The Name Michałowicz - East or West Slavic?

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the site and was wondering if anyone on here could help with a query I have.

I'm a quarter Polish, and I've noticed over the years that quite a few Polish friends or acquaintances have said my surname - which is Michałowicz - sounds Russian to them. I never gave this much thought until I met my current girlfriend (also Polish), who says she never met anyone with a name like mine back in Poland. She is convinced I have either Russian or Ukrainian lineage.

My Grandfather was from Lwów, and I'm fairly well read into the history of that region. I know that Michałowicz is a name found across Slavic countries other than Poland (Mikhailovich, Mykhailovych etc), and I also know what it means. But none of this really helps clarify the issue for me. I assumed names ending with wicz were fairly common in Poland, but I'm told by several Poles that this is not the case.

Can anyone tell me whether this name sounds distinctly east Slavic to them or if it is in fact a Russian or Ukrainian name in origin?

Many thanks

Hey there! A big, warm welcome to the forum. -wicz is common in Poland, mostly in the eastern parts.

Michalowicz is a common Polish surname found all over my country. -wicz basically means 'son of', in your case: 'son of Michael'. Good luck with further research, friend.

It could be an Armenian name...

Michałowicz is a fairly common surname in Poland used by some 1,700 people. It is a name of patronymic origin whose English equivalent would be Michaelson. In one spelling or another the -icz/-wicz patronymic ending is common to the Polish, Russian and Ruthenian (Belarusian, Ukrainian) languages and other Slavonic tongues. Mikhailovich is the Latin transcription of the Russian version and Mykhailovych is Ruthenian. Fewer than 3 dozen people in Poland sign themselves Michajłowicz, the Polish transliteration of the Russian

You may be itnerested to know there were nobles amongst Poland's Michałowiczes with a coat of arms to prove it.
For more info please contact: research60@gmail

Hi

I live in Australia, my maiden name was Michalowicz, my father came from Lusk, Poland. Just thought I should ytry and make contact. Yaffa