Volodymyr

Volodymyr is the Ukrainian form of Vladimir, the same Old Slavic compound of volod, "to rule," and myr, "peace" or "world." It belonged to Volodymyr the Great, the tenth-century prince of Kiev who Christianized Kievan Rus and whose statue still presides over the Dnipro. In the twenty-first century the name has become globally recognizable for reasons contemporary and unmistakable. Four syllables, the distinctive y in the middle signaling Ukrainian spelling specifically rather than Russian. The diminutive Volodya keeps it familial. Almost never used in English-speaking countries, deeply rooted throughout Ukraine, it carries both ancient kingship and present-day courage in its spelling.