Václav () or rarely Vácslav is a Czech male given name. It is among the most common Czech names. The Latinized form of the name is

Wenceslaus Wenceslaus, Wenceslas, Wenzeslaus and Wenzslaus (and other similar names) are Latinized forms of the Slavic names#In Slovakia and Czech_Republic, Czech name Václav. The other language versions of the name are , , , , , , among others. It origina ...

and the Polish form of the name is

Wacław Wacław is a Polish masculine given name. It is a borrowing of , Latinized as Wenceslaus. For etymology and cognates in other languages, see Wenceslaus. It may refer to: * Wacław Cimochowski (1912–1982), Polish philologist * Wacław Gajewski ( ...

. The name was derived from the old Czech name Veceslav, meaning 'more famous'. Nicknames are Vašek, Vašík, Venca, Venda. The Latinized form is used in English for Czech kings and some other early modern notable people. The people listed below are Czech unless otherwise noted. Notable people with the name include:

Nobility and politicians

Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia Wenceslaus I ( ; 907 – 28 September 935), Wenceslas I or ''Václav the Good'' was the Prince (''Knyaz, kníže'') of Duchy of Bohemia, Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his you ...

(''kníže Václav I.''; 907–935 or 929), saint * Wenceslaus II, Duke of Bohemia (''kníže Václav II.; died 1192) *

Wenceslaus I of Bohemia Wenceslaus I (; c. 1205 – 23 September 1253), called One-Eyed, was King of Bohemia from 1230 to 1253. Wenceslaus was a son of Ottokar I of Bohemia and his second wife Constance of Hungary. Marriage and children In 1224, Wenceslaus married ...

(''Václav I.''; –1253), King of Bohemia *

Wenceslaus II of Bohemia Wenceslaus II Přemyslid (; ; 27 SeptemberK. Charvátová, ''Václav II. Král český a polský'', Prague 2007, p. 18. 1271 – 21 June 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278–1305), Duke of Cracow (1291–1305), and King of Poland (1296–130 ...

(''Václav II.''; 1271–1305), King of Bohemia and Poland *

Wenceslaus III of Bohemia Wenceslaus III (, , , , ; 6 October 12894 August 1306) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1301 and 1305, and King of Bohemia and Poland from 1305. He was the son of Wenceslaus II, King of Bohemia, who was later also crowned king of Poland, ...

(''Václav III.''; 1289–1306), King of Hungary, Bohemia and Poland *

Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; ; , nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he was deposed in 1400. As he ...

(''Václav IV.''; 1361–1419), King of Bohemia and German King * Wenceslaus II, Duke of Opava (''Václav II. Opavský''; – ), duke *

Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg Wenceslaus I (also ''Wenceslas'', ''Venceslas'', ''Wenzel'', or ''Václav'', often called Wenceslaus of Bohemia in chronicles) (25 February 1337 – 7 December 1383) was the first Duke of Luxembourg from 1354. He was the son of John of Bohemi ...

(''Václav Lucemburský''; 1337–1383), the first Duke of Luxembourg *

Václav Havel Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and dissident. Havel served as the last List of presidents of Czechoslovakia, president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1992, prior to the dissol ...

(1936–2011), politician and writer, President of Czechoslovakia (1989–1992) and the Czech Republic (1993–2003) *

Václav Klaus Václav Klaus (; born 19 June 1941) is a Czech economist and politician who served as the second president of the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2013. From July 1992 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in January 1993, he served as the second ...

(born 1941), politician and economist, President of the Czech Republic (2003–2013) * Václav Vacek (1877–1960), politician

Sport

* Václav Černý (footballer) (born 1997), footballer *

Václav Daněk Václav Daněk (born 22 December 1960) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a forward. He played 22 matches for Czechoslovakia and scored nine goals. At club level in total, Daněk scored 197 league goals in 402 games. Club ...

(born 1960), footballer *

Václav Drobný Václav Drobný (9 September 1980 – 28 December 2012) was a Czech footballer who notably played for Sparta Prague having spent time in their youth team as well as spells at Czech, Slovak, French and German sides. Drobný played twice f ...

