the etymology and history of surnames
|
the etymology and history of surnames
|
| Adamczak |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Adam. |
| Adamczyk |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the name Adam. |
| Andrysiak |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "son of Andrys", Andrys being an archaic form of Andrzej. |
| Auttenberg |
|
Usage: English, German, Polish
|
| Possibly means "dweller at Ealdwine's hill, mountain" from the Germanic name meaning "old friend" and berg meaning "hill, mountain. |
| Bartosz |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Bartosz. |
| Bernard |
|
Usage: French, English, Polish, Czech
Extra: Statistics |
| From the given name Bernard. |
| Bobienski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "from Bobien, Poland". |
| Bosko |
|
Usage: Polish, Czech, Slovak
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the Slavic bosy "barefoot". |
| Broż |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Broz, a pet form of Ambrozy, Ambrozy being the Polish form of Ambrose. |
| Brzezicki |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "by the birch trees" in Polish. |
| Budny |
|
Usage: Polish, Ukrainian
|
|
This surname has several possible meanings. It could mean "dweller in a hut, cabin" from the Polish and Ukrainian word buda. Or it could simply be a diminutive from of a multitude of personal names beginning with the element Budzi-. For example "little Budzislav". |
| Bukoski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| A variant of Bukowski. |
| Bukowski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| A name for someone who lived in a place called Bukowo, Bukowec or other that began with buk "beech". |
| Chlebek |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a small loaf of bread" from Polish chleb "bread". It was most likely used to denote a baker. |
| Chmiel |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Polish chmiel "hops", used to denote a person who grew or sold hops. Hops is a plant whose dried flowers are used in brewing beer. |
| Czajka |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "lapwing" in Polish. |
| Czajkowski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a person from Czajka, Poland". Pronounced same as Tchaikovski. |
| Dubanowski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "a person from Dubanowo, Poland". |
| Dubicki |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a person from Dubica, Poland". |
| Dunajski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from Dunaj, the Polish name for the river Danube. |
| Dziedzic |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Polish dziedzic "landowner". |
| Fabian |
|
Usage: English, French, Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Fabian. |
| Filipek |
|
Usage: Polish, Czech
|
| Derived from a diminutive of the given name Filip. |
| Filipowski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| The name is either a patronymic from the given name Filip, or a habitational name for a person from Filipow, Poland. |
| Gajos |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from an old Slavic term gaj, gajdol which meant "to drone" or "drone out". |
| Gniewek |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Gniewek, a pet form of Zbigniew, Jarogniew, or other names containing gniew "anger". |
| Gomolka |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from Polish gomolka, a type of round cheese. The word gomolka is derived from gomola "round". |
| Gomulka |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| A variant of Gomolka. |
| Gorecki |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a person from Górka, Poland". Górka is a town in Poland whose name was ultimately derived from the Slavic gora "mountain". |
| Górka |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a person from Górka, Poland". Górka is a place name, ultimately derived from the Slavic gora "mountain". |
| Gorski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Slavic word gora "mountain". |
| Grzeskiewicz |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from the given name Grzegorz. |
| Gwozdek |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from either gwozd, an archaic Polish word for "forest", or gwozdz "nail". |
| Jagoda |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "berry" in Polish. |
| Janda |
|
Usage: Polish, Czech
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Jan. |
| Janowski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| A habitational name for a person from a town named Janowo, Janow or Janowice. |
| Jaskolski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a person from Jaskolski". The name of the town Jaskolski itself is derived from Polish jaskolka "a swallow". |
| Jaskulski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| A variant of Jaskolski. |
| Jedynak |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "only child" from the Polish jedynak. |
| Jelen |
|
Usage: Polish, Czech, Slovak
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "stag" in the Slavic languages. |
| Jez |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "hedgehog" in Polish. It may have originally referred to a person who lived near a sign bearing a hedgehog, or it may have been given to a person who resembled a hedgehog in some way. |
| Jordan (1) |
|
Usage: English, French, German, Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Jordan. |
| Kaczka |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "duck" in Polish. |
| Kaluza |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "a puddle" in Polish. |
