How to Give Your Baby a Polish Name

Most Polish names have equivalents in English. If your family background is Polish, you may want to use a Polish first or middle name for your child. Below is a list of names, along with their meanings.

Things You'll Need

• Books Of Polish Names
• Genealogy Books
• Internet Access
• Computers
• Genealogy Software

Instructions

1. Choose a name that symbolizes love. Filomena for a girl means loved one. For a boy, Dawid, the Polish equivalent of David, means beloved.

2. Decide on a name synonymous with courage and strength. For girls, Matylda means powerful battler. (The English form is Mathilda.) Ludwika means famous warrior - the English version is Louise. For boys, Czeslaw (equivalent to Chester) means rocky fortress, Leon means lion, Eryk means peaceful ruler and Andrzej (a form of Andrew) means strong.

3. Opt for a virtuous name. For girls, Janina, a form of Jane, means God is gracious, Agnieszka (equivalent to Agnes) means pure, and Ala (equivalent to Alice) means truthful. For boys, Jan, a form of John, means God is gracious.

4. Try a name synonymous with fame. For a girl, try Antonina, which means flourishing and praiseworthy. For a boy, Eugeniusz, a form of Eugene, means born to nobility.

5. Give your child a name that glorifies God and spirituality. For girls, Elka and Elzbieta - forms of Elizabeth - and Izabella mean consecrated to God. Aniela, a form of Angela, means Angel. Dorota, a form of Dorothy, means gift of God. For boys, Mateusz (a form of Matthew) and Teodor (equivalent to Theodore) mean gift of God; Jozio (equivalent to Joseph) means God will add. Choose Franciszka, which means free; or Malgorzata, which means pearl and is a form of Margaret, for girls.

6. Opt for Lukasz (equivalent to Luke), which means light; Pawel (a form of Paul), which means small; or Krzysztof (equivalent to Christopher), which means Christbearer, for boys.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that these names come from various parts of the country and can be derived from different cultures. The spellings and meaning may vary slightly from region to region - check with your family or other resources if this is important in naming your child.