Surname Owczarczyk - Meaning and Origin

Owczarczyk: What does the surname Owczarczyk mean?

The last name Owczarczyk is a Polish name. It can be derived from the word ‘owcza’ meaning ‘sheep’, or from the word ‘owczarek’ meaning ‘shepherd’. The name may indicate either a person who kept flocks of sheep, or what may have been a nickname given to someone who had the characteristics of a shepherd: resourcefulness, skill in tending animals, or a physical resemblance to a sheep.

The literal meaning of the word ‘Owczarczyk’ is ‘Little Shepherd’. This suggests the name may have begun as a diminutive form of the word ‘owczarek’, an affectionate form of calling someone a shepherd, or to distinguish a son from his father in the same profession.

Owczarczyk is also a variant form of the name Owczark, which is in turn a version of the Slovak name Ovciar. The English equivalent of this name would be Shepherd.

It is possible that Owczarczyk could have also been a Polish ornamental name, one adopted to sound attractive or because of a fascination with the skills of a shepherd. It is typically found in places formerly part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, especially Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia.

Overall, Owczarczyk may have originally been a patronymic for a shepherd, or may have been an ornamental name adopted by members of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to make for an attractive sounding name.

Owczarczyk: Where does the name Owczarczyk come from?

The last name Owczarczyk is most commonly found in Central and Eastern Europe. The countries where this surname is most popular include Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Belarus.

Within Poland, the surname is especially common in the formerly German-populated regions of the country, including Warmia, Masuria, and the Silesian region, where it can be found in relatively large numbers. The city of Gdansk is also known for having a significant number of people with this name. Historically, this surname was derived from the word owczarz, which means "shepherd" in Polish.

The surname is also relatively common in Ukraine, where it is thought to have been brought to the area by Polish settlers during the 18th century. In Ukraine, the surname is mostly concentrated in the far western part of the country, near the border with Poland.

Finally, small numbers of people with the surname Owczarczyk can also be found in other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Slovakia, Lithuania, Belarus, and the Czech Republic. However, none of these countries has a large number of people with this name.

Variations of the surname Owczarczyk

The surname Owczarczyk is an old Polonian name with a long history. The origin of the name comes from the diminutive form of the Polish word 'owca' meaning sheep, so Owczarczyk literally translates to "Little Sheep".

The most common spelling for this surname, Owczarczyk, is the same in both the Polish and English language. However there are a variety of other spellings and variants, some of which include Owczarczyck, Owczarzak, Owczarczek, Owczarkiewicz, Owczarek, Owszarczyk and Owszarczak.

There are also a variety of different surnames that have derived from Owczarczyk in other languages, these include the German Owzkarzig, the Czech Ovčarčík and the Ukrainian variant Oszarčyk.

Due to the long history of the surname it has been adopted and adapted by many different cultures, with many spellings to match. It is a very old and established surname that can be found in many parts of the world.

Famous people with the name Owczarczyk

• Wojciech Owczarczyk: a Polish journalist, historian, poet, novelist, and author of several biographies.
• Magdalena Owczarczyk: a Polish film and theater actress.
• Paweł Owczarczyk: a Polish film director, best known for directing the feature film Hardkor Disko.
• Sławomir Owczarczyk: a Polish ice hockey player who played in the Polish Hockey League.
• Kacper Owczarczyk: a Polish pole vaulter.
• Adam Owczarczyk: a Polish professional footballer.
• Katarzyna Owczarczyk: a Polish professional tennis player.
• Paweł Owczarczyk: a Polish fashion designer.
• Krzysztof Owczarczyk: a Polish swimmer and the national record holder in the 100m breaststroke.
• Mateusz Owczarczyk: a Polish handball player who currently plays for Wisła Płock.

Other surnames

Owczarczak