| Kaminski |
|
Usage: Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Name for someone who came from a town called Kamien. Kamien comes from the Slavic word kamiń meaning "stone". |
| Kasprzak |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Kaspar". |
| Kava |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Polish kawa "coffee", perhaps originally denoting one who worked in the coffee trade. |
| Kedzierski |
|
Usage: Ukrainian, Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| From a nickname meaning "curly", describing a person with curly hair. |
| Kijek |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a small stick" in Polish. |
| Klimek |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from the name Klimek, a pet form of Klemens. |
| Kosmatka |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Polish kosmaty "shaggy, hairy". |
| Kovįr |
|
Usage: Czech, Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "blacksmith" in Czech. |
| Kowalczyk |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| A patronymic from Polish kowal "blacksmith". |
| Kowalski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Polish word kowal "blacksmith". |
| Koziol |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "goat" in Polish, probably used to denote a goatherd. |
| Kozlow |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Polish place name Kozlow, ultimately derived from koziol "goat". |
| Kozlowski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a person from Kozlow, Kozlowo", or any other place whose name was derived from Polish koziol "goat". |
| Krakowski |
|
Usage: Polish, Jewish
|
| Habitional name for a person of the city of Kraków in southern Poland. |
| Król |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "king" in Polish. The name referred to one connected in some way with a king's household. |
| Kumiega |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from the Polish word for "friend", "pal". |
| Lawniczak |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "juror" from Polish lawnik. |
| Lis |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "fox" in Polish. A nickname for a sly person. |
| Majewski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Polish maj "the month of May". It may have been given in reference to the month the first bearer was baptized. |
| Malinowski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dweller by raspberries" from the Polish malina. |
| Maly |
|
Usage: Polish, Czech
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "small" in the Slavic languages. |
| Marek |
|
Usage: Czech, Polish, Hungarian
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Marek. |
| Marszalek |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "a marshal" in Polish. |
| Maslanka |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the Slavic maslo "butter". The name probably referred to a person who made or sold butter. |
| Mencher |
|
Usage: Polish, Jewish
|
| Occupational surname for a miller or flour dealer (derived from Polish maczarz). |
| Miazga |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Polish miazga "pulp". |
| Mikolajczak |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Polish given name Mikolaj. |
| Mozdzierz |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "mortar" in Polish. The name probably referred to someone who worked with or sold mortar. |
| Musil |
|
Usage: Polish, Czech
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "the one who had to", from the past participle of the verb "must". |
| Niemczyk |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of the German" from Polish niemec "German" and the patronymic part czyk. |
| Niemec |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "German" in Polish. |
| Nosek |
|
Usage: Czech, Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a small nose" in Czech and Polish. |
| Novak |
|
Usage: Czech, Polish, Slovak, Slovene, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Slavic novy "new", originally a name for someone who was new to a village. |
| Nowak |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Polish nowy "new", originally a name for someone who was new to a village. |
| Pakulski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "from Pakuly, Poland". |
| Pasternack |
|
Usage: Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| The name translates literally as "white turnip" or "parsnip". |
| Pasternak |
|
Usage: Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Pasternack. Famous bearer was Boris Pasternak, author of 'Doctor Zhivago'. |
| Paszek |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a Polish diminutive of Paul. |
| Piatek |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "Friday" in Polish, ultimately derived from the Slavic word pjaty "fifth". |
| Piontek |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant spelling of Piatek. |
| Pokorny |
|
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the Slavic word pokorny "tame". |
| Poplawski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "from the water meadow" from the Polish poplaw. |
| Róg |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from rog "animal horn". |
| Rudaski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| A variant of Rudawski. |
| Rudawski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "a person who lives near Rudawa". Rudawa is a river in Poland. |
| Rusnak |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "Russian" in Polish. |
| Rutkowski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "from Rutki, Poland". |
