Polish Names

  1. Casimir
    • Origin:

      English; French, from Polish
    • Meaning:

      "destroyer of peace"
    • Description:

      Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering if you've got an adventurous streak — and bet your son will too.
  2. Emilia
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Emil, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "rival"
    • Description:

      Emilia is the feminine form of the Roman clan name Aemilius, which derived from the Latin aemulus, meaning "rival." In Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia is the wife of Iago and confidante of Desdemona. Amelia, although homonymous, has a different root and meaning.
  3. Mina
    • Origin:

      Hindu equivalent of Pisces or diminutive of Wilhelmina, German
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      Most famous as a Dracula victim (where Mina is short for Wilhelmina), Mina is a name that can stand on its own or be a diminutive of any name ending in -mina, most usually Wilhelmina.
  4. Rye
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Ryder,; word name; British surname
    • Meaning:

      "cavalryman, messenger"
    • Description:

      Rye has the potential to become the masculine version of Rue—a short and sweet name for nature lovers (and whiskey fans too!). Rye might be short for Ryder or Riley or Rylan or any Ry-beginning name, but increasingly it stands on its own.
  5. Angelica
    • Origin:

      Italian, Polish, Russian diminutive of Angela
    • Meaning:

      "angel or angelic"
    • Description:

      Angelica is by far the choicest form of the angelic names -- more delicate than Angelina, more feminine than Angel, more modern than Angela. But though Angelica is so lacy and poetic, it lags behind the bolder Angelina (probably for obvious reasons).
  6. Celina
    • Origin:

      Greek, French
    • Meaning:

      "moon or heavenly"
    • Description:

      A light and pretty pan-cultural name which can be considered a variant of either the Greek name Selene or Selena, meaning "moon", or of the French Celine, meaning "heavenly". An attractive choice that is surprisingly rare in the US: out of the Top 1000 since 2006.
  7. Iza
    • Eleonora
      • Origin:

        Italian, German, Dutch, and Polish variation of Eleanor
      • Description:

        Makes a serious name frilly and feminine, which, depending on your viewpoint, might be a good or a bad thing. In this case, we vote good.
    • Zosia
      • Origin:

        Variant of Sophia, Greek
      • Meaning:

        "wisdom"
      • Description:

        This unusual and alluring choice was used by David Mamet for his daughter, who is now grown and an actress on the hit show Girls.
    • Marcia
      • Origin:

        Latin, feminine version of Marcius
      • Meaning:

        "warlike"
      • Description:

        Marcia is an ancient Roman name which derives from Mars, the god of war. It was used by Dante in the Inferno and later by Thomas Hardy and others.
    • Ina
      • Origin:

        Latin, feminine suffix
      • Description:

        This suffix is used as an independent name, but doesn't your little girl deserve more?
    • Melchior
      • Origin:

        Dutch from Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "city of the king; king of light"
      • Description:

        The least used of the Three Wise Men's names, but a strong option for bold namers to consider.
    • Kalina
      • Origin:

        Polish
      • Meaning:

        "viburnum"
      • Description:

        Kalina, known as a girls' name throughout Eastern Europe, translates literally to viburnum in Polish, making it a botanical name. Viburnum is a flowering shrub. Some sources translate this name as simply "flower." Variations may include Kaline, Kalena, and Kalene.
    • Kasper
      • Origin:

        Polish variation of Casper, form of Jasper, Persian
      • Meaning:

        "bringer of treasure"
      • Description:

        Jasper and its many international variations, from Kasper to Casper to Gaspard, is finding new popularity.
    • Minka
      • Origin:

        Polish diminutive of Mina, short form of Wilhelmina, German
      • Meaning:

        "resolute protection"
      • Description:

        In the contemporary US, Minka attracted notice via actress Minka Kelly, who played the gorgeous Lyla on Friday Night Lights.
    • Daniella
      • Origin:

        Italian, Polish, Czech, feminine variation of Daniel
      • Description:

        Daniella, Daniela, and Danielle were among the hottest names for twenty years, but now, though still popular, they can no longer be considered stylish options, lagging behind the newer Ella, Stella, Bella, Gabriella, and Isabella.
    • Ita
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "thirst"
      • Description:

        The name of one of the most famous medieval Irish saints, who was known as "the foster-mother of the saints," and founded a nunnery in the county of Limerick. Might be of interest to someone looking for an unusual 3-letter name.
    • Maciej
      • Origin:

        Polish variation of Matthew, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        The pronunciation barrier looms large, but Maciej has such a pleasant sound, we think it deserves a second look.
    • Edda
      • Origin:

        Norse
      • Meaning:

        "poetry"
      • Description:

        This Old Norse girl name has a lovely meaning and a familiar yet distinctive sound.
    • Eda
      • Origin:

        English, Turkish
      • Meaning:

        "wealthy, well-mannered"
      • Description:

        An medieval English diminutive of Edith, which could make an unusual addition to simple vintage revivals like Eva, Ada and Ida. In Turkish, it means "well mannered".