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English versions of Polish given names


Gruszecka 1 | 1
18 Jan 2022 #1
Hi all:
This is my first post. Here is a list of 6 given names:
1)Władysław
2)Mieczysław
3)Mirosław
4)Borzysław
5)Jarosław
6)Stanislaw
I wish to know what the English equivalent would be for each name please.
Many thanks in advance.
Atch 22 | 4,096
19 Jan 2022 #2
There is no English translation for these names. They are ancient Slavic names which don't have an equivalent in English. You would have to look at the meaning of the names and then search for English names with the same meaning to get any kind of equivalent but of course they wouldn't sound remotely similar to the Polish ones. The only one there that has any kind of 'English' form is Stanisław which would be Stanislaus in its Latinized form.

You might find this article helpful/interesting.

culture.pl/en/article/a-foreigners-guide-to-polish-names
Vlad1234 17 | 894
19 Jan 2022 #3
I think suitable equivalents would be:
1) Jaroslav = Jerry, Jeremy
2) Stanislav = Stanley or Stephen
ForumUser
19 Jan 2022 #4
There's no English-language translation (no translation in the "literal English" sense, at least), of Polish (fe)male given names suffixed "-sław(a)"...But few of those male given names are sometimes "Anglicized"...notably "Władysław" = "Walter", "Borzysław" = "Boris", "Jarosław" = "Gerald"/"Jerry" etc, and Stanisław" = "Stanley"
OP Gruszecka 1 | 1
19 Jan 2022 #5
Thank you everyone for your valuable input
Vlad1234 17 | 894
19 Jan 2022 #6
I like such masculine Slavic names as Plamen (flamy) and Ognjen (fiery). I wonder why they are out of use today.
Atch 22 | 4,096
19 Jan 2022 #7
Names go in and out of fashion everywhere but with the coming of Christianity to Poland Catholics took the names of saints. The few ancient Slavic names that survived tended to be the names of Slavs who were also saints in the Catholic church. The names you mention may well experience a revival - who knows ? :)
Mtremba
2 Jun 2022 #8
What is the English name for Wojciech ?
ForumUser
2 Jun 2022 #9
@Mtremba
There is no English-language equivalent of the (fe)male Polish given name "Wojciech(a)" (a.k.a. Polish diminutive male name forms "Wojtek", "Wojtuś", "Wojtas", "Wojcio", etc). Some German-language equivalents of the male Polish given name include "Woitke"/"Voitke", "Wogtke"/"Vogtke", "Woytke"/"Voytke", "Wotke"/"Wötke", etc.

The literal English-language translation of "Wojciech(a)" is Polish root word "Woj" meaning "Warrior" combined with obsolete (fe)male Polish given name "Ciechosław(a)" meaning "Ciech-" ("Goodness") + "-Sław(a)" ("Fame").

Nowadays the word "Woj" almost never used in standalone word form, and is more commonly used in prefix form "Woj-" onto words pertaining to the word "War(-rior)" (prefixed onto nouns, adverbs, adjectives, and verbs/infinitives).
mafketis 36 | 10,679
2 Jun 2022 #10
What is the English name for Wojciech ?

I used to be told it was Albert, but wasn't sure, why.... according to wikipedia it was because a Czech saint who changed his name from Vojtech to Adalbert....
pawian 221 | 23,970
4 Jun 2022 #11
Adalbert..

Poles learnt that Adalbert means Wojciech in early 1980s when Wojciech Jaruzelski was addressed as Adalbert Lezuraj in a classified ad. Funny story about the martial law.

offbeatkrakow.pl/zagadkowe-zyczenia-dla-adalberta-lezuraja/



Alien 20 | 4,731
4 Jun 2022 #12
Was he jewish?
pawian 221 | 23,970
4 Jun 2022 #13
Who knows? That`s what professional antiSemites claimed. But they say it about everybody so .....
Alien 20 | 4,731
4 Jun 2022 #14
If he was, now I know why in Poland then it was impossible to get ham.
pawian 221 | 23,970
6 Jun 2022 #15
If he was,

No, he wasn`t. His origin was Polish gentry.
Alien 20 | 4,731
7 Jun 2022 #16
Well, Jaruzel, he is s very controversial figure.
RussianAntiPutin 8 | 242
10 Jun 2022 #17
Stupid question, but is 'Zuzanna' the Polish equivalent of English 'Suzanne' or Italian 'Susanna'? It sounds like, but I'm not sure.
mafketis 36 | 10,679
10 Jun 2022 #18
is 'Zuzanna' the Polish equivalent of English 'Suzanne' or Italian 'Susanna'?

What else would it be?
RussianAntiPutin 8 | 242
10 Jun 2022 #19
@mafketis
I don't know, I was just wondering if Zuzanna has an equivalent in other languages and I thought it sounds similiar.
jon357 74 | 21,754
10 Jun 2022 #20
Susan. Susanna, Suzanne. Sue.
M Skomski
6 Sep 2022 #21
My Dads name in English is Watson what would it be in polish?
pawian 221 | 23,970
6 Sep 2022 #22
Watson

Watsyński. Or Watsynowicz. Simple.
Tpot
5 Jul 2023 #23
I know a Zuzanna that goes by zoey
lakemcdougall
4 Jan 2024 #24
Borzysław ~ Boris (Bruno = Bronislaw)
pawian 221 | 23,970
6 Jan 2024 #25
"Władysław" = "Walter",

Why not Vlad?? Like Vlad the Impaler, also called Vlad Dracula.


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