Jaroslav (also written as Yaroslav or Jarosław) is a Slavic first name pagan in origin.
There are several possible origins of the name Jaroslav. It is very likely that originally the two elements of the name referred to Jarilo - male Proto-Slavic deity of the sun, spring, and fertility, and slav meaning glory, i.e. "glory of the sun". However, with the adoption of Christianity in the Slavic countries the name began to be commonly understood not as a reference to a pagan deity, but rather to the "fervent worship of God"1 of the Bible.
People named Jaroslav (Yaroslav):
- Jaroslav Drobný, Czech tennis player
- Jaroslav Halak, Slovak ice hockey goaltender for the St. Louis Blues
- Jaroslav Hašek, Czech author, writer of The Good Soldier Švejk.
- Jaroslav Janiš, Czech race car driver
- Jaroslav Levinský, Czech tennis player
- Jaroslav Pelikan, Christian scholar
- Jaroslav Pospíšil, Czech tennis player
- Yaroslav I the Wise, Grand prince of Novgorod and Kiev in the 11th century. He was christened as Yuriy (George).
- Jaroslav Nesetril, Czech mathematician.