IN ANGLODOM -- MISS KOWALSKA OR KOWALSKI?

I relaise the vast majority of Polish women whose father's name ends in -ski also have the -ski ending when they move to N. America. My question is: is that required by the US/Candian officialdon or is it simpyl a conformist type of thing. If a Polish female has Mańkowska in her Polish passport, may she retain it in her US/Canadian official documents? Or would she have to submit to some special, additional procedures? Anyone know?

BTW actress Natasha Kinsky went with her dad's name in Germany.

I think, yes. When she marries Kowalski she is Kowalski and all her female children are Kowalski (unless they'd like to apply for name change which is easy as far as I know)

Intresting though is when Mankowska is not maried and has a male child. Her son would be Mankowska then.

I guess that if you emigrate, you keep your official passport surname (I have no idea about Polish letters though, Mańkowska or Mankowska), but when you legally gain (at birth) or change (at marriage) your surname, then the rules apply or the country where this legal act takes place.

Btw, it's not only in English speaking countries:
Just take a look at tennis players (with both Polish parents who once emigrated):
Sabine Lisicki born in Germany. (would be Lisicka if born in Poland)
Caroline Wozniacki, born in Denmark. (would be Woźniacka if born in Poland)

On the other hand:
Urszula Radwańska (born in Germany, but parents returned to Poland) - I have no idea if she was registered after her birth as Urszula Radwanski or something else :)

TVs often show Agnieszka Radwańska father's name as Robert Radwanska, because in many countries people simply don't know about Slavic declension and don't realize male - female names differ in pairs.

it is not required at all as my mom and sis are still both -ska to this day. one has a choice how they want it.

and you're right about the lack of understanding of the slavic fem/masc forms.

I've also known Polish women with typically Polish surnames, yet with '-ski' not '-ska' e.g. a colleague of mine Wanda £apicki who swore up and down when I re-wrote her name on our work form '£apicka' that her unmarried birth name is '£apicki' with an 'i' and was most adamant about that!

As she is not someone to tease foreigners speaking Polish such as myself and is a university graduated translator and professor, I take her word for it--:)