJIN

Timur – From the Turkic name Temur meaning ‘iron’. Timur, also known as Tamerlane (from Persian (Timur e Lang) meaning ‘Timur the lame’), was a 14th-century Turkic leader who conquered large areas of Western Asia

Tod – Variant of TODD

Todd – From a surname meaning ‘fox’, derived from Middle English todde

Tomica – Diminutive of TOMISLAV or TOMA (2)

Tomislav – Probably derived from the Slavic element tomiti meaning ‘torture’ combined with slava meaning ‘glory’. This was the name of the first king of Croatia (10th century)

Tomo – Either a variant of TOMA (2) or a diminutive of TOMISLAV

Trueman – From a surname that was a variant of TRUMAN

Truman – From a surname that meant ‘trusty man’ in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). It was also borne by American writer Truman Capote (1924-1984)

Tsagadai – Mongolian form of CAGATAY

Tsvetan – Derived from Bulgarian цвет (tsvet) meaning ‘flower, blossom’

Tsvetko – Variant of TSVETAN

Medieval boy names starting with U

Uladzimir – Belarusian form of VLADIMIR

Medieval boy names starting with V

Vaclav – Contracted form of the older name Veceslav, from the Slavic elements veche ‘more’ and slava ‘glory’. Saint Vaclav (known as Wenceslas in English) was a 10th-century duke of Bohemia murdered by his brother. He is the patron saint of the Czech Republic. This was also the name of several Bohemian kings

Vadik – Diminutive of VADIM

Vadim – Meaning unknown. It is used as a Russian form of BADEMUS, but it may actually be derived from the Slavic name VADIMIR or else from an Old Norse source

Vadimir – Possibly from the Slavic elements vaditi ‘accuse’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Valdas – Short form of VALDEMARAS and other Lithuanian names containing the Germanic/Baltic element wald ‘rule’

Valdemar – Scandinavian form of WALDEMAR. This was the name of four kings of Denmark

Valdemaras – Lithuanian cognate of WALDEMAR

Valdimarr – Old Norse form of VALDEMAR

Valdis – Short form of VOLDEMARS and other Latvian names containing the Germanic/Baltic element wald ‘rule’

Valto – Finnish short form of VALDEMAR and other names containing vald

Vasco – From the medieval Spanish name Velasco, which possibly meant ‘crow’ in Basque. A famous bearer was the 15th-century Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the first person to sail from Europe around Africa to India

Vasek – Diminutive of VACLAV

Veaceslav – Romanian (Moldovan) form of VACLAV

Veceslav – Older form of VACLAV

Vecheslav – Medieval Slavic form of VACLAV

Vedran – Means ‘clear, cheerful’ in Croatian and Serbian

Velasco – Medieval Spanish form of VASCO

Veles – Variant of VOLOS

Velibor – Derived from the Slavic elements veli ‘great’ and borti ‘battle’

Velichko – Derived from Slavic veliku meaning ‘great’

Velimir – Derived from the Slavic elements veli ‘great’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Veljko – Diminutive of VESELKO

Vencel – Hungarian form of VACLAV, via the Latinized form Venceslaus

Venceslao – Italian form of VACLAV, via the Latinized form Venceslaus

Venceslas – Spanish form of VACLAV, via the Latinized form Venceslaus

Venceslaus – Latinized form of Veceslav (see VACLAV)

Venceslav – Czech variant of VACLAV, via the Latinized form Venceslaus

Ventseslav – Bulgarian form of VACLAV, via the Latinized form Venceslaus

Veselin – Derived from South Slavic vesel meaning ‘cheerful’

Veselko – Derived from South Slavic vesel meaning ‘cheerful’

Vilmantas – From the Baltic elements vil- ‘hope’ and mantus ‘intelligent’

Viltautas – From the Baltic elements vil- ‘hope’ and tauta ‘people, nation’

Visvaldas – Lithuanian form of VISVALDIS

Visvaldis – Latvian name derived from the Baltic elements vis ‘all’ and vald ‘rule’. It is thus a cognate of the Slavic VSEVOLOD

