Category Archives: Polish Names

Martin, Martina

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Origin: Latin
Meaning: “belonging to the god Mars.”

This popular pan-European name is derived from Latin name Martinus, a derivative of the Latin genitive Martis, used in reference to the Roman god Mars. The usage of the genitive case would reflect possession, therefore the name would roughly translate as meaning “belonging to Mars” or “possessed by Mars.”

The name was popularized by a 4th-century bishop and saint, (the patron saint of France), known as Martin of Tours. According to legend, he came upon a beggar in the middle of a harsh and cold winter, Martin cut his only cloak in half and gave it to the beggar, later that night, he had a dream of Christ appearing before him, wearing the other half of his cloak. Saint Martin of Tours was not only a popular devotional saint in France, but in the rest of Europe as well. Today, the surname of Martin is the most common in France, originally the surname was taken in honour of the saint.

Another popular saint who bears the name is St. Martin de Porres, attributed as the first African-American saint, he was born in Peru in the 1500s. He was the son of a Spanish nobleman and an African slave woman. He later became a Dominican and was known for his charity and mystical powers. In Spanish-speaking countries, the name Martin is mostly given in commemoration of him.

The name became popular among protestants, particularly adherents of the Lutheran faith, due to its associations with the German Reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546). It was also borne by Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968).

In Europe today, Martin is still a fairly common choice. Its rankings are as follows:

  • #55 (Belgium 2006)
  • #56 (France 2006)
  • #20 (Hungary 2005)
  • #73 (Ireland 2007)
  • # 72 (Northern Ireland 2007)
  • # 8 (Norway 2007)
  • #32 (Slovenia 2005)
  • #59 (Spain 2006)
  • # 79 (Sweden 2007)

In Chile, he was the 4th most popular male name in 2006, while in the United States he comes in at a meagre # 221. The perfect classic male name for someone looking for something not too odd yet not too popular.

Other forms of the name include (divided alphabetically by origin)

  • Mardig (Armenian)
  • Mattin (Basque: diminutive form is Matxin)
  • Marzhin/Marzin (Breton)
  • Martí (Catalan: 77th most popular male name in Spain in 2006)
  • Martinu (Corsican)
  • Morten (Danish/Norwegian)
  • Maarten/Marten/Martijn (Dutch Pronunciation for the latter: http://www.forvo.com/search/Martijn/)
  • Ties (Dutch: originally a diminutive form, used as an independent given name)
  • Tinus (Dutch: originally a diminutive form of Martinus, now used as an independent given name)
  • Tijn (Dutch: originally a diminutive, now used as an independent given name. It was the 28th most popular male name in the Netherlands in 2008)
  • Madro/Mardi/Mardu/Mart/Märten/Märtin/Märt (Estonian)
  • Martti (Finnish)
  • Merten (Frisian)
  • Marti/Martinni (Greenlandic)
  • Márton (Hungarian: Pronunciation: http://www.forvo.com/search/Marton/ 31st most popular male name in Hungary 2005. Diminutive is Mártos)
  • Marteinn/Martin (Icelandic)
  • Mairtín (Irish Gaelic)
  • Martiniano (Italian: obscure)
  • Martino (Italian)
  • Martianus (Latin/Dutch)
  • Martinus (Latin/Dutch)
  • Marcis/Martins/Martiņš/Mārtiņš/Marts/Mārts (Latvian)
  • Martynas (Lithuanian)
  • Marcin (Polish. Pronunciation:http://www.forvo.com/search/Marcin/pl/. Diminutive is Marcinek)
  • Martim/Martinho (Portuguese)
  • Martinián (Slovakian)
  • Tinek (Slovenian: initially a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name)
  • Tine (Slovenian: originally a diminutive form, now a popular independent given name ranking in as the 59th most popular male name in Slovenia as of 2008. The final e is pronounced)
  • Martín (Spanish)
  • Mårten (Swedish)
  • Martyn (Welsh/Ukrainian)

Martin is not only used in English, but is also used in Croatian, Estonian, French, German, Maltese, Scandinavian, Romanian, Russian, Czech, Slovenian, Hungarian and Bulgarian languages as well. German nicknames include Marte, Mart,  Marti or Marty. Maroš is the Czech and Slovakian pet form and Marty is the common English nickname.

