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Polish last names: 120+ surnames and their meanings

129 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

The most common Polish last names are Nowak, Kowalski and Wiśniewski. Most Polish surnames come from places, trades, nicknames or a father's first name, and the famous -ski ending (feminine -ska) means of or from.

So Kowalski is the smith's family, and a woman in that family is Kowalska. The -cki ending works the same way, -wicz means son of, and -ak, -ek and -czyk mark a son or a little one. Below are 120+ real Polish surnames grouped by type, each with its meaning and a simple English pronunciation.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Jabłoński

    From places named after jabłoń, apple tree. Say yah-BWON-skee

  • Kaźmierczak

    Son of Kazimierz, Casimir. Say kahzh-MYER-chahk

  • Krawczyk

    Son of the tailor, from krawiec. Say KRAHF-chik

  • Brzeziński

    From places named after brzoza, birch. Say bzheh-ZHEEN-skee

  • Czarnecki

    From places named after czarny, black. Say char-NETS-kee

  • Wróbel

    Polish for sparrow. Say VROO-bel

Find a Polish surname on this page

Narrow 129 surnames by how common they are in the 2020 US Census, by section, length or first letter, or search the meanings.

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Common Polish last names

The 20 most common surnames in Poland, in order (PESEL register of men, January 2026), with a simple English pronunciation.

  1. Nowak US #1,929: From nowy, new; a newcomer to the village. Say NO-vahk
  2. Kowalski US #2,102: From kowal, blacksmith. Say ko-VAHL-skee
  3. Wiśniewski US #2,964: From places named after wiśnia, cherry. Say veesh-NYEF-skee
  4. Wójcik US #4,696: From wójt, a village head. Say VOOY-cheek
  5. Kowalczyk US #6,132: Son of the blacksmith. Say ko-VAHL-chik
  6. Kamiński US #2,667: From places named after kamień, stone. Say kah-MEEN-skee
  7. Lewandowski US #3,182: From the estate name Lewandów, possibly from lawenda, lavender. Say leh-vahn-DOF-skee
  8. Zieliński US #3,408: From places named after zielony, green. Say zhyeh-LEEN-skee
  9. Woźniak US #4,195: From woźny, a court usher or bailiff. Say VOZH-nyahk
  10. Szymański US #4,169: From places named after Szymon, Simon. Say shih-MAHN-skee
  11. Dąbrowski US #11,903: From Dąbrowa, an oak grove. Say dom-BROF-skee
  12. Kozłowski US #3,606: From places named after kozioł, goat. Say koz-WOF-skee
  13. Mazur US #4,069: Someone from Masovia, the region around Warsaw, or from Masuria. Say MAH-zoor
  14. Jankowski US #4,146: From places named after Janek, a pet form of Jan. Say yahn-KOF-skee
  15. Kwiatkowski US #5,714: From places named after kwiatek, little flower. Say kfyaht-KOF-skee
  16. Wojciechowski US #6,829: From places named after Wojciech, an old Slavic name. Say voy-cheh-HOF-skee
  17. Krawczyk US #9,384: Son of the tailor, from krawiec. Say KRAHF-chik
  18. Kaczmarek US #8,328: From karczmarz, an innkeeper. Say kahch-MAH-rek
  19. Piotrowski US #6,385: From places named after Piotr, Peter. Say pyo-TROF-skee
  20. Grabowski US #4,210: From places named after grab, the hornbeam tree. Say grah-BOF-skee

Polish last names ending in -ski and -cki

The -ski ending turns a place into an adjective: Ostrowski is the family from Ostrów. Women use -ska and -cka.