| Sadowski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| A name for someone who lived in Sadowo, Sadowice or other place whose name began with sad- "garden". |
| Salomon |
|
Usage: English, French, Venetian, German, Danish, Norwegian, Polish, Jewish, Hungarian
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Salomon. |
| Serafin |
|
Usage: Polish, Italian
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Serafim. |
| Sienkiewicz |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| A patronymic from the given name Sienko, a pet form of the archaic name Siemion, a form of Simon. This is the last name of the Polish Nobel Laureate Henryk Sienkiewicz. |
| Sierzant |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "sergeant" in Polish. |
| Sitko |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a small sieve" from Polish sito "sieve". |
| Skala |
|
Usage: Polish, Czech
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "rock" in the Slavic languages. |
| Slaski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| A cognate of Slazak. |
| Slazak |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| A Polish cognate of Slezak. |
| Slusarczyk |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Diminutive form of Slusarski. |
| Slusarski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "ironworker" or "locksmith" from the Polish slusarz. |
| Smolįk |
|
Usage: Czech, Polish
|
| Derived from the Slavic word smola "pitch". |
| Sniegowski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| A habitational name for a person from Sniegow, Sniegowo or other place whose name was derived from snieg "snow". |
| Sobol |
|
Usage: Polish, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from either the Polish sobol meaning "marten" or the Old High German zobel meaning "sable". |
| Sokal |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Sokol. |
| Sokolof |
|
Usage: Russian, Jewish, Polish
|
| Means "son of Sokol". |
| Sokoloff (1) |
|
Usage: Jewish, Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Sokol". |
| Sokolofsky |
|
Usage: Polish, Jewish
|
| Means "of Sokolof". |
| Sokolowski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Usually refers to the city of Sokolow Podlaski, Poland. Sometimes may be derived from the surname Sokol. |
| Sokolsky |
|
Usage: Polish, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "from Sokol (the family)". |
| Sówka |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "a small owl" from Polish sowa "owl". |
| Stanek (1) |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Stanek, a pet form of the name Stanislaw. |
| Starek |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "an old man" from Polish stary "old". |
| Stawski |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from Polish staw "pond". |
| Stolarz |
|
Usage: Polish, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name meaning "joiner" from Polish stolarz. |
| Szczepanski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the Polish given name Szczepan. |
| Szewc |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "shoemaker" in Polish. |
| Szwarc |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| A Polish phonetic spelling of the German last name Schwartz. |
| Szweda |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Polish szwed "Swede". |
| Szwedko |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "Swedish" in Polish. |
| Walentowicz |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "son of Walenty". |
| Wawrzaszek |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "son of Wawrzyniec". |
| Wiater |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Polish wiatr "wind". |
| Winograd |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "vineyard" in Polish. The name probably referred to a person who worked at a vineyard or worked near one. |
| Winogrodzki |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from Polish winograd "vineyard". The name probably referred to a person who worked at a vineyard or worked near one. |
| Wojda |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| A variant of Wojewódka. |
| Wojewódka |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from the Polish wojewóda "voivode". |
| Wojewódzki |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from Polish wojewóda "voivode". |
| Wronski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the Russian name Vorona "crow". |
| Wyrick |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Americanized form of Wyrzyk. |
| Wyrzyk |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from the first name Wyrzyk which is of unknown etymology. |
| Zabek |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "little tooth" from the Polish zab and the diminutive suffix -ek. |
| Zawisza |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Derived from the Old Polish given name Zawisza which may mean "jealous". |
| Zdunowski (1) |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "person from Zduny, Poland". |
| Zdunowski (2) |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "worker or dweller at the potters" from the Polish zdun. |
| Zielinski |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "green" from the Polish zielen. It was possibly a nickname for a person who dressed in green clothing. |
| Ziemniak |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "potato" in Polish. |
| Zientek |
|
Usage: Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| From a diminutive of Polish ziec which means "son-in-law". Pronounced roughly ZHEN-tek. |
| Zuraw |
|
Usage: Polish
|
| Means "crane" in Polish. |
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