ELENAЕленаfItalian, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovak, Lithuanian, Russian, Greek, German, Medieval SlavicCognate of
HELEN, and a variant transcription of Russian
YELENA.
SAMOmSlovene, Medieval SlavicMeaning 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.
VLADmRomanian, Russian, Medieval SlavicOld 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.
VLADIMIRmRussian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Medieval SlavicDerived 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).