Polish names
Polish names carry a crisp, consonant-rich music, softened by tender diminutives used at home, Małgorzata becomes Gosia, Katarzyna becomes Kasia. Many honor saints or Slavic roots meaning glory, peace, or strength, names like Stanisław and Zofia that have anchored families for a thousand years.
Adam man of the earth
Agata good (Polish form of Agatha, back in style with today's Polish parents)
Agnieszka pure, holy (Polish form of Agnes)
Aleksander defender of mankind (Polish form of Alexander)
Aleksandra defender of mankind (Polish form of Alexandra)
Alicja noble, truthful (Polish form of Alice)
Amadeusz loves God (Polish form of Amadeus)
Amelia work, industriousness (popular alongside native Emilia)
Andrzej manly, brave (Polish form of Andrew). Its name day eve, Andrzejki on November 29, is Poland's night of wax-pouring fortune games, the clearest surviving case of the name-day calendar outranking the birthday; in the US he is usually Andrew on paper and Andrzej at the family table.
Ania everyday form of Anna ('grace'); standalone across Poland
Aniela angel (a vintage Polish form of Angela)
Anna grace (a perennial Polish classic in every generation; Ania at home)
Antek everyday form of Antoni (Anthony, meaning uncertain, an old Roman family name)
Antoni the Polish form of Anthony, from the Roman name Antonius, of uncertain Etruscan origin
Antonina the Polish form of Antonia, from the Roman name Antonius, of uncertain Etruscan origin
Apolonia feminine form of Apollonios, of Apollo; borne by a 3rd-century saint
Ariadna Polish form of Ariadne, the princess of Crete in Greek myth
Barbara foreign woman, stranger
Bartek everyday form of Bartłomiej (Bartholomew, traditionally 'son of Talmai'); in Poland the -ek form is what friends actually call you, and Bartek long ago became a name in its own right
Bartosz Polish form of Bartholomew; Bartek at home
Basia diminutive of Barbara, said BA-shah. The -sia ending is the tenderest register of Polish diminutives, Basia from Barbara as Zosia from Zofia and Kasia from Katarzyna, and jazz singer Basia charted in 1980s America under the diminutive alone; proof the home form can stand on its own abroad.
Beata blessed (from Latin beata; a signature name of Poland's 1960s and 70s generation)
Bernice bringer of victory (Greek Berenike; in Polish-American families often the English stand-in for Bronisława)
Blanka white, pure (Polish form of Blanche)
Bogdan God-given
Boleslaw great glory; US-friendly spelling of Bolesław
Bozena divine, godly; US-friendly spelling of Bożena
Bronisław glorious protector
Bruno brown (Germanic); famously borne by writer Bruno Schulz, and a top pick with today's Polish parents
Casimir proclaimer of peace (English and Latin form of Kazimierz). The form on Polish-American parish registers and on Chicago's map, where Casimir Pulaski Day still honors the Polish cavalry general of the American Revolution; choosing it today signals deliberate Polonia heritage, with Kaz as the easy everyday handle.
Chester camp, fortress (an English place name; Polonia's standard American stand-in for Czesław through the immigrant decades)
Cyprian traditionally linked to the island of Cyprus; famously borne by Polish Romantic poet Cyprian Kamil Norwid
Czesław honor and glory (old Slavic; borne by Nobel poet Czesław Miłosz and anglicized in Polonia as Chester)
Danuta traditional Lithuanian-Polish name, meaning uncertain
Dariusz Polish form of Darius: possessing goodness, the great Persian king's name
Dobrawa good fame, good news
Dorota gift of God (Polish form of Dorothy)
Elżbieta God is my oath (Polish form of Elizabeth)
Emilia rival, eager (Polish form of Emily)
Ewa life (Polish form of Eve). Its name day falls on December 24, so every Ewa celebrates at the Christmas Eve wigilia table when the whole family is already gathered, the textbook example of Poland's name-day calendar; a staple for girls born in 1950s to 70s Poland.
