Why and how Poles celebrate namedays

Namedays are celebrated much the way birthdays are with one exception: no numbers are mentioned, displayed or hinted at in any way. So nobody would think of asking “Which nameday is this?”, and there are no greeting cards saying “Best wishes on your 10th or 21st Nameday!” Neither is there any set number of candles to blow out, so this celebration would seem to have a lot going for it among age-conscious Americans.

Arriving guests wish the solenizant or solenizantka (person celebrating a nameday) something like: “Wszystkiego najlepszego w dniu imienin” (“All the best on your nameday”) or elaborate on that general theme with: “Dużo zdrowia, szczęścia i pomyślności” (“Lots of health, luck and success”). Guests usually present the host or hostess with cut flowers and a gift. For men it is often a bottle, book, fishing equipment, etc. and for women – perfume, clothing or something for the home. Guests can expect to find tables laden with cold meats, aspic dishes, eggs in sauce, salads, relishes, pickles, etc. Crystal carafes of home-made cordials, store-bought spirits and wines in their original bottles are prominently displayed on the table. A hot dish and desserts with tea and coffee are usually brought in later.

Toasts are raised “Za zdrowie solenizanta or solenizantki” (“To the health of the nameday celebrator”). The host reciprocates with: “Zdrowie miłych gości” (“To the health of our amiable guests”). The evening is spent amid good food, drink and fellowship. There is joking and flirting and, depending on the age and temperament of the crowd, someone may strike up a sing-along or roll up the rug for dancing. Naturally, no nameday party would be complete without serenading the host or hostess with “Sto Lat”.

Some namedays are extremely popular, meaning that on certain days every third or fourth flat in an apartment building and every fourth or fifth house in the village are celebrating. When Windows are open in warmer whether, the laughter, clinking of glasses and strains of “Sto Lat” carry far and wide. Among the older generation, extremely popular namedays include Andrzej, Jan, Józef, Jerzy, Wojciech, Stanisław, Michał and Zygmunt for men and Maria, Barbara, Zofia, Katarzyna, Krystyna, Anna, Jadwiga and Wanda for women.

Polish nameday listing

Compiled by Rob Strybel, Polish/Polonian Affairs Writer

If you, a relative or friend is expecting a blessed event and wondering what name to give the child, why not look through the following list. Presented below is a fairly extensive alphabetical listing of most of Poland’s first names and the days their owners celebrate their namedays.

Adam – Dec. 24

Agata – Feb. 2

Albina – Dec. 16

Albina – Mar. 1

Alicja – June 21

Alina – June 17

Alfons – Aug. 1

Alojzy – June 21

Ambroży – Dec. 12

Anatol – July 3

Andrzej – Feb. 4, May 16, July 13, Nov. 30

Aniela – Jan. 4, Jan. 27

Anna July 26

Antoni – Jan. 17, June 13, Oct. 24

Antonina – Mar. 1

Arkdadiusz – Jan. 12

Artur – Oct. 6

Aurelia – Dec. 2

Balbina – Dec. 21

Baltazar – Jan 6 (one of the Three Kings)