Vitezslav – Possibly from the Slavic elements vit ‘master, lord’ and slava ‘glory’

Vitilsav – Medieval Slavic form of VITEZSLAV

Vitomir – Derived from the Slavic elements vit ‘master, lord’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Vjeko – Short form of VJEKOSLAV

Vjekoslav – Derived from the Slavic elements vyeku ‘age’ and slava ‘glory’

Vlad – Old short form of VLADISLAV and other Slavic names beginning with the element vladeti meaning ‘rule’. Vlad Dracula, a 15th-century prince of Wallachia, was Bram Stoker’s inspiration for the name of his vampire, Count Dracula

Vladan – Short form of Slavic names beginning with the element vladeti meaning ‘rule’

Vladas – Short form of VLADIMIRAS

Vladilen – Contraction of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the name of the founder of the former Soviet state

Vladimer – Georgian form of VLADIMIR

Vladimeru – Church Slavic form of VLADIMIR

Vladimir – Derived from the Slavic element vladeti ‘rule’ combined with meru ‘great, famous’. The second element has also been associated with miru meaning ‘peace, world’. This was the name of an 11th-century grand prince of Kiev who is venerated as a saint because of his efforts to Christianize his realm (Kievan Rus). It was also borne by the founder of the former Soviet state, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924)

Vladimiras – Lithuanian form of VLADIMIR

Vladimirs – Latvian form of VLADIMIR

Vladislav – Derived from the Slavic elements vladeti ‘rule’ and slava ‘glory’

Vladlen – Contraction of Vladimir Lenin, the name of the founder of the former Soviet state

Vlado – Short form of VLADIMIR and other Slavic names beginning with the element vladeti meaning ‘rule’

Vlastimil – Derived from the Slavic elements vlasti ‘rule, sovereignty’ and milu ‘gracious, dear’. In modern Czech vlast means ‘homeland’ (a descendant word of vlasti)

Vlastimir – Derived from the Slavic elements vlasti meaning ‘rule, sovereignty’ and miru meaning ‘peace, world’

Vlastislav – Derived from the Slavic elements vlasti ‘rule, sovereignty’ and slava ‘glory’. In modern Czech vlast means ‘homeland’ (a descendant word of vlasti)

Vlatko – Diminutive of VLADIMIR

Voitsekh – Medieval Slavic form of WOJCIECH

Vojta – Diminutive of VOJTECH

Vojtech – Slovak form of WOJCIECH

Voldemaras – Lithuanian variant of WALDEMAR

Voldemars – Latvian cognate of WALDEMAR

Volodimeru – Old East Slavic form of VLADIMIR

Volodislavu – Old East Slavic form of VLADISLAV

Volodya – Diminutive of VLADIMIR

Volodymyr – Ukrainian form of VLADIMIR

Volos – Derived from Slavic volu meaning ‘ox’. Volos was the Slavic god of cattle, also associated with the earth, wealth, the underworld, and poetry

Vova – Diminutive of VLADIMIR

Vratislav – Derived from the Slavic elements vratiti ‘to return’ and slava ‘glory’. This was the name of two dukes of Bohemia. The city of Wroclaw in Poland is named after the first

Vsevolod – Derived from the Slavic elements visi ‘all’ and vladeti ‘rule’. This was the name of an 11th-century grand prince of Kiev

Vyacheslav – Russian and Ukrainian form of VACLAV

Vytautas – From the Baltic element vyti- ‘chase, drive away’ or vyd- ‘see’ combined with tauta ‘people, nation’. This was the name of a 15th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania, revered as a national hero in that country

Medieval boy names starting with W

Waclaw – Polish form of VACLAV

Waldek – Polish diminutive of WALDEMAR

Waldemar – Germanic derivative of the Slavic name VLADIMIR (or perhaps a cognate composed of the Germanic elements wald ‘rule’ and mari ‘famous’). It was introduced into Scandinavia by the 12th-century Danish king Waldemar (or Valdemar) who was named after a royal ancestor of his Ukrainian mother