Ewelina Polish form of Evelina, from the medieval French Aveline; a Polonia favorite
Feliks Polish form of Felix: lucky, successful
Filip lover of horses (Polish form of Philip)
Franciszek Frenchman (Polish form of Francis)
Franciszka Polish feminine form of Francis ("Frenchman")
Franek everyday form of Franciszek (Francis, 'Frenchman')
Genowefa Polish form of Genevieve, traditionally read as kin and wife; the patron saint of Paris
Gosia everyday form of Małgorzata (Margaret, 'pearl')
Grażyna gracious, amiable; popularized by Adam Mickiewicz's Romantic poem "Grażyna"
Grzegorz Polish form of Gregory: watchful, alert
Halina light, calm (Polish form of Helen)
Hania grace (Polish diminutive of Hanna/Anna)
Hanna grace, favor (form of Hannah in Polish and many languages)
Helena Polish form of the Latinate Helena, stressed on the middle syllable; Helen's deeper etymology is uncertain, with light or torch only a traditional proposal. A great-grandmother name in Polonia and a leading 2020s choice in Poland.
Heniek familiar Polish form of Henryk, the Polish form of Henry
Henryk home ruler (Polish form of Henry, borne by Nobel novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz)
Hubert bright mind (Germanic; a modern staple in Poland even as it faded in America)
Iga short independent name rooted in old Slavic forms
Ignacy fiery, ardent (Polish form of Ignatius)
Igor warrior of the god Yngvi (from Norse Yngvarr via East Slavic, long naturalized in Poland)
Irena peace (Polish form of Irene)
Iwona Polish feminine form of Yves: yew tree
Iza short form of Izabela (Isabella, form of Elizabeth, 'my God is an oath')
Izabela God is my oath (Polish spelling of Isabella)
Jadwiga battle refuge (historic Polish queen's name)
Jakub supplanter (Polish form of Jacob/James)
Jan God is gracious (Polish form of John)
Janek everyday form of Jan (John, 'God is gracious')
Janina a Polish classic from the John family, the feminine answer to Jan: God is gracious
Janusz medieval Polish variant of Jan, a fixture of Poland's postwar generation
Jaroslaw Polish form of Yaroslav: fierce and glorious
Jerzy farmer (Polish form of George)
Joanna God is gracious (Polish form of Joanna; Asia, said AH-shah, at home)
Jolanta violet flower (medieval Yolanda in Polish form; Jola for short, a midcentury Poland staple)
Jozefa feminine form of Jozef (Joseph): God will increase; a great-grandmother Polonia name
Julia youthful, downy-haired
Justyna just, fair (Polish form of Justine)
Józef God will add (Polish form of Joseph; the name of Piłsudski, who led Poland back onto the map in 1918)
Kacper treasurer (Polish form of Casper/Jasper)
Kamil Polish form of the Roman Camillus, an ancient name of uncertain meaning; also an Arabic name meaning perfect
Karolina Polish feminine form of Karol, that is Charles (Germanic karl, 'man'); a 1980s and 90s Poland staple that travels well
Kasia pure (Polish diminutive of Katarzyna/Katherine)
Katarzyna pure (Polish form of Katherine). The formal register behind Kasia, showing how Polish naming runs on two levels, the full name for documents and saints' days and the diminutive for daily life; one of the defining names of Poland's 1970s and 80s generation.
