Polish last names typically have several distinctive characteristics.
Here are some of the most common ones:
- Suffixes: Many Polish last names end in a specific suffix, such as “-ski,” “-wicz,” “-icz,” “-ewicz,” or “-czyk.” These suffixes often indicate a person’s ancestry or place of origin.
- Patronymics: Polish last names often include a patronymic, which is a name derived from the father’s first name. For example, the name “Kowalski” means “son of Kowal.”
- Gender: Polish last names may indicate the gender of the person. For example, a woman’s last name might end in “-ska” instead of “-ski.”
- Meaning: Many Polish last names have a specific meaning or origin. For example, the name “Nowak” means “newcomer” or “new settler,” while “Kowalczyk” means “blacksmith.”
- Spelling: Polish last names can be difficult to spell and pronounce for non-native speakers. Some letters, such as “ł” and “ż,” have unique sounds that are not found in English.
Overall, Polish last names reflect the country’s rich history and cultural heritage.
They often reveal information about a person’s ancestry, occupation, or place of origin, and can be a source of pride and identity for those who bear them.
Polish Last Names and Meanings
Polish Last Names and Meanings:
- Nowak – meaning “newcomer” or “new one”, it is the most common surname in Poland.
- Kowalski – derived from “kowal” meaning “blacksmith”, this surname is also very common in Poland.
- Wojciechowski – meaning “son of Wojciech”, a name which means “war” and “joy”.
- Kaczmarek – derived from “kaczmar” meaning “poulterer” or “poultry seller”.
- Kowalczyk – a variation of Kowalski, meaning “son of the blacksmith”.
- Jankowski – meaning “son of Jan”, a popular given name meaning “God is gracious”.
- Wójcik – derived from “wójt” meaning “village headman”, “mayor” or “sheriff”.
- Krawczyk – derived from “krawiec” meaning “tailor”.
- Mazur – derived from “Mazury”, the name of a region in Poland.
- Król – meaning “king”, this surname is quite rare but has a strong and noble connotation.
Polish Surnames List
Polish Surnames List:
- Adamski – meaning “son of Adam”.
- Baranowski – meaning “son of Baran”, which means “ram” in Polish.
- Czarnecki – meaning “from Czarne”, the name of a town in Poland.
- Duda – meaning “bagpipe”, this surname is quite rare in Poland.
- Górecki – meaning “from Góra”, the name of a mountain or hill.
- Kaczmarczyk – meaning “son of the poulterer”.
- Lech – derived from “Lechia”, the name of an ancient Polish tribe.
- Michalski – meaning “son of Michał”, a popular given name meaning “who is like God”.
- Sobczak – meaning “son of the hawk”, “falcon” or “eagle”.
- Szczepański – meaning “son of Szczepan”, a given name meaning “crown” or “garland”.
Common Polish Last Names
Common Polish Last Names:
- Nowak
- Kowalski
- Wiśniewski – derived from “wiśnia” meaning “cherry”.
- Wójcik
- Kowalczyk
- Kamiński – meaning “from Kamień”, the name of a town in Poland.
- Lewandowski – derived from “lewanda”, the name of a plant in the honeysuckle family.
- Zieliński – derived from “zielenina” meaning “greens” or “vegetables”.
- Szymański – meaning “son of Szymon”, a given name meaning “he who hears” or “listener”.
- Woźniak – meaning “cartwright” or “wainwright”, a person who builds or repairs wagons.
100 most common Polish last names
100+ Most Common Polish Last Names
Here is a list of 100+ common Polish surnames:
- Adamski
- Adamczyk
- Bak
- Baran
- Bartosz
- Bednarski
- Bielecki
- Bielski
- Brzozowski
- Cieślak
- Czajkowski
- Czarnowski
- Dąbrowski
- Duda
- Dudek
- Gajewski
- Gawron
- Głowacki
- Górski
- Grabowski
- Grzesiak
- Jabłoński
- Janicki
- Jankowski
- Jaworski
- Jóźwiak
- Kaczmarek
- Kania
- Kasprowicz
- Klimczak
- Kowal
- Kowalczyk
- Kozłowski
- Krajewski
- Król
- Kubiak
- Kucharski
- Kulesza
- Kwiatkowski
- Łuczak
- Madej
- Majewski
- Marciniak
- Mazur
- Michalski
- Mikołajczyk
- Miller
- Młynarczyk
- Nowak
- Nowicki
- Olejniczak
- Olszewski
- Osiński
- Owczarek
- Paczkowski
- Pająk
- Paluch
- Piotrowski
- Piwowarczyk
- Pluta
- Podgórski
- Polak
- Przybylski
- Ratajczak
- Robak
- Rogalski
- Różański
- Rusin
- Rybak
- Sadowski
- Sawicki
- Serafin
- Sikora
- Skowron
- Sobczyk
- Sobolewski
- Stachowiak
- Stankiewicz
- Stasiak
- Stefański
- Szczepański
- Szymański
- Tomczak
- Tomczyk
- Trzeciak
- Urbaniak
- Walczak
- Wawrzyniak
- Wiśniewski
- Wojciechowski
- Wójcik
- Wolski
- Woźniak
- Wrona
- Wróbel
- Wyrzykowski
- Wysocki
- Zając
- Zalewski
- Zawadzki
- Ziółkowski
Rare Polish Last Names
Rare Polish Last Names
- Malinowski
- Kowalski
- Wiśniewski
- Wojciechowski
- Kozłowski
- Jankowski
- Woźniak
- Dąbrowski
- Szymański
- Majewski
- Nowak
- Kwiatkowski
- Kamiński
- Lewandowski
- Zieliński
- Markowski
- Król
- Szczepański
- Zają
Most Common Polish Last Names
Most Common Polish Last Names:
- Nowak
- Kowalski
- Wiśniewski
- Wójcik
- Kowalczyk
- Kamiński
- Lewandowski
- Zieliński
- Szymański
- Woźniak
Names That End With -SKI
Names That End With -SKI:
- Kowalski
- Nowakowski – meaning “son of Nowak”.
