Polish Last Names
Polish last names are easy to spot by their endings. The famous -ski and -cki originally meant “of” a place, so Dąbrowski is “the one from Dąbrowa.” Endings like -czyk, -ak and -ek mean “son of” or “little,” and -icz or -wicz is an old patronymic shared with Belarusian and Lithuanian families. Many other surnames are simply trades (Kowal, “smith”) or nicknames (Wróbel, “sparrow”).
Below are more than 100 Polish surnames with their meanings, starting with the most common in Poland today. Surnames ending in -ski or -cki change to -ska or -cka for women. For first names, see Polish boy names and Polish girl names, or return to our main Polish names page. Neighbors share many patterns, as you’ll see on our list of Ukrainian last names.
Most common Polish last names
These surnames top Poland’s population registers. Nowak and Kowalski are so widespread that they work like “Smith” and “Jones” in Polish jokes and example forms.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nowak | New man, newcomer | Poland’s most common surname |
| Kowalski | Of the smith (kowal) | The classic “John Doe” surname in Poland |
| Wiśniewski | From Wiśniewo, “cherry place” (wiśnia) | Among the top three |
| Wójcik | Son of the wójt, a village head | Very common in central Poland |
| Kowalczyk | Smith’s son | Especially common around Łódź |
| Kamiński | From Kamień, “stone” | Many villages share the name |
| Lewandowski | From Lewandów or Lewandowo | Footballer Robert Lewandowski |
| Zieliński | From Zielin, from zielony, “green” | Common nationwide |
| Szymański | From Szymany, “Simon’s place” | Linked to the first name Szymon |
| Woźniak | Son of the woźny, a court usher | Found across Poland |
| Dąbrowski | From Dąbrowa, “oak grove” | General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski is named in the national anthem |
| Kozłowski | From Kozłów, from kozioł, “billy goat” | Widespread |
| Jankowski | From Janków, “John’s place” | Common in the north |
| Mazur | Man from Mazovia | Also the root of the mazurka dance |
| Wojciechowski | From Wojciechów, “Wojciech’s place” | Common nationwide |
| Kwiatkowski | From Kwiatków, from kwiat, “flower” | Popular and pretty |
| Krawczyk | Tailor’s son (krawiec) | Common in central Poland |
| Kaczmarek | Innkeeper’s son (karczmarz) | Very common in Greater Poland |
| Piotrowski | From Piotrów, “Peter’s place” | Widespread |
| Grabowski | From Grabów, from grab, “hornbeam tree” | Common across Poland |
Polish -ski and -cki surnames from places and nature
Originally used by the nobility (szlachta) to name their estates, -ski names later spread to everyone. Many come from villages named after trees, plants and landscape features. This pattern also shaped many Russian last names ending in -sky.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jabłoński | From Jabłonna, “apple tree” (jabłoń) | Orchard village name |
| Olszewski | From Olszewo, “alder tree” (olcha) | Common in the northeast |
| Malinowski | From Malinowo, “raspberry” (malina) | Anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski |
| Jaworski | From Jawor, “sycamore maple” | Common in the south |
| Górski | From góra, “mountain” | Mountain dweller |
| Ostrowski | From Ostrów, “river island” | Many towns called Ostrów |
| Zalewski | From zalew, “bay, flooded land” | Lowland families |
| Wróblewski | From Wróblewo, “sparrow place” | Common in Mazovia |
| Sadowski | From sad, “orchard” | Rural origin |
| Borkowski | From bór, “pine forest” | Forest villages |
| Brzeziński | From Brzezina, “birch grove” | US adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski |
| Majewski | From Majewo, from maj, “May, greenery” | Common in the north |
| Nowicki | From Nowica, “new place” | Widespread |
| Czarnecki | From Czarnca, from czarny, “black” | Common in the south |
| Zawadzki | From Zawada, “obstacle, barrier” | Many villages share the name |
| Pawłowski | From Pawłów, “Paul’s place” | Common nationwide |
| Michalski | From Michale, “Michael’s place” | Common nationwide |
| Tomaszewski | From Tomaszewo, “Thomas’s place” | Widespread |
| Rutkowski | From Rutki or Rutkowo | Common in the east |
| Witkowski | From Witków or Witkowo | Common in Greater Poland |
Occupational Polish surnames
Like English Smith and Miller, these surnames record what a family did for a living. The -czyk or -ak versions mean “son of” the tradesman.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kowal | Smith | The root of Kowalski and Kowalczyk |
| Krawiec | Tailor | Also Krawczyk |
| Kołodziej | Wheelwright | Very common in the south |
| Bednarz | Cooper, barrel maker | Also Bednarczyk and Bednarek |
| Młynarczyk | Miller’s son (młynarz) | Common in central Poland |
| Szewczyk | Shoemaker’s son (szewc) | Widespread |
| Piekarski | Of the baker (piekarz) | Also Piekarz |
| Kucharski | Of the cook (kucharz) | Common nationwide |
| Stolarczyk | Carpenter’s son (stolarz) | Furniture maker |
| Garncarz | Potter | From garnek, “pot” |
| Kuśnierz | Furrier | Old guild trade |
| Cieślak | Son of the carpenter (cieśla) | A timber-frame builder |
| Sołtys | Village head | An elected village official |
