Smlednik was attested in written sources in 1136 as Fledinich (and as Vlednich in 1214 and Vlednic in 1228). The origin of the
name is unclear. A possible derivation is from the common noun smled 'hog's fennel', referring to
the local vegetation. In the 19th
century the German name was Flödnig.
The parish church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Ulrich.
