Wojciech

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 two components in archaic Polish:

• wój (Slavic: voj), a root pertaining to war. It also forms words like wojownik ("warrior") and wojna ("war").
• ciech (from an earlier form, tech), meaning "joy".^[1]

The resulting combination means "he who enjoys war" or "joyous warrior".

Its Polish diminutive forms include Wojtek (pronounced: [ˈvɔi̯tɛk]), Wojtuś ([ˈvɔi̯tuɕ]), Wojtas, Wojcio, Wojteczek, Wojcieszek, Wojtaszka, Wojtaszek, Wojan (noted already in 1136), Wojko, and variants noted as early as 1400, including Woytko, Woythko, and Voytko. The feminine form is Wojciecha ([ˈvɔi̯t͡ɕɛxa]). Related names in South Slavic languages include Vojko, Vojislav, and Vojteh.

The name has been rendered into German in several different variations, including: Woitke, Witke, Voitke, Voytke, Woytke, Vogtke, Woytegk, Woytek, Wogtke, Woetke, Wötke, and Wotke. 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.

The Germanic name Adalbert is sometimes associated with Wojciech, or Vojtech, but the two names are not linguistically related. Their components and meanings are completely different, but the names may have become associated as a result of the 10th-century St. Adalbert of Prague (born Vojtěch Slavník) having taken the name Adalbert at his confirmation.

The name day for individuals named Wojciech is April 23.

People and characters with the given name Wojciech

• Saint Adalbert of Prague (Czech: svatý Vojtěch; Polish: Św. Wojciech) - the first recorded user of this name
• Wojciech Bogusławski, a Polish actor, theater director, and writer of dramas
• Wojciech Bobowski, an Ottoman musician, dragoman, and an intellectual of Polish descent.
• 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 Kasperski, Polish film director
• 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 Pszoniak, Polish actor
• Wojciech Szczęsny, Polish goalkeeper
• Wojciech Wentura, Polish opera tenor
• Wojtek Wolski, Polish-born Canadian National Hockey League forward for the Washington Capitals
• Wojciech Zurek, Polish-born physicist and nationalized American who works at Los Alamos National Laboratory in quantum physics
• Wojciech Żukrowski, Polish writer
• Wojciech Stuchlik, Polish tennis player

Others

• Wojtek, a Syrian brown bear from Persia adopted by soldiers of the Polish II Corps

See also

• Vojtech
• Polish name
• Slavic names
• Wojciechów (disambiguation) - Polish place names
• Wojciechowski - Polish surname

References