Surname Woitowicz - Meaning and Origin
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Woitowicz: What does the surname Woitowicz mean?
The last name Woitowicz is of Polish origin and is derived from the word “woja”, which translates to “warrior” or “soldier”. As a result, the surname likely originated as an occupational name for a soldier or warrior, most likely a professional one – either in a standing army or as a mercenary.
While Woitowicz is usually seen as a distinctly Polish name, it has also been known to take a variety of different spellings from other cultures. These include Wojciechowski (Polish), Wagner (German), Wojchiki (Belarusian), Wojtowicz, and Wojtowiec (Ukrainian).
Interestingly, some records show that the original spelling of Woitowicz may have been much shorter – simply “Woito” – but this has since been Anglicized over time.
Members of the Woitowicz family can be found in many parts of the world, including Poland, the United States, Canada, Germany, Belarus, the United Kingdom, and Australia. It is often seen as a very traditional and respected name, and may be associated with military service, patriotism, strength, courage, and loyalty.
Order DNA origin analysisWoitowicz: Where does the name Woitowicz come from?
The last name Woitowicz is most commonly found in Poland, where 0.003% of the population bear the surname. It's also found in the United States, where records from the year 2000 indicate approximately 593 people had the last name Woitowicz.
The surname has been traced to Poland, and it likely originated from a placename with the root “Woito-”, meaning “brave” or “strong”. It is believed that people with this last name resided in Poland since the 16th or 17th Century.
Outside of Poland, the surname is concentrated in the United States, where many people of Polish descent have migrated in the 19th and 20th centuries. For example, records of the family of Sophie Woitowicz, a Polish immigrant who made her way to America near the end of the 19th century, can be found in locations across the East coast.
Additionally, researchers have encountered branches of the Woitowicz family as far south as Florida and as far west as California. The family’s international growth has allowed the last name to live on in new generations and across continents.
Today, the Woitowicz clan is a global one, with its members cultivating countries round the world. Small towns in Poland may still house people with the Woitowicz last name, but today its members are distributed in many places across Poland, the United States, and beyond.
Variations of the surname Woitowicz
The surname Woitowicz is of Polish origin and is derived from the archaic name Wojciech, derived from the name Vojtech, which is of Czech origin and means "happy warrior" or "happy lord". This surname can be spelled as Woitowicz, Voiotowich, Voytovich, Voytovych, Waiczek, Voitowicz, Voytovitch, Voitovici, Theophilus, and Vojtovick.
Variants of the surname Woitowicz include Wojtowicz, Voitewicz, Voitevich, Voytevich, Vojtechovics, Vojtechovic, Vojtechovits, Voitowicz, Voitevic, Voytevich, Voytechovick, and Voiytovich.
Spellings for the surname Woitowicz include Woiciech, Vojtehovick, Voyteviech, and Voitovitch.
Surnames related to the Woitowicz surname include Wojtewicz, Vojtek, Voitko, Voytek, Vojkovic, Voytko, Voitkiewicz, Voytkowicz, Vojtekowicz, Voitevich, Voytevitch, Voityvich, Voytekovic, Voytkevich, Vojcuk, and Voitus.
Most of the surnames with the Woitowicz name derive from the Czech and Polish languages. Many of the surnames have different spellings and pronunciations due to the difficulty of translating from one language to the other. For example, one can pronounce the name Voitowicz as Voy-te-owicz or Voit–o-vich. As a result, there are multiple variations of the same name and source.
The surname Woitowicz is not particularly common but can be found in Poland and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe where Polish is spoken.
Famous people with the name Woitowicz
- Mike Woitowicz: soccer coach and former professional football player
- Jim Woitowicz: American retired basketball player
- Donna Woitowicz: former spokeswoman for the Connecticut state government
- Doug Woitowicz: former professional football player
- Brian Woitowicz: former professional baseball player
- Corey Woitowicz: American football player
- Mike Woitowicz: former professional hockey player
- Steve Woitowicz: American television writer
- Dave Woitowicz: software manager and computer scientist
- Anna Woitowicz: climate change analyst at the World Resources Institute