| Pronunciation | [ˈradu] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Slavic |
| Meaning | rad (the happy one) |
| Region of origin | Romania |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Rada (female first name), Radoslav |
Radu is a masculine Romanian given name of Slavic etymological origin, derived from the Old Church Slavonic root rad- (cf. радъ "glad"). Radu became widespread among the (non-Slavic) Romanians because of Radu Negru's status as legendary founder of Wallachia, a historical Romanian state. Many Wallachian and some Moldavian voivodes or princes have been named Radu.
Contents
Notable people named Radu include:
A
- Radu Albot (born 1989), Moldovan tennis player
- Radu Aldulescu (1922–2006), Romanian-Italian cellist
- Radu Aldulescu (born 1954), Romanian novelist
- Radu Almășan (born 1980), Romanian singer of the band Bosquito
- Radu Aricescu, Romanian-British molecular neuroscientist
B
- Radu Barbu (born 1989), Romanian football player
- Radu Băldescu (1888–1953), Romanian general during World War II
- Radu Bălescu (1932–2006), Romanian and Belgian physicist
- Radu Beligan (1918–2016), Romanian actor and director
- Radu Berceanu (born 1953), Romanian engineer and politician
- Radu Gioan Bey (1613–1660), Prince of Moldavia
- Radu Bîrzan (born 1999), Romanian football player
- Radu Boboc (born 1999), footballer
- Radu Boureanu (1906–1997), Romanian poet and writer
- Radu Budișteanu (1902–1991), activist of the Iron Guard
- Radu Buzescu (fl. c. 1593–1601), boyar of Wallachia during the reign of Michael the Brave
C
- Radu Câmpeanu (1922–2016), Romanian politician and jurist
- Radu Catan (born 1989), Moldovan football player
- Radu Chiriac (born 2000), Romanian football player
- Radu Ciobanu (born 1975), Romanian football player
- Radu Ciuceanu (1928–2022), Romanian historian and politician
- Radu Crișan (born 1996), Romanian football player
D
- Radu Dărăban (born 1983), Romanian fencer
- Traian Rafael Radu Demetrescu (1866–1896), Romanian writer
- Radu Doicaru (born 1979), Romanian football player
- Radu Drăgușin (born 2002), Romanian football player
- Radu Dudescu (1894–1983), Romanian architect
F
- Radu Filipescu (born 1955), Romanian anti-communist dissident
- Radu Florescu (1925–2014), Romanian historian and academic, professor at Boston College
G
- Radu Gabrea (1937–2017), Romanian filmmaker
- Radu Pavel Gheo (born 1969), Romanian writer
- Radu Ghiță (born 1990), Romanian handball player
- Radu Gînsari (born 1991), Moldovan football player
- Radu Goldiș (born 1947), Romanian-American jazz guitarist
- Adrian Radu Gontariu (born 1984), Romanian volleyball player
- Radu Grigorovici (1911–2008), Romanian physicist
- Radu Gyr (pen name of Radu Demetrescu; 1905–1975), Romanian poet and writer
I
- Radu Irimescu (1890–1975), Romanian businessman, politician, and diplomat
- Radu Ivan (born 1969), Romanian judo practitioner
J
- Radu Jercan (1945–2012), Romanian football player
- Radu Jude (born 1977), Romanian filmmaker
K
- Radu Klapper (1937–2006), Romanian-Israeli poet and author
- Radu Korne (1895–1949), Romanian general during World War II
L
- Radu Lazăr (born 1947), Romanian water polo player
- Radu Lecca (1890–1980), Romanian spy and journalist
- Radu Lefter (born 1970), Romanian football player
- Radu Leonte (born 1991), Romanian football player
- Radu Lupu (1945–2022), Romanian pianist
M
- Radu Malfatti (born 1943), Austrian trombone player and composer
- Radu Manicatide (1912–2004), Romanian engineer and aircraft constructor
- Radu Marculescu, electrical engineer
- Radu Mareș (1941–2016), Romanian writer and journalist
- Radu Marian (born 1977), Moldavian singer sopranist
- Radu Ștefan Mazăre (born 1968), Romanian politician
- Radu Mihăileanu (born 1958), Romanian-French actor and filmmaker
- Radu Mîțu (born 1994), Romanian football player
- Radu Motreanu (born 1998), Romanian football player
- Radu Muntean (born 1971), Romanian filmmaker
N
