Surname Polonskiy - Meaning and Origin

Polonskiy: What does the surname Polonskiy mean?

The last name Polonskiy is a Slavic patronymic, derived from the root ‘Polon’ which refers to ‘people from/of Poland’. It is thought the name originated in Eastern Europe as this is a common surname among Poles and Belarusians. It is essentially an ethnic surname that was adopted by those who were likely to have migrated to these parts of the world from Poland at some point in history. It is thought that the initial meaning of the root is linked to “field” as it is derived from Proto-Slavic ‘Polъ’, which may in fact relate to a person’s place of residence.

The surname Polonskiy is an incredibly common one throughout Poland, Russia, and Belarus, and many branches of the Polonskiy family still reside in these countries today. The surname is a popular spelling variation of the more traditional ‘Polonsky’, with the added ‘iy’ at the end adding a Slavic feel to the original name.

As Eastern European roots became more common further afield due to expats and emigrants, so too did the Polonskiy surname spread to other areas of the world. The name has been found in North and South America, as well as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand to name a few.

Today, the Polonskiy surname continues to be passed down through generations, with some having the honour of carrying it across the world’s boundaries. It is a proud testament to Polish culture, traditions, and a unique part of Europe’s history.

Polonskiy: Where does the name Polonskiy come from?

The surname Polonskiy is most common today in the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe, in particular Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. In the last census, approximately 1,500 people reported the surname as their last name in Russia and 450 in Ukraine, with a smaller number in Belarus. The surname is also found to a lesser degree in other parts of Europe such as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and the Czech Republic.

In terms of America, many of the people with the surname Polonskiy might be immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Eastern Europe. According to the 2020 US Census, about 610 individuals in the United States reported the name Polonskiy. This could be due to a Polish background as well, as there are many people in the United States who trace their ancestry to Poland.

Outside of Europe and North America, the surname is less common. There are some people with this surname in Israel, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay more due to the wave of Jewish immigrants in the early twentieth century. In India and Pakistan, there are small communities of people carrying the name as a result of the large number of refugees who moved there after the 1940s.

During the time of the Soviet Union, the prevalence of the name increased, as it was deliberately adopted by various nations living within the Soviet Union border. All together, it would seem that the surname is highly concentrated in Eastern Europe, followed by pockets of individuals who have moved around the world in recent centuries.

Variations of the surname Polonskiy

The surname Polonskiy is a patronymic surname derived from the ancient Slavic ‘Polon’. It is a common family name throughout Eastern Europe and can be found in Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania.

The most common variants of the surname Polonskiy are Polonsky, Polonski, and Polonska. Polonsky and Polonski are the most popular spellings of the surname in both Russia and Poland, while Polonska is more commonly found in Ukraine.

In Russia, the surname is also known as Polovskiy or Polovsky, and in Slovakia, it is also written as Polansky. In Ukraine, the surname is often found under the spelling Polonchak.

In Belarus, the surname is often spelled with an 'i' at the end, like Polonskii, while in Lithuania it is usually written as Polonskis.

Other variations of the surname include: Palonka, Pallonka, and Palonskiy.

In addition, Polonskiy is also a popular Jewish surname in Eastern Europe and Russia. In this case, the surname is most commonly written with either a 'v' or a 'f' instead of a 'p', such as Volonsky, Folonsky, or Follonsky.

There are many other variants of the Polonskiy surname which are not listed here, but these spellings account for the vast majority of those who still carry the surname today.

Famous people with the name Polonskiy

• Maksim Polonskiy: Russian international lawyer, professor and author. He is the Senior Partner at the Moscow office of the international law firm of Salans and partner in the law firm of VEGAS LEXPERTISE.
• Bolot Polonskiy: Russian journalist, blogger and editor in chief of the online media project Generation-P. He is the author of the novel Generation-P and was one of the writers for the Cyrillic-only comedy show “Politics” on Russia’s Channel One.
• Dmitri Polonskiy: Russian conductor and composer. He is Chief Conductor of the Mariinsky Theater, Artistic Director of the Dynasty calendar and the New Year’s Eve Concerts on the Red Square.
• Yuri Polonskiy: Ukrainian painter. He is best known for his portrait works, as well as for his works featuring mermaids, serpents and animals.
• Vladimir Polonskiy: Russian theatre and film director. He is known for directing the successful musical “Vesna” at the Petrozavodsk State Musical Theatre.
• Andrei Polonskiy: Ukrainian writer, respectfully called “the Prophet of the East” for his works devoted to themes of Slavic mythology and cosmology.
• Kirill Polonskiy: Russian film director, actor and producer. He is the winner of numerous film and TV awards.
• Konstantin Polonskiy: Russian businessman and banker, founder of the QIWI payments platform.
• Yevgeniy Polonskiy: Belarusian author and playwright. He is the winner of the 2001 Belarusian Literary Award.

Other surnames

PolonskiPolonsky