Kaz the Polonia short of Kazimierz (Casimir, traditionally 'proclaimer of peace'); one syllable that carries a very Polish name lightly in English, and long used as a standalone name in Polish-American families
Kazimierz proclaimer of peace (historic royal name)
Kinga brave warrior woman (from Kunigunde)
Klara bright, clear (Polish spelling of Clara, a 2020s Poland favorite)
Klaudia traditionally linked to the Roman clan name Claudius: lame (Polish form of Claudia)
Konstancja constancy, steadfastness (Polish form of Constance)
Kordian title character of Juliusz Słowacki's Romantic drama "Kordian"
Krystyna Polish form of Christina
Krzysztof Christ-bearer (Polish form of Christopher)
Kuba form of Jakub (Jacob, traditionally 'holder of the heel'); one of Poland's most-heard everyday names, fully standalone
Laura laurel, victory
Lech legendary founder of the Polish nation
Lena diminutive of Helena/Magdalena, echoing light
Leokadia traditionally linked to Greek leukos, bright and white; borne by Saint Leocadia of Toledo
Leon lion
Leszek traditionally linked to Lech, the legendary founder of Poland. A medieval diminutive that grew into a formal name, making it the neatest demonstration of the Polish -ek system that turns Jan into Janek and Wojciech into Wojtek; a favorite of Poland's midcentury generation.
Liliana Latinate form of Lillian, long associated with the lily flower
Lucyna traditionally linked to light (Latin lux); in Rome, Lucina watched over childbirth
Ludmiła beloved by the people
Ludwika Polish feminine form of Ludwig: famous in battle
Lukasz man of Lucania; US-friendly spelling of Łukasz
Maciej Polish form of Matthias; Maciek to family and friends
Magda short form of Magdalena ('woman of Magdala'), fully standalone in Poland
Magdalena woman from Magdala (biblical)
Maja May-born; linked to the goddess Maia
Maks Polish spelling of Max, short for Maksymilian (Maximilian, 'greatest'); reads the same in Kraków and Chicago
Maksymilian the greatest (Polish form of Maximilian)
Malgorzata pearl; US-friendly spelling of Małgorzata
Marcel form of Marcellus, a diminutive of Marcus (probably from the god Mars)
Marcin of Mars, warlike (Polish form of Martin)
Marek of Mars (Polish form of Mark; a staple of Poland's 1960s to 80s generation that Americans pronounce right on the first try)
Maria traditionally linked to the Virgin Mary; bitter, or wished-for child (Polish form of Mary)
Marta lady of the house (Polish form of Martha)
Marysia tender everyday form of Maria; the -sia ending is Polish affection at work
Marzena probably grown from Polish pet forms of Maria or Malgorzata; a beloved postwar Polish name
Mateusz gift of God (Polish form of Matthew)
Michalina who is like God (feminine of Michał; a vintage revival hit with 2020s Polish parents)
Michał who is like God (Polish form of Michael)
Mieczyslaw traditionally sword and glory (Slavic meci and slava); a grandfather-generation Polonia standard
Mikołaj victory of the people (Polish form of Nicholas)
Miroslaw peace and glory (Slavic miru and slava)
Miłosz gracious glory, dear glory
Monika meaning uncertain, borne by Saint Monica; a staple of Poland's 1970s and 80s generation
Nadia hope (from Slavic Nadzieja; a modern favorite in today's Poland)
Natalia born on Christmas day
Nel short independent name, from Eleonora/Helena
Nikodem victory of the people (Polish form of Nicodemus)
Nikola victory of the people (feminine form)
Ola diminutive of Aleksandra, standard enough in Poland to stand alone; every Polish name grows pet forms in -ek, -ka, or -sia, and Olka is Ola's own playful step further
Olek everyday form of Aleksander (Alexander, 'defender of the people')
Oliwia olive tree (Polish form of Olivia)
Oliwier olive tree (Polish spelling of Oliver, a 2020s Poland favorite)
Oskar spear of the gods, or deer friend (Polish spelling of Oscar, a 2020s Poland favorite)
Patrycja Polish feminine form of Patrick: noblewoman
Paulina small, humble (Latin feminine of Paul, long a Polish staple)
Paweł small, humble (Polish form of Paul)
Pelagia of the open sea (Greek pelagos); an early martyr's name kept alive in Poland
Piotr rock (Polish form of Peter)
Pola diminutive of Apolonia. Silent-film star Pola Negri, born Apolonia Chałupiec, carried the diminutive to Hollywood as Polonia's first global celebrity, and today's Polish parents have made Pola a national favorite again, a home name promoted to the birth certificate the way Zosia and Hania were; four letters that work in any language.
