Andrzejewski m PolishHabitational name for a person from towns called
Andrzejewo or similar, derived from the given name
Andrzej.
Bosko PolishDerived from Polish
bosy meaning
"barefoot".
Budny PolishPossibly from Polish
buda meaning
"hut, cabin".
Bukowski m PolishOriginally denoted someone who came from a place called
Bukowo or
Bukowiec, which derive from Polish
buk meaning "beech".
Czajkowski m PolishOriginally indicated a person from any of the Polish towns named Czajków, all derived from Polish
czajka meaning "lapwing (bird)".
Dąbrowski m PolishHabitational name for someone from any of the various locations named
Dąbrowa or
Dobrów, derived from Polish
dąb meaning "oak".
Dubanowski m PolishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Dubinowo (now Dubino in Belarus).
Dubicki m PolishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Dubica in Poland.
Dunajski m PolishDerived from
Dunaj, the Polish name for the river Danube.
Filipowski m PolishEither a patronymic from the given name
Filip, or a habitational name denoting a person from the Polish town of Filipów (also derived from the given name).
Gajos PolishDerived from Polish
gaj meaning
"grove, thicket".
Gomółka PolishDerived from Polish
gomółka, a type of round cheese, ultimately from an old Polish word meaning "round".
Gorecki m PolishOriginally indicated a person from Górka, the name of various towns in Poland, ultimately from Polish
góra "mountain".
Górski m PolishFrom the Polish word
góra meaning
"mountain".
Grabowski m PolishHabitational name for someone from any of the various places called
Grabów,
Grabowa or
Grabowo, all derived from Polish
grab meaning "hornbeam tree".
Gwózdek PolishDerived from either archaic Polish
gwozd meaning
"forest" or
gwóźdź meaning
"nail".
Jabłoński m PolishOriginally denoted someone who lived by an apple tree, from Polish
jabłoń meaning
"apple tree".
Jankowski m PolishHabitational name for a person from a town named
Jankowo or
Janków, all derived from the given name
Janek.
Janowski m PolishHabitational name for a person from a town named
Janowo,
Janów or
Janowice, all derived from the given name
Jan 1.
Jaskólski m PolishOriginally indicated a person from various Polish towns named
Jaskółki, derived from Polish
jaskółka "swallow (bird)".
Jaworski m PolishHabitational name for someone from any of the various places named
Jawory or
Jaworze, derived from Polish
jawor meaning "maple tree".
Jeż PolishMeans
"hedgehog" in Polish. It may have originally been given to a person who resembled a hedgehog in some way.
Kaczmarek PolishOccupational name for a person who worked as an innkeeper, derived from Polish
karczma meaning "inn".
Kamiński m PolishFrom Polish
kamień meaning
"stone", a name for a stonecutter or for one who lived at a place with this name.
Kędzierski m PolishFrom a nickname meaning
"curly", describing a person with curly hair.
Kijek PolishMeans
"small stick", from Polish
kij "stick".
Kowalski m PolishFrom Polish
kowal meaning
"blacksmith". This is the second most common surname in Poland.
Kozioł PolishMeans
"male goat" in Polish, probably used to denote a goatherd.
Kozłowski m PolishOriginally a name for a person from Kozłów, Kozłowo, or other places with a name derived from Polish
kozioł meaning "male goat".
Król PolishMeans
"king" in Polish. The name referred to one who acted like a king or was connected in some way with a king's household.
Kumięga PolishPossibly from Polish
kum "godfather, friend" or
komięga "raft, barge".
Kwiatkowski m PolishHabitational name for someone from any of the various locations named
Kwiatków,
Kwiatkowo or
Kwiatkowice, named from a diminutive of Polish
kwiat meaning "flower".
Lewandowski m PolishFrom the Polish estate name
Lewandów, which is itself possibly derived from a personal name or from
lawenda "lavender".
Lis PolishMeans
"fox" in Polish, a nickname for a sly person.
Majewski m PolishDerived from Polish
maj meaning
"May". It may have been given in reference to the month the bearer was baptized.
Malinowski m PolishFrom Polish
malina meaning
"raspberry", originally indicating a person who lived near a raspberry patch.
Mazur PolishIndicated a person from either Mazovia (Polish
Mazowsze) or Masuria (Polish
Mazury), regions in Poland.
Mencher PolishPossibly an occupational name derived from Polish
maczarz meaning
"miller".
Michalski m PolishHabitational name for a person from a village named
Michale or
Michały, both derived from the given name
Michał.
Moździerz PolishMeans
"mortar" in Polish. It probably referred to someone who worked with or sold mortar.
Niemczyk PolishFrom Polish
Niemiec meaning
"German" and the patronymic suffix
-czyk.
