Finding out if people of the same surname as your ancestors still live in Poland may be of great help in your family research. In some cases it may indicate the areas where it is represented far more often compared to other parts of Poland.
The database is called Nazwiska Polskie (meaning Polish surnames) and can be found at www.nazwiska-polskie.pl. It can be searched in a few ways:
- Surname research – type in the researched surname in the field labelled “Nazwisko” and press the search button (znajdź). The results will be shown on a map of Poland with numbers indicating the surname count in various areas. When you zoom in the map, the results will get divided into even smaller areas and the numbers will be more accurate. A summary of the research indicting the number of the surname bearers in various areas of Poland will be located under the map.
- Surname list – if you know or believe the surname you are researching may have been changed at some point in the past, please have a look at a surname list and locate the surnames similar to yours. You will find this section at the top of the page. It is called “Nazwiska zaczynające się na” (surnames starting with a letter). Pick the right letter and keep narrowing down your search by chosing the letters that follow. As the result you will get a list of surnames with information about areas where they occur most often.
Tip on using the surname database:
- If there is no results for your query it is possible that the surname was misspelled or got changed on purpose at some point after your ancestors left Poland. Use surname list for your research instead of simple surname research.
Still struggling to find your ancestors and relatives? Contact us!