The name-days are:

  • March 1 (Bulgaria)
  • November 11 (Czech Republic/France/Germany/Poland/Lithuania/Slovakia)
  • November 10 (Sweden/Estonia/Latvia)

    Dutch children celebrating St. Martin's Day

    In some parts of Holland,  Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, children celebrate St. Maarten’s Day (November 11) by carrying lanterns from door-to-door and getting sweets in exchange for song. The same holiday is observed under the name of Mardispäev in Estonia, Jum San Martin in Malta and to a lesser extent, the holiday is celebrated in the greater region of Poland, particularly in Poznan. Only on this day, instead of it being a children’s holiday, it is more of a day to get a traditional poppy-filled croissant sold by bakers just on that one day of the year, occasionally there are concerts held in the city.

    The most common feminine form is usually Martina, which has experienced wide usage in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dutch-speaking countries, Estonia, Faroe Islands, German-speaking countries, Italy, Portuguese-speaking countries, Romania, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia and Spanish-speaking countries. It was borne by a 3rd-century Roman saint and martyr as well as a 6th-century Byzantine empress.

    Martinitsa

    It is interesting to note that in Bulgaria, the designated name-day is March 1, and Martin, as well as Martina, have historically been connected to the Bulgarian word mart (meaning March). In this case, the names are sometimes bestowed upon a March baby or children born on March 1. The Holiday of Baba Marta (meaning “grandmother March.”) is a traditional Bulgarian festival that celebrates the arrival of spring and the end of winter, Baba Marta is the harbinger of good weather and if she is displeased, she will continue to bring stormy weather. Baba Marta is considered a moody and fickle old woman, so one must always be careful not to displease her, one way of doing this is the exchange of martenitsi, (white and red tassles which are pinned to clothing), this is used as a way to ask Baba Marta for mercy. A martinitsa is worn either till the end of March or until the wearer spots a stork or a blooming tree, with this, the bearer knows that Baba Marta is pleased, afterwards, they are hung on trees in order to transfer luck onto the tree. The martenitsa symbolizes new life, fertility and spring.

    The rankings of Martinas popularity from country to country are as follows:

    • # 1 (Chile, 2006)
    • # 2 (Malta, 2007)
    • # 76 (Slovenia, 2005)
    • # 34 (Spain, 2006)

    Other feminine forms are:

    • Marzhina (Breton)
    • Maatje/Maartje/Martien/Martijntje (Dutch)
    • Tieneke/Tineke/Tine/Tini (Dutch diminutive forms, used as an independent given names)
    • Martine (French/Estonian/Norwegian/Danish: an obscure French feminine diminutive form is Martinette, the name is very popular in Norway coming in as the 28th most popular female name in 2007, in the Danish/Norwegian case, the final e is pronounced).
    • Martinka (Hungarian: initially used as a diminutive, occassionally used as an independent given name)
    • Martína (Icelandic)
    • Martana (Italian: obscure)
    • Martinella (Italian: obscure)
    • Marcina (Polish: the original Polish feminine form, this form has always been unusual and its latinized counterpart of Martyna has recently enjoyed popularity)
    • Martyna (Polish: popularized by a popular French children series known as Martine in French and Martynka in Polish written by Belgian authors Marcel Marlier and Gilbert Delahaye, published (1954). In Polish Martyna is pronounced (mahr-TIH-nah) the Y is akin to the i sound in pig, but not exactly so. Martyna is also the Ukrainian and Lithuanian version, but in those cases, it is pronounced with the long i sound (mahr-TEE-nah).\
    • Martinha (Portuguese)

    Other famous bearers of the name include: Martina von Trapp (1921-1951) is immortalized in the Sound of Music as Gretl von Trapp, she was named for the manor house she was born in, Martinschlössel (Martin’s Castle in English). Czech-American tennis player, Martina Návratilová (b.1956). American country-Western singer Martina McBride (b.1966). Italian actress, Martina Stella (b.1984).

    The name-days are:

    • March 1 (Bulgaria)
    • July 17 (Czech Republic)
    • January 30 (Germany/Hungary)
    • September 9 (Slovakia)
    • November 10 (Sweden)

    Engelbert

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    Origin: German
    Gender: Masculine
    Meaning: “bright angel; bright Angle.”