Przemysław cunning glory (historic royal/ducal name)
Radosław joyful glory
Roksana traditionally linked to 'little star' (Polish form of Roxana)
Roman citizen of Rome; a Polish midcentury classic now riding a separate American revival
Ryszard brave ruler (Polish form of Richard)
Salomea Polish form of Salome, from shalom: peace; borne by the Blessed Salomea, a 13th-century Polish princess
Stanislawa feminine form of Stanislaw: stand into glory
Stanisław to become glorious
Stanley stony meadow (an English surname name). The name a generation of Stanisławs took at American schools and mills, so standard in Polonia that baseball's Stan Musial, born Stanisław Franciszek to a Polish immigrant family, carried it to the Hall of Fame; it still works as the English half of the Stanisław tradition.
Staś diminutive of Stanisław, romanized Stas. The boy hero of Sienkiewicz's In Desert and Wilderness, where he shepherds little Nel across Africa, a pairing as fixed in Polish childhood as Tom and Huck in American; a home name that only recently began appearing on birth certificates.
Stefan crown, garland (Polish form of Stephen, borne by king Stefan Batory and cardinal Stefan Wyszyński)
Stefania feminine form of Stephen: crown; a Polonia heirloom
Stella star (Latin). In Polonia the accepted American form of Stanisława, which is why so many Polish-American grandmothers are Stellas; now back near the top of US charts on pure style, so the heritage read comes free with a fashionable name.
Sylwia Polish form of Silvia: of the forest (Latin silva)
Szymon he has heard (Polish form of Simon)
Tadeusz praised (Polish form of Thaddeus), historically borne by military leader Tadeusz Kościuszko
Teodor gift of God (Polish form of Theodore)
Teofil friend of God (Greek Theophilos); a Polonia heirloom
Teresa meaning uncertain, traditionally linked to Greek for harvest; a beloved Polish classic of the postwar pews
Thaddeus traditionally glossed as courageous heart (Aramaic, via the apostle Jude Thaddeus); honoring Tadeusz Kościuszko, engineer hero of the American Revolution
Tomasz twin (Polish form of Thomas)
Tomek everyday form of Tomasz (Thomas, 'twin')
Tymon honoring God (Polish form of Timothy)
Urszula little she-bear (Polish form of Ursula)
Waclaw more glory; US-friendly spelling of Wacław
Walter ruler of the army (Germanic; in Polish-American families the fixed exchange for Władysław, with Władek staying in use at home)
Wanda legendary Polish princess who, per folklore, drowned herself in the Vistula rather than marry a foreign prince
Weronika true image (Polish form of Veronica)
Wiktor victory (Polish form of Victor)
Wiktoria victory (Polish form of Victoria)
Wisława famous glory (as in poet Wisława Szymborska)
Witold Polish form of the Lithuanian Vytautas, borne by resistance hero Witold Pilecki and novelist Witold Gombrowicz
Wojciech warrior of consolation
Wojtek diminutive of Wojciech
Władysław ruling with glory (historic royal name)
Zaria modern coinage, popularized alongside Zara and Maria
Zbigniew to dispel anger (old Slavic). Carried to the White House by national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, who let Washington call him Zbig; the standing pattern for the hardest Polish names in America, keep the name whole and hand out the nickname.
Zenon from the Greek Zenon, of Zeus's line; borne by Stoic and Eleatic philosophers and carried proudly in Polonia
Zofia wisdom (Polish form of Sophia)
Zosia wisdom (Polish diminutive of Zofia/Sophia)
Zuzanna lily (Polish form of Susanna)
Zuzia everyday form of Zuzanna (Susanna, 'lily')
Zygmunt victorious protection (from Germanic Sigismund; the name of Poland's Renaissance kings and of Kraków's great Zygmunt bell)
Which of these fits YOUR family? →