(1980–2012), footballer * Václav Kadlec (born 1992), footballer *

Václav Jemelka Václav Jemelka (born 23 June 1995) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a defender for Viktoria Plzeň and the Czech Republic national football team. Jemelka started his professional career with Sigma Olomouc, spending six years with ...

(born 1995), footballer *

Václav Jurečka Václav Jurečka (born 26 June 1994) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a forward for Turkish Süper Lig club Çaykur Rizespor and the Czech Republic national football team. Club career At the 2016–17 Czech Cup, Jurečka scored ...

(born 1994), footballer *

Václav Koloušek Václav Koloušek (born 13 April 1976) is a Czech footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career Born in Mladá Boleslav, Koloušek began his Football career in the youth team of his hometown club FK Mladá Boleslav. From there he went to D ...

(born 1976), footballer *

Václav Mašek Václav Mašek (born 21 March 1941) is a Czech football player who played as a striker. He was a member of the Czechoslovakia national football team, for which he played 16 matches and scored 5 goals. In Czechoslovakia, he played 313 league mat ...

(born 1941), footballer *

Václav Němeček Václav Němeček (born 25 January 1967) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played for Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic national teams. As a combined total for them, Němeček played 60 matches and score ...

(born 1967), footballer *

Václav Pilař Václav Pilař (; born 13 October 1988) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a winger for Hradec Králové. He represented the Czech Republic at international level between 2011 and 2015. Club career Pilař joined Plzeň on loan fro ...

(born 1988), footballer *

Václav Procházka Václav Procházka (, born 8 May 1984) is a Czech people, Czech professional footballer who plays for TJ Jiskra Domažlice, Jiskra Domažlice in the Bohemian Football League. At international level, Procházka played extensively for the Czech ...

(born 1984), footballer *

Václav Prospal Václav "Vinny" Prospal (born 17 February 1975) is a Czech former professional ice hockey player, currently a hockey coach. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, ...

(born 1975), ice hockey player and coach *

Václav Svěrkoš Václav Svěrkoš (; born 1 November 1983) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was the opening scorer in the Euro 2008 tournament. Svěrkoš has played at professional football clubs in Germany, Austria, Fran ...

(born 1983), footballer *

Václav Varaďa Václav Varaďa (; born April 26, 1976) is a Czech former professional ice hockey player and current coach. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in a ten-year span. In his professional career, he has previously played for the Bu ...

(born 1976), ice hockey player and coach

Arts

Václav Noid Bárta Václav "Noid" Bárta (born 27 October 1980) is a Czech singer-songwriter and actor from Prague. He has released several solo albums, either under his own name or as Noid, and he is the vocalist and frontman of the psy-core band Dymytry, with ...

(born 1980), singer, songwriter and actor *

Václav Binovec Václav Binovec (12 September 1892 – 29 February 1976, in Prague) was a Czech film director, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He was often referred to under the pseudonyms of Willy Bronx or W. Bronx, and also V. Vabin. Binovec set up the fil ...

(1892–1976), film director and screenwriter *

Václav Brožík Václav Brožík (; 6 March 1851 – 15 April 1901) was a Czech painter who worked in the academic style. Life Brožík was born on 6 March 1851 in Třemošná, Bohemia, Austrian Empire (now the Czech Republic). He came from a poor family, ...

(1851–1901), painter *

Václav Černý (writer) Václav Černý (26 March 1905, Jizbice – 2 July 1987, Prague) was a Czech literary scholar, writer and philosopher. He was an enthusiast of Spanish literature and philosophy and translated into Czech a number of literary and philosophical work ...

(1905–1987), writer and philosopher *

Václav Čtvrtek Václav Cafourek (4 April 1911 – 6 November 1976), commonly known under his pen name of Václav Čtvrtek, was a Czechs, Czech poet and author. His most famous works include Křemílek and Vochomůrka, Rumcajs and Víla Amálka. He primarily wr ...

