Vladik
Diminutive form of Vladimir, a masculine Slavic name meaning "renowned prince".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Vladik. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vladik today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vladik births was 2009 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vladik. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Vladik. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2009
5 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#14,393
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Vladik: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Vladik by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Vladik during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Vladik
The name Vladik is a diminutive form of the Slavic name Vladimir, which has its roots in the Old Church Slavonic language. The name Vladimir is derived from the Slavic elements "vladu" meaning "rule" and "meru" meaning "great" or "famous," essentially translating to "ruler of peace" or "renowned prince." The name gained popularity in the 9th century when Vladimir the Great, the Grand Prince of Kiev, embraced Christianity and facilitated its spread across the Kievan Rus' territories.
While the name Vladimir has been widely used throughout Eastern Europe and parts of Western Europe, the diminutive form Vladik is more commonly associated with the Russian language and culture. It is a affectionate version of the name, often used as a nickname or a shortened form.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vladik can be found in the Russian epic poem "The Tale of Igor's Campaign," written in the late 12th century. The poem mentions a character named Vladik, who is described as a valiant warrior.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Vladik. One of the most prominent was Vladik Volkov (1935-1971), a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 7 and Soyuz 11 missions in 1969 and 1971, respectively. Tragically, Volkov and his crew perished during the Soyuz 11 mission due to a depressurization event upon re-entry.
Another notable Vladik was Vladik Nersesyan (1939-2020), an Armenian painter and artist known for his vibrant abstract expressionist works. He was a prominent figure in the Soviet and post-Soviet art scene and received numerous accolades for his contributions to the art world.
In the literary realm, Vladik Yerisman (1930-2010) was a Russian poet and translator who gained recognition for his translations of works by American poets such as Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg. His poetic works explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition.
Vladik Gaidamachuk (1958-2012) was a Ukrainian football player and coach who played as a defender for several clubs, including Dynamo Kyiv and the Soviet Union national team. He was part of the Soviet squad that won the gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
It is worth noting that while the name Vladik has been used throughout history, its popularity has been concentrated primarily in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia and other Slavic regions. The diminutive form is often used as a term of endearment or familiarity, reflecting the cultural significance and affection associated with the name.
People
Vladik + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vladik as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vladik: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vladik?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vladik going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Vladik a common name?
We classify Vladik as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vladik most popular?
The single biggest year for Vladik was 2009, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vladik is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Vladik in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vladik a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vladik in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Vladik still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vladik in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Vladik can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Vladik?
You can see how many Americans are named Vladik on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.