Balbina – Mar. 31

Bartłomiej – Aug. 24

Bartosz – Apr. 21, Aug. 24

Barbara – Dec. 4

Beata – Mar. 8, Sept. 6

Benedykt – Mar. 21, July 11, July 13

Benon – June 16

Benigna – June 20

Bernard – Mar. 12, Aug. 20

Bernadeta – April 16

Blanka – Dec. 1

Błażej -Feb. 3

Bohdan – Aug. 31

Bogna – June 20

Bogdan – July 17

Bogumił – June 6

Bogumiła – Jan 13

Bogusz – Feb. 24

Bogusław – Mar. 22, Sept. 23, Dec. 18

Bogusława – May 29

Bolesław – Aug. 19

Bolesława – July 22

Bożena – Mar. 13

Bronisław – Aug. 18

Bronisława – Sept. 1

Brunon – Oct. 6, Oct. 11

Brygida – Feb. 1

Cecylia – Nov. 22

Celestyna – April 6

Celina Oct. 21

Cezary – Feb. 25, Aug. 27, Dec. 28

Cyprian – Sept. 16

Cyryl – Feb. 2, March 18, June 27, Sept. 16

Czesław – July 20

Czesława – Jan. 12

Damian – Feb. 23

Daniel – Oct. 10

Danuta – Jan. 3, June 24

Dariusz – Dec. 19

Dobrosław – Jan. 10

Dobrosława – Apr. 9

Dominik – Aug. 8

Donat – Feb. 25, Apr. 30, Oct. 22

Dorota – Feb. 6, June 25

Edmund – Nov. 11

Edward – March 18, Oct. 13

Edyta – Sept. 16

Eleonora – Feb. 21

Elwira – Jan. 25, June 14

Elżbieta – May 11, July 4, Nov. 17

Eryk – May 18

Eryka – Feb. 9

Eugeniusz – Jan. 4, July 8

Eustachy – Sept. 9

Ewa – Dec. 24

Ewelina – May 26

Fabian – Jan. 1

Felicja – Apr. 24, Sept. 30

Felicjan – Oct. 29

Feliks – Jan. 14, May 18, June 11, Aug. 30, Nov. 20

Ferdynand – May 30

Filemon – Mar. 21

Filip – April 11, May 26, Oct. 22

Florian – May 4

Flora – Nov. 24

Franciszek – Jan. 24, April 2, June 4, Oct. 4 (of Assisi), Oct. 10, Dec. 3

Franciszka – Mar. 9

Fryderyk – July 18

Fryderyka – Mar. 5

Gabriel – Feb. 27, Mar. 24, Sept. 29

Gabriela – Dec. 19

Gaweł – Oct. 16

Genowefa – Jan. 3

Gertruda – Mar. 17, Nov. 16

Gerwazy – June 19

Grażyna – April 1

Grzegorz – Jan. 2, May 25, Sept. 3

Gustaw – Aug. 2

Halina – July 1

Halka – Oct. 22

Halszka – Mar. 2

Hanna – Jan. 1, July 26

Helena – Mar. 2, May 22, Aug. 18

Henryk – Jan. 19, July 13

Henryka – Mar. 2. Mar. 16

Hieronim – Feb. 8, Sept. 30

Hilary – Mar. 16, May 5

Honorata – Jan. 11

Hubert – Nov. 3

Hugo – Apr. 1

Hugon – Apr. 1

Idzi – Sept. 1

Ignacy – Oct. 17, July 31

Igor – Oct. 5

Ilona – Aug. 18

Ireneusz – Mar. 25, June 28

Irena – Apr. 1, Apr. 5, Oct. 20

Irma – Sept. 18

Izabela – Feb 23, Mar. 16, Sept. 3

Izydor – Apr. 4, May 10, May 19

Iwona – May 19

Jacek – Aug. 17, Sept. 11

Jacenty – Feb. 10

Jadwiga – July 17, Oct. 16

Jakub – May 6, July 25, Oct. 21

Jan – Jan. 31, Feb. 8, Mar. 8, Mar. 30, Apr. 7, Apr. 9, May 18, May 21, May 30, June 12, June 24 (the Baptist), July 12, Aug. 4, Aug. 19, Sept. 13, Oct. 3 (of Dukla), Oct. 10 (Kanty), Oct. 23, Nov. 13, Dec. 4, Dec. 27 (the Apostle)

