Wisniewski Surname Meaning and Origin

The Polish surname Wisniewski is generally a geographical surname deriving from the place of origin of the original bearer, indicating a man who originally came from one of the dozens of Polish villages named Wisniewo or Wisniew. The name roughly translates to "town with a cherry tree," from the root wisznia, meaning "cherry tree."

Wiśniewski is the 3rd most common surname in Poland. Wiśniewska is the feminine version of the surname.

Surname Origin: Polish

Alternate Surname Spellings: WISNIEWSKI, WISNIOWSKI, WISNIOWOLSKI

Where Wisniewski's Live

According to WorldNames public profiler, individuals with the last name Wisniewski are found in the greatest numbers in Poland, followed by the United States, Germany, and Australia. The largest number of individuals named Wisniewski are found in northern Poland, especially the voivodeships (provinces) of Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Warminsko-Marzurskie, Mazowieckie, Zachodniopomorski, and Pomorskie. The Polish-specific surname distribution map on moikrewni.pl identifies surname population at the district level, identifying over 52,000 people with the Wiśniewski surname living in Poland, most living in Toruń, Łódź, Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Poznań, Inowrocław, Szczecin, Brodnica and Plock.

Famous People with the Surname Wisniewski

• James Wisniewski: American professional ice hockey player
• Michał Krystian Wiśniewski: Polish pop singer
• David Wisniewski: English-born children's author
• Janusz Leon Wisniewski: Polish author

Genealogy Resources for the Surname Wisniewski

• Family Genealogy Forum
  Search this popular genealogy forum for the Wisniewski surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Wisniewski surname query.
• FamilySearch
  Access over 250,000 free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Wisniewski surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• DistantCousin.com
  Explore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Wisniewski.
• Surname & Family Mailing List
  RootsWeb hosts a free mailing list for researchers of the Wisniewski surname. 
• Wisniewski Genealogy and Family Tree Page
  Browse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Polish surname Wisniewski from the website of Genealogy Today.
• Polish Genealogy Databases Online
  Search for information on Wisniewski ancestors in this collection of Polish genealogy databases and indexes from Poland, the United States, and other countries.

References

• ^{Cottle, Basil. "Penguin Dictionary of Surnames." Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1967.}
• ^{Menk, Lars. "A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames." Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2005.}
• ^{Beider, Alexander. "A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia." Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2004.}
• ^{Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. "A Dictionary of Surnames." New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.}
• ^{Hanks, Patrick. "Dictionary of American Family Names." New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.}
• ^{Hoffman, William F. "Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings." Chicago: Polish Genealogical Society, 1993.}
• ^{Rymut, Kazimierz. "Nazwiska Polakow." Wroclaw: Zaklad Narodowy im. Ossolinskich - Wydawnictwo, 1991.}
• ^{Smith, Elsdon C. "American Surnames." Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.}