Lyudmila
Lyudmila is a feminine given name of Slavic origin, widely used in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, and other Slavic-speaking regions, as well as among diaspora communities. The name is typically rendered in Cyrillic as Людмила. It is formed from the elements ljud- meaning “people” and mila meaning “dear” or “beloved,” and is often interpreted as “dear to the people” or “loving the people.”
Variants and transliterations include Ludmila, Ludmilla, and Lyudomila, with Lyudmila being common in Russian and Ukrainian
Notable people named Lyudmila include:
- Lyudmila Putina (born 1958), former First Lady of Russia as the wife of Vladimir Putin.
- Lyudmila Pavlichenko (1916–1974), a Soviet World War II sniper credited with 309 confirmed kills.
- Lyudmila Gurchenko (1935–2011), a prominent Soviet actress and singer.
- Lyudmila Alekseeva (1927–2018), a Russian human rights activist and longtime chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group.
The name has historical usage in Slavic literature and public life and remains in use in contemporary