Polish Girl Names
Polish girl names manage to be both romantic and sturdy. Many end in a soft -a (Zofia, Helena, Kalina), many honor Catholic saints, and a whole family of old Slavic names carries words like miła (“dear”) and sława (“glory”). Right now parents in Poland favor classic, slightly vintage choices, so Zofia, Hanna and Antonina are as fashionable in Warsaw as Sophia and Hannah are in the US.
We’ve gathered more than 110 Polish girl names with an easy pronunciation guide and the meaning of each. Remember that w is said like v, ł like w and ż or rz like the s in “pleasure.” Looking for a brother’s name? See our Polish boy names, or start at the main Polish names page. Families with roots across the border may also like our Ukrainian girl names.
Popular Polish girl names
These names have been among the most given to baby girls in Poland in recent years. Zofia and Zuzanna in particular have traded the top spot.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Zofia | ZOF-yah | Greek Sophia, “wisdom” |
| Zuzanna | zoo-ZAHN-nah | Hebrew Susanna, “lily” |
| Hanna | HAHN-nah | Hebrew Hannah, “grace” |
| Julia | YOOL-yah | Latin, a Roman family name |
| Laura | LAH-oo-rah | Latin “laurel” |
| Maja | MAH-yah | Maia, Roman goddess of spring; also a pet form of Maria |
| Oliwia | oh-LEEV-yah | Olivia, “olive tree” |
| Pola | POH-lah | Short for Apolonia; silent-film star Pola Negri |
| Alicja | ah-LEETS-yah | Alice, Germanic “noble” |
| Lena | LEH-nah | Short for Helena or Magdalena |
| Amelia | ah-MEL-yah | Germanic amal, “work” |
| Antonina | ahn-toh-NEE-nah | Feminine of Antoni |
| Maria | MAR-yah | Hebrew Miriam; the Virgin Mary |
| Helena | heh-LEH-nah | Greek, often linked to “torch, light” |
| Nadia | NAHD-yah | Slavic nadzieja, “hope” |
| Liliana | lee-LYAH-nah | “Lily” |
| Aleksandra | ah-leh-KSAHN-drah | Greek “defender of the people” |
| Natalia | nah-TAHL-yah | Latin “Christmas Day” |
| Wiktoria | veek-TOR-yah | Latin “victory” |
| Gabriela | gah-bree-EH-lah | Hebrew “God is my strength” |
Slavic Polish girl names
These names are older than Christianity in Poland. They pair Slavic words like miła (dear), sława (glory), mir (peace) and dobra (good). Similar names appear on our list of Russian girl names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Bogumiła | boh-goo-MEE-wah | “Dear to God” |
| Bronisława | broh-nee-SWAH-vah | “Defender of glory” |
| Dobrosława | doh-broh-SWAH-vah | “Good glory” |
| Dobromiła | doh-broh-MEE-wah | “Good and dear” |
| Ludmiła | lood-MEE-wah | “Dear to the people” |
| Miłosława | mee-woh-SWAH-vah | “Gracious glory” |
| Mirosława | mee-roh-SWAH-vah | “Peace and glory” |
| Radosława | rah-doh-SWAH-vah | “Happy glory” |
| Sławomira | swah-voh-MEE-rah | “Glory and peace” |
| Władysława | vwah-dih-SWAH-vah | “Rules with glory” |
| Wanda | VAHN-dah | Legendary princess of Kraków; origin debated |
| Mila | MEE-lah | “Dear, gracious” |
| Milena | mee-LEH-nah | “Dear, gracious” |
| Bożena | boh-ZHEH-nah | “Divine, blessed” |
| Dobrawa | doh-BRAH-vah | “Good”; the Czech princess who married Mieszko I |
| Jarosława | yah-roh-SWAH-vah | “Fierce, vigorous glory” |
| Lubomira | loo-boh-MEE-rah | “Love and peace” |
| Kazimiera | kah-zhee-MYEH-rah | Feminine of Kazimierz |
