Genealogy / The Name Michałowicz - East or West Slavic? [5]

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