Customer Reviews

Polish First Names

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Polish First Names begins with a brief history of Polish names. The first period is from ancient times to the acceptance of Christianity in 966; the second is from 966 to the present. The importance of the baptismal saint is explained, that is, the feast day for the saint which falls on the date of the child's birth (or the feast day of the saint the parents have chosen). The child would fall under the protection of that saint. There are about 200 main entries for girls' names and about 250 for boys. The entries list the name in Polish, the English equivalent if there is one, the language of origin, the meaning, and some background information. If there are diminutives, they are listed. Finally, the feast days for the name are given (some names have more than one feast day). For example,

"Klementyna. Clementine. Latin. Feminine form of Klemens (Clement). "Merciful." The name became popular in Poland during the 18th century. Maria Klementyna was the granddaughter of King Jan Sobieski (1674-1696). Klementyna nee Tanska Hoffmanowa (1798-1845) was a well-known Polish author who wrote for women and children. DIMINUTIVE: None FEAST DAYS: September 9, November 23"

Language sources of the names include: Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Latin, Old German, Slavic, and Swedish. While there are many books on first names and many that include at least some Polish names, this is the most complete book on Polish names, at least in English, that I have seen. This publication will be welcomed by genealogists, onomasts, and those interested in Polish culture. It is a fine contribution and should be welcomed by libraries with onomastic and genealogical collections. The author, heritage editor for the Polish-American Journal is to be commended.

"Polish First Names" by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab is a collection of about 400 Polish girls' and boys' first names. For each name, the English spelling is given as well as various spellings the name has had over the centuries. Additionally, the meaning, history, diminutives, and feast days of each name is given.

I read this book cover to cover and found it very interesting. Unfortunately, some Polish names were excluded from the book. Nonetheless, this book is a great reference on Polish names and their meaning.

Polish First Names by S. Hodorowicz Knab is a real must for everyone interested in the correct spelling of the Polish first names. You'll find not only 400 Polish girls' and boys' names, but also their English equivalents (if they exist), and diminutives, and other interesting facts (like frequency and feast days).

These 400 names are not all of the Polish first names, of course. I miss some at least historically important first names like Ambrozy (i.e. Ambrose), and some diminutives like Dawidek (for Dawid).

However, this book is a great value for its cost!

It's great that there is such a book. However, I checked a few names and already found a few errors: some diminutives are incorrect or not listed at all e.g. Krzysztof diminutive: Kryzys! (should be Krzys). Some feast days are incorrect e.g. Joanna fest day is May 24, not May 30. Some common Polish names are not listed at all: e.g. Ireneusz.

I bought several baby's names book at tha same time, and to tell the truth I was expecting much more of this book, I know that the author try her best, but there is very few names on each letter that I think it is not going to help much to find the perfect name I was looking for...Although there is lack of variety on names, the ones that they appear come in a very organized manner, by gender and alphabetical order, and sometimes include a pronunciation description... Since this is not really what I was expecting I'll try to return it.