| Owczarek | Shepherd’s son (owczarz) | Also the Polish word for sheepdog |
| Rybak | Fisherman | Common near lakes and the coast |
| Wójtowicz | Son of the wójt | Village head, like Wójcik |
Polish surnames from animals, nature and nicknames
Nickname surnames describe a person’s looks, character or a local joke. Animal names are especially common and short, which makes them easy for English speakers.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zając | Hare | One of the most common animal surnames |
| Wróbel | Sparrow | Very common |
| Król | King | A nickname for a proud or lordly ancestor |
| Baran | Ram | Common in the south |
| Sikora | Great tit (bird) | Common in Silesia |
| Kos | Blackbird | Short and simple |
| Wilk | Wolf | Found nationwide |
| Lis | Fox | A clever or red-haired ancestor |
| Wrona | Crow | Common in the south |
| Sowa | Owl | A wise or night-owl ancestor |
| Kruk | Raven | Dark-haired ancestor |
| Dudek | Hoopoe (bird) | Also a musician (duda, “bagpipe”) |
| Sokół | Falcon | Also a Polish sports association |
| Słowik | Nightingale | A good singer |
| Wieczorek | Little evening | Possibly a child born in the evening |
| Mróz | Frost | Common in the mountains |
| Grzyb | Mushroom | Short and cheerful |
| Kot | Cat | Short and common |
Polish patronymic surnames (-czyk, -ak, -icz)
These surnames grew out of a father’s first name. The -icz and -wicz forms are most common in eastern Poland and among families from the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adamczyk | Son of Adam | Very common |
| Pawlak | Son of Paweł (Paul) | Common in central Poland |
| Walczak | Son of Walenty (Valentine) | Common around Łódź |
| Michalak | Son of Michał | Widespread |
| Pietrzak | Son of Piotr (Peter) | Common in central Poland |
| Wawrzyniak | Son of Wawrzyniec (Lawrence) | Greater Poland |
| Marczak | Son of Marek (Mark) | Widespread |
| Grzelak | Son of Grzegorz (Gregory) | Central Poland |
| Szymczak | Son of Szymon (Simon) | Central Poland |
| Tomczak | Son of Tomasz (Thomas) | Greater Poland |
| Jakubowicz | Son of Jakub (Jacob) | Eastern pattern |
| Adamowicz | Son of Adam | Eastern pattern |
| Łukasiewicz | Son of Łukasz (Luke) | Ignacy Łukasiewicz, inventor of the kerosene lamp |
| Sienkiewicz | Son of Sienko, a pet form of Semen | Nobel author Henryk Sienkiewicz |
Famous Polish last names
Some Polish surnames are known around the world, including several that are familiar to Americans through history.
| Surname | Meaning / origin | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Kościuszko | From Kostiuszko, a pet form of Konstanty | Tadeusz Kościuszko, hero of the American Revolution |
| Pułaski | From the village of Pułazie | Casimir Pułaski, “father of the American cavalry” |
| Skłodowski | From the village of Skłody | Maria Skłodowska-Curie, two-time Nobel winner |
| Kopernik | Possibly from the village of Koperniki | Nicolaus Copernicus, astronomer |
| Mickiewicz | Son of Mitsko, a pet form of Dmitry | Adam Mickiewicz, national poet |
| Wałęsa | Wanderer (wałęsać się, “to roam”) | Lech Wałęsa, Solidarity leader and president |
| Wojtyła | From Wojtek, a pet form of Wojciech | Karol Wojtyła, Pope John Paul II |
| Szymborski | From the village of Szymborze | Wisława Szymborska, Nobel poet |
| Miłosz | From the first name Miłosz, “dear” | Czesław Miłosz, Nobel poet |
| Wajda | Possibly Hungarian vajda, “leader” | Andrzej Wajda, film director |
| Kieślowski | From a place name | Krzysztof Kieślowski, director of Three Colors |
| Świątek | Little saint, a carved holy figure | Iga Świątek, tennis champion |
Tips for researching Polish surnames
- Check both genders. In records a woman appears as Kowalska, her husband as Kowalski. Search both forms.
- Try spelling without Polish letters. Immigration clerks often wrote Wisniewski, Dombrowski or Zajac. Ellis Island records are full of these variants.
- Use the place-name clue. A -ski name usually points to a village. Look up how many villages share the root: a rare one can narrow your search fast.
- Watch for anglicized names. Many families shortened names in the US, so Kowalczyk may have become Kowal or even Smith.
- Compare with neighbors. Families from the old Commonwealth may appear in Lithuanian, Ukrainian, German or Jewish records with similar surnames.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common last name in Poland?
Nowak is the most common surname in Poland, followed by Kowalski, Wiśniewski, Wójcik and Kowalczyk.
What does -ski mean in Polish last names?
The -ski ending turns a place into an adjective, so Dąbrowski means “of Dąbrowa.” It was first used by nobles for their estates and later by everyone.
Why do Polish surnames change for women?
Names ending in -ski, -cki and -dzki are adjectives and take a feminine ending: Kowalski becomes Kowalska. Nouns like Nowak or Mazur stay the same.
Is Nowak Polish or Czech?
Both. Nowak is Poland’s top surname and its Czech twin, Novák, is the most common surname in the Czech Republic. Both mean “newcomer.”
How do you pronounce Wiśniewski?
Roughly veesh-NYEF-skee. In Polish, w sounds like v and ś is a soft sh.