Surname Radziwilowicz - Meaning and Origin
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Radziwilowicz: What does the surname Radziwilowicz mean?
The surname Radziwilowicz can be traced to its origins in the Middle Ages, when it was an aristocratic Polish surname. The word itself is derived from the pre-eminent Radziwiłł family of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which was founded in the fifteenth century by Grand Duke John Olgerd Radziwill. The family members were closely related to the greatest magnates of the Commonwealth, and enjoyed great wealth and influence.
Radziwill is derived from the Slavic elements, rad (meaning ‘happy’) and wil (meaning ‘desire’). Put together, it conveys a meaning of ‘happy wishes’ or ‘fortunate wishes’. Over the centuries, members of the Radziwiłł family have played a crucial role in the history of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and therefore the surname also carries a sense of strength, courage and ambition.
When existing in more than one language or form, an ethnonym – such as Radziwilowicz– is known to reflect the culture and language of its original state. It is therefore assumed that those bearing the name Radziwilowicz are of Eastern European descent, with family links to Poland.
The surname Radziwilowicz is a great reflection of the nobility and grandeur of Poland’s past, and thus offers a source of great pride and belonging to those that bear the name today.
Order DNA origin analysisRadziwilowicz: Where does the name Radziwilowicz come from?
The last name Radziwilowicz is most commonly found in Poland and other former Polish territories such as Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. It is thought to be derived from a combination of two words, "Radzi" meaning "happy", and "wilów" meaning "willow tree" which translates to "happy with willow tree". The surname is also found in some parts of Russia, as well as other countries throughout the world including the United States, Canada, Mexico, South Africa and Australia.
In the United States, the census records from as far back as the 1840s show that there were Radziwilowicz's living in the states of New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. It is also said that Radziwilowicz’s were some of the earliest settlers of the old Polish immigrant communities in Chicago and Milwaukee.
In today's Poland, the surname Radziwilowicz is still quite common. A quick search on the Polish Ministry of the Interior's address database shows around 9,680 people of the Radziwilowicz surname living in the country. The highest concentration of people with the name Radziwilowicz is concentrated in the eastern part of the country including, Mazowieckie, Podlaskie, and Warmińsko-Mazurskie.
In the other former Polish territories, there are still people living with the Radziwilowicz surname. For example, in Ukraine, an estimate of around 6,000 people still carry this name today, while in Belarus the surname is still found in small communities in the west.
Overall, the surname Radziwilowicz is still quite common today, especially in and around its homeland of Poland.
Variations of the surname Radziwilowicz
The Radziwillowicz surname is of Lithuanian origin and is documented as early as the 16th century, when the noble Radziwill family was highly influential in the political and economic life of the region.
Variants of the Radziwillowicz surname include Radivilovitch, Radziwil, Radzivill, Radziwilowicz, Radziwillovitch, Radzilowicz, Radzivilowicz, Radzivul, Radziwilovicz, Radzivilovitch, Radzivell, Radziwillovits, Radzivillovitch, Radzvilowicz, Radzivilovich, Radziwalowicz, Radzivilovits, Radziejowski, Radziwillowicz, Radjvilowicz, Radivilovich, Radzivilowicz, Radziwilovitz, Radzivilovits and Radziwillovitz.
Spellings used in the past for the Radziwillowicz surname include Radziwillovich, Radziwilowicz, Radziwillovitch, Radzilovich, Radziwillovits, Radivilovitch and Radzivillovitch.
Surnames of similar origin to the Radziwillowicz family include Radziwill, Radziwon, Radzilowicz, Radzivilowicz, Radzeville, Radziwillovitz, Radziwillovits and Radzivilovitch.
The Radziwillowicz surname is an old and noble one, and its variants and similar surnames seem to be popular throughout the world in many countries.
Famous people with the name Radziwilowicz
- Michał Radziwiłł: a Polish aristocrat and Polonia activist
- Michał Radziwiłł: a prominent Polish noble of the powerful Radziwiłł family
- Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł: a former Polish politician
- Dominik Radziwiłł: a Polish nobleman
- Jan Karol Radziwiłł: a Polish politician and a nobleman
- Jan Krzysztof Radziwiłł: a Polish politician
- Stanisław Radziwiłł: a Polish nobleman and politician, a brother of Jan Karol
- Jerzy Radziwiłł: a Polish nobleman
- Alicja Radziwiłł: an opera singer
- Konstancja Radziwiłł: a Polish lady-in-waiting