Surname Maksimowicz - Meaning and Origin
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Maksimowicz: What does the surname Maksimowicz mean?
The last name Maksimowicz is an occupational name of Polish origin. It is derived from the words ‘maksyma’ meaning largest and ‘wicz’ which is derived from the medieval Polish word ‘witege’ which means ‘forest’. Literally, Maksimowicz means ‘the largest one from the forest’.
Maksimowicz is a Slavic and Polish patronymic surname, which is a type of surname derived from the given name of one’s father or an ancestor. As such, the ancestors of the people who carry this last name would often be the lumberjacks, loggers, or foresters employed by the nearby aristocratic estates.
In some cases, Maksimowicz might also refer to someone with an unusually large physique or to someone important or respected, hence the meaning of the word ‘the largest one’.
Today, the surname Maksimowicz is quite common in Poland and other countries with significant Polish populations, such as the United States and Canada. This last name is especially common in the city of Gdańsk, in northwestern Poland.
Order DNA origin analysisMaksimowicz: Where does the name Maksimowicz come from?
The last name Maksimowicz is of Polish origin, and is a fairly common surname throughout Poland and other areas of Central and Eastern Europe. It is also a fairly common last name among Polish and Vilnian Jewish communities, primarily in Belarus, Lithuania, and parts of Ukraine.
It is most commonly found within the borders of Poland. There have been several Maksimowicz families recorded in Poland throughout history. Today, Maksimowicz is still quite common in the country, with an estimated 5,000-6,000 bearers of the name living in Poland.
In the United States, the surname is much less common. According to the 2000 United States Census, only 44 individuals bore the surname in the US. However, the surname has more than likely increased in numbers due to the influx of Polish immigration during the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century.
It is also possible to find bearers of the last name Maksimowicz in Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and other parts of the world, though the numbers remain fairly small in comparison to its presence in Poland and other Central and Eastern European nations.
Variations of the surname Maksimowicz
The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Maksimowicz are Maczimowicz, Maksymowicz, Maksymiuk, Maksymov, Maxymowicz, Maczymowicz, Maksymo, Maksimovich, Maksymiw, Maksymovits, Maksymuks, Maksymycz, and Maksymowicz. The surname Maksimowicz originates from the Polish, and is derived from the root term Maksym which is the Polish spelling of the English name Maximus.
Maksimowicz is a patronymic surname, which is a last name derived from the given name of a father or ancestor. The given name used to create this name was Maksym or Maksyme, however Maksim(o) was also commonly used as a first name in Poland from around the 16th century.
The surname Maksimowicz is made up of two elements - the prefix "Maksy" or "Max" and the suffix "owicz" which is of tarred origin. The "owicz" suffix is a diminutive, in this case likely coming from the given name Maksyme, thus making the surname roughly translate to "Max's little son".
The variants and spellings of this surname are mainly regional Slavic variations of the surname Maksimowicz, given that the vast majority of these surnames were and are associated with Slavic countries or origins. Some of these spellings, such as Maczymowicz and Maxymowicz, arose due to incorrect spellings by census takers or other assistants or later due to changes meant to make the name easier to remember or pronounce by immigrants to new countries.
Finally, the surname Maksymiw is a dominant form of Maksymowicz found in the Ukraine, the surname Maksymuks is found mainly in Belarus, and the surname Maksymycz is dominant in Belarus and Lithuania.
Famous people with the name Maksimowicz
- Igi Maksimowicz: a Polish journalist, correspondent of the Polish Edition “Polityka”.
- Nick Maksimowicz: American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, sound engineer and record producer from New York.
- Joe Maksimowicz: New York Film Academy alumni, videographer and documentary filmmaker from New York.
- Andri Maksimowicz: a Surinamese film director, writer, and producer.
- Marijke Maksimowicz: a Dutch composer, songwriter, arranger, musical director, conductor, and producer.
- Tania Maksimowicz: Director of Public Affairs and Interim Chief Executive Officer at the David Suzuki Foundation.
- Dr. Andrzej Maksimowicz: a Polish psychiatrist and psychotherapist.
- Marek Maksimowicz: the owner and managing Director of Maxon Investment Corp. in Warsaw.
- Jacek Maksimowicz: the head of Development and Design at Axel Springer Ideaspace, a Berlin based entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- John Maksimowicz: a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, and producer.