Vladimir (Russian Cyrillic: Влади́мир [vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr], Old Church Slavonic: Владимѣръ) is a male Slavic given name of Church Slavonic and Old Slavic origin, now widespread throughout all Slavic nations. It is also a common name in former Soviet non-Slavic countries where Christianity is practised, such as Armenia. While being a Russian calque of the Ruthenian Volodymyr, today Vladimir is the more preferred version in the English language.
Max Vasmer in his Etymological Dictionary of Russian Language explains the name as meaning "regal". Folk etymology interprets the meaning as "person of the people" or "the one with peace on one side". This confusion is introduced by other meanings of the Slavic word "Mir" or "Myr" – peace, people/community, and the world. There was no ambiguity prior to reforms of Russian orthography in 1918. The spelling of the two words was миръ (peace) or мiръ (the Universe), but the name was spelled a third way, Владимѣръ, from the Gothic suffix mērs meaning "great". Thus the name originally meant "Great in His Power". (compare: Theodemir, Valamir) but Russian speakers understood and still understand the meaning as "Peace Owner" or "World Ruler".
In Old Church Slavonic tradition, preserved in Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian and later borrowed into Slovenian, Croatian, the name is spelled Vladimir.In Old East Slavic tradition the name is spelled Volodimir(Володимир), Volodimer (Володимѣръ),The modern Ukrainian transliteration of Володимир is Volodymyr.In Belarusian the name is spelled Uladzimir (Uładzimir, Уладзімір) or Uladzimier (Uładzimier, Уладзімер).In Czech and Slovak, the name is spelled Vladimír.In Polish, the name is spelled Włodzimierz.In East Slavic languages, short versions of the name are Vova, Volodka, Volodya. In other West and South Slavic countries, other pet or boy versions are used: e.g., Vladi, Vlada, Vlado, Vladko, Vlatko, Vladik, Wladik, Wladek, Wlodik and Wlodek.In Germanic languages, the name is spelled Waldemar or Valdemar. ("wald": rule, "meri": famous)Romanian derivations are Vlad and Vlăduț.In Latvian the derivation is Voldemārs.In Finnish and Estonian the derivation is Voldemar.In Latin-Romance languages: Vladimiro/Vladimir in Spanish, Vladimir/Wladimir in Portuguese, Vladimiro/Wladimiro in Italian (stressed syllable in bold).In Greek language: Vladímiros (Βλαδίμηρος).Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (1847–1909)Vladimir the Great (958–1015), Grand Prince of KievVladimir II Monomakh (1053–1125), Grand Prince of KievVladimir III Mstislavich (1132–1173), Grand Prince of KievVladimir IV Rurikovich (1187–1239), Grand Prince of KievVladimir of Bulgaria (died 893), ruler of BulgariaVladimir Akopian (born 1971), Armenian chess playerVladimir Ashkenazy (1937–) Russian-Icelandic renowned classical pianist and conductorVladimir Becić (1886–1954), Croatian painterVladimir Bekhterev (1857–1927), Russian neurologistVladimir Beschastnykh (born 1974), Russian football player and managerVladimir Bukovsky (born 1942), Russian dissidentVladimir Colin (1921–1991), Romanian writerVladimir Constantinescu (1895–1965), Romanian generalVladimir Conta (born 1954), Romanian conductorVladimir Cosma (born 1940), Romanian composerVladimir Dal (1801–1872), Russian language lexicographerVladimir Divljan (1958–2015), Serbian songwriter and singerVladimír Dolník (born 1993), Slovak ice hockey playerVladimír Dzurilla (1942–1995), Slovak ice hockey playerVladimir Farrell (born 1981), Montserratian football playerVladimir Gardin (1877–1965), Russian actor and directorVladimir Georgiev (chess player) (born 1975), Bulgarian chess playerVladimir Guerrero (born 1975), Dominican baseball playerVladimir Gessen (disambiguation), two personsVladimir Horowitz (1903–1989), Russian and American pianistVladimir Jankélévitch (1903–1985), French philosopher and musicologistVladimir Koman (born 1989), Hungarian football playerVladimir Komarov (1927–1967), Russian pilot and cosmonautVladimir Korolenko (1853–1921), Russian and Ukrainian writer, journalist, and human rights activistVladimir Kramnik (born 1975), Russian chess playerVladimir Lenin (1870–1924), Russian politicianVladimir Luxuria (1965-) Italian politicianVladimir Matveevich Gessen (1868–1920), Russian jurist and politicianVladimir Mayakovsky (1893–1930), Russian writerVladimír Mečiar (born 1942), Slovak politician and Prime MinisterVladimir Myshkin (born 1955), Russian ice hockey playerVladimir Nabokov (1899–1977), Russian authorVladimir Nazor (1876–1949), Croatian poet and politicianVladimir Núñez (born 1975), Cuban baseball playerVladimir Oravsky (born 1947), Swedish writerVladimir Orlando Cardoso de Araújo Filho (born 1989), Brazilian football playerVladimir Padwa (1900–1981), American musicianVladimir Padrino Lopez (born 1963), Venezuelan militarVladimir Petrović (born 1955), Serbian football player and coachVladimir Posner (born 1934), Russian journalistVladimir Pravik (1962–1986), Russian firefighterVladimir Putin (born 1952), Russian politician and PresidentVladimir Radmanović (born 1980), Serbian basketball playerVladimír Růžička (born 1963), Czech ice hockey player and coachVladimír Růžička (born 1989), Czech ice hockey playerVladimir Shainsky, (born 1925) Russian composerVladimír Šmicer, (born 1973) Czech retired football playerVladimir Socor (born 1945), American political analystVladimir Tarasenko (born 1991), Russian ice hockey playerVladimir Terebilov (1916–2004), Russian judge and politicianVladimir Tismăneanu (born 1951), American political scientistVladimir Troshin (1926–2008), Russian actor and singerVladimir Villegas (born 1961), Venezuelan journalistVladimir Volkov (born 1986), Montenegrin football playerVladimir Voronin (born 1941), Moldovan politician and PresidentVladimir Vysotsky (1938–1980), Russian musicianVladimir Yelagin (born 1955), Russian politicianVladimir Zhirinovsky (born 1946), Russian politicianVladimir Zworykin (1888–1982), Russian and American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology