Bukowski
A Polish surname usually meaning “from Buków/Bukowa” or another place named for beech trees.
The #9,338 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 88,542 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bukowski is a Polish habitational surname formed from the place-name element buk, meaning “beech tree.” The ending -owski commonly means “of” or “from,” so the name originally pointed to someone from a place called Buków, Bukowa, Bukowiec, or a similar settlement. In some cases it may also have referred more loosely to a person associated with beech woods or a beech-covered area.
History
This is a well-established Polish surname pattern, and many Bukowski families take their name from villages and estates with beech-based place names. The surname is found in Poland and in Polish diaspora communities, especially in North America. It is best known internationally through the American writer Charles Bukowski, whose family name reflects this Polish naming tradition.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root buk also appears in many Slavic place names, so Bukowski-type surnames can come from several different but related local origins.