Surname Mikolaszek - Meaning and Origin
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Mikolaszek: What does the surname Mikolaszek mean?
The surname Mikolaszek is a common name from Poland, commonly found concentrated in the southern regions near Kraków and Lesser Poland. It is a toponymic surname derived from the Mikolajskie Lake, also known as St. Nicholas Lake. The lake was given its name by King Casimir III the Great in the 14th century in homage to St. Nicholas, patron saint of sailors and fishermen.
Mikolaszek means "son of Nicholas," and the variant of the name, Mickolaszek, means "descendent of Nicholas." Historically, many of the people who bore this surname were fishermen, and variations such as Minkolaszek, Milelaszek, Mankolaszek, and Mickolaszek, are all derived from this surname.
The Mikolaszek family is common in present day and those bearing the name show great pride in their heritage. Many members of the family operate local pierogarnia—which are traditional Polish eating establishments. There is no indication that the Mikolaszek name is particularly notable or distinguished in any way, though it remains popular in parts of Poland.
Order DNA origin analysisMikolaszek: Where does the name Mikolaszek come from?
The last name Mikolaszek is most commonly found in Poland. As of 2019, it was reported by the Poland Central Statistical Office that Mikolaszek was the 2,006th most popular surname in the country. It is also found occasionally in other parts of European such as Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Mikolaszek is derived from from the first name Mikolaj which is a Polish form of the name Nicholas. It is a patronymic name, meaning it originates from the name of a fathers, in this case the name Nicholas. Mikolaszek was most likely created as a surname during the Middle Ages when surnames were adopted to help distinguish one person from another.
Today, Mikolaszek is most often spelled as Mikolasek, Mikolasch, or Mikołaszek. The name also shows up sporadically in areas of the United States with large Polish populations, including Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and New Jersey. It is likely that Mikolaszek's from Poland emigrated to these areas during the 19th and early 20th centuries due to economic and political reasons.
Even today, hundreds of years after the name's creation, the Mikolaszek name is still relatively common in Poland. It is expected to remain popular in the coming years as Mikolaj remains a favorite name among Polish parents.
Variations of the surname Mikolaszek
The surname Mikolaszek is most commonly found among Polish-speaking families. There are several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for this name.
Variants of the surname Mikolaszek include Mikolasz, Mikolajczyk, Mikolajczak, Mykolaszczuk, and Mikołajczuk. These variants are mainly derived from the Polish male given name Mikołaj, although other Slavic languages such as Czech and Slovak also have a pronunciation similar to "Mikolaszek".
Other spellings of Mikolaszek include Mikolajczak, Mikolasz, Mikołajczuk, Mikolaszczyk, and Mikolasch. These spellings are mainly used in forms written in Latin today, due to the influence of the Latin alphabet.
Surnames of the same origin as Mikolaszek include Mikołajczak, Mikołajczyk, and Mikołajczewski. These names also stem from the Polish given name Mikołaj, but have a slightly different spelling or ending.
The surname Mikolaszek is relatively rare but is found amongst familial lines of Polish descendants around the world. It also has very close variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Mikolaszek
- Elżbieta Mikolaszek, a Polish actress and the winner of 2014 Gold Medal for Merit to Culture ‒ Gloria Artis
- Izabela Mikolaszek, a Polish sportswoman who won medals in various kayaking competitions
- Maciej Mikolaszek, a professional football player
- Mirosław Mikolaszek, a Polish sailor and the winner of many international sailing competitions
- Marcel Mikolaszek, a Polish pianist and the President of Siedlce Art School
- Agata Mikolaszek, a Polish doctor whose research focuses on the management of heart failure
- Michał Mikolaszek, a Polish businessman and the founder of a technology-focused venture capital firm
- Jan Juliusz Mikolaszek, a composer and the founder of the music publishing company Mikolaszek Sp. z o.o.
- Urszula Mikolaszek, a Polish painter and graphic artist
- Sebastian Mikolaszek, a Polish actor and film director