Janina – June 12

Janusz – Nov. 21

Jaromir – May 28

Jarosław – Jan. 21, Apr. 25

Jarosława – Jan. 21

Jerzy – April 24

Joanna – Feb 2, May 30, Dec. 12

Jolanta – June 15

Józef – Mar. 19 (Jesus’ guardian), May 1 (the Worker), June 23, Aug. 25

Józafat Nov. 11

Julian – Jan. 9, Feb. 13, Sept. 2, Oct. 18

Julianna – Feb. 16, Aug. Aug. 17

Julia – May 22, July 27, Dec. 10

Julita – July 30

Juliusz – Apr. 12

Jurand – May 6

Justyn – July 1

Justyna – June 16, Sept. 17. Dec. 20

Kacper – Jan. 6 (one of the Three Kings)

Kajetan – Aug. 7

Kamil – July 14

Karol – Nov. 4

Karolina – July 5

Katarzyna – Mar. 9, Apr. 29, Nov. 25

Kazimierz Mar. 4

Kazimiera – Aug. 21

Kinga – July 24

Klaudia – Mar. 30

Klaudisuz – Apr. 26

Klara – Aug. 11

Klemens – Mar. 3, Nov. 23

Klementyna – Sept. 8

Konrad – Feb. 19, Apr. 21, Nov. 26

Konstanty – Nov. 30

Kornel – Sept. 16

Krystyna – Mar. 13, July 24, Nov. 13

Krzysztof – July 25

Ksawery – Dec. 3

Ksenia – Apr. 16

Kunegunda – Mar. 3

Larysa – Mar. 23

Laura – June 17

Lech – Aug. 12

Lechosław – Nov. 26

Leon – Feb. 20, Apr. 19, June 12, Nov. 10

Leonard – Nov. 6

Leokadia – Dec. 9

Lesław – Nov. 28

Lesława – Nov. 28

Leszek – June 3

Lidia – Mar. 27, Aug. 3

Lubomir – July 31, Nov. 10

Lucjan – Jan. 7

Lucyna – June 30

Ludwik – Apr. 28, Aug. 25

Ludwika – Aug. 25

Ładsysław – Sept. 25

Łukasz – Oct. 18

Łucja – Dec. 13

Maciej – Jan. 30, May 14

Magdalena – May 25, July 22

Maja – Apr. 9

Maksymilian (Maria Kolbe) – Aug. 14

Malwina – Dec. 4

Małgorzata – Jan. 18, Feb. 22, Oct. 16, Nov. 16

Marcel -Jan. 16, Mar. 10

Marceli – Jan. 16

Marcelina – Apr. 26

Marcin – Apr. 13, Nov. 3, Nov. 11 (of Tours)

Marcelina – Apr. 26, June 2

Mariola – Mar. 25

Mariusz – Jan. 19

Marek – Apr. 25

Maria – Jan. 1, Feb. 2 (Candlemas), Feb. 11. Mar. 25, Apr. 9, May 3 (Queen of Poland), May 24, May 31, July 5, July 16, July 22, Aug. 15, Aug. 22, Aug. 26 (of Częstochowa), Sept. 8, Sept. 15, Oct. 7, Nov. 16, Nov. 21, Dec. 8

Marian – Apr. 30

Marlena – June 16, Oct. 23

Marta – July 29

Martyna – Jan. 30

Marzanna – June 2

Marzena – Apr. 26

Mateusz – Sept. 21 (Apostle), Nov. 13

Matylda – Mar. 14

Maurycy – Sept. 22

Melchior – Jan. 6 (one of the Three Kings)

Metody – Feb. 14

Michał – Apr. 10, Sept. 29 (Archangel),

Mieczysław, Mieszko – Jan. 1

Mikołaj – Dec. 6

Mirosław, Mirosława – Feb. 26

Monika – Aug. 27

Narcyz – Mar. 18

Natalia – July 27, Dec. 1

Nela – Nov. 10

Nikodem – Sept. 15

Nina – Dec. 15

Nora – Feb. 12

Norbert – June 6

Olgierd – Feb. 11

Olga – July 11

Onufry – June 12

Otto – July 1

Otylia – Dec. 13

Patryk – Mar. 17

Paula – Jan. 26

Paulina – Dec. 12

Paweł, Jan. 15, Jan. 25 (Apostle), Feb. 6, Mar. 2, June 26, June 29 (Feast of SS Peter & Paul), Oct. 19

