Wojciech
| Wojciech | |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Meaning | He who is happy in battle |
 |
Look up Wojciech in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Wojciech ([ˈvɔi̯t͡ɕɛx] is a Polish given name, equivalent to Czech Vojtěch ([ˈvɔi̯cɛx]), Slovak Vojtech, and German Woitke. Wojciech is one of the oldest Slavic names. The name is formed from "woj" (Polish: "wój") a Slavic root pertaining to war (forming words like wojownik meaning warrior, and wojna meaning war) and "Ciech" (from an earlier form "tech") meaning joy,[1] with the resulting combination meaning "The joy of war" or "smiling warrior". Its Polish diminutive forms include Wojtek (pronounced: [ˈvɔi̯tɛk]), Wojtuś ([ˈvɔi̯tuɕ]), Wojtas, Wojcio, Wojcieszek, Wojtaszka, Wojtaszek, Wojan (noted already in 1136), Wojko. The feminine form is Wojciecha.
The name has been rendered into German in several different variations including: Woitke, Witke, Voitke, Voytke, Woytke, Vogtke, Wogtke, Woetke, and Wötke. It appears as Woyzeck in the play of that name by Georg Büchner. A variant form is Wozzeck, the result of confusion due to the similarity of the letters ‹y› and ‹z› in Sütterlin handwriting; this form is used as the name of the opera by Alban Berg based on Büchner's play.
It is commonly accepted that the Latin (or rather German) equivalent name is Adalbert, but their components and meanings are in fact completely different. The two names may have become associated as a result of St Adalbert of Prague (born Vojtěch Slavník) taking the name of Adalbert at confirmation.
The name day for individuals named Wojciech is on April 23.
[edit] People and characters with the given name Wojciech
- Saint Adalbert of Prague (Polish: Św. Wojciech) - the first recorded user of this name.
- Wojciech Bogusławski, a Polish actor, theater director, and writer of dramas.
- Wojciech Fibak, Polish tennis player
- Wojciech Frykowski, Polish actor, murdered in the US in 1969
- Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish political and military leader, Prime Minister, head of the Polish Council of State, President and de facto dictator of Poland 1981-1989
- Wojciech Kilar, Polish composer, known especially for his film music to Dracula
- Wojciech Kondratowicz, Polish hammer thrower
- Wojciech Kossak, Polish painter
- Wojciech Olejniczak, Polish politician
- Wojciech Szczęsny, Polish goalkeeper
- Wojtek Wolski, Polish-born Canadian National Hockey League forward for the New York Rangers
- Wojciech Zurek, Polish-born physicist and nationalized American who works at Los Alamos National Laboratory in quantum physics
- Wojciech Żukrowski, Polish writer
- Wojtek, a Syrian Brown Bear from Persia adopted by soldiers of the Polish II Corps
- Wojciech Winniczek, Polish writer
- Wojciech Stuchlik, Polish tennis player
- Wojciech Ratajczak, Polish curling player and American Football referee
- Wojciech Zambrzycki, Polish financial analyst.
[edit] See also
- Vojtech
- Polish name
- Slavic names
- Wojciechów - Polish place names
- Wojciechowski - Polish surname
