Polish Names
Polish names combine two deep roots. One is Old Slavic — long, proud names ending in -sław (“glory”) or -mir (“peace”), like Bolesław and Kazimierz. The other is a thousand years of Catholic tradition, which gave Poland its Janek, Piotr, Anna and Katarzyna. Many Poles still celebrate their imieniny (name day) as warmly as a birthday.
This page collects 100+ Polish names with meanings, grouped by style, along with the affectionate nicknames Poles actually use and a pronunciation guide for tricky clusters like rz, sz and ł. Dive deeper with our Polish boy names, Polish girl names and Polish last names, or compare with the neighboring Ukrainian names.
Polish Names: browse all lists
Popular Polish boy names today
Poland’s current favorites mix classic saints’ names with the revived, old-fashioned names of great-grandparents. Many more are in our Polish boy names list.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Antoni | Roman family name Antonius; possibly “priceless” | Latin |
| Jan | “God is gracious” | Hebrew, via Latin Johannes |
| Aleksander | “Defender of men” | Greek |
| Franciszek | “Frenchman, free one” | Latin/Italian |
| Nikodem | “Victory of the people” | Greek |
| Jakub | “Supplanter” | Hebrew |
| Leon | “Lion” | Greek/Latin |
| Szymon | “He has heard” | Hebrew |
| Filip | “Lover of horses” | Greek |
| Mikołaj | “Victory of the people”; Polish Nicholas | Greek |
| Ignacy | From Ignatius, possibly “fiery” | Latin |
| Tymon | From Timon, “honor, respect” | Greek |
| Wojciech | “Joyful warrior” | Old Slavic |
| Kacper | “Treasurer”; one of the Three Kings | Persian via Latin |
Popular Polish girl names today
Zofia and Zuzanna have spent years at the top of Poland’s lists. See the full Polish girl names collection for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Zofia | “Wisdom” | Greek |
| Zuzanna | “Lily” | Hebrew |
| Hanna | “Grace” | Hebrew |
| Julia | Roman family name, possibly “youthful” | Latin |
| Maja | From Maia or Maria | Latin |
| Oliwia | “Olive tree” | Latin |
| Pola | Short for Apolonia, from Apollo | Greek |
| Alicja | “Noble kind” | Germanic |
| Lena | Short for Helena or Magdalena | Greek/Hebrew |
| Emilia | “Rival, eager” | Latin |
| Laura | “Laurel, victory” | Latin |
| Liliana | “Lily” | Latin |
| Nadia | “Hope” | Slavic |
| Antonina | Feminine of Antoni | Latin |
Old Slavic Polish names
These pre-Christian names are built from two meaningful words — sław (glory), mir (peace), bog (god), mił (dear). Several were carried by Polish kings, so they suit fans of royal baby names.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Bolesław | “Greater glory” | Boy |
| Kazimierz | “Destroyer of peace” or “proclaimer of peace” | Boy |
| Władysław | “Rules with glory” | Boy |
| Stanisław | “Becoming glorious” | Boy |
| Mieczysław | “Sword glory” | Boy |
| Zbigniew | “To dispel anger” | Boy |
| Radosław | “Glad glory” | Boy |
| Jarosław | “Fierce glory” or “spring glory” | Boy |
| Przemysław | “Clever glory” | Boy |
| Bogdan | “Given by God” | Boy |
| Ludmiła | “Dear to the people” | Girl |
| Bogumiła | “Dear to God” | Girl |
| Bronisława | “Protection and glory” | Girl |
| Dobromiła | “Good and dear” | Girl |
| Mirosława | “Peace and glory” | Girl |
| Wiesława | “More glory” | Girl |
Classic Polish names from the Catholic tradition
Saints’ names have dominated Poland since the Middle Ages and remain the backbone of every generation. For a gentle, vintage feel, see old-fashioned girl names.
| Name | English equivalent | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Piotr | Peter | Boy |
| Paweł | Paul | Boy |
| Tomasz | Thomas | Boy |
| Michał | Michael | Boy |
| Andrzej | Andrew | Boy |
| Marek | Mark | Boy |
| Józef | Joseph | Boy |
| Anna | Anne | Girl |
| Ewa | Eve | Girl |
| Magdalena | Magdalene | Girl |
| Barbara | Barbara | Girl |
| Joanna | Joanna | Girl |
| Elżbieta | Elizabeth | Girl |
| Krystyna | Christine | Girl |
Legendary and literary Polish names
A few beloved names come from legends and literature rather than saints.
