Boy name · Slavic
Vladimir
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: great rulerVladimir is a boy's name that comes from Slavic and means "great ruler". It is used in Russian.
- Meaning
- Great ruler
- Origin
- Slavic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1836 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Vladimir
As a boy's name, Vladimir comes from Slavic and means "great ruler". It is used in Russian.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Vladimir on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Vladimir on 3 lists.
“Famous ruler; Slavic, popularly read as 'rules the world'. Diminutive Volodya”
From Russian boy names, slavic and Old Norse boy names
“Great ruler; Slavic, a grand prince of medieval Kyiv (Volodymyr in Ukrainian)”
From Strong boy names, powerful boy names for kings and leaders
“From Slavic words for rule and great, later read as peace; a prince's name”
From Vampire names, male vampire names
How popular is Vladimir?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,836
- 87 babies, 51 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,044 in 1997
- Most babies: 180 in 2016
- Babies since 1913
- At least 6,190
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 16 per million |
| 1920s | 14 per million |
| 1930s | 8 per million |
| 1940s | 1 per million |
| 1950s | 5 per million |
| 1960s | 9 per million |
| 1970s | 26 per million |
| 1980s | 33 per million |
| 1990s | 50 per million |
| 2000s | 69 per million |
| 2010s | 84 per million |
| 2020s | 58 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,095 | #1,168 | #1,275 | #1,295 | #1,471 | #1,438 | #1,625 | #1,849 | #1,955 | #1,836 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Vladimir
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Volodyacommon Russian nickname
- Vovacommon Russian nickname
Names with a similar meaning
- ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- MagnusThe great (Latin, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AugustaGreat, venerable (Latin, girl)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- IrmaWhole, great (Germanic, girl)
- RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- AubreyElf ruler (Germanic, unisex)
- AugustGreat, venerable (Latin, unisex)
Middle names for Vladimir
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Slavic
- MilanGracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names (Slavic, unisex)
- BogdanGiven by God (Slavic, boy)
- CasimirDestroyer of peace (Slavic, boy)
- WenceslasMore glory (Slavic, boy)
- BogumiłDear to God (Slavic, boy)
- BogusławGlory of God (Slavic, boy)
- BohdanGiven by God (Slavic, boy)
- BolesławGreater glory (Slavic, boy)
- BorislavBattle glory (Slavic, boy)
- BronisławProtection and glory (Slavic, boy)
Vladimir: common questions
What does the name Vladimir mean?
Vladimir comes from Slavic and means "great ruler".
Is Vladimir a boy or girl name?
Vladimir is mainly a boy's name.
What are nicknames for Vladimir?
Common nicknames for Vladimir include Volodya and Vova.
How popular is the name Vladimir?
Vladimir ranked #1,836 in the US in 2025, with 87 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Vladimir?
Middle names that flow well with Vladimir include Asher, Drake, Glenn, Grant and Lance. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.