Where does “Václav” come from?
Václav (Slovak) comes from Czech Václav, from Old Czech Venceslav, from Proto-Slavic *Vęťeslàvъ, from Proto-Slavic slàva, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlew-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
Ancestry of “Václav”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Czech | Václav | — |
| 2 | Old Czech | Venceslav | — |
| 3 | Proto-Slavic | *Vęťeslàvъ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Slavic | slàva | fame; glory; glory, fame |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |