Polski — Declension of names and surnames
Polish first names and surnames are declined by case, like other nouns and adjectives. Surnames split into two types: adjectival ones such as Kowalski/Kowalska take adjective endings, while nominal ones such as Nowak take noun endings.
How it works
Adjectival surnames decline like adjectives — Kowalski/Kowalska in the nominative, Kowalskiego in the genitive, z Kowalskim in the instrumental. Nominal surnames decline like nouns — Nowaka in the genitive, Nowakowi in the dative. A man's surname is always declined, including foreign ones whose ending fits a Polish pattern.
Examples
| Case | Adjectival (Kowalski) | Nominal (Nowak) |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Kowalski | Nowak |
| Genitive | Kowalskiego | Nowaka |
| Dative | Kowalskiemu | Nowakowi |
| Accusative | Kowalskiego | Nowaka |
| Instrumental | (z) Kowalskim | (z) Nowakiem |
| Locative | (o) Kowalskim | (o) Nowaku |
| Vocative | Kowalski | Nowaku |
Good to know
A woman's nominal surname does not change: mówię z panią Nowak, never *z panią Nowakową. But an adjectival female surname does decline: z panią Kowalską. Foreign surnames follow their actual ending, often with an apostrophe: Kennedy'ego, u Dumasa.