    The name is either derived from the ancient Germanic elements engel meaning “angel” or angil meaning “Angil”, (an ancient Germanic tribe later known as the Anglos,) and the Germanic beraht meaning “bright.” The name was borne by a medieval German saint, an archbishop of cologne, who was martyred. Other famous bearers of the name include: Count Engelbert 1 of Berg (1160-1189), Engelbert Humberdinck (1892-1934) a German composer best known for his opera Hänsel und Gretel. Engelbert Humberdinck (b.1936) is a British pop singer born Gerry Dorsey, who took the stage name of Engelbert Humberdinck in honour of the German composer.

    The name has experienced usage in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, (particularly in the region of Silesia), and Hungary. However, today, the name is extremely rare in all the above mentioned countries, especially in Germany where the name is considered very dated.

    Other forms include the older German forms of Angilberct and Engelbrecht.

    The designate name-day is November 7.

     

    Renata, Renatus, René, Renée

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    Origin: Latin
    Meaning: “rebirth.”

    The origins of René and Renée can be traced back to the Late Latin male name Renatus, meaning “rebirth; born again.” The name is borne by several saints in both its Latin masculine form and feminine Latin form. The French forms have experienced usage in the Netherlands, Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic as well as Anglo-phone countries.

    Renée enjoyed a short spout of popularity in the United States during the late 60s and early 70s, the highest it peaked was in 1967 coming in at # 62. As of 2008, she came in at # 734. Surprisingly, its masculine version ranked in higher in the top 1000, coming in as the 561st most popular male name in 2008. René is still somewhat prevalent among the Cajun and Creole communities of Louisiana.

    In 2005, he was the 57th most popular male name in Slovenia.

    Renata has experienced usage from South America to Eastern Europe, she is a common choice in Poland, Germany, Italy and Brazil. In 2006, she was the 34th most popular female name in Chile and the 68th most popular female name in Hungary.

    Other forms of the name include:

    • Renata (Czech, Croatian, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish. Polish diminutive forms are: Rena, Renatka and Renia. Spanish diminutive form is Renita, often used as an independent given name)
    • Renate (Dutch/German)
    • Renáta (Hungarian/Czech/Slovak)

    Masculine forms include:

    • René (French, Czech, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Slovakian, Slovenian)
    • Renát (Hungarian/Slovakian)
    • Röné (Hungarian)
    • Renato (Italian/Spanish)
    • Renatus (Late Latin)
    • Renáto (Slovakian)
    • Renátus (Slovakian)

    The designated name-day is November 6 in Slovakia, October 19 in France, November 12 in Poland and Lithuania, November 28 in the Czech Republic (Renata is October 13); October 6 in Hungary and January 23 in Estonia.

    The name is borne by French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes and French painter René Magritte and American actress Renée Zellweger.

    Viola, Violet

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    Gender: Feminine
    Origin: Latin
    Botanical Name
    Eng: VIE-lət, VIE-ə-lət. vaɪˈoʊlə, VIE-oh-LUH

    One of the very few floral name to have been in usage since the Middle Ages, Violet is the English form of the French Violette, which was introduced to the English speaking world via the Normans. In England, Violet wasn’t very common till the 19th-century, it has been in prevalent usage in Scotland since the 15oos.Viola is a latinate form that was common in the Middle Ages and appears in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

    Violette was derived from the Old French Violaine which was from the Latin Viola which in itself is derived from the Greek ion and viera meaning “weaving; flexible; sinous.” Violet is also synonymous with the colour purple in most languages and is a shade of purple in English.

    Both names have been in and out of vogue in the United States since the 1880s, its peak year was 1910 where it came in at # 79. The name fell out of the top 1000 by the 1960s. In recent years, the name has become more and more fashionable, as of last year, she stands as the 184th most popular female name, meanwhile in Canada, she comes in even higher at # 71.

    Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner named their eldest daughter Violet.

    Usually the designated name-day is October 30. The violet is an autumnal flower, depending on the species.

