Surname Zakrewski - Meaning and Origin

Zakrewski: What does the surname Zakrewski mean?

The last name Zakrewski is of Polish origin. This surname is derived from the word “zakryty”, which translates to “covered” or “hidden”. Those bearing the Zakrewski surname were likely associated with a trade or profession known for secrecy and discretion.

In addition to Poland, the surname Zakrewski can also be found in the United States and Canada, where ancestors of this name immigrated. The Zakrewski name is found in other places as well, including Germany, Austria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine.

The Zakrewski surname likely began as a regional surname, and eventually emerged as one of the more common surnames in Poland. It is believed that the “-ewski” suffix may be related to an individual’s place of origin or of their professional trade.

Those bearing the Zakrewski name are strongly connected to the Polish culture and customs, and can trace their ancestry back to the regions of Poland where it originated. Today, individuals with the Zakrewski last name are proud of their ancestry and honor the family name.

Zakrewski: Where does the name Zakrewski come from?

The last name Zakrewski is a popular surname found predominantly in Eastern Europe, primarily Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Belarus, and Lithuania. The surname is of Slavic origin and is likely derived from the Slavic name Zakhary, which means one who remembers God’s mercy.

Today the name is quite popular in the countries of origin, with the greatest concentration in Ukraine and Poland. According to recent census data, the Zakrewski surname is the 272nd most common surname in Poland, with an estimated 22,279 individuals carrying the name. In Ukraine, the Zakrewski surname is the 886th most common surname, with an estimated 4,514 individuals carrying the name.

In terms of relocation, Zakrewski is also found in significant concentrations in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. According to recent records, the name can be traced to over North America through immigration records from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as on the passenger lists of ships arriving in ports such as Ellis Island in New York City.

As such, the Zakrewski surname is a common name found in a wide range of countries around the world due to the dispersal of families from their countries of origin.

Variations of the surname Zakrewski

The surname Zakrewski (also spelled Zacrewski, Zaczkrewski, Zakrzeweski, Zakrzewska, and Zaccrewski) is an Eastern European Polish surname originating from the area known as East Prussia, a province of the German empire from the 18th century until 1945. The surname could denote a person from the town of Zakrzewo, which is located 18 km northeast of the city of Gdansk in present-day Poland. The name is believed to have originated from a combination of the root "zake’’, which means "hawk" or "falcon" in Uralic language of the Finno-Ugric family, and the suffix "krewski," which is a Polish toponymic ending and indicates a local origin. The original spelling of the surname was likely Zakrzewski and it is possible that the alternate spellings are derived from the Polish pronunciation – "zak-’-reh-f-skee’’.

Variant spellings of Zakrewski include the feminine Zakrzewska, which is the spelling used when a woman inherited the surname, and Zaczkrewski, which likely developed as a result of Germanization of the original name in East Prussia. The double consonant "Zaaccrewski" may have originated from a Germanized version of the name and the hyphenated version "Zak-rzewski" could be used to distinguish between similarly spelled names.

Surnames deriving from the Zakrewski surname are typically Polish but there are some exceptions. A spelling variation of the name – Zaccrewski – is found in Lithuanian records and is recorded in documents dating as far back as the 17th century. The spelling suggests that the family moved to the Lithuanian region or was of Lithuanian descent. Other surnames similar to Zakrewski that are of different origins include Zaczkowski, likely of German origin, and Wilczkiewicz of Ukrainian origin.

Famous people with the name Zakrewski

• Peter Zakrewski: Award-winning restaurateur, actor, and reality television star.
• Dmitri Zakrewski: Russian-born football player and coach.
• Justin Zakrewski: American conductor and classical composer.
• Nick Zakrewski: Retired NHL player for the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Kimberly Zakrewski: Emmy-nominated makeup artist.
• Dena Zakrewski: Award-winning singer/songwriter.
• Renee Zakrewski: International award-winning cellist.
• Kris Zakrewski: National television host and actress.
• Billy Zakrewski: Professional football player for the Oakland Raiders.
• Michael Zakrewski: Award-winning contemporary sculptor.

Other surnames

Zakrewsky