Surname Stankiewicz - Meaning and Origin

Stankiewicz: What does the surname Stankiewicz mean?

The last name Stankiewicz is a patronymic, meaning it derived from the first name of the father or ancestor of the bearer. More specifically, it is from the Polish name Stan, which is a form of the name Stanislaw. This name is composed of the elements stan, meaning "stand or pause," and slav, meaning "renowned." Stankiewicz literally translates to “son of Stan,” or “Stan’s son.”

The Stankiewicz surname developed in Eastern Europe, and is most commonly found in Poland. It was likely adopted during the late middle ages, when people began to take on hereditary surnames due to the growth of cities and increased social mobility. It is now found in many countries worldwide, and can also be spelled Stankovic or Stankovitch.

The Stankiewicz family in Poland can trace its roots to the area of Szczecin in the 1600s. During the 1800s, the numer of Stankiewicz households increased and they had established a reputation as teachers, scholars, and priests.

In addition to a long and established ancestral history, the Stankiewicz name is full of significance. It evokes the strong sense of familial legacy that many Eastern Europeans, and especially Poles, hold dear. Further, the name references the rich Slavic literary tradition exemplified by Stanislaw which gives the bearer strength and wisdom. A bearer of the Stankiewicz surname is surely proud of their heritage.

Stankiewicz: Where does the name Stankiewicz come from?

The last name Stankiewicz is most common in Poland, where it is the 18th most frequent surname. It is also found in areas with high concentrations of Polish people such as certain parts of the United States. The most common places of residence for those named Stankiewicz in the US are Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In some of these states, it is among the top 1,000 common surnames.

The Stankiewicz name is significantly more common in Russia and Ukraine, although there it is spelled Stankevich. The origins of the name come from the word for stan or meaning "camp". People who held this name were likely associated with the Polish military or were involved with the military professions. The name may also have been associated with owning or managing land in some capacity.

Outside of Eastern Europe, Stankiewicz is growing rapidly in popularity in some other countries due to immigration. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian countries all have a significant Polish population and so the Stankiewicz name can be found there.

Given its origins, anyone with the last name is likely of Polish descent. For those interested in researching their family tree further, they would need to start with the Polish records in order to trace the name and family history back. As Poles continue to move around the world, the Stankiewicz name is likely to spread to other regions as well.

Variations of the surname Stankiewicz

The surname Stankiewicz is derived from the Polish words stan ("state, condition") and kiewicz ("son of"), making the literal meaning of the surname "son of the state". This Polish surname has many variants, spellings and forms depending on the location from which it is derived. The most common variations include Stankiewic, Stankovich, Stanko, Stankewitch, Stankewicz, Stankiewicz, Stanckevich, Stankevitch and Stankevych.

The surname Stankiewicz may also be found as other versions such as Stankik, Stankovic, Stanckevich, Stansik and Stanski. It is also commonly used in Eastern Europe and other Slavic countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, but may also be found sourounding other parts of the world.

Many people with this surname may also be found with the addition of a suffix, such as -sky, -ski, or -icki. For example, Stankiewskis or Stankiewicki is a version of the same name.

Other forms such as Stanczek, Stanislawek, Staniszew, and Stanisch can also be found. The surname has also been found in the United States and Canada as Stankavish, Stankowich and Stankovic.

Overall, Stankiewicz is a fairly common Polish surname with many variants depending on the region. While some of the alternate spellings can be tought to trace to a common ancestor, it is likely that the many forms of this surname originate from multiple descent lines, making Stankiewicz a truly widespread surname.

Famous people with the name Stankiewicz

• Stefan Stankiewicz (1893: 1966): was a Polish political and civic activist. He was the founder and president of the largest Polish political organisation in Britain after the Second World War: the National Council of Polish Deputies and an active participant in the rebuilding of Poland after the war ended.
• Patryk Stankiewicz (born 2000): is a Polish footballer, currently playing for Jagiellonia Białystok in the Ekstraklasa.
• Paweł Stankiewicz (born 1966): is a Polish lawyer, politician and academic. He was the first Minister of Digital Affairs in the Polish government.
• Roman Stankiewicz (1910: 1949): was a Polish architect, active in the interwar period. He is most known for his modernist architectural designs.
• Piotr Stankiewicz (born 1961): is a Polish historian and theatre scholar, author of numerous books about the history of theatre in Poland.
• Tadeusz Stankiewicz (born 1925): was a Polish physicist, famous for his work in the field of medical physics.
• Eugenia Stankiewicz (born 1965): is a Polish politician, former Minister of Education in the government of Poland.
• Myron Stankiewicz (born 1985): is a professional Canadian ice hockey player, currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
• Jan Stankiewicz (born 1976): is a Polish contemporary artist. He is best known for his drawings, paintings and sculptural works.
• Leon Stankiewicz (1915: 2001): was a Polish journalist and film critic. He was the editor-in-chief of the influential weekly magazine Film in Poland from 1966 until the late 1980's.

Other surnames

StankiewicStankiewitz