Surname Borys - Meaning and Origin

Borys: What does the surname Borys mean?

The surname Borys is of Polish origin and is derived from an old Slavic name which means “fighter” or “battle”. It is thought to have been in use since the Middle Ages in the region of Poland where it is most prevalent today. The name is also seen in parts of Ukraine and western Russia.

In many Slavic cultures, surnames and given names with strong, positive connotations, such as “fighter” or “warrior”, were highly esteemed and often given to children as a sign of respect. As such, families with the surname Borys are likely to have had a long and proud history in Poland.

Today, the surname Borys still occurs in many parts of Europe, mainly in countries where Slavic cultures have been present for centuries. It is also occasionally seen further afield, in people of Slavic descent living in North and South America, Australia, and other parts of the world.

Whether it is the transformed Polish, Ukrainian, or Russian form of “fighter”, the surname Borys continues to represent a rich cultural heritage and symbolizes a spirit of strength, courage, and perseverance.

Borys: Where does the name Borys come from?

The last name Borys is a Slavic name, native to Eastern European countries like Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. It is derived from the nickname bor which means 'battle'. The name is also spelled as Bori, Borej, Borey, Boriak, Boryak, Borys, Borisevich, Boryso, and Buryak. This surname has a high occurrence in Ukraine, where it is the 132nd most common name. It is also well-represented in Belarus, where it is listed as the 101st most common name. Other countries with notable populations of the Borys surname include Poland, Russia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, people with the last name Borys are concentrated in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, which account for almost 30% of the entire U.S. population with the Borys surname. There may also be smaller populations of Borys in other parts of the world, such as Australia, Germany, and Austria.

Variations of the surname Borys

The surname Borys is derived from the name ‘Boris’, which is a Slavic male name. It is also the name of a 10th century king in Bulgaria. The spelling of the surname Borys is quite unique and there is only one accepted variation of the spelling- Borys. Common variant spellings for Borys include ‘Boriß’, ‘Boryš’, and ‘Borycz’.

Surnames of the same origin as Borys include ‘Borcov', 'Borokov’, and 'Borewicz’. All of these surnames are derivatives of the classical Slavic name ‘Boris’.

The surname Borys is found throughout the eastern Mediterranean, mainly in countries such as Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Hungary. It is recorded in Poland as early as 1688. The surname is also found in countries such as Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Bulgaria, but these countries have more recently adopted it.

There are a few alternative spellings of Boris, such as 'Borevič', 'Borevich', 'Borevics', and 'Borewić', but these are not commonly used surname variants and are most likely only found in certain countries or regions.

All the same origin surnames for Borys are most likely derived from the given name Boris. They all had a common Slavic origin and are thought to have been first adopted in the eastern Mediterranean countries. The variants of each surname are quite different and have been adapted from various languages including Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.

Famous people with the name Borys

• Mark Borys: Canadian Politician and former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in Saskatchewan.
• Nikolai Borys: Russian mathematician and physicist, specialized in dynamical systems theory.
• Samantha Borys: Canadian actress and producer, and a former child actor in the Canadian television series Twice in a Lifetime.
• Robert Borys: Canadian architect and founder of StudioB Architecture + Interiors in Toronto.
• Andrew Borys: Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.
• Georgy Borys: Ukrainian journalist, writer, and public activist.
• Jerzy Borys: Polish politician and member of the Sejm.
• Andrzej Borys: Polish historian, specializing in medieval and modern Polish-Lithuanian history.
• Norbert Borys: Polish composer, guitarist and arranger, best known for the composition of the song "Dead City".
• Piotr Borys: Polish actor and television journalist on the Channel TVN.

Other surnames

BorysovBorysova