Surname Krajewski - Meaning and Origin
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Krajewski: What does the surname Krajewski mean?
Krajewski is a Polish surname that stands for "belonging to the county". The name is derived from the Old Polish root kray, meaning "land" or "area". The prefix kraj- is a topographic term signifying a piece of territory, or region, much like the English term "county". The suffix -ewski comes from the possessive suffix -ski which indicates belonging to or part of something larger.
Krajewskis can be found all over the world, with especially high concentrations in parts of the US, Canada, Poland, and the UK.
Interesting facts about the Krajewski surname is that it is one of the oldest surnames in the world, first recorded in Poland in the late 1200s. Additionally, several notable people carry the Krajewski surname - the most famous being the American physicist, physicist, and inventor, Stanley A Krajewski.
Overall, the Krajewski surname signifies belonging to the county, which illustrates the concept of citizenship in the region of the bearer's family. Bordering countries share the same root, making it an interesting point of origin for someone researching their heritage and family tree.
Order DNA origin analysisKrajewski: Where does the name Krajewski come from?
The surname Krajewski is of Polish origin and is still found primarily in Poland today. According to the Polish name database, it is the 82nd most common surname in Poland, making it quite common. It is estimated that over 220,000 people in Poland currently possess the name.
The name is also commonly found in Germany, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Lithuania, although it is less common in these countries. It is likely that those who carry the surname in these countries are descended from Polish immigrants. In Germany, it is estimated that between 2000-4000 people possess the surname.
One of the most notable people to carry the Krajewski surname is the Polish composer Tadeusz Krajewski, who wrote the national anthem of the People’s Republic of Poland.
The name is also found in the United States. Many Polish immigrants who arrived in the United States changed their surname to the Americanized form, Crayewski, in order to sound less Polish. This form of the name is common in the United States, with 38,000 people given this surname as of the 2020 Census.
Overall, the surname Krajewski is most common in Poland but is also found in neighboring countries, as well as in the United States.
Variations of the surname Krajewski
Variations of the surname Krawjewski/Krajewski include Krawczyk, Krawiec, Krawitz, Krajewicz, Krajewsk, Krayewski, Krahiewski, Krahwjewski, Krajewsky, Krajewa, Krawytsak, Krawycziyk, Krawiczki, Krawitski, Krawizki, Krazewski and Kraus.
Krawjewski is a Polish and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname deriving from the root word krawiec, meaning tailor or seamstress. It is a variation of the surname Krawczyk, being the masculine gender variation of the same. The German equivalent is Krawetzke, and it may be found in other European countries, including the former Czechoslovakia where it was spelled as Krawčák. It may also be seen in Jewish records as Krawitz or Krawczyk.
Krawiewski, the more rarely seen form of Krawjewski, can be linked to the pre-World War II borderlands of what is now Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, and the Ukraine. In some cases it may even be a variation of the Polish surname Krajewski.
Krayewski and Kraus are found in Poland in various regions, likely derived from the French or German von Kray.
Krahiewski is somewhat rare, and may be from the Polish place-name Krahy. Krajewicz may instead be derived from the word krążyć, meaning to wander, and may be symbolic of a wandering family.
Krajewsk is a Polish spelling from the western parts of the country, while Krawytsak was seen in Poland's southeastern borderlands. The spelling Krawycziyk may have also originated in the southeastern borderlands or prior to World War I in what is now Ukraine.
Krawiczki, Krawitski, Krawizki and Krajewa are all variations of Krawjewski or Krawczyk, but have mostly been seen in what is now eastern Poland or what was prior to World War II the eastern borderlands with Belarus or the Ukraine.
Famous people with the name Krajewski
- Eric Krajewski: American television composer
- Ewa Krajewska: Polish swimmer
- Stanisław Krajewski: Polish physician, businessman and politician
- Karol Krajewski: Polish writer
- Bronisław Krajewski: Polish Olympic rowing and football coach
- Andrzej Krajewski: Polish musician and composer
- Erhard Krajewski: German Catholic theologian
- Juliusz K. Krajewski: Polish politician, historian and poet
- Marek J. Krajewski: Polish historian
- Wojciech Krajewski: Polish Paralympic athlete