Miłosław

Miłosław is a Polish masculine given name, a cognate of Miloslav. The name is derived from the Slavic elements milŭ meaning "gracious, dear" and slava meaning "glory." Thus, Miłosław carries the meaning "dear glory" or "gracious glory."

The name is also shared with a town in Poland. Miłosław [mʲiˈwɔswaf] is a town in Września County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, with 3,627 inhabitants. The town has a rich history, dating back to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth when it was a private town in the Pyzdry County, Kalisz Voivodeship. It experienced various geopolitical changes, being annexed by Prussia after the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, regained by Poles during the Greater Poland Uprising of 1806, and subsequently included in the Duchy of Warsaw. After the duchy's dissolution, it was re-annexed by Prussia in 1815. Settled since medieval times, the town played a role in the Greater Poland Uprising of 1848, witnessing a battle between Polish insurgents and Prussian forces. After World War I, Poland regained independence, and Miłosław returned to Polish control. During World War II, it was occupied by Germany until 1945, with significant Polish resistance operations from the underground Grey Ranks organization.

As a given name, Miłosław belongs to the group of Slavic composite names formed from milŭ and related components, with variants like Miloslav (Slavic, also used in Slovak) and Miloslavŭ (Old Slavic). The diminutive Míla (Czech) is considered a pet form for Miloslav. The name conveys a positive attribute combining kindness with renown.

• Meaning: "gracious, dear" + "glory"
• Origin: Slavic (Polish)
• Type: First name (masculine)
• Regions used: Poland