Gorski
A Polish surname meaning “from the hill” or “of the hill.”
The #4,882 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 42,804 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gorski is a Polish surname formed from góra, meaning “mountain” or “hill,” with the adjective ending -ski, which often means “of” or “from” a place. In plain terms, it likely began as a name for someone who lived near hilly country or came from a place called Góra or a similar topographic name. The spelling without Polish diacritics is common outside Poland.
History
The surname is strongly associated with Poland and the wider Slavic-speaking world, where -ski surnames are especially common. Outside Poland, it spread through migration and is often found in immigrant communities in the United States and other countries. In Anglicized records, it may appear with simplified spellings or without the diacritic marks used in Polish.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Polish surnames, -ski was once especially common in names tied to places, though today it is widespread across many kinds of surnames.