Radu (given name)

Radu
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.

Notable people named Radu include:

A[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Radu Filipescu (born 1955), Romanian anti-communist dissident
Radu Florescu (1925–2014), Romanian historian and academic, professor at Boston College

G[edit]

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[edit]

Radu Irimescu (1890–1975), Romanian businessman, politician, and diplomat
Radu Ivan (born 1969), Romanian judo practitioner

J[edit]

Radu Jercan (1945–2012), Romanian football player
Radu Jude (born 1977), Romanian filmmaker

K[edit]

Radu Klapper (1937–2006), Romanian-Israeli poet and author
Radu Korne (1895–1949), Romanian general during World War II

L[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Radu Zaharia (born 1989), football player

Romanian rulers[edit]

This 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[edit]

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"