Fun Facts About the Name Ludmila
- 288 babies named Ludmila: U.S. records list 288 babies given the name Ludmila from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ludmila Mean?
Ludmila is a Slavic compound name meaning dear to the people. It comes from the Slavic elements ljudъ (also seen as lud) meaning people and milъ (later mila) meaning dear or beloved. The same two elements lie behind the Czech phrase lidu milá, dear to the people, which explains the usual sense of the name. The literal meaning is not a possessive idea such as people's love; it describes someone who is dear to the people. The name appears in medieval Latin as Ludmila; modern forms include Czech Ludmila, Polish Ludmiła, Russian Lyudmila (Людмила), Ukrainian Lyudmyla (Людмила), and Slovak Ľudmila. The first part is not the Germanic element hlud meaning fame found in names like Ludwig.
Ludmila Name History & Origins
The name is closely associated with Saint Ludmila (c. 860 - 921), wife of Duke Bořivoj I of Bohemia and grandmother of Saint Wenceslaus. She became a Christian and supported the church in Bohemia; she was murdered at Tetín, traditionally by agents of her daughter-in-law Drahomíra. Venerated as a martyr, she became a patron saint of Bohemia. Her name is recorded in medieval Latin as Ludmila, and the Czech form Ludmila has continued in use.
The same compound name is found in other Slavic traditions in local forms: Polish Ludmiła, Russian Lyudmila (Людмила), Ukrainian Lyudmyla (Людмила), Slovak Ľudmila, and South Slavic Ljudmila or Lyudmila. The East Slavic forms show the normal development of Slavic ljud- to lyud- in Russian and Ukrainian. A well-known later literary bearer is Lyudmila, the heroine of Alexander Pushkin's poem Ruslan and Lyudmila (1820); this is a literary use, not the name's earliest record.
How Popular is the Name Ludmila?
Ludmila has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1916. Its best rank was #2,049 in 1904.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,235 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #9,942 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #12,913 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #9,396 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #12,969 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #10,777 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #11,078 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #12,299 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #11,417 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #18,069 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #18,138 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #12,693 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #14,411 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #15,993 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #14,374 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #16,660 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #12,256 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #18,897 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #13,880 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #10,381 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #10,946 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #9,224 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #14,610 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #7,371 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #5,569 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #6,169 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1928 | #4,018 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #3,829 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1921 | #4,280 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1920 | #3,247 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1919 | #3,662 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1918 | #2,764 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1917 | #3,248 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1916 | #2,323 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1915 | #2,818 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1913 | #3,488 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| 1904 | #2,049 | 5 | 0.0018% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ludmila Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Ludmila's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ludmila's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.