(1911–1976), writer and philosopher * Václav Glazar (1952–2018), actor *

Wenceslaus Hollar Wenceslaus Hollar (23 July 1607 – 25 March 1677) was a prolific and accomplished Bohemian graphic artist of the 17th century, who spent much of his life in England. He is known to German speakers as ; and to Czech speakers as (). He is partic ...

(''Václav Hollar''; 1607–1677), etcher * Václav Hrabě (1940–1965), poet and writer * Václav Jamek (born 1949), writer and translator *

Václav Jiráček Václav Jiráček (born 28 September 1978 in Prague) is a Czech theatre and film actor. He has appeared in films, TV series and theatre productions. Life After doing a degree in business, he decided to go into acting and was eventually admitte ...

(born 1978), actor *

Václav Jírů Václav Jírů (31 July 1910 – 28 June 1980) was a Czech photographer and writer. He is known for his photographs of Prague. In 1957, he founded the quarterly photography magazine ''Fotografie'' and served as its editor-in-chief until 1972. B ...

(1910–1980), photographer and writer * Václav Kaplický (1895–1982), writer, journalist and poet *

Václav Kliment Klicpera Václav Kliment Klicpera (23 November 1792 – 15 September 1859) was a Czechs, Czech playwright and poet. He was a prolific author of his own plays and was one of the first presenters of Czech-language drama. He was especially influential in the ...

(1792–1859), playwright and poet *

Václav Kopta Václav Kopta (born 21 June 1965) is a Czech actor, musician, songwriter and host. In May 2022 Kopta won the ninth season of a reality singing series Tvoje tvář má známý hlas. Selected filmography Film * ''Sněženky a machři'' (1983) ...

(born 1965), actor *

Václav Lohniský Václav Lohniský (5 November 1920 – 18 February 1980) was a Czech film actor. He appeared in 120 films and television shows between 1950 and 1980. Selected filmography * '' Případ dr. Kováře'' (1950) * '' September Nights'' (1957) * ...

(1920–1980), actor *

Václav Luks Václav Luks (born 14 November 1970) is a Czech harpsichordist, French horn, horn player, Conducting, conductor, musicology, musicologist and pedagogy, pedagogue, founder and artistic director of the Prague baroque orchestra Collegium 1704 and of ...

, musician, conductor, musicologist and pedagogue *

Václav Marhoul Václav Marhoul (; born 30 January 1960) is a Czech film director, screenwriter and actor. He studied at Prague's FAMU, graduating in 1984. He directed his first film '' Mazaný Filip'', based on Raymond Chandler's books, in 2003. In 2008, his ...

(born 1960), film director and screenwriter *

Václav Neckář Václav Neckář (born 23 October 1943 in Prague) is a Czech singer and actor. He is best known for his performance as Miloš Hrma in '' Closely Watched Trains''. Between 1978 and 1979 he cooperated with Polish singer Anna Jantar during their per ...

(born 1943), singer and actor *

Václav Nelhýbel Václav Nelhýbel (September 24, 1919 – March 22, 1996) was a Czech-American composer, mainly of works for student performers. Life and career Nelhýbel was born the youngest of five children in , Ostrava, Czechoslovakia. He received h ...

(1919–1996), Czech-American composer * Václav Neumann (1920–1995), conductor, violinist and viola player *

Václav Neužil Václav Neužil (born 4 October 1979) is a Czech actor. Neužil was awarded the Czech Lion Award for Best Actor in Leading Role and Czech Film Critics' Award for Best Actor for his role in 2021 film ''Zátopek''. Selected filmography Film ...

(born 1979), actor *

Vašo Patejdl Vašo Patejdl (born Václav Patejdl; 10 October 1954 – 19 August 2023) was a Slovak musician and composer. He was best known for being a co-founder and long-term member of the pop-rock band Elán (band), Elán. He wrote songs for other musicia ...

(born Václav Patejdl; 1954–2023), Slovak singer and composer *

Václav Postránecký Václav Postránecký (8 September 1943 – 7 May 2019) was a Czech actor, director, theater teacher and dubber. Selected filmography Film * '' At the Sign of the Reine Pédauque'' (1967) * '' I Enjoy the World with You'' (1982) * '' Černí b ...