  1. Jabłoński US #4,926: From places named after jabłoń, apple tree. Say yah-BWON-skee
  2. Olszewski US #6,409: From places named after olsza, alder tree. Say ol-SHEF-skee
  3. Malinowski US #6,148: From places named after malina, raspberry. Say mah-lee-NOF-skee
  4. Jaworski US #7,000: From places named after jawor, sycamore maple. Say yah-VOR-skee
  5. Ostrowski US #5,159: From Ostrów, a river island. Say os-TROF-skee
  6. Górski US #5,029: From góra, mountain; a highlander. Say GOOR-skee
  7. Wróblewski US #7,495: From places named after wróbel, sparrow. Say vroo-BLEF-skee
  8. Sadowski US #5,893: From places named after sad, an orchard. Say sah-DOF-skee
  9. Zawadzki US #21,189: From Zawada, a village name meaning obstacle. Say zah-VAHTS-kee
  10. Wysocki US #7,440: From places named after wysoki, high. Say vih-SOTS-kee
  11. Brzeziński US #13,259: From places named after brzoza, birch. Say bzheh-ZHEEN-skee
  12. Lipiński US #9,288: From places named after lipa, the linden tree. Say lee-PEEN-skee
  13. Sokołowski US #8,113: From places named after sokół, falcon. Say so-ko-WOF-skee
  14. Orłowski US #10,105: From places named after orzeł, eagle. Say or-WOF-skee
  15. Borkowski US #8,131: From places named after borek, a small pine wood. Say bor-KOF-skee
  16. Czarnecki US #8,206: From places named after czarny, black. Say char-NETS-kee
  17. Zalewski US #9,045: From places named after zalew, a flooded area or bay. Say zah-LEF-skee
  18. Kalinowski US #8,612: From places named after kalina, guelder rose. Say kah-lee-NOF-skee
  19. Michalski US #5,169: From places named after Michał, Michael. Say mee-HAHL-skee
  20. Pawłowski US #6,397: From places named after Paweł, Paul. Say pahv-WOF-skee
  21. Tomaszewski US #9,178: From places named after Tomasz, Thomas. Say to-mah-SHEF-skee
  22. Gołębiowski US #80,550: From places named after gołąb, dove. Say go-wem-BYOF-skee

Polish surnames ending in -wicz

The -owicz and -ewicz endings mean son of. They are especially common in eastern Poland and the old eastern borderlands.

  1. Adamowicz US #48,348: Son of Adam. Say ah-dah-MO-veech
  2. Janowicz US #39,536: Son of Jan, the Polish John. Say yah-NO-veech
  3. Jakubowicz US #42,928: Son of Jakub, the Polish Jacob. Say yah-koo-BO-veech
  4. Stankiewicz US #11,570: Son of Stanek, a pet form of Stanisław. Say stahn-KYEH-veech
  5. Mackiewicz US #19,107: Son of Maciek, a pet form of Maciej, Matthias. Say mahts-KYEH-veech
  6. Marcinkiewicz US #53,969: Son of Marcinek, a pet form of Marcin, Martin. Say mar-cheen-KYEH-veech
  7. Łukasiewicz US #32,724: Son of Łukasz, Luke. Say woo-kah-SHEH-veech
  8. Bartkiewicz US #79,581: Son of Bartek, a pet form of Bartłomiej. Say bart-KYEH-veech
  9. Szymkiewicz US #143,511: Son of Szymek, a pet form of Szymon. Say shim-KYEH-veech
  10. Pawłowicz US #51,869: Son of Paweł, the Polish Paul. Say pahv-WO-veech
  11. Stefanowicz US #42,002: Son of Stefan, Stephen. Say steh-fah-NO-veech
  12. Józefowicz US #77,676: Son of Józef, Joseph. Say yoo-zeh-FO-veech
  13. Antonowicz US #76,963: Son of Antoni, Anthony. Say ahn-to-NO-veech
  14. Jurkiewicz US #32,512: Son of Jurek, a pet form of Jerzy, George. Say yoor-KYEH-veech

Polish last names ending in -ak, -ek and -czyk

These endings mean son of or little. Most grew from a father's first name or pet name.