    Other forms of the name include:

    • Vjollca (Albanian)
    • Violeta (Bulgarian, German, Lithuanian, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish)
    • Viola (Czech, English, German, Hungarian, Italian, Latin, Spanish, Swedish)
    • Jolana (Czech/Slovak)
    • Viol (Danish)
    • Jolanda (Slovene/Dutch)
    • Fjóla (Faroese/Icelandic)
    • Viula (Finnish)
    • Violette (French)
    • Iolana (Hawaiian)
    • Jola/Jolán/Jolánta (Hungarian)
    • Viole (Italian)
    • Violetta (Italian)
    • Violanta (Latin/Italian)
    • Violė/Vijolė (Lithuanian)
    • Iolanda/Violante (Medieval Spanish/Portuguese forms)
    • Violaine/Yolande (Old French)
    • Jolanta (Polish: Jola is the diminutive)
    • Wiola/Wioleta/Wioletta (Polish)
    • Vióla/Violétta (Russian/Ukrainian/Icelandic)
    • Vijoleta (Slovenian)
    • Yolanda (Spanish)

    There are two Italian male forms: Violo and Violetto

    Vojmír

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    Gender: Masculine
    Origin: Czecho-Slovak
    Meaning: debated
    (vooy-MEER)

    The name is of Old Slavonic origins and is either derived from the elements voj meaning “warrior” and mir meaning “peace” or it might be another form of Volimir which is composed of the elements voli meaning “to want” and mir meaning “peace.” In Slovakia its designated name-day is October 25. A feminine form is Vojmíra, the Polish form is Wojmir.

    Živa

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    Gender: Female
    Origin: Old Slavonic
    Usage: Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia.
    Meanin: “alive.”
    (ZHEE-vah)

    The name was borne in Slavic mythology by the goddess of love and fertility, not much is known about her other that she have been one in the same as the Russian goddess Mokosh and she was the consort of Siebog. In Slovakia, its modern form of Živa has a name-day set on October 25. The name is also in usage in Serbia and Croatia. Other forms of the name include:

    • Sieba (Old German)
    • Siwa (Old Polish)
    • Šiva (Old Slavonic: SHEE-vah)
    • Razivia (Old Slavonic)
    • Żiwia/Żywia (Polish: the former is an older version; the latter has just recently been in usage in Poland but is still uncommon. In 2008, it ranked in as 193rd most popular female name in Warsaw)
    • Živana (Slovakian)

    Masculine forms are Živan and Živko, both forms are used in Slovakia and Slovenia.

    Severin, Soren

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    Soren Kierkegaard

    Soren Kierkegaard

    Gender: Masculine
    Origin: Latin
    Meaning: “stern”
    Eng(SEV-rin); Germ(Ze-ve-reen)

    The name is derived from an old Roman family name which was derived from the Latin name Severus meaning “stern.” The name was borne by several saints, including a pope and a Roman theologian put to death under Theodoric 1.

    The name is also borne by Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), Søren is a fairly popular form throughout Scandinavia, especially Denmark and is even in usage in Germany.

    The designated name-day is October 23.

    Other forms of the name include:

    • Søren/Sørinus/Sørn (Danish/Norwegian)
    • Servin/Sevrin/Sørin (Faroese)
    • Severi (Finnish: diminutive forms include Seeve and Sever, Veeri)
    • Sévère (French)
    • Séverin (French)
    • Severin (German/Romansch)
    • Severinus (German/Latin)
    • Szevér/Szeverin (Hungarian)
    • Szörény (Hungarian)
    • Severino (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese)
    • Severo (Italian, Spanish)
    • Severus (Latin)
    • Severins (Latvian)
    • Severas/Severinas (Lithuanian)
    • Sevre/Sevri/Sevrin (Norwegian)
    • Söffren/Söfring/Sövrin (Old Swedish: out of usage)
    • Sewer/Seweryn (Polish)
    • Suulut (Saami)
    • Sören (Swedish)
    • Severián (Ukrainian)

    Female forms include:

    • Sørina/Sørine (Danish/Norwegian)
    • Severiina (Finnish)
    • Séverine (French)
    • Severina (German, Italian, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Spanish)
    • Szörénke (Hungarian)
    • Sevrina/Sevrine/Søverine/Søvrina/Søvrine (Norwegian)
    • Sewera/Seweryna (Polish)
    • Severyna (Ukrainian)

    Blandina, Blandine

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    St. Blandine

    St. Blandine

    Gender: Feminine
    Origin: Latin
    Meaning: “charming; flattering; friendly”

    Both names come from an early Roman name, a feminine form of Blandinus, which is a derivative of the cognomen, Blandus, meaning “charming; flattering” or “friendly” in Latin.

