Ladislas

Ladislas is a masculine given name, a Latinized or Western European spelling of variants such as Ladislav, Ladislao, or Vladislav. In English-language sources, Ladislas appears as one spelling among several, and today it is less common than the native forms used in Central European languages. The name derives from Slavic elements meaning to rule and glory, roughly translating to “glorious ruler” or “ruler of glory.”

In historical records, Ladislas is most closely associated with medieval rulers and nobility in Central Europe. The best-known bearer is Saint Ladislaus I of Hungary (c. 1040–1095), often referred to simply as Saint Ladislaus. He reigned as King of Hungary and became a venerated figure in both Hungarian and Polish Christian communities, with his canonization occurring in 1192. The Ladislas name appears in Latin chronicles to designate rulers and elites in Hungary, Bohemia, and neighboring regions, reflecting the spread of Latinized royal naming across medieval Europe.

Modern usage of the name typically follows the regional variants rather than the Ladislas spelling. Across languages, corresponding forms include László in Hungarian, Ladislav in Czech and Slovak, Vladislav in several Slavic languages, and Władysław in Polish. The form Ladislas remains a historical or literary variant and is encountered mainly in English-language historical writing or older sources.