- Radu Negulescu (born 1941), Romanian table tennis player
- Radu Neguț (born 1981), Romanian football player
- Radu Niculescu (born 1975), Romanian football player
- Radu Nunweiller (born 1944), Romanian football player
P
- Radu Paladi (1927–2013), Romanian composer, pianist, and conductor
- Radu Paliciuc (born 1988), Romanian basketball player
- Radu Pamfil (1951–2009), Romanian football player
- Miron Radu Paraschivescu (1911–1971), Romanian writer
- Radu Petrescu (born 1980), Romanian rugby referee
- Radu Marian Petrescu (born 1982), Romanian football referee
- Radu Podgorean (born 1955), Romanian politician
- Radu Poklitaru (born 1972), Moldovan choreographer
- Dumitru Radu Popa (born 1949), Romanian-American writer
- Dumitru Radu Popescu (1935–2023), Romanian writer
- Mihai Radu Pricop (1950–2018), Romanian politician
R
- Radu Rebeja (born 1973), Moldovan football player
- Radu Rogac (born 1995), Moldovan football player
- Prince Radu of Romania (born 1960 as Radu Duda), husband of Margareta of Romania, pretender to the Romanian throne
- Radu Rosetti (1853–1926), Moldavian and Romanian politician and writer
- Radu D. Rosetti (1874–1964), Romanian writer
- Radu R. Rosetti (1877–1949), Romanian general and historian
S
- Radu Sabău (born 1968), Romanian water polo player
- Radu Sabo (born 1971), Romanian football player
- Radu Scîrneci (1926−2015), Romanian alpine skier
- Radu Scoarță (born 1999), Romanian football player
- Radu Simion (1940–2015), Romanian pan flute player
- Radu Sîrbu (born 1978), Moldovan pop singer, formerly of the boy band O-Zone
- Radu Stanca (1920–1962), poet, playwright, theatre director
- Radu Stroe (born 1949), Romanian navigational engineer and politician
- Radu Lucian Sulica, Romanian-American physician and laryngologist
T
- Radu Țârle (born 1967), Romanian politician
- Radu Timofte (1949–2009), Romanian soldier, politician, and spy chief
- Radu Troi (born 1949), Romanian football player
- Radu Țuculescu (born 1949), Romanian novelist and playwright
- Radu Tudoran (1910–1992), Romanian novelist
V
- Radu Varia (born 1940), art critic and historian
- Radu Vasile (1942–2013), former prime minister of Romania
- Radu G. Vlădescu (1886–1964), Romanian professor of veterinary medicine
- Radu Voina (born 1950), Romanian handball player
Z
- Radu Zaharia (born 1989), football player
Romanian rulers
Main article: List of rulers of WallachiaThis section is organized chronologically.
- Radu Negru (Radu the Black; born 1269), legendary founder of Wallachia
- Radu I of Wallachia (fl. c. 1377–1383), Voivode of Wallachia, sometimes identified as Radu Negru
- Radu II of Wallachia (Radu II Praznaglava, Radu II Empty Head, Radu the Bald; died c. 1428), reigned intermittently from 1420–1427
- Radu the Handsome (Radu cel Frumos, Radu III of Wallachia; 1437/1439–1475), the younger brother of Vlad III the Impaler
- Radu IV the Great (Radu cel Mare; 1467–1508), son of Vlad Călugărul, reigned 1495–1508
- Radu Bădica (died 1524), son of Radu IV the Great, reigned 1523–1524
- Radu of Afumați (Radu de la Afumaţi; died 1529), son of Radu cel Mare, reigned intermittently from 1522–1529
- Radu Paisie (Radu VII Paise, Petru I; fl. 1534-1545), son of Radu cel Mare, reigned almost continuously from 1535–1545
- Radu Ilie Haidăul (died 1558), son of Radu of Afumați, reigned 1552–1553
- Radu Mihnea (1586–1626), son of Mihnea Turcitul, reigned from 1601–1602, 1611, 1611–1616, and 1620–1623
- Radu Șerban (died 1620), reigned from 1602–1610 and in 1611
- Radu Iliaș (died 1632), son of Alexandru Iliaș, reigned in 1632
- Radu Leon (also Radu the Oyster-seller; died 1669), son of Leon Tomșa, reigned 1664–1669
Other uses
- Radu Barvon, a character in the light novel series Trinity Blood
- George Ivașcu, Romanian journalist who used the pen name "Radu Vardaru"
- Sofronie Drincec, Romanian Orthodox bishop born "Radu Ștefan Drincec"
See also
Name listThis page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Categories: