Means "to rule with greatness", derived from the Slavic element volod "rule" combined with mer "great, famous". The second element has also been associated with mir meaning "peace" or "world". This was the name of an 11th-century Grand Duke of Kiev who is venerated as a saint because of his efforts to Christianize Russia. It was also borne by the founder of the former Soviet state, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924).