Given name
Boleslav
“greater”
Boleslav is a masculine given name from Proto-Slavic, meaning “greater.” It is used in Czech, Old Czech, Old Slovak, and Slovak.
Meaning & origin
How it developed
From Proto-Slavic *boľьjь (“greater”), built from Proto-Slavic *slava (“fame, renown”) + *-ъ.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Boleslav’s family of names
In Czech usage, Boleslav has a diminutive in Bolek. Boleslav shares a linguistic root with Bolesław. In Czech usage, Boleslav has a conventional equivalent in the Latin form BOLESLAUS.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Boleslav has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Slavic roots to each of them.
4 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Boleslav
- Boleslaus I of BohemiaDuke of Bohemia from 935 to 972908–972
- Boleslaus II of BohemiaDuke of Bohemia from 972 to 999927–999
- Boleslaus III of BohemiaDuke of Bohemia950
- Bolek PolívkaCzech actor, comedian and scriptwriterborn 1949
- Boleslav MarkevichRussian novelis and essayist (1822–1884)
- Boleslav VomáčkaCzech composer (1887–1965)
- Boleslaus, son of Děpolt1101–1241
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Boleslav, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“battle, fight” · “dear, kind”
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Bogoslav
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Bogosav
Bogosav is a masculine given name from Slavic. It is used in English and Serbo-Croatian.
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Berislav
Berislav is a masculine given name from Slavic. It is used in English and Serbo-Croatian.
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Oroslav
Oroslav is a masculine given name from Slavic. It is used in English and Serbo-Croatian.
>99% boys
Orislav
Orislav is a masculine given name from Slavic. It is used in English and Serbo-Croatian.
>99% boys
Bolečest
“greater” · “honor”
>99% boys
Ognjoslav
Ognjoslav is a masculine given name from Slavic. It is used in English and Serbo-Croatian.
>99% boys