Vuk () () is a male Slavic given name, predominantly recorded among Serbs as well as Bosnians, Croatians, Macedonians, Montenegrins, and Slovenes. The name is also found as a surname. In 2021, Vuk ranked as the third most popular boy's name in Serbia.
Closely related are the Bulgarian names ÃÂÃÂûúþ (VÃÂlko), ÃÂÃÂûÃÂþ (VÃÂlcho), ÃÂÃÂûúðý (VÃÂlkan).
The name literally means "wolf". Vuk Karadà ¾iÃÂ, 19th-century Serbian philologist and ethnographer, explained the traditional, apotropaic use of the name: a woman who had lost several babies in succession would name her newborn son Vuk because it was believed that the witches, who "ate" the babies, were afraid to attack the wolves. In the Serbian epic poetry, the wolf is a symbol of fearlessness. Vuk was the 3rd most popular name for boys in Serbia in 2021.
There are many given names derived from the noun vuk. The following are male names recorded among the Serbs by the 19th century: Vukaj, Vuko, Vukoje, Vukovoj, Vukovoje, Vukal, Vukalj, Vukajlo, Vukola, Vukel, Vukelja, Vukula, Vukan, Vukolin, Vukota, VukiÃÂ, Vukadin, Vukac, Vukas, Vuksan, VukaÃÂ, Vukaà ¡in, Vukà ¡a, Vukdrag, Vukman, Vukoman, Vukmir, Vukomir, Vukmilj, Vukoslav, Vukosav, Dobrovuk, VuÃÂo, VuÃÂko, VuÃÂela, VuÃÂan, VuÃÂen, VuÃÂin, VuÃÂihna, VuÃÂina, VuÃÂeta, VuÃÂiÃÂ, VuÃÂkulin, Vujo, Vujan, Vujat, Vujadin, Vujin, Vujeta, VujÃÂeta, VujÃÂin, VujiÃÂ, Vujko, Vujak, Vujica, VujaÃÂa, Vujaà ¡, Vule, Vulina, VuliÃÂ, Vulic, and Vuleà ¡. There are also female names derived from vuk: Vuka, Vukana, Vujana, Vukava, VuÃÂica, Vukadinka, Vujadinka, Vukmira, Vukomirka, Vukomanka, and Vukosava. All the derivatives from vuk were regarded as apotropaic names. In the period 2003âÂÂ2005, Vukaà ¡in was the 30th and Vukan the 82nd most popular name for boys in Serbia.
The name Vuk is recorded in Serbian sources dating before 1400 in the form of Vlk (Old Cyrillic: ), with a syllabic l. Through a sound change in Serbian that took place after 1400, the syllabic l turned into the vowel u. In this way Vlk became Vuk, and by the same process the initial Vuk- and VuÃÂ- in the derivatives developed from Vlk- and VlÃÂ-; e.g., Vukaà ¡in from Vlkaà ¡in. The names Vujo and Vule are the bases for the derivatives starting with Vuj- and Vul-. They are formed from vuk on the same pattern as the pet names Brajo and Brale are formed from brat "brother".
The given name Vlk and its derivatives,Vlkoà ¡, Vlkoà Â, VlÃÂek, and VlÃÂata or Vok for males, and Vlkava and VlÃÂenka for females, were recorded among the Czechs, while Wilkan was recorded among the Poles. Janusz, the Archbishop of Gniezno (1374âÂÂ1382), was nicknamed Suchy Wilk or Suchowilk "dry wolf". Serbian surnames Belovuk and Bjelovuk mean "white wolf".