(1943–2019), actor *

Václav Renč Václav Renč (28 November 1911, Vodochody – 30 April 1973, Brno) was a Czech poet, dramatist and translator. Like other Catholic ruralistic writers, his themes included God, traditions and the countryside. Life Renč was born in Vodochody. ...

(1911–1973), poet and dramatist * Václav Řezáč (1901–1956), writer *

Václav Talich Václav Talich (; 28 May 1883, Kroměříž – 16 March 1961, Beroun) was a Czech conductor, violinist and later a musical pedagogue. He is remembered today as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, the object of countless reissue ...

(1883–1961), conductor and violinist *

Václav Trégl Václav Trégl (10 December 1902 – 11 February 1979) was a Czechoslovak film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1933 and 1977. Selected filmography * '' The Inspector General'' (1933) * '' Workers, Let's Go'' (1934) * '' Th ...

(1902–1979), actor * Václav Trojan (1907–1983), composer and arranger *

Václav Vorlíček Václav Vorlíček (3 June 1930 – 5 February 2019) was a Czech film director. His filmography includes several comedies made in collaboration with screenwriter Miloš Macourek. He also specialized in directing children's and fairytale films, mos ...

(1930–2019), film director * Václav Vydra (1876–1953), actor * Václav Vydra (born 1956), actor *

Václav Wasserman Václav Wasserman (19 February 1898 – 28 January 1967) was a Czech screenwriter, film actor and director. He wrote for 91 films between 1920 and 1958. Selected filmography * '' From the Czech Mills'' (1925) * '' The May Fairy'' (1926) * '' T ...

(1898–1967), screenwriter, actor and director * Jan Václav Voříšek (1791–1825), composer and pianist *

Josef Václav Myslbek Josef Václav Myslbek (20 June 1848 – 2 June 1922) was a Czech sculptor and medalist credited with founding the modern Czech sculpting style.Stech, V. V. Josef Vaclav Myslbek, Prague, 1954. Artia. Life Josef grew up poor in a suburb of Prague ...

(1848–1922), sculptor

Other

Václav Hanka Václav Hanka (also written as ''Wenceslaus Hanka'') (10 June 1791 – 12 January 1861) was a Czechs, Czech philologist. Biography Hanka was born at Hořiněves near Hradec Králové. He was sent in 1807 to school at Hradec Králové, to esca ...

(1791–1861), philologist *

Václav Holek Václav Holek (24 September 1886 – 13 November 1954) was a Czech firearm engineer who applied for over 75 patents. Life Václav Holek was born in Malé Nepodřice, southern Bohemia, on 24 September 1886. He completed his apprenticeship as a ...

(1886–1954), firearm engineer * Václav Jelínek (1944–2022), Czechoslovak spy *

Václav Klement Václav Klement (16 October 1868 – 13 August 1938) was a Czech entrepreneur, industrialist and automotive pioneer. He, along with Václav Laurin, founded automobile manufacturer Laurin & Klement that later became Škoda Auto, the largest Czech ...

(1868–1938), entrepreneur, industrialist and automotive pioneer *

Václav Matěj Kramerius Václav Matěj Kramerius (; also written as ''Kraméryus''; 9 February 1753 – 22 March 1808) was a Czech publisher, journalist and writer. He is considered the founder of modern Czech journalism. He was an early figure of the Czech National Rev ...

(1753–1808), publisher and journalist *

Václav Laurin Václav Laurin (27 September 1865 – 3 December 1930) was a Czech engineer, industrialist and automotive pioneer. He, along with Václav Klement, founded automobile manufacturer Laurin & Klement that later became Škoda Auto, the largest Czech ...

(1865–1930), engineer, industrialist and automotive pioneer *

Vaclav Smil Vaclav Smil (; born December 9, 1943) is a Czech-Canadian scientist and policy analyst. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His interdisciplinary rese ...

(born Václav Smil 1943), Czech-Canadian scientist and policy analyst

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaclav Czech masculine given names Masculine given names Slavic masculine given names

Nobility and politicians

Sport

Arts

Other

See also

References