| Wisława | vee-SWAH-vah | Slavic “glory” name; Nobel poet Wisława Szymborska |
Catholic Polish girl names
Saints’ names are the heart of Polish naming, and each has a name day (imieniny) on the calendar. For the stories behind them, see our saint names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Anna | AHN-nah | Hebrew “grace”; Poland’s most common women’s name for decades |
| Katarzyna | kah-tah-ZHIH-nah | Catherine, traditionally “pure” |
| Małgorzata | mahw-goh-ZHAH-tah | Margaret, Greek “pearl” |
| Agnieszka | ahg-NYESH-kah | Agnes, Greek “pure, holy” |
| Magdalena | mahg-dah-LEH-nah | “Woman from Magdala” |
| Barbara | bar-BAH-rah | Greek “foreign”; patron of miners |
| Jadwiga | yahd-VEE-gah | Germanic Hedwig, “battle”; St. Jadwiga, crowned king of Poland in 1384 |
| Teresa | teh-REH-sah | Possibly Greek “harvest” |
| Faustyna | fows-TIH-nah | Latin “lucky”; St. Faustina Kowalska |
| Elżbieta | elzh-BYEH-tah | Elizabeth, Hebrew “God is my oath” |
| Agata | ah-GAH-tah | Agatha, Greek “good” |
| Monika | moh-NEE-kah | After St. Monica; origin uncertain |
| Joanna | yoh-AHN-nah | Hebrew “God is gracious” |
| Dorota | doh-ROH-tah | Dorothy, Greek “gift of God” |
| Łucja | WOOTS-yah | Lucy, Latin “light” |
| Cecylia | tseh-TSIL-yah | Cecilia; patron saint of music |
| Weronika | veh-roh-NEE-kah | Veronica, Greek “bringer of victory” |
| Urszula | oor-SHOO-lah | Ursula, Latin “little bear” |
| Marianna | mar-YAHN-nah | Blend of Maria and Anna |
| Kinga | KEEN-gah | St. Kinga, patron of the Wieliczka salt mine |
Vintage Polish girl names
These were the names of great-grandmothers born before and just after World War II. Some, like Stefania and Apolonia, are already returning. Compare them with English old-fashioned girl names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Halina | hah-LEE-nah | Possibly from Helena or Greek Halcyone |
| Irena | ee-REH-nah | Greek “peace” |
| Genowefa | geh-noh-VEH-fah | Genevieve |
| Stanisława | stah-nee-SWAH-vah | Feminine of Stanisław |
| Czesława | cheh-SWAH-vah | “Honor and glory” |
| Leokadia | leh-oh-KAHD-yah | Greek, linked to leukos, “bright, white” |
| Jolanta | yoh-LAHN-tah | Yolanda, possibly “violet flower” |
| Grażyna | grah-ZHIH-nah | Coined by poet Adam Mickiewicz; possibly Lithuanian “beautiful” |
| Danuta | dah-NOO-tah | Name of a Lithuanian princess; possibly “given by God” |
| Stefania | steh-FAHN-yah | Greek “crown” |
| Janina | yah-NEE-nah | Feminine of Jan |
| Józefa | yoo-ZEH-fah | Feminine of Józef |
| Aniela | ah-NYEH-lah | “Angel” |
| Apolonia | ah-poh-LOHN-yah | “Of Apollo” |
| Rozalia | roh-ZAHL-yah | Latin rosa, “rose” |
| Franciszka | frahn-CHEESH-kah | Feminine of Franciszek |
| Krystyna | krih-STIH-nah | Christine, “follower of Christ” |
| Bogusława | boh-goo-SWAH-vah | “God’s glory” |
| Wiesława | vyeh-SWAH-vah | Slavic “glory” name, very common in the 1950s |
Nature names and Polish girl names that work in English
Several Polish names come straight from plants and berries. The rest of this list is spelled almost as in English, which helps in bilingual homes. More ideas in our nature names for girls.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning / origin |
|---|---|---|
| Róża | ROO-zhah | “Rose” |
| Kalina | kah-LEE-nah | Guelder rose, a red-berried shrub in Slavic folklore |
