Dushan as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dushan

What is the meaning of the name Dushan ?

The baby name Dushan is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈduʃan/ (DOO-shahn).

Dushan is Slavic in Origin.

Dushan is the Anglicized form of the South Slavic name Dušan, from the Slavic duša “soul, spirit” plus the adjectival suffix -an, giving the sense “soulful” or “of the soul.” The name is common in Serbia and neighboring Slavic lands and gained renown through the 14th‑century Serbian ruler Stefan Dušan, which helped sustain its popularity into modern times. Documented in medieval charters and parish records, it persisted through Ottoman and Habsburg periods and peaked in the 20th century across Yugoslavia and its diaspora.

Variants and diminutives include Dušan (standard), Dusan (ASCII/English), Dusán (Hungarian transcription), Polish Duszan, and Duško; feminine forms are Dušana and Dušanka. In South Asian use, Dushan can instead reflect Sanskrit Dūṣaṇa/Dūṣana, a rakshasa in the Ramayana, from the root dūṣ- “to injure, defile,” a distinct etymology. Contemporary bearers often favor the Slavic “soul” meaning.