Ludmilla is an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Людмила, commonly rendered as Lyudmila. It is a female given name of Ludmila origin, meaning 'favour of the people' from the Slavic elements ľudŭ 'people' and milŭ 'gracious, dear'. The name is used in Bulgarian and Russian.
Etymology
The etymology of Ludmilla breaks down into Proto-Slavic *ljudъ (people) and *milъ (dear, gracious). The soft L sound in Slavic languages sometimes leads to spellings like Lyudmila or Liudmila. Related forms include Ukrainian Liudmila, Czech Lidmila and Lída, Hungarian Milla, and Old Slavic Ľudŭmila. Masculine form: Bulgarian Lyudmil.
Cultural Significance
Saint Ludmila of Bohemia (c. 860–921) is the most notable bearer, a 10th-century duchess murdered on orders of her daughter-in-law Drahomíra; she is the grandmother of Saint Václav. Her feast day on September 16 is observed as a name day in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. In Russia, Ludmilla gained literary fame through Aleksandr Pushkin's 1820 poem Ruslan and Lyudmila. Common Russian nicknames include Lyuda, Lyusya, and Mila.
- Meaning: 'favour of the people'
- Origin: Slavic (ľudŭ + milŭ)
- Type: Feminine given name
- Usage: Bulgarian, Russian
Masculine Forms
Sources: Wikipedia — Ludmila (given name)