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Home › Baby Names Directory › Boleslaw

Boleslaw

♂ Boy

Pronounced BOH-leh-slahf /ˈbɔː.lɛ.slɑːf/Medium

Meaning: Boleslaw is a Polish name from the Slavic elements 'bole', 'greater', and 'slav', 'glory' — 'great glory'. Borne by early Polish kings and dukes, it came to America with Polish immigrant families in the early twentieth century.High

In 30 seconds: Boleslaw is a Polish name meaning 'great glory', once borne by kings, carried to America by immigrants (said 'BOH-leh-slahf').
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Origin HighPolish
MeaningBoleslaw is a Polish name from the Slavic elements 'bole', 'greater', and 'slav', 'glory' — 'great glory'. Borne by early Polish kings and dukes, it came to America with Polish immigrant families in the early twentieth century.
U.S. rank (1927)#3490 ↘ Falling
1927 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1916
Total births (all-time)≈ 277

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191619091927

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Boleslaw is built from the Slavic bole, 'greater', and slav, 'glory'. A name of medieval Polish kings and dukes, it reached American shores with the wave of Polish immigration.

In the SSA records it appears only in the early immigrant cohort, peaking around 1916 and vanishing within a generation as families adopted forms like Bolek or the English 'Bill'. It reads as a proud heritage name of the old country.

Did you know? Boleslaw was a name of Polish royalty: Boleslaw the Brave became the first crowned king of Poland just over a thousand years ago, giving the name a regal, patriotic weight.
Overall data confidence 78%
References — Boleslaw — Polish 'great glory', royal name

Variations

BolesławBoguslaw

Nicknames

BolekBo

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Boleslaw…

Stanislaw— another royal Polish -slaw name
Casimir— a like medieval Polish men's name
Casimer— the same vintage feel
Antoni— another Polish name
Nikodem— another Polish name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Boleslaw mean?

Boleslaw is a Polish name meaning 'great glory'.

How do you pronounce Boleslaw?

It's said BOH-leh-slahf /ˈbɔː.lɛ.slɑːf/ — three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Boleslaw a boy or girl name?

Boleslaw is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Boleslaw?

Boleslaw is a very rare Polish heritage name, seen among immigrant families in the early twentieth century.

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