If you’re looking for Polish baby boy names for your little princess, take a look at this list of popular Polish baby names for boys. I’ll also explain what to pay attention to when picking a Polish name for a baby boy and how to avoid mistakes.
I was born and raised in Poland, so you can trust me on this: all the names on the list are authentic Polish names spelled correctly. If you’re having a boy also check my list of Polish boy names (there are no gender-neutral Polish names)
In Poland, similar to most countries in Europe all names must be approved at the registry. If the name you picked is too weird or offensive it will be rejected, and why parents usually go for the traditional name.
Until recently, foreign names weren’t allowed in Poland unless you had a foreign spouse, but then registries started allowing Polish spelling of foreign names. This is why you can find “Brajan” as Brian, “Dżesika” as Jessica, or “Dżastin” as Justin but they’re often laughable and considered from pathological families.
Things to Think About When Choosing a Polish Girl Name
Polish language traditionally doesn’t have gender-neutral names used as first names and giving boy names to girls and vice versa is rejected by the registry, but since most people have middle names there are cases of males are given “Maria” as a second name.
While many Polish names may seem long or beautiful, most of the time people use a “nickname” version of it – like a shorter sweeter form. For example, “Anna” will never be called Anna. She will be called “Ania”or even “Anka” or “Andzia”.
Polish middle names are traditionally the names of Slavic saints, but the tradition is slowly fading away. You cannot however take your maiden name as a middle name when you get married, it won’t be accepted by the registry.
The wife may keep her maiden name (nazwisko panieńskie) or add her husband’s surname to hers, thus creating a double-barrelled name (nazwisko złożone).
Polish Surnames
Polish surnames are always interesting to foreigners. The most widespread Polish surnames are Nowak, Kowalski, Wiśniewski and Wójcik, but surnames change depending on the gender of the person and whether you’re talking about a family or just a person.
For example, if you have a son he would be Kowalski, but if you have a daughter she would be Kowalska. As a family, you would be called Kowalscy (if you’re mixed gender or only males), but if there are only females you would be called Kowalskie.
That’s how you can tell if a person is actually born in Poland or inherited a surname abroad because you would never have a Polish woman with a last name ending in -ski. It will always be -ska. Another clue of being a foreigner is the s changing the final vowel to -y, because this would never happen in Poland.
The same applies to other common endings like (-cki, -dzki, -ny, -ty) they will look (-cka, -dzka, -na, -ta) for a woman.
Most Popular Baby Girl Names in Poland
Zofia is the most popular Polish female name, followed by these Polish names for women:
- Zuzanna
- Hanna
- Maja
- Oliwia
- Lena
- Katarzyna
- Agnieszka
100 Polish Names for Girls
| Name | Pronounciation | Mostly used nicknames | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada | Aa-da | – | Adaine |
| Agata | Aa-g-aa-ta | – | Agatha |
| Agnieszka | Aa-g-ny-e-sh-kaa | Aga | Agnes |
| Aldona | Aal-do-nah | – | |
| Aleksandra | Ola | Alexandra | |
| Alicja | Aa-ly-cyaa | – | Alice / Alicia |
| Aneta | Aa-ne-tah | Anetka | Annette |
| Aniela | Aa-nye-lah | – | Angela |
| Anna | Aan-nah | Ania, Andzia | Anna / Anne |
| Antonina | Aan-toh-nyi-nah | Tosia, Antosia | Antoinette |
| Beata | Bee-ah-tah | – | Beatrice |
| Barbara | Bar-ba-rah | Basia | Barbara |
| Bogna | Bo-g-nah | – | – |
| Bogusława | Bo-goo-s-waa-wah | Bogusia | – |
| Bożena | Bo-zeh-naa | – | – |
| Brygida | Bree-jhiy-dah | – | Bridget |
| Dagmara | Dah-g-marah | – | |
| Danuta | Dah-nuw-tah | Danka | – |
| Dobrochna | Doh-bro-ghnah | – | – |
| Dorota | Do-ro-taa | – | Dorothy |
| Elżbieta | Ehl-zbiy-eh-Taa | Ela | Elisabeth / Ella |
| Ewa | Eh-vah | – | Ava / Eve |
| Edyta | Eh-di-taa | – | Edith |
| Estera | Ehs-teh-rah | – | Esther |
| Ewelina | Eh-vah-li-naa | – | Evelyn |
| Gaja | Guy-yaah | – | Gaia |
| Grażyna | Grah-zih-nah | – | Grace |
| Halina | Haa-li-naa | – | Helen |
| Helena | Heh-LEH-Naa | – | Helen |
| Hanna | Haan-nah-h | Hania | Hannah |
| Iwona | Iy-VOW-Naa | – | Yvonne |
| Jadwiga | Yaad-vi-gaa | Iga, Jadzia | – |
| Jagienka | Ya-gyehn-kah | Jadzia | – |
| Jagoda | Ya-god-ah | – | Blueberry |
| Janina | Ya-nyi-nah | – | – |
| Joanna | Yow-ann-nah | Asia | Joanne |
| Jolanta | Yow-la-tah | Jola | Yolanda |
| Judyta | Yuw-dee-taa | – | Judith |
| Justyna | Yuw-stiy-nah | – | Justine |
| Kalina | Kae-lye-nah | – | – |
| Karolina | Kae-roll-ynah | – | Caroline |
| Katarzyna | Kae-raar-ziy-nah | Kasia | Katherine |
| Kazimiera | Kae-zi-m | Kazia | |
| Kinga | Kiyn-gaa | – | – |
| Klara | Kla-rah | – | |
| Krystyna | K | Krysia | Christine |
| Lena | Leh-Naa | – | Lena |
| Lidia | Liyd-ee-yah | – | Lydia |
| Ludmiła | Loo-dee-miy-wah | Luda | – |
| Łucja | Woo-sya-ah | – | Lucy |
| Magdalena | Maag-dah-leh-nah | Magda, Madzia | Magdalene |
| Małgorzata | Maaw-gaor-zaa-tah | Gosia | Margaret |
| Maria | Maar-ya | Marysia | Maria |
| Marianna | Maar-yan-nah | Misia | Marianne |
| Marta | Maar-tah | – | Martha |
| Milena | Miy-leh-nah | – | – |
| Monika | Moo-nyi-kah | – | Monica |
| Nadzieja | Naa- | – | Hope |
| Natalia | Naa-taa-lyaa | – | |
| Paulina | – | Paula | |
| Renata | Reh-naa-tah | ||
| Pola | Pow-lah | – | Paula |
| Zuzanna | Zuh-zaan-nah | Zuzia | Susanna |
| Zofia | Zow-fiy-ah | Zosia | Sofia |
| Weronika | Ve-row-niy-kah | – | Veronica |
| Wioletta | Viy-ow-leh-tah | Wiola | Violet / Viola |
| Wisława | Vis-waa-wah | – |
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