Vadim

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Slavic Вади́м
Meaning: debated
(vah-DEEM)

There are a few theories as to the origins and meaning of this name, the most popular being is that it is composed of two Slavic roots, vadit (to attract, to possess) and ima; imati, meaning, (possessing property). Another possibility is that it is derived from the Slavic, vaditi, meaning, “to accuse; to slander; to sow discord.” It has even been suggested to be related to the Persian Badian meaning, (anise).

The name was borne by a semi-legendary East Slavic ruler, Vadim the Bold (circ.9th-century), who led a revolt against Rurik. He is a popular character in 18th-century Russian literature and came to be viewed as a symbol of freedom for the Russian romantic movement.

The name is used in all Slavic-speaking countries, and is occasionally used in German-speaking countries and in Romania.

As of 2009, Vadim was the 423rd most popular male name in France.

Other forms of the name include:

• Vuadim (Armenian)
• Vadzim (Belarusian)
• Vadim Вади́м (Bulgarian/Croatian/Czech/Romanian/Russian/Slovak/Slovene/Ukrainian)
• Wadim (German)
• Wadym (Polish)

A common Russian diminutive is Vadik.