| Name | Story | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Wanda | Legendary princess of Kraków who refused a German prince | Girl |
| Kinga | Saint Kinga, patron of salt miners, from Germanic Kunigunde | Girl |
| Grażyna | Created by poet Adam Mickiewicz; linked to Lithuanian gražus, “beautiful” | Girl |
| Danuta | Popularized by Sienkiewicz’s novel <em>The Knights of the Cross</em> | Girl |
| Jadwiga | Queen Jadwiga, Poland’s female “king”; Germanic “battle” | Girl |
| Lech | Legendary founder of the Polish nation | Boy |
| Krak | Mythical founder of Kraków, slayer of the Wawel dragon | Boy |
| Piast | Legendary ancestor of Poland’s first royal dynasty | Boy |
| Mieszko | Mieszko I, Poland’s first historical ruler | Boy |
Polish nicknames and diminutives
In Poland almost nobody is called by their full name at home. Diminutives are affectionate and sometimes become given names in their own right.
| Nickname | Full name | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Kasia | Katarzyna | Girl |
| Gosia | Małgorzata | Girl |
| Basia | Barbara | Girl |
| Ola | Aleksandra | Girl |
| Asia | Joanna | Girl |
| Ania | Anna | Girl |
| Zosia | Zofia | Girl |
| Madzia | Magdalena | Girl |
| Kuba | Jakub | Boy |
| Bartek | Bartłomiej | Boy |
| Staś | Stanisław | Boy |
| Krzyś | Krzysztof | Boy |
| Wojtek | Wojciech | Boy |
| Jurek | Jerzy | Boy |
| Tomek | Tomasz | Boy |
Common Polish last names
Polish surnames often end in -ski (originally “of” a place) and change to -ska for women. Read about hundreds more in our Polish last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nowak | “New man, newcomer” | Poland’s most common surname |
| Kowalski | From kowal, “blacksmith” | Feminine: Kowalska |
| Wiśniewski | From wiśnia, “cherry” | Place name Wiśniewo |
| Wójcik | “Little village head” | From wójt |
| Kowalczyk | “Blacksmith’s son” | Occupational |
| Kamiński | From kamień, “stone” | Place name |
| Lewandowski | From the village of Lewandów | Robert Lewandowski |
| Zieliński | From zielony, “green” | Place name |
| Szymański | “Of Szymon” | Patronymic |
| Woźniak | “Coachman, carter” | Occupational |
| Dąbrowski | From dąbrowa, “oak grove” | Place name |
| Kozłowski | From kozioł, “goat” | Place name |
| Mazur | “From Masovia” | Regional |
| Kwiatkowski | From kwiat, “flower” | Place name |
| Kaczmarek | “Innkeeper” | Common in Greater Poland |
How to pronounce Polish names
Polish spelling is consistent once you know the rules: ł = w, w = v, rz and ż = zh, cz = ch, sz = sh.
| Name | Say it like | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Małgorzata | mahw-go-ZHAH-tah | ł sounds like w; rz like zh |
| Grzegorz | GZHEH-gosh | Final rz hardens to “sh” |
| Agnieszka | ahg-NYESH-kah | ni = ny, sz = sh |
| Krzysztof | KSHISH-tof | Polish form of Christopher |
| Jędrzej | YEN-dzhey | ę is a nasal “en”; an old form of Andrew |
| Łucja | WOO-tsyah | c = ts |
| Szczepan | SHCHEH-pahn | Polish Stephen |
| Katarzyna | kah-tah-ZHIH-nah | Stress is always on the second-to-last syllable |
How to choose a Polish name
- Know the stress rule. Polish almost always stresses the second-to-last syllable: ka-ta-RZY-na, mi-KO-łaj.
- Plan for the diacritics. Names with ł, ż, ś or ę may be simplified abroad (Michał becomes Michal or Michael); choose ones that survive a keyboard if that matters to you.
- Remember the name day. Every Polish name has an imieniny date — Anna on July 26, Jan on June 24 — a lovely extra celebration.
- Use the nickname as a bridge. Zosia, Kuba and Ola work beautifully in English-speaking countries while staying Polish.
- Look at the neighbors. Many Slavic names are shared with Russian names and Czech names, often with different spellings.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular Polish names?
In recent years Zofia, Zuzanna, Hanna and Julia have led for girls and Antoni, Jan, Aleksander and Franciszek for boys, according to Poland’s national registry.
Why do Polish last names end in -ski and -ska?
The -ski ending originally meant “of” or “from” a place, similar to the German von. Because Polish adjectives agree in gender, a man is Kowalski and a woman is Kowalska.
What is a Polish name day?
A name day (imieniny) is the feast day of the saint who shares your name. Poles traditionally celebrate it with flowers, cake and visits, sometimes more than birthdays.
What is the most common surname in Poland?
Nowak, meaning “new man” or “newcomer”, is the most common Polish surname, followed by Kowalski and Wiśniewski.
How do you pronounce the Polish letter ł?
Ł sounds like the English “w”. So Łukasz is “WOO-kash” and Paweł is “PAH-vew”.