The name Dushan is a Slavic name formed from names like Dukhislav or is a late calque from the Latin name Spiridon. The original meaning of the lexeme "soul" was likely "breath, nourishing force," which is related to the meaning of "spirit, breath." The name Dushan has slowly begun to come into use, mostly among Bulgarians, Macedonians, Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians. In Ukraine, the name Dushan is just starting to gain popularity.Records from gymnasium students in 1986 confirm this: Matsala Dushan, Hrynia Dushan. The name Dushan is very popular among Slovenians, Croats, and Serbs, from whom it also spread among Ukrainians in Yugoslavia during the interwar years. For example, among the students of the Russian secondary school in the city of Šid (Serbia) during the interwar period was Dushan Tyrkaylo. In 1980, there were 9,380 Dushans living in Slovenia. Nowadays, the name Dushan is also popular among Czechs, Slovaks, and Bulgarians.
