Polish Baby Names, Meanings and Origins
Polish surnames commonly change form depending on the gender of the person who carries them, which is one of the most distinctive features of Polish naming and the source of a lot of real confusion for English speakers. A surname like Kowalski becomes Kowalska for a woman in the same family, following the same grammatical pattern that governs Polish adjectives more broadly.
How Polish surnames work
Many Polish surnames end in “-ski” for a man and the matching “-ska” for a woman, because these surnames function grammatically like adjectives, and Polish adjectives change ending to agree with the gender of the noun, or in this case the person, they describe. Not every Polish surname follows this pattern. Surnames that are not adjective-based, such as Nowak, generally stay the same for men and women.
Polish names for girls
- Zofia (from the Greek Sophia, meaning wisdom)
- Katarzyna (from the Greek Katherine, meaning pure)
- Agnieszka (from the Greek Agnes, meaning pure or holy)
- Aleksandra (Greek in origin, meaning defender of men)
- Wanda (a name tied to a legendary early Polish princess, of uncertain earlier meaning)
- Anna (a classic, longstanding Polish given name with Hebrew roots shared across many languages)
- Maria (Hebrew in origin, one of the most enduringly common Polish girls’ names)
- Magdalena (Hebrew in origin, referring to a person from the town of Magdala)
- Barbara (Greek in origin, commonly read as meaning “foreign” or “stranger”)
- Ewa (the Polish form of Eve, Hebrew in origin, commonly read as meaning “life”)
- Krystyna (the Polish form of Christina, Greek in origin, meaning “follower of Christ”)
- Danuta (Slavic in origin, of disputed exact meaning)
- Halina (Greek in origin, the Polish form of a name linked to Helen)
- Jadwiga (Germanic in origin, historically the name of a canonized medieval queen of Poland)
- Elzbieta (the Polish form of Elizabeth, Hebrew in origin, meaning “God is my oath”)
Browse girl names by letter
Namelyra’s general girl-name pages, if a specific letter doesn’t have Polish names covered here:
Polish names for boys
- Stanisław (Slavic, commonly read as meaning to become glorious or famous)
- Kazimierz (Slavic, commonly read as meaning to proclaim peace)
- Wojciech (Slavic, commonly read as meaning consolation or joy of soldiers, historically tied to a canonized Polish saint)
- Tadeusz (from the Greek Thaddeus)
- Mieczysław (Slavic, commonly read as combining sword and glory)
- Jan (the Polish form of John, Hebrew in origin, meaning “God is gracious”)
- Piotr (the Polish form of Peter, Greek in origin, meaning “rock”)
- Andrzej (the Polish form of Andrew, Greek in origin, meaning “manly”)
- Krzysztof (the Polish form of Christopher, Greek in origin, meaning “bearing Christ”)
- Tomasz (the Polish form of Thomas, Aramaic in origin, meaning “twin”)
- Marek (the Polish form of Mark, of disputed further origin, possibly linked to the god Mars)
- Paweł (the Polish form of Paul, Latin in origin, meaning “small”)
- Michał (the Polish form of Michael, Hebrew in origin, meaning “who is like God”)
- Władysław (Slavic, commonly read as meaning “ruling with fame,” historically the name of several Polish kings)
- Bolesław (Slavic, commonly read as meaning “great glory,” historically the name of several early Polish kings)
Browse boy names by letter
Namelyra’s general boy-name pages, if a specific letter doesn’t have Polish names covered here:
Polish surnames
Occupational and place-based surnames are especially common in Poland, and many of the most widespread ones follow the gendered “-ski”/”-ska” pattern described above.
- Nowak (from a word meaning newcomer, the single most common surname in Poland, and unchanged for men and women)
- Kowalski / Kowalska (from “kowal,” meaning blacksmith, one of the most recognizable Polish surnames)
- Wiśniewski / Wiśniewska (from “wiśnia,” meaning cherry, a place-descriptive surname)
- Kamiński / Kamińska (from “kamień,” meaning stone)
- Wójcik (a diminutive-style surname historically linked to the office of village administrator)
Polish nicknames
Polish given names commonly have a well-established short form used casually among family and friends, distinct from the formal name. These follow set patterns rather than being invented freely.
- Katarzyna becomes Kasia
- Anna becomes Ania
- Małgorzata becomes Gosia
- Aleksandra becomes Ola
- Stanisław becomes Staś
Imieniny: Polish name days
In Poland, many people celebrate their imieniny, or name day, tied to the feast day of the saint that shares their given name on the Polish calendar, a tradition confirmed by Wikipedia and Culture.pl. For many Poles, a name day is celebrated with the same warmth as a birthday, sometimes more so, with visits from friends and family and small gifts, particularly since a name day is usually easier for others to remember than an exact birth date.
Quick facts
| Gendered surnames | Adjective-style surnames end in “-ski” for men and “-ska” for women |
| Most common surname | Nowak, meaning newcomer, unchanged by gender |
| Name days | Imieniny, tied to a saint sharing the person’s given name, often celebrated like a second birthday |
| Everyday names | Most given names have an established short, familiar form used casually |
Frequently asked questions
Why do Polish female names end in “a”?
Many Polish surnames function like adjectives, and Polish adjectives change ending based on gender, which is why a surname like Kowalski for a man becomes Kowalska for a woman in the same family.
Do all Polish surnames change based on gender?
No. Only adjective-style surnames, typically ending in “-ski” or “-cki,” follow this pattern. Surnames that are not adjective-based, such as Nowak, stay the same regardless of gender.
What is the most common last name in Poland?
Nowak, meaning newcomer, is generally cited as the most common surname in Poland.
What is a Polish name day?
An imieniny is a celebration tied to the feast day of the saint who shares a person’s given name on the Polish calendar. Many Polish families treat it as an occasion similar to a birthday.
Why do Polish names look so difficult to spell?
Polish uses several consonant combinations and accented letters that don’t appear in English, such as “sz,” “cz,” and “rz,” along with letters like the stroked “l” and the accented “s,” which can make Polish names look unfamiliar even though they follow consistent spelling rules.