| Jagoda | yah-GOH-dah | “Berry, blueberry” |
| Malina | mah-LEE-nah | “Raspberry” |
| Nina | NEE-nah | Short form of many names; used on its own |
| Ewa | EH-vah | Eve, Hebrew “life” |
| Klara | KLAH-rah | Latin “bright, clear” |
| Emilia | eh-MEEL-yah | Latin Aemilius, “rival” |
| Marta | MAR-tah | Aramaic “lady” |
| Kornelia | kor-NEL-yah | Roman family name Cornelius |
| Nikola | nee-KOH-lah | A girl’s name in Poland; “victory of the people” |
| Olga | OL-gah | Norse Helga, “holy” |
| Paulina | pow-LEE-nah | Latin “small” |
| Iwona | ee-VOH-nah | Yvonne, “yew tree” |
| Karolina | kah-roh-LEE-nah | Feminine of Karol, “free” |
| Kamila | kah-MEE-lah | Camilla |
| Ida | EE-dah | Germanic “work, labor” |
| Ada | AH-dah | Short for Adela, “noble” |
| Iga | EE-gah | Short form of Jadwiga; tennis star Iga Świątek |
Polish nicknames for girls
In Poland almost every name has a sweet everyday form, usually ending in -sia or -dzia.
| Nickname | Full name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zosia | Zofia | Probably the best-loved Polish nickname |
| Kasia | Katarzyna | Very common; also given as a name abroad |
| Gosia | Małgorzata | Also Małgosia, the Gretel of Polish fairy tales |
| Basia | Barbara | Singer Basia Trzetrzelewska |
| Ania | Anna | Also Anka or Anusia |
| Hania | Hanna | Pronounced “HAHN-yah” |
| Marysia | Maria | Warm and old-fashioned |
| Ola | Aleksandra | Short and sunny |
| Tosia | Antonina | Trending with the full name |
| Madzia | Magdalena | Pronounced “MAH-jah” |
| Jadzia | Jadwiga | Pronounced “YAH-jah” |
| Asia | Joanna | Pronounced “AH-shah” |
| Ela | Elżbieta | Also short for Gabriela or Michalina |
| Aga | Agnieszka | Friendly and brisk |
How to choose a Polish girl name
- Say it with the Polish sounds. Jadwiga is YAHD-vee-gah, not JAD-wig-ah. If you’ll live in the US, check whether you mind the anglicized version.
- Try the nickname. Zofia becomes Zosia, Jadwiga becomes Jadzia. Poles will use it, so you should love it.
- Mind the special letters. Ł, ż and ó can drop out on forms abroad. Names like Hanna, Nina, Klara, Ida or Helena avoid the problem.
- Balance with the surname. Feminine surnames end in -ska or -cka, so a short first name (Pola Kowalska) often flows better. See Polish last names.
- Look up the name day. Many families still celebrate imieniny, so a name with a pretty feast date is a nice bonus.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Polish girl name?
Zofia and Zuzanna have both been the most popular names for newborn girls in Poland in recent years, with Hanna, Julia, Laura and Maja close behind.
What is a pretty traditional Polish girl name?
Jadwiga, Helena, Apolonia, Kalina, Milena and Antonina are traditional names that sound lovely in English too.
What are Slavic girl names from Poland?
Ludmiła, Bogumiła, Milena, Mila, Bożena, Wanda and Dobrawa are all Slavic in origin rather than borrowed from Latin, Greek or Hebrew.
Why do Polish women’s surnames end in -ska?
Surnames ending in -ski or -cki are adjectives in Polish, so they change for gender: Anna Kowalska is the wife or daughter of Jan Kowalski.
What does Zosia mean?
Zosia is the Polish diminutive of Zofia (Sophia), which comes from the Greek word for “wisdom.”