Help with Polish Nicknames / Diminutive Names

Janina - Janka
Barbara - Basia

Samuel - I wouldn't try to make a nickname out of it
Michael - is not a Polish name at all. The Polish equivalent is Michał and it's diminutive is Michaś, but it's good only for a little boy. You usually don't use nicknames for this name

Lusia is a nickname of Lucyna

Eva_KThreads: 6 Posts: 40 Joined: Sep 18, 08	Sep 18, 08, 12:40 / #
Hello. I understand that in Polish culture most first names (given names) have a diminutive/nickname version (e.g: Antoni = Antek; Mieczyslaw = Mietek; Boleslaw = Bolek, etc.) Can you please help me to find Polish diminutive nicknames for these common given names? Thank you! MALE NAMES: Samuel Michael FEMALE NAMES: Barbara Lucia (Lusia) Janina

nikttakiThreads: 6 Posts: 89 Joined: Sep 5, 08	Sep 18, 08, 12:44 / #
Hi, hmmm... that's not an easy task! I can only think of one: Barbara would be Baśka. Cheers.

benszymanskiThreads: 9 Posts: 510 Joined: Feb 29, 08	Sep 18, 08, 12:47 / #
Would it be possible to say Samuelek and Michaelek? What about making Janinka from Janina? Or do they just sound silly?

nikttakiThreads: 6 Posts: 89 Joined: Sep 5, 08	Sep 18, 08, 14:29 / #
Hmmm, Michałek sounds like small Michał, it's OK. Samuelek and Janinka - sounds a bit artificial in my opinion...

Eva_KThreads: 6 Posts: 40 Joined: Sep 18, 08	Sep 18, 08, 16:14 / #
Thank you, both, for your help with these names! Just so I am clear, "Michał" is in fact the Polish of "Michael"? Would it be correct for a Samuel - or Szmuel - to have the nickname of "Mulek"? I believe the name "Jadzia" is a nickname for "Jadwiga"(?) Could it also be for someone with the name "Janina"? Any help with the Polish nicknames for Samuel, Lucia (or is it "Lusia" in Polish?), Janina, etc. will be appreciated.

McCoyThreads: 46 Posts: 1,756 Joined: Jul 3, 08	Edited by: McCoy Sep 18, 08, 16:27 / #
janina is jasia and jania, jusia is a diminutive version of justyna and i've no idea about sam. it's not popular name in Polska.

Eva_KThreads: 6 Posts: 40 Joined: Sep 18, 08	Sep 18, 08, 16:35 / #
Thanks, McCoy! How about the name "Lucia" (or "Lusia")?

McCoyThreads: 46 Posts: 1,756 Joined: Jul 3, 08	Sep 18, 08, 16:36 / #
Lucyna

SwiteziankaThreads: - Posts: 525 Joined: Jun 17, 08	Sep 18, 08, 17:26 / #
Janina - Janka Barbara - Basia Samuel - I wouldn't try to make a nickname out of it Michael - is not a Polish name at all. The Polish equivalent is Michał and it's diminutive is Michaś, but it's good only for a little boy. You usually don't use nicknames for this name Lusia is a nickname of Lucyna

Eva_KThreads: 6 Posts: 40 Joined: Sep 18, 08	Edited by: Eva_K Sep 18, 08, 18:12 / #
Thank you McCoy and Switezianka for your replies! These are all family names. My great-Aunt was named Lusia (Lucia). She was born in Poland, but in the USA she was called "Lucille" or "Lucy" (I think "Lusia" sounds much better!) There was another relative called Jadzia, but I don't know her proper name. (She is from four generations ago and family stories only call her "Jadzia"). There is a "Janina" in the family, also, so I thought maybe the first relative's proper name might have been Janina, too, but called Jadzia as a nickname. Or maybe her name was "Jadwiga". Sadly, I don't have any records to say what her proper name was. There was a great-Uncle called "Mulek" (or something that sounds like this). I suspected it might be a diminutive of "Samuel", but now I just don't know. Family stories abound. I just wish someone wrote down the proper names. (Note to anyone preparing a family history: Please write down all the names - proper, nickname and surname - for your next generations!) Thanks again, and any more help is appreciated!

Eva_KThreads: 6 Posts: 40 Joined: Sep 18, 08	Nov 6, 08, 07:13 / #
^ According to an online site about Polish names, "Lukaszek" and "Łukaś" are listed as most common diminutives for Łukasz. See: http://bazy.hoga.pl/imion_opisy.asp?imie=Łukasz

MarekThreads: 4 Posts: 1,120 Joined: Feb 15, 07	Nov 6, 08, 16:38 / #
Salomon = Salek, Karol = Lolek, Konrad = Radek itd....

colmclrkThreads: - Posts: 2 Joined: Nov 5, 08	Nov 7, 08, 13:54 / #
dziękuję bardzo Eva_K

Guest	May 19, 09, 00:12 / #
How about the diminutive for Danika? Any one with an idea?

McCoyThreads: 46 Posts: 1,756 Joined: Jul 3, 08	Edited by: McCoy Sep 18, 08, 22:34 / #
Eva_K: Jadzia "Jadwiga" correct Janina - Janka Barbara - Basia Samuel - I wouldn't try to make a nickname out of it Michael - is not a Polish name at all. The Polish equivalent is Michał and it's diminutive is Michaś, but it's good only for a little boy. You usually don't use nicknames for this name Lusia is a nickname of Lucyna yeah smartass, thanks for repeating what was already written above ;]

colmclrkThreads: - Posts: 2 Joined: Nov 5, 08	Nov 5, 08, 13:00 / #
Can anyone tell me what the diminutive is for Łukasz ? Colmclrk

pgtxThreads: 49 Posts: 6,327 Joined: Feb 14, 09 MEMBER	May 19, 09, 01:14 / #
Guest: How about the diminutive for Danika? Any one with an idea? Daniczka-doniczka ;)

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	May 19, 09, 02:23 / #
pgtx - flowerpot

KsysiaThreads: 39 Posts: 545 Joined: May 6, 09	Edited by: Ksysia May 19, 09, 17:18 / #
MALE NAMES: Samuel - Samcio, Samek, Mulek też pasuje Michael - Miś, Misiek, we always call all Michałs teddy bears Łukasz - Łukaszku - Kaku FEMALE NAMES: Barbara - Basia, Baśka, Bacha, Basieńka Lucia (Lusia) - Lusia, Luśka, Lusieńka Janina - Janka, Jasia, Jaśka, Janeczka

janinamThreads: - Posts: 1 Joined: Oct 19, 09	Oct 19, 09, 23:15 / #
This is what my grandmother told me the different nicknames are for my name: Janka Jasia (pronounced Jasha) Jani (This is what I go by but I spell mine with a Y because otherwise Americans would pronounce it like a hard J rather then the soft J....and yes I get a lot of "oh like that musician guy (Yanni)!")

Polskiej_DumyThreads: 26 Posts: 69 Joined: Oct 8, 09	Oct 22, 09, 01:31 / #
what about for Brajan?