Given name · also Germanic, Old Slavonic
Ludmila
“having the favor of the people”
Ludmila is used as a given name. One Slavic interpretation is “having the favor of the people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Slavic interpretation is “having the favor of the people.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
How it developed
One proposed formation combines lud (“people, tribe”) and mil (“grace, favour”).
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1904. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ludmila through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 288
- 0 boys · 288 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 14 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #14,235 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +17%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 14,235 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 14 in 1916. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,709 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ludmila’s family of names
In Spanish usage, Ludmila has a diminutive in Mila. In English usage, Ludmila has a related form in Lyudmila. Ludmila has a related form in Lyudmila.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ludmila has relatives in 9 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Slavic roots to each of them.
14 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 22
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ludmila
- Ludmila of Bohemiaduchess of Bohemia860–921
- Lída BaarováCzech actress1914–2000
- Ludmila EngquistRussian-Swedish hurdler and bobsledderborn 1964
- Ludmila BelousovaSoviet-Russian figure skater (1935–2017)
- Ludmila SavelyevaSoviet and Russian actressborn 1942
- Ludmila FormanováCzech runnerborn 1974
- LudmilaBrazilian footballerborn 1994
- Ludmila ChristesevaSwedish visual artistborn 1978
- Ludmila EzhovaRussian gymnastborn 1982
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ludmila, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lala
“resembling a tulip”
>99% girls
Rella
“from a foreign land”
>99% girls
Ladislava
“a glorious ruler” · “one who rules with glory”
>99% girls
Milada
“my daughter is my love”
>99% girls
Euphemia
“one who speaks well”
>99% girls
Minna
“determined protector” · “one who is resolute; having great strength”
>99% girls
Ilma
“determined protector”
>99% girls
Vira
Vira is a feminine given name from Ukrainian.
>99% girls