  1. Pietrzak US #15,196: Son of Piotr, Peter. Say PYET-shahk
  2. Adamczyk US #11,270: Son of Adam. Say ah-DAHM-chik
  3. Kubiak US #9,148: Son of Kuba, a pet form of Jakub. Say KOO-byahk
  4. Michalak US #8,735: Son of Michał, Michael. Say mee-HAH-lahk
  5. Pawlak US #7,981: Son of Paweł, Paul. Say PAHV-lahk
  6. Marciniak US #12,227: Son of Marcin, Martin. Say mar-CHEE-nyahk
  7. Wojtczak US #77,462: Son of Wojtek, a pet form of Wojciech. Say VOYT-chahk
  8. Szymczak US #18,249: Son of Szymon, Simon. Say SHIM-chahk
  9. Walczak US #9,503: Son of Walek, a pet form of Walenty, Valentine. Say VAHL-chahk
  10. Grzelak US #40,983: Son of Grzela, a pet form of Grzegorz. Say GZHEH-lahk
  11. Kaźmierczak US #15,465: Son of Kazimierz, Casimir. Say kahzh-MYER-chahk
  12. Wawrzyniak US #25,066: Son of Wawrzyniec, Lawrence. Say vahv-ZHIH-nyahk
  13. Tomczak US #12,644: Son of Tomasz, Thomas. Say TOM-chahk
  14. Bartczak US #62,349: Son of Bartek, a pet form of Bartłomiej. Say BART-chahk
  15. Matuszak US #20,545: Son of Matusz, a form of Mateusz, Matthew. Say mah-TOO-shahk
  16. Stasiak US #26,301: Son of Staś, a pet form of Stanisław. Say STAH-shahk
  17. Jasiak US #119,015: Son of Jaś, a pet form of Jan. Say YAH-shahk

Occupational Polish surnames

Village trades that became family names, from the cooper to the wheelwright. Kowalski, the blacksmith, is in the common list above.

  1. Szewczyk US #15,037: Son of the shoemaker, from szewc. Say SHEF-chik
  2. Bednarek US #20,478: From bednarz, a barrel maker or cooper. Say bed-NAH-rek
  3. Kołodziej US #13,123: A wheelwright. Say ko-WO-jay
  4. Młynarczyk US #61,890: Son of the miller, from młynarz. Say mwih-NAR-chik
  5. Cieślak US #16,431: Son of the carpenter, from cieśla. Say CHESH-lahk
  6. Stolarczyk US #70,147: Son of the joiner, from stolarz. Say sto-LAR-chik
  7. Kucharski US #13,063: From kucharz, cook, often via villages named Kuchary. Say koo-HAR-skee
  8. Kmieć US #24,869: A well-off peasant farmer in old Poland. Say KMYETCH
  9. Sołtysiak US #55,517: Son of the sołtys, the village headman. Say sow-TIH-shahk
  10. Garncarek: From garncarz, a potter. Say garn-TSAH-rek
  11. Ślusarczyk US #56,803: Son of the locksmith, from ślusarz. Say shloo-SAR-chik
  12. Owczarek US #82,881: From owczarz, shepherd; the word also means sheepdog. Say of-CHAH-rek
  13. Rybak US #14,611: A fisherman, from ryba, fish. Say RIH-bahk
  14. Kowal US #7,641: A blacksmith; the simplest of the smith surnames. Say KO-vahl
  15. Piekarski US #17,204: From piekarz, baker, often via villages named Piekary. Say pyeh-KAR-skee
  16. Kaczmarczyk US #21,249: Son of the innkeeper, from karczmarz. Say kahch-MAR-chik
  17. Mularczyk: Son of the bricklayer, from mularz. Say moo-LAR-chik
  18. Furman US #3,926: A carter or wagon driver. Say FOOR-mahn
  19. Dobosz US #44,679: A drummer, from Hungarian dobos. Say DO-bosh

Polish last names from animals and birds

Nickname surnames from the farmyard and the forest. Many are short, one-word names with no ending at all.