Nowakowski m PolishHabitational name for a person from various towns called
Nowakowo or similar, derived from Polish
nowy meaning "new".
Nowicki m PolishHabitational name for a person from any of the towns in Poland called
Nowice. The name is derived from Polish
nowy meaning "new".
Olszewski m PolishOriginally denoted someone who lived near an alder tree, from Polish
olsza meaning
"alder tree".
Pasternak Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, YiddishMeans
"parsnip" in various Slavic languages, ultimately from Latin
pastinaca. A famous bearer was Boris Pasternak (1890-1960), author of
Doctor Zhivago.
Pawłowski m PolishHabitational name for someone from a town named
Pawłowo, derived from the given name
Paweł.
Piątek PolishMeans
"Friday" in Polish, derived from the word
piąty meaning "fifth".
Piotrowski m PolishHabitational name for a person from towns named
Piotrów,
Piotrowo or
Piotrowice, all derived from the given name
Piotr.
Rudawski m PolishIndicated a person who lived near the Rudawa, a river in Poland.
Ryba um Polish, CzechMeans
"fish" in Polish and Czech, an occupational name for a fisher.
Sadowski m PolishDenoted someone who lived in Sadowo, Sadowice or other places beginning with Polish
sad meaning "garden, orchard".
Sienkiewicz PolishPatronymic from the given name
Sienko, an old diminutive of
Szymon. This was the surname of the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916).
Sitko PolishMeans
"fine sieve" in Polish, a diminutive of the Polish word
sito "sieve".
Ślusarski m PolishOccupational name for a locksmith, from Polish
ślusarz, of Germanic origin.
Smolak PolishOccupational name for a distiller of pitch, derived from the Old Slavic word
smola meaning
"pitch, resin".
Sokołowski m PolishFrom the name of Polish towns called
Sokołów or similar, derived from Polish
sokół meaning "falcon".
Sówka PolishFrom a diminutive of Polish
sowa meaning
"owl".
Starek PolishFrom a nickname derived from Polish
stary meaning
"old".
Stępień PolishPossibly an occupational name for a herbalist, from Polish
stępa "mortar".
Stolarz PolishOccupational name from Polish
stolarz meaning
"joiner, maker of furniture".
Szweda PolishDerived from Polish
Szwed meaning
"Swede, person from Sweden".
Tomaszewski m PolishFrom the name of various Polish places called
Tomaszew or
Tomaszewo, derived from the given name
Tomasz.
Urbański m PolishHabitational name for a person from towns called
Urbanowo or
Urbanowice, derived from the given name
Urban.
Wiater PolishDerived from Polish
wiatr "wind", a nickname for a quick person.
Wieczorek PolishFrom a nickname meaning
"bat" in Polish, ultimately from
wieczór meaning "evening".
Wiśniewski m PolishFrom the name of various Polish towns called
Wiśniewo, derived from Polish
wiśnia meaning "sour cherry".
Witkowski m PolishFrom the name of various Polish places called
Witkowo,
Witków or
Witkowice, all derived from the given name
Witek.
Wójcik PolishFrom the Polish word
wójt meaning
"chief, mayor" (related to German
Vogt).
Wojewoda PolishFrom the Polish title
wojewoda meaning
"governor, voivode" (originally meaning "warlord").
Wolański m PolishDenoted a person who came from one of the places in Poland called
Wola or
Wolany, derived from the given name
Wolan meaning "to want".
Wróblewski m PolishOriginally indicated a person from Polish towns named
Wróblewo or similar, derived from Polish
wróbel meaning "sparrow".
Wyrzykowski m PolishPossibly from the Polish place name
Wyrzyki, of uncertain meaning, maybe "away from the river".
Ząbek PolishFrom Polish
zab "tooth" and a diminutive suffix.
Żbikowski m PolishFrom Polish towns named
Żbikowice or
Żbików, which are derived from
żbik meaning "wildcat".
Zdunowski m PolishDenoted a person from one of the various towns named
Zduny in Poland, which is derived from Polish
zdun meaning "potter". It can also be an occupational surname derived directly from
zdun.
Zieliński m PolishFrom Polish
zieleń meaning
"green". It was possibly a nickname for a person who dressed in green clothing.
Ziętek PolishPossibly from a diminutive of Polish
zięć meaning
"son-in-law".
Zima mu Czech, Slovak, Polish, RussianFrom an Old Slavic word meaning
"winter". This may have been a nickname for a person with a chilly personality.
Żukowski PolishFrom various Polish towns named
Żukowo or
Żuków, which are derived from
żuk meaning "beetle".
Żuraw PolishMeans
"crane" in Polish, a nickname for a tall person.