Kozlowski
A Polish surname meaning “from Kozłów” or “descendant of the goat-nicknamed one.”
The #3,449 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,807 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kozłowski is a Polish surname built from the place-name suffix -owski, which usually means “of” or “from” a place. It most often points to someone from a town or village called Kozłów or a similar name, itself based on Polish koza, “goat,” or the related surname nickname Kozioł, “buck/goat.” In that sense, the name can be read as “one from Kozłów” rather than a direct occupational label.
History
This is a very common Polish surname pattern, and names in -owski became especially widespread among the gentry and then the broader population. In immigrant records outside Poland, the spelling is sometimes simplified to Kozlowski without the Polish letter ł being marked distinctly. The surname is well represented in Polish diaspora communities in the United States and elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The feminine form in Polish is Kozłowska, showing how Polish surnames can change form by gender in traditional usage.