  1. Wilk US #6,358: Polish for wolf. Say VEELK
  2. Zając US #6,456: Polish for hare. Say ZAH-yonts
  3. Wróbel US #7,871: Polish for sparrow. Say VROO-bel
  4. Sikora US #6,121: Polish for titmouse, a small bird. Say shee-KO-rah
  5. Baran US #5,690: Polish for a ram. Say BAH-rahn
  6. Dudek US #6,262: Polish for hoopoe, a crested bird. Say DOO-dek
  7. Sowa US #11,742: Polish for owl. Say SO-vah
  8. Kruk US #16,604: Polish for a raven. Say KROOK
  9. Lis US #13,056: Means fox, an old animal nickname. Say LEES
  10. Wrona US #18,946: Polish for crow. Say VRO-nah
  11. Słowik US #19,051: Polish for nightingale. Say SWO-veek
  12. Kos US #17,328: Polish for a blackbird. Say KOS
  13. Jeleń US #41,765: Polish for deer or stag. Say YEH-len
  14. Gołąb US #44,611: Polish for dove or pigeon. Say GO-womp
  15. Kozioł US #9,943: Polish for billy goat. Say KO-zhyow
  16. Kaczor US #16,875: Polish for drake, a male duck. Say KAH-chor
  17. Gąsior US #25,728: Polish for gander. Say GON-shor
  18. Żuraw US #76,478: Polish for crane. Say ZHOO-rahf
  19. Szczygieł US #46,181: Polish for goldfinch. Say SHCHIH-gyew

Polish surnames from nicknames, nature and regions

Some surnames describe a person: quiet, cheerful, gray-haired. Others name a plant, the weather or the region a family came from.

  1. Król US #8,491: Polish for king, an old nickname. Say KROOL
  2. Biały US #48,549: Polish for white, for fair hair. Say BYAH-wih
  3. Czarny US #53,865: Polish for black, for dark hair. Say CHAR-nih
  4. Mały US #12,821: Polish for small, or the younger. Say MAH-wih
  5. Cichy US #28,958: Polish for quiet. Say CHEE-hih
  6. Wesoły: Polish for cheerful. Say veh-SO-wih
  7. Mądry US #28,926: Polish for wise. Say MON-drih
  8. Siwiec US #68,212: From siwy, gray-haired. Say SHEE-vyets
  9. Mróz US #11,195: Polish for frost. Say MROOS
  10. Sosna US #64,670: Polish for pine tree. Say SOS-nah
  11. Jagoda US #43,428: Polish for berry. Say yah-GO-dah
  12. Kwiatek US #42,858: Polish for little flower. Say KFYAH-tek
  13. Mazurek US #10,833: Little Masovian; also a folk dance and an Easter cake. Say mah-ZOO-rek
  14. Ślązak: A Silesian. Say SHLON-zahk
  15. Krakowiak US #59,374: Someone from Kraków or its region. Say krah-KO-vyahk
  16. Kujawa US #10,423: Someone from Kuyavia in north-central Poland. Say koo-YAH-vah
  17. Litwin US #15,363: A Lithuanian. Say LEET-veen
  18. Węgrzyn US #25,603: A Hungarian, or someone with Hungarian ties. Say VENG-zhin

How to pick the right name

Use the right ending for a woman

Adjective surnames change with gender: Kowalski becomes Kowalska, Zawadzki becomes Zawadzka and Cichy becomes Cicha. Noun names like Nowak, Wilk or Mazur stay the same for everyone.

Keep the Polish letters

Ł sounds like an English w, and ą and ę are nasal vowels. Keep the original spelling when you can, though many American families simplified theirs, as in Wisniewski.

Pick a meaning that fits

Sowa (owl) suits a wise character, Cichy (quiet) a shy one, and Kowalczyk a family of makers. The notes give each meaning.

Polish last names: 129 ideas from Nomezo

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Polish last names: the counts in Poland's register, the women's forms, and the American spellings to search

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 25, 2026 · How we research names

Nowak is Poland's most common surname, carried by 98,387 men and 99,738 women in the national PESEL register in January 2026. Women's forms are the norm there: 67,308 women are Kowalska. In the 2020 US Census, though, Kowalski has 16,721 people and Kowalska just 269, because American records usually keep the masculine form.

American families also changed spellings, so a search for a Polish ancestor needs more than one. The finder above narrows the names by section, length or first letter, and the tags show each surname's US rank.

  1. Step 1Start with the ending-ski is of or from; -wicz and -czyk son of.
  2. Step 2Use the woman's formKowalski becomes Kowalska; Nowak stays.
  3. Step 3Search every spellingDombrowski outnumbers Dabrowski in the US.
  4. Step 4Say it the Polish wayW is v, ł is w, -owski is -of-skee.

