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A Polish personal name, like names in most European cultures, consists of two main elements: ''imię'', the first name, or the given name; followed by ''nazwisko'', the last name, surname, or the family name. The usage of personal names in Poland is generally governed (in addition to personal taste or family custom) by three major factors: civil law, Church law, and tradition. It is required by law for a given name (''imię'') to indicate the person's gender. Almost all Polish female names end in the vowel ''-a'', while most male names end in a consonant or a vowel other than ''a''. There are, however, a few male names (which are very old and uncommon), such as Barnaba, Bonawentura, Boryna, Jarema, Kosma, Kuba (a diminutive of Jakub) and Saba, which end in ''-a''. Maria is an exceptional name as it is a female name which, however, can be also used as a middle (second) name for males (never as a first name for males). Traditionally Polish-sounding surnames which end with the masculine morpheme ''-ski'' suffix (this includes ''-cki'' and ''-dzki'') and corresponding feminine suffix ''-ska/-cka/-dzka'' were since the High Middle Ages borne by, and associated with, the nobility (Polish ''szlachta'') who in the early years preserved such suffix distinction to themselves.〔Zenon Klemensiewicz, ''Historia języka polskiego'' (History of Polish), PWN, Warsaw 1985, ISBN 83-01-06443-9. (in Polish)〕 They are widely popular today. Minor regional spelling differences also exist depending on whether the surname is derived or used in Poland or in other languages such as Czech and Slovak (e.g. ''-sky/-ský''). == ''Imię'' (given name) == A child in Poland is usually given one or two names, Polish registry offices do not register more than two. Among Catholics, who form the vast majority of the population, it is customary to adopt the name of a saint as an informal third given name at confirmation, however, this does not have any legal effect. (This is reminiscent of the pre-Christian rite of the "first haircut" (postrzyżyny), which also involved giving the child a new name.) Parents normally choose a name or names for their child from a long list of traditional names which may be:〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=The most Common Baby names in Poland - History, Trends )〕 * a Christian name, i.e., a Biblical name or a saint's name, or * a Slavic name of pre-Christian origin. The names of Slavic saints, such as Wojciech (St Adalbert), Stanisław (St Stanislaus), or Kazimierz (St Casimir), belong to both these groups. Slavic names used by historical Polish monarchs, e.g. Bolesław, Lech, Mieszko, Władysław, are common as well. Additionally, a few names of Lithuanian origin, such as Olgierd (Algirdas), Witold (Vytautas) or Danuta, are also quite popular in Poland. Traditionally, the names are given at a child's baptism. Non-Christian but traditional Slavic names are usually accepted, but the priest may encourage the parents to pick at least one Christian name. In the past two Christian names were given to a child so that he or she had two patron saints instead of just one. At confirmation people usually adopt yet another (second or third) Christian name; however, it is never used outside Church documents. In Eastern Poland, as in many other Catholic countries, people celebrate name days (''imieniny'') on the day of their patron saint. On the other hand, in Western Poland birthdays are more popular. Today, in Eastern Poland birthdays remain relatively intimate celebrations, as often only relatives and close friends know a person's date of birth. Name days, on the other hand, are often celebrated together with co-workers, etc. Information about whose name day it is today can be found in most Polish calendars, web portals, etc. The choice of a given name is largely influenced by fashion. Many parents name their child after a national hero or heroine, some otherwise famous person, or a character from a book, film, or TV show. In spite of this, a great number of names used in today's Poland have been in use since the Middle Ages. Diminutives are very popular in everyday usage, and are by no means reserved for children. The Polish language allows for a great deal of creativity in this field. Most diminutives are formed by adding a suffix. For male names it may be ''-ek'' or the more affectionate ''-uś''; for female names it may be ''-ka'', or ''-nia'' / ''-dzia'' / ''-sia'' / ''cia'' respectively. Maria, a name whose standard form was once reserved to refer to Virgin Mary, has a particularly great number of possible diminutives, which include: Marysia, Maryśka, Marysieńka, Marychna, ''Mania'', ''Mańka'', ''Maniusia'', ''Maryna'', Marianna, some of which (indicated by underlining) have eventually become treated as standard names of their own (probably having their own derivatives), while others (such as those in ''italics''), are shared diminutives and are less popular (largely regarded as foreign). Also, as in many other cultures, a person may informally use a nickname (''pseudonim, ksywa'') in addition to or instead of a given name. As of 2009, the most popular female names in Poland are Anna, Maria, and Katarzyna (Katherine). The most popular male names are Piotr (Peter), Krzysztof (Christopher), and Andrzej (Andrew).〔("20 most common given names in Poland" ), Polish Ministry of Interior and Administration (PDF file, direct download) 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Polish name」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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