Pelagia – Mar. 23, June 9, Oct. 8

Piotr – Jan. 28, Feb. 21, Feb. 22, Apr. 28, Apr. 29, May 19, June 29 (Feast of SS Peter & Paul)

July 30, Sept. 9, Dec. 21

Prokop – July 8

Przemysław – Apr. 13

Rafał – Sept. 29

Rajmund – Jan. 7, Aug. 31

Regina – Sept. 7

Renata – Nov. 12

Remigiusz – Oct. 1

Robert – Apr. 17, June 7, Sept. 17

Roch – Aug. 16

Roman – Feb. 28, Aug. 9, Nov. 18

Romuald – June 19

Rozalia – Sept. 4

Róża – Mar. 6, Aug. 23

Ryszard — Feb. 7. Apr. 3, Aug. 9

Ryszarda – Sept. 7

Rudolf – Oct. 12

Sabina – Oct. 27

Sandra – May 18, Aug. 26

Sebastian – Jan. 20

Seweryn – Jan. 8, Feb. 1, June 8, Oct. 23, Nov. 8

Sławomir – May 17

Stanisław – May 8 (Bishop & Martyr), Sept. 18 (Kostka)

Stanisława – Aug. 5

Stefan – Aug. 16

Stefania – Sept. 18

Sylwester – Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve)

Sylwia – Nov. 3

Szczepan – Dec. 26

Szczęsny – Aug. 30

Szymon – July 18, Oct. 28

Tadeusz (Juda) – Oct. 28

Teodor – Feb. 7, Apr. 20. Sept. 19, Nov. 9

Teodora – Apr. 1

Teofil – Apr. 27, Oct. 2

Teofilia – Dec. 28

Teresa – July 6, Oct. 1, Oct. 15

Tomes – Jan. 28, June 22, July 3 (Apostle), Sept. 22, Dec. 29

Tymoteusz – Jan. 26

Tytus – Jan. 4, Jan. 26

Urban – July 2, Oct. 31. Dec. 19

Urszula – Oct. 21

Wacław – Sept. 28

Wacława – Apr. 15

Waldemar – May 5, Dec. 11

Walenty – Feb. 14

Walery – Jan. 29, June 14

Waldemar – Jan. 16

Wanda – June 23

Wawrzyniec – July 21, Aug. 10. Sept. 5

Weronika – Jan 13, July 9

Wiktor – Feb. 25, May 21, July 28, Oct. 17

Wiktoria – Dec. 23

Wincenty – Jan. 22, Apr. 5, Sept. 27, Oct. 9

Wiesław – May 22, June 7

Wiesława – May 22

Wirgiliusz – Nov. 27

Wirginia – Dec. 8

Wit – June 15

Witold – Nov. 21

Władysław – June 25, Sept. 25

Włodzimierz – Jan. 16. July 15

Wojciech – Apr. 23

Zdzisław – Nov. 28

Zdzisława – Dec. 12

Zenon – Apr. 12, July 9, Dec. 22

Zofia – May 15

Zuzanna – May 24. Aug. 11

Zygmunt – May 2

Zyta – Apr. 27

Żaneta – Dec. 27

Żytomir – Nov. 7

Compiled by Robert Strybel, Polish/Polonian Affairs Writer

Do you know what your Polish name means?

For a custom-researched analysis of what your Polish surname means, how many people share it, where they live and whether a coat of arms goes with it, please airmail of $15 check (adding $5 for each additional surname or 5 surnames for $30) to:

Robert Strybel

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Also included is a packet of genealogical leads (Web sites and other contact data of genealogical firms, organizations and researchers) that many Polish-American root-tracers have found quite helpful.