- Wiśniewski
- Szymański
- Włodarczyk – meaning “son of Włodzimierz”.
- Kaczmarek
- Jankowski
- Tomczak – meaning “son of Tomasz”.
- Szczepański
- Kwiatkowski – meaning “son of the flower”.
Polish Last Names Beginning With K
Polish Last Names Beginning With K:
- Kaczmarek
- Kowalski
- Kowalczyk
- Kamiński
- Król
- Krawczyk
- Kruk – meaning “raven”.
- Kaczor – meaning “drake”.
- Klimczak – meaning “son of Klim”.
- Kania – meaning “buzzard”.
Popular Polish Last Names
Popular Polish Last Names:
- Kowalski – “blacksmith”
- Nowak – “newcomer” or “new settler”
- Wiśniewski – “cherry tree” or “cherry orchard”
- Szymański – “son of Szymon” (a variant of Simon)
- Wójcik – “son of the village head” or “village chief”
- Kowalczyk – “little blacksmith”
- Kamiński – “son of the stonecutter”
- Jankowski – “son of Jan” (a variant of John)
- Majewski – “son of Maj”
- Błaszczyk – “sheepskin coat”
- Kwiatkowski – “son of the flower king”
- Król – “king”
- Malinowski – “son of Malina” (a Slavic name meaning “raspberry”)
- Górski – “of the mountains”
- Mazur – “person from Mazovia” (a region in Poland)
Polish Jewish Last Names
Polish Jewish Last Names:
- Abramczyk – “son of Abram”
- Blau – “blue”
- Goldstein – “gold stone”
- Horowitz – “from the town of Horovice” (in the Czech Republic)
- Jakubowicz – “son of Jakub” (a variant of Jacob)
- Kagan – “priest” or “rabbi”
- Lichtenstein – “bright stone”
- Mendelsohn – “son of Mendel” (a variant of Menachem)
- Rosenberg – “rose mountain”
- Szmul – “Samuel”
- Wajnberg – “from the wine mountain”
- Zajdman – “iron man”
- Zelig – “blessed” or “fortunate”
- Zylberberg – “silver mountain”
- Frydman – “joyful man”
Note: Many Jewish last names in Poland have Yiddish origins and may have been modified over time.
FAQs – Polish Last Names
What are Polish naming conventions?
In Polish naming conventions, a person’s first name is followed by their surname, which is usually a patronymic or matronymic name derived from their father’s or mother’s name.
For example, Jan Kowalski means “Jan, son of Kowalski”. Women typically add the suffix -a to their surname, so Jan’s sister would be known as Kowalska.
It is also common in Poland to have two given names, with the second one often being a saint’s name or a name of a family member.
How to pronounce your Polish Last Name!
Why do Polish names end in -SKI?
The -ski suffix is added to a noun or an adjective to create a surname that denotes a person’s place of origin, occupation, or other characteristics.
For example, Kowalski means “blacksmith’s son” or “from the town of Kowale”, while Nowakowski means “son of the newcomer” or “from the town of Nowakowo”.
Polish surnames ending in -ski are also associated with the nobility, as many noble families adopted this naming convention during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795).
What does -SKI mean in Polish?
In Polish, the -ski suffix is an adjective ending that indicates possession or origin.
When added to a noun, it creates an adjective that describes the characteristics of the noun.
When added to a place name or a personal name, it creates a surname that denotes a person’s place of origin or family history.
For example, Polska means “Poland”, and adding -ski creates Polski, which means “Polish”.
Similarly, adding -ski to the name Wojciech creates Wojciechowski, which means “son of Wojciech” or “from the town of Wojciechowo”.
Conclusion – Polish Last Names
Polish last names, while not as standardized as those in other countries, exhibit a few distinctive characteristics.
For one thing, they often consist of two parts: the first is derived from an individual’s occupation or place of origin, while the second is either from the father’s first name or from a location.
These last names typically bear strong Slavic roots and are often unique to their region of origin.
Another characteristic feature of Polish last names is that they frequently incorporate diminutives, which are derived from original words and are used for endearment or to make nicknames.
This could be as simple as adding ‘-ek’ or ‘-ski’ to the end of a word or using an entirely different word altogether; for example, the diminutive form of ‘Kowalski’ (blacksmith) would be ‘Kowalczyk’.
Finally, Polish last names may also contain suffixes such as -ki (little), -ka (feminine), -icz (son) and -dzka (daughter).
As a result, Polish last names tend to vary in spelling depending on gender and other cultural factors.
For instance, surnames with the suffix -ki often take on an alternate spelling if they refer to a female: Kowalski becomes Kowalska if it refers to a woman instead of a man.
In summary, Polish last names often contain two parts reflecting an individual’s occupation or place of origin with Slavic roots.
Additionally, many Polish surnames include diminutives and suffixes that depend on gender or cultural context.
Taken together, these characteristics make up the distinct traits found in traditional Polish surnames.
