Surname Wijtowicz - Meaning and Origin
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Wijtowicz: What does the surname Wijtowicz mean?
The last name Wijtowicz likely originated in Eastern Europe, likely in the area of present-day Poland or Belarus, and is a patronymic surname, derived from a name with the Slavic suffix -owicz. Patronymic surnames were very common in Eastern Europe, as they were originally used to distinguish between family members and others bearing the same given name.
The root of the surname is Wijt, a diminutive form of the given name Wojciech (or Vladislav) and is derived from the Slavic word meaning army or warrior. Depending on the area and era, the suffix -owicz could also signify the head of a household or an important person in the community. Alternatively, it can also come from a word meaning bear or brave warrior.
Therefore, the last name Wijtowicz can be interpreted to mean either the son or descendant of a brave or valiant warrior (or head of the household), or the son or descendant of a bear. This reflects an image of strength, courage, and leadership for the members of the Wijtowicz clan.
Order DNA origin analysisWijtowicz: Where does the name Wijtowicz come from?
Today, the last name Wijtowicz is most commonly seen in the countries of Poland, Ukraine, Latvia and Belarus. This is due to immigration patterns as well as the name's prevalence in those countries. The Wijtowicz family name is derived from the Slavic language and is believed to originally originate from northeast Poland or western Ukraine.
The surname Wijtowicz is most common in Poland, where it ranks 6,025th most common last name. In Ukraine, it is found 4,426th most common and in Latvia, it is 7, 206th most common. It is the 12,772nd most common name in Belarus.
Given its Slavic origin, the surname also appears in pockets of people with Polish or Slavic ancestry who have moved abroad around the world. Places like the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other former Soviet states have all seen increased immigration of Polish and Slavic immigrants who carry the Wijtowicz name.
Overall this unique last name is most likely to be seen within the Slavic countries it originates from as well as among immigrant populations who have moved to other countries.
Variations of the surname Wijtowicz
The surname Wijtowicz has a few variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common spelling of the surname is Wiatowicz/Wyatowicz, which is an Eastern European version of the name. It is also spelled as Vyatoych, Viatoyich, Vyatovich and Vyatovych. Other variants of the name include Wiatowicz, Wyatowicz, Vyatoych, Viatoyich, Vyatovich and Vyatovych.
The Jewish version of the name is Wijtowicz, which is derived from the Polish word wiat meaning “wind” or “air.” Other Jewish spellings include Viytovych, Viytovich and Viytovisch.
The Russian version of the name is Vyatkin, which is derived from Vyatka, the name of a Russian town located near the Volga River. The Ukrainian version is called Viatkovych, also derived from the town of Vyatka.
Other surnames of the same origin include Vyatkin, Vyatkina, Vyatkovka, Viatkovych, Viytovych, Viytovich, Viytovisch, Viytkova, Viytkov, Wiat Jiang, Wiatk, Viatka, and Viytkovets.
Thus, the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Wijtowicz are Wiatowicz/Wyatowicz, Vyatkin, Vyatkina, Vyatkovka, Viatkovych, Viytovych, Viytovich, Viytovisch, Viytkova, Viytkov, Wiat Jiang, Wiatk, Viatka, and Viytkovets.
Famous people with the name Wijtowicz
- Maria Wijtowicz: graduate student of psychology at Northwestern University
- Irena Wijtowicz-Wiesław: Polish speed skater
- Alexander Wijtowicz: Polish racing cyclist
- Stanisław Wijtowicz: Polish professional football player
- Krystyna Wijtowicz: Polish historian
- Stanisław Wijtowicz: Polish football player
- Jan Wijtowicz: musician, composer and teacher at State Secondary Music School in Kielce, Poland
- Natalia Wijtowicz: Polish poet
- Andrzej Wijtowicz: Polish ice hockey player
- Zenon Wijtowicz: Polish figure skater