Pawłowski
A Polish surname meaning “from Pawłów” or “belonging to Pawł,” ultimately tied to the personal name Paweł (Paul).
The #6,384 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 57,904 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pawłowski is a Polish surname built with the adjectival suffix -owski, which often means “of” or “from” a place. In this case it usually points to a place called Pawłów, Pawłowo, or a similar settlement named from Paweł, the Polish form of Paul. The deeper root is Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble.”
History
Like many Polish surnames ending in -ski or -owski, it began as a noble- or place-based identifier and later became a hereditary family name. Spellings without the Polish diacritic, such as Pawlowski, became common outside Poland, especially in English-speaking countries. The surname is relatively common in Poland and appears widely in diaspora communities in North America and elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The ending -owski was once strongly associated with place names and status, which is one reason Polish surnames of this type are often among the easiest to recognize.