Surname Walentynowicz - Meaning and Origin
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Walentynowicz: What does the surname Walentynowicz mean?
The last name Walentynowicz is derived from the root word Walentyn, which is the Polish version of the English name Valentine. It is a patronymic surname, which indicates that it was originaly given to someone whose father's first name was Walentyn/Valentine. The suffix “owicz” generally attached to Polish surnames identifies the bearer as the son of the original bearer of a given name.
Walentynowicz is found predominantly in Poland, where it is the 639th most popular name. It can be spelled differently, such as Wala, Walentynovicz, Walentynowitz, and Walentynowicz.
Typically, Walentynowicz families held a noble status when the surname first came into existence sometime during the 15th century. Despite the fact that many members of the Walentynowicz family had noble roots, it cannot be said that all of them were wealthy. As the years passed, many Walentynowicz families moved to other countries in search of work.
The name Walentynowicz is a wonderfully unique one, carrying with it strong ties to Polish heritage and nobility. It is likely that even today, there are many Valentine surname bearers who are descended from a long line of hardworking and dedicated members of the Walentynowicz family.
Order DNA origin analysisWalentynowicz: Where does the name Walentynowicz come from?
The last name Walentynowicz (or variants such as Walenciewicz, Valenčinović, Valenčič, and Walentynowicz) is today predominantly found in countries that are part of the former Soviet bloc, including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, and the Czech Republic. This reflects the fact that the surname was probably created in the 11th century in eastern and central Europe, in countries that were located along the trade routes between Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire.
The distribution of this surname is very uneven. In Poland, for example, primarily in the north east, this last name is relatively common, especially among nobility, while in Belarus, it is one of the most common surnames and as many as one in every 500 people have the name. In Ukraine, the last name Walentynowicz is most concentrated in the Lviv oblast, predominantly in towns and villages near the southwestern border with Poland. In Russia, the name is found mainly in the Moscow and Leningrad regions.
In the United States, the surname is very rare, with a 2019 census showing only a few hundred people with the last name. Although the numbers may be small, the name Walentynowicz stands out in the United States as a tribute to the memory of the late pro-democracy activist, Lech Wałęsa, who, along with his father, also had the last name Walentynowicz.
Variations of the surname Walentynowicz
The surname Walentynowicz has various forms, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The oldest form of the surname, Walentynowicz, appears to be of Slavic origin. Commonly, the surname is spelled Walenty or Walentynowicz. The alternative spelling, Walenty, can be found in some areas of Europe as well as in the United States. The spelling Walenty has also been used interchangeably with the spelling Walter.
The Polish language contains several variants of the surname Walentynowicz. The spelling most commonly seen is Walentyna, but some variations such as Walenty, Wlodkiewicz, Wlodko and Wallee could also be seen. In addition, variants such as Wlaczkowicz, Walezowski, Walicki, Wałko, Walski, and Walwiński have been recorded across different regions of Europe.
The surname Walentynowicz can also be found in various other variants in different countries. In the United States, the surname can be found alternatively spelled as Walenty, Walentina, Valenty, Valantina, Valentyne, or Walentin. In the United Kingdom, the surname appears as Walantynowicz, Valantage, Valentine, Valentini, and Valente.
The surname Walentynowicz also has one common variant that is shared among the western European language families, such as in German, Dutch, and English. This variant includes the surnames Valenti, Valenty, Valentini, Valentyn, and Valentyne. Additionally, the surname can be seen as Wvalentyne, Walentyne, Walsantyne, Welsantyn, and Walnan in medieval English records from the Middle Ages.
Overall, the surname Walentynowicz appears to have many variations, spellings, and other surnames of the same origin. From its Slavic roots, spelling variations of the surname can now be found across many countries and languages, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, and other parts of Europe.
Famous people with the name Walentynowicz
- Lech Wałęsa: Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He served as the first democratically elected President of Poland from 1990 to 1995. He is considered one of the most brilliant figures of the Solidarity movement, an organized labor union in the 80s that protested the communist regime of the Soviet Union in Poland.
- Anna Walentynowicz: Anna Walentynowicz, often called "Heroine of Solidarity," was a Polish dockworker and a labor activist who was dismissed from the Lenin Shipyard in Poland in 1980 after a prolonged period of conflict between workers and management. She is known for being a key figure in the rise of the solidarity movement in Poland and her role in the founding of Solidarity.
- Alan Walentynowicz: Alan Walentynowicz is an American artist and sculptor known for his bronze figurative sculptures. He is best known for his sculpture series "The Piers” which depicts fishermen, dock workers, and other figures of the waterfront. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
- Roman Walentynowicz: Roman Walentynowicz is a Polish screenwriter and film director who is best known for his films "The Pianist (2002)," and "Paradise (2006)." He has won several awards for his work including a Polish Academy Award for Best Director.
- Robert Walentynowicz: Robert Walentynowicz is a Polish actor and film director who is best known for his role in the 1983 drama "No End." He also wrote and directed the 2005 film "Silence," which was critically acclaimed.