The most common surnames in Poland

Most common surnames in Poland's PESEL register, January 20, 2026
RankMenWomen
1Nowak (98,387)Nowak (99,738)
2Kowalski (66,589)Kowalska (67,308)
3Wiśniewski (53,079)Wiśniewska (54,177)
4Wójcik (47,734)Wójcik (48,568)
5Kowalczyk (46,994)Kowalczyk (48,264)
6Kamiński (45,818)Kamińska (46,723)
7Lewandowski (44,466)Lewandowska (46,268)
8Zieliński (43,931)Zielińska (44,578)

Source: the PESEL register on Poland's open-data portal, men and women. Wójcik and Kowalczyk are noun names, so they are the same for women.

Men's, women's and family forms

  • A -ski name is not proof of nobility. The -ski form was once linked with the nobility, much like German von, but many commoners took it up in the 19th century (Wikipedia).
How Polish surnames change for women and for the whole family
ManWomanThe family
KowalskiKowalskaKowalscy
ZawadzkiZawadzkaZawadzcy
CichyCichaCisi
NowakNowakNowakowie
WilkWilkWilkowie

Source: Wikipedia: Polish name. Adjective names change; noun names stay the same. The old wife and daughter forms, like Nowakowa and Nowakówna, are now rare.

American spellings to search

Polish surnames and their American spellings, 2020 US Census
PolishIn the US
DąbrowskiDombrowski 6,176; Dabrowski 2,515
KowalskiKowalski 16,721; Kowalsky 1,246
WiśniewskiWisniewski 11,873; Wisnewski 720
LewandowskiLewandowski 11,068; Lewandoski 515
JabłońskiJablonski 6,931; Yablonski 584; Jablonsky 538
WójcikWojcik 7,327; Wojick 252

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020, which drops Polish letters. Some spellings, like Kaminsky, are shared with Czech, Slovak or Jewish families.

Say it the Polish way

Polish letters in the surnames on this page
LetterSounds likeExample
wv, or f at the end of a syllableKowalski: ko-VAHL-skee; -owski: -OF-skee
łwKozłowski: koz-WOF-skee
sz, czsh, chSzymczak: SHIM-chahk
rz, żthe s in measureBrzeziński: bzheh-ZHEEN-skee
ąom or onDąbrowski: dom-BROF-skee

Source: Wikipedia: Polish orthography. Polish stresses the next-to-last syllable.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common Polish last name?

Nowak is the most common Polish surname, followed by Kowalski, Wiśniewski, Wójcik and Kowalczyk. In Poland's PESEL register in January 2026, about 98,400 men and 99,700 women were named Nowak.

What does -ski mean in Polish last names?

It makes an adjective meaning of or from, usually a place. Jabłoński is the family from a place named for apple trees. It was once linked with the nobility but is now used by everyone.

What are Polish female last names?

Surnames ending in -ski, -cki or -dzki change to -ska, -cka or -dzka for women, so Kowalski becomes Kowalska. Other adjective names usually change too, as Cichy becomes Cicha. Noun names like Nowak or Wilk stay the same.

What does -wicz mean in Polish surnames?

It means son of. Adamowicz is son of Adam and Jakubowicz is son of Jakub, the Polish Jacob. These names are especially common in eastern Poland and the old eastern borderlands.

How do you pronounce Polish last names?

W sounds like v, ł like w, sz like sh, cz like ch, and rz like the s in measure. Wiśniewski is roughly veesh-NYEF-skee.

Why is it Kowalski in the US but Kowalska in Poland?

In Poland a woman uses the feminine form, so 67,308 women in the 2026 register are Kowalska. American and other Western records usually keep one family name for everyone, so women became Kowalski: the 2020 US Census counts 16,721 Kowalskis and only 269 Kowalskas.

Does a -ski surname mean my family was noble?

Not by itself. The -ski form was once linked with the nobility, but many ordinary families adopted it in the 19th century, so today it tells you little about a family's past.

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