Show ContentsWisniewski History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Poland
Wisniewski Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Wisniewski

What does the name Wisniewski mean?

The Wisniewski surname is a habitational name, taken on from one of the many places in Poland called Wisniewo, Wisniew, or Wisniewa. These places all derive their name from "wisnia," meaning "cherry," and the surname means "one from the town of the cherry tree."

Early Origins of the Wisniewski family

The surname Wisniewski was first found in the area that now makes up the autonomous nation-state of Poland.

The House of Wisniowiecki, descended from the Lithuanian princes, originally used the Pogon Litewska coat of arms, around 1500, when Prince Ostrogski, the Grand Hetman of Lithuania, having returned from the long-term Muscovite captivity, changed his horseman's coat of arms to the one described above, after which other princes related to his house, following this path, did the same. Korybut, brother of Wladyslaw Jagiello, Duke of Siewierz, after relinquishing that duchy to Vytautas, Duke of Lithuania, in 1393, received Braclaw, Winnica, and Kremenets in Ruthenia, where he also founded castles in Wisniowiec and Zbarazh. Of his five sons, three—Ivan, Skinder, and Jedrzej—were killed in the Battle of Worska against the Tatars in 1399; the fourth, Sigismund, invited to the Czech throne by King Jagiello's agreement, renounced the crown after the peace treaty, and, returning to Lithuania, was killed in a dispute between the brother princes as a supporter of Svidrygiello near Vilnius in 1435. Vasyl founded a monastery in Zbarazh. Bazylianów R. 1480. Michal, a warlord, defended Ruthenia from the Tatars with his own men; with Konstanty Ostrogski, the Lithuanian hetman, and his four sons, he also defeated the enemy at Wisniowiec R. 1512.

Early History of the Wisniewski family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wisniewski research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1718, 1774, 1808 and 1809 are included under the topic Early Wisniewski History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wisniewski Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wiszniewski, Wisniowski, Wisniowiecki and others.

Early Notables of the Wisniewski family

  • Antoni Wisniewski (1718-1774), Polish physicist, mathematician, theologian and educator, and much published philosopher...
  • Adam Wisniewski, (1808), was Captain of the Polish Legion under Napoléon...
  • Adam Wisniewski, (d.1809) was a procurator who died during the capture of Saragossa1...

Wisniewski Ranking

the United States, the name Wisniewski is the 4,080th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Wisniewski is ranked the 3,720th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 3

Wisniewski migration to the United States +



Wisniewski Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Maria Wisniewski, who settled in Baltimore in 1868
  • Anna Wisniewski, baptised in Baltimore in 1877
  • Karol Wisniewski, on record in Baltimore in 1877
  • Franz Wisniewski, who settled in Baltimore in 1883
  • Angelica Wisniewski, age 2, who arrived in Baltimore in 1884
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Wisniewski (post 1700) +

  • Steve Wisniewski (b. 1967), nicknamed "the Wiz", American former professional football player
  • Constance "Connie" Wisniewski (1922-1995), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player (1944 to 1952)
  • David Wisniewski (1953-2002), American children's author and illustrator
  • Leo Joseph Wisniewski (b. 1959), former American football nose tackle
  • John S. Wisniewski (b. 1962), American Democratic Party politician
  • Keith Wisniewski (b. 1981), American mixed martial arts fighter
  • Stefen David Wisniewski (b. 1989), American football offensive lineman
  • Andrew Wisniewski (b. 1981), American professional basketball player
  • James Joseph Wisniewski (b. 1984), American professional ice hockey player
  • ... (Another 32 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
USS Indianapolis
  • Stanley Wisniewski (1926-1995), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 4
  1. Konarski, Simon, Armorial De La Noblesse Polonaise Titrée Paris: De L’Académie Internationale D’Héraldique, 1958. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew

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