# Milan (given name)

Milan (Cyrillic: Милан) is a common Slavic male name and less commonly, a Roman name. It is derived from the Slavic element mil, with meanings kind, loving, and gracious. Milan was originally a diminutive or nickname for those whose Slavic names began with "Mil-". It is found in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Poland, and Hungary. It was in the top 5 names for boys born in Serbia in 2012. It was in the top 20 names for boys born in Slovakia in 2004. It was the eighth most popular name for boys born in the Netherlands in 2007, and seventh in Flanders in 2009. In Persian, Milan is also a given name, meaning "desire."

## Eastern European origin and use

It originates from the Old Slavic word mil, variant: mio, i.e. "beloved", "pleasant", "dear" which is common at the beginning of many Slavic names.
This is the same root in Serbian names like Miloslav, Milomir, Milica, Milka, Miloš, Milutin, Miodrag, Miomir etc. most of which were first recorded in Serbian sources already in the pre-Nemanjić Age.
According to the Czech calendar Milan's Day is on 18 June, Slovenian calendar: 11 September, 11 October, 12 November, Croatian calendar: 13 November, Slovak calendar: 27 November, Hungary: 19 May

### Roman name

Milan is also a name used in Romance-speaking Europe owing to its Ancient Roman meaning of "eager and laborious". The people named like that are named after the Italian city by that name.

## Other versions

Men's versions of the name: Milanek (diminutive), Miladin, Milad, Milanko, Milče, Milček, Milči, Milčo, Milušo, Mile, Milen, Milenko, Miletus, Mili, Milivoj, Milibor, Milidrag, Miligoj, Milija, Milijan, Milinko, Milislav, Milivoj, Milivoje, Milk, Milivojko, Miljan, Miljenko, Miljutin, Milko, Milodrag, Milogoj, Miloje, Milojko, Miloljub, Milomir, Milorad, Miloslav, Miloš, Miłosz, Bogumił, Milovan, Milun, Milutin, Miňo, Mišo Female versions of the name: Milana [sl], Milanka, Milena, Milica, Milijana, Miljanka, Milinka, Milislava, Milivoje, Milivojka, Mila, Miljana, Miljanka, Milka, Milojka, Milodraga, Milomirka, Milorad, Milosav, Milosavka, Miloslavka, Miloška, Milovana, Milovanka, Milunka

## Family names derived from names

From the name of Milan and its variants a number of surnames were created. The most famous are: Milanović, Milanovac, Milanković, Miłosław, Milanić, Milač, Milavec, Miletić, Milić, Miljković, and others.

## People

* Milan I of Serbia, the ruling Prince of Serbia (1868–1882), and later King of Serbia (1882–1889)
* Milan Acquaah (born 1997), American basketball player
* Milan Aleksić, Serbian water polo player, Olympic champion
* Milan, Indian film art director
* Milan the Leather Boy, a New York musician and producer active in the 1960s
* Milan Balažic, Slovene politician and diplomat
* Milan Baroš, Czech football player
* Milan Biševac, Serbian football player
* Milan Begović, Croatian writer
* Milan (drag queen), American drag queen
* Milan Ftáčnik (1956–2021), Slovak politician, former mayor of Slovak capital city of Bratislava
* Milán Füst, Hungarian writer
* Milan Hejduk, Czech ice hockey player
* Milan Hodža, Slovak Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia
* Milan Jayathilaka (born 1981), Sri Lankan politician
* Milan Jovanović, several notable people with this name
* Milan Kangrga, Croatian philosopher
* Milan Karlíček, Czech ice hockey player
* Milan Karvaš (1932–2024), Slovak chemist
* Milan Komar, Slovene philosopher
* Milan Kučan, President of Slovenia
* Milan Kundera, Czech writer
* Milan Luthria, Indian film director (name unrelated to Slavic)
* Milan Lucic, Canadian hockey player
* Milan Máčala, Czech football coach
* Milan Machovec, Czech philosopher
* Milan Mačvan, Serbian basketball player
* Milan Michálek, Czech ice hockey player
* Milan Mladenović, Serbian musician
* Milan Nedić, Prime Minister of Nazi-occupied Serbia
* Milan Obrenović II, Prince of Serbia
* Milan Pogačnik, Slovenian politician
* Milan Puskar, Serbian-American entrepreneur
* Milan Rapaić, Croatian football player
* Milan Rešetar, Serbian linguist and historian
* Milan Rúfus (1928–2009), Slovak poet
* Milan Rastislav Štefánik (1880–1917), Slovak politician and astronomer, general of French Army
* Milan Stanković (born 1987), Serbian singer
* Milan Šašik (1952–2020), Slovak bishop
* Milan Škriniar (born 1995), Slovak football player
* Milan Šufflay (1879–1931), Croatian historian and politician
* Milan Urbáni (1944–2024), Slovak politician
* Milan Vaclavik (1928–2007), Slovak military general and defense minister (1985-1989)
* Milan Vidmar (1885–1962), Slovene engineer, chess player, and philosopher

### Fictional characters

* Milan Hendrickx, a recurring character in the Belgian series wtFOCK.