Waldomar – Old Germanic form of WALDEMAR

Wallace – From a Scottish and English surname that originally meant ‘Welsh’ or ‘foreigner’ in Norman French. It was first used as given name in honour of Sir William Wallace, a Scottish hero who led the fight against English invasion in the 13th century

Wallis – From a surname that was a variant of WALLACE. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne

Wally – Diminutive of WALTER or WALLACE

Warcislaw – Polish form of VRATISLAV. This was the name of several dukes of Pomerania

Wenceslas – Latinized form of Veceslav (see VACLAV)

Wenceslaus – Latinized form of Veceslav (see VACLAV)

Wenzel – Medieval German form of VACLAV, via the Latinized form Venceslaus

Wenzeslaus – German form of VACLAV, via the Latinized form Venceslaus

Wieceslaw – Older Polish form of VACLAV

Witek – Diminutive of WITOLD

Witold – Polish form of VYTAUTAS. Alternatively it could be derived from the Germanic name WIDALD

Wladek – Diminutive of WLADYSLAW

Wladyslaw – Polish cognate of VLADISLAV. This was the name of four kings of Poland

Wlodek – Diminutive of WLODZIMIERZ

Wlodzimierz – Polish cognate of VLADIMIR

Wlodzislaw – Polish cognate of VLADISLAV

Wojciech – Derived from the Slavic elements voji ‘soldier’ and tekha ‘solace, comfort, joy’. Saint Wojciech (also known by the Czech form of his name Vojtech or his adopted name Adalbert) was a Bohemian missionary to Hungary, Poland and Prussia, where he was martyred in the 10th century

Wojtek – Diminutive of WOJCIECH

Wolodymyr – Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Володимир (see VOLODYMYR)

Medieval boy names starting with Y

Yarik – Russian diminutive of YAROSLAV

Yarognev – Medieval Slavic form of JAROGNIEW

Yaromil – Possible medieval Slavic form of JARMIL

Yaromir – Medieval Slavic form of JAROMIR

Yaropolk – Medieval Slavic form of JAROPELK

Yaroslav – Russian and Ukrainian form of JAROSLAW

Yaroslava – Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of JAROSLAW

Medieval boy names starting with Z

Zaurbek – Derived from Arabic (zawar) meaning ‘pilgrim’ combined with the Turkish military title beg meaning ‘chieftain, master’

Zavis – Derived from a Slavic root meaning ‘envy’

Zawisza – Polish cognate of ZAVIS

Zbignev – Medieval Slavic form of ZBIGNIEW

Zbigniew – Derived from the Slavic elements zbyti ‘to dispel’ and gnyevu ‘anger’

Zbygnev – Czech cognate of ZBIGNIEW

Zbynek – Diminutive of ZBYGNEV, now used independently

Zdenek – Czech form of ZDENKO

Zdenko – Derived from the Slavic element zidati meaning ‘build, create’, originally a short form of names beginning with that element

Zdeno – Slovak variant of ZDENKO

Zdeslav – Croatian form of ZDZISLAW

Zdislav – Czech form of ZDZISLAW

Zdzislaw – Derived from the Slavic elements zidati ‘build’ and slava ‘glory’

Zelimir – Derived from the Slavic elements zheleti ‘to wish, to desire’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Zeljko – Derived from South Slavic zelja meaning ‘desire’

Zhelimir – Possible medieval Slavic form of ZELIMIR

Zhivko – Derived from the Slavic word живъ (zhivu) meaning ‘living’

Zivko – Croatian and Serbian form of ZHIVKO

Zlatan – Means ‘golden’, a derivative of the Slavic word zlato ‘gold’

Zlatko – Diminutive of ZLATAN

Zoran – Masculine form of ZORA

Zvonimir – Derived from the Slavic elements zvonu ‘sound, chime’ and miru ‘peace, world’

Zvonko – Diminutive of ZVONIMIR