    The name was popularized, in France, in the form of Blandine.

    It was the name of an early Christian martyr who had been killed in Lyons in the first-century C.E.

    According to legend, she was a slave and Christian of frail health and when an edict against Christians in the area was produced, she and her master were tried and executed.

    Allegedly, Blandina was tied to a stake in the local arena where wild animals were set loose upon her, the animals did not harm her, afterwards, she was scourged, placed on a burning grate and then thrown before a wild bull. She still didn’t die. She was finally executed with a dagger.

    In France the name-day is June 2nd, while in Germany it is October 22.

    The name has also had some usage in Italy , Spanish-speaking countries and in the Romantsch speaking cantons of Switzerland.

    The Polish forms are Blandyna and the masculine, but very unusual form, of Blandyn.

    Pribislav, Pribislava

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    Origin: Bulgarian/Czech/Serbo-Croatian/Slovakian/Slovenian
    Meaning “broken glory.”

    The name is composed of the Old Slavonic elements pribi meaning “pierced, broken” and slav “glory.” It was borne by several medieval Slavic princes. There is another Serbian male form which is Prvoslav. There are the obscure Polish forms, Przybysław and Przybysława (thanks to Magdalena for providing the info for the Polish forms).

    Salome

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    407px-GustavemoreauGender: Feminine
    Origin: Aramaic
    Meaning: “peace.”
    (SAH-loh-MAY)

    The name is derived from the Greek Σαλωμη which is from an Aramaic name that was related to the Hebrew word שָׁלוֹם (shalom). The name is associated with the notorious daughter of Herodias who danced for King Herod and was rewarded by dancing with the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Though it was the name of a Herodias’ daughter, the name was used by Christians in reference to the handmaid of the Virgin Mary, (mentioned in the New Testament), who witnessed the Crucifixion, and is considered a saint by the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church. The name was also borne by Salome Alexandra (136-67 BCE) who was the only Jewish regnant queen in history. In Jewish sources she is known as Shalomzion שְׁלוֹמְצִיּוֹ. There are a few other characters in the New Testament mentioned with the name Salome, and it seems to have been common in the Jewish royal family. The name has experienced prevalent usage in Poland, Germany, France, Spain and Portugal.

    It was borne by Blessed Salomea (sometimes spelled Salomeja) also known as Salomea of Krakow and Błogosławiona Salomea in Polish, was a Polish princess (1211-1268) and upon being widowed entered the Poor Clares. She is up for canonization. In Polish literature it is the name of a character in Stefan Żeromski‘s 1912 classic the Faithful River (Wierna Rzeka). Polish diminutive forms are Meja, Salcia, Salka, Salomejcia and Salusia (thanks to Magdalena for contributing the latter two diminutive forms). The name is also borne by a famous Lithuanian poetess Salomėja Nėris (1904-1946) and a famous Ukrainian opera singer Salomiya Kruscelnytska (1872-1952).

    The designated name-day is October 22.

    Other forms of the name include:

    • Saloma (Croatian/Faroese)
    • Salome (Dutch/German/English/Latvian)
    • Saalome (Estonian)
    • Salomé (French/Portuguese/Spanish)
    • Salomi (Greek Modern)
    • Shlomtzion (Hebrew Modern)
    • Szalóme (Hungarian)
    • Salóme (Icelandic)
    • Salomè/Salomina (Italian: latter form was originally a diminutive form: thanks to Magdalena for contributing the info)
    • Salomėja (Lithuanian)
    • Salomea (Polish/Czech/Romanian/Romansch/Slovak)
    • Salomeja (Polish)
    • Saloména (Slovakian)
    • Solomia (Slovakian)
    • Salomiya (Ukrainian)
    • Saltscha (Yiddish)