Surname Origin: Slavic, Polish

Alternate Spelling: Zelewski, Zaleski, Zeleski, Zalewska, Zalescy, Salewski

Zalewski (feminine: Zalewska, plural Zalewscy) is one of the most common surnames in Poland and the third most common in Podlachia (5,165). Polish surnames are known from the Middle Ages, but only 200 years ago did the inherited surnames become compulsory. ... Podlasie (Latin Podlachia) is a historical region in eastern part of Poland and western Belarus. ...

The form Zalewski is a mutated version of Zaleski. This mutation was the consequence of many regional influences and the creation of various derivates to suit the local nomenclature. E.g Chotomow /Chotomowski / Chotomoski. The original form Zaleski was derived from a place called Zalesie or Zalas, which literally means "an area close to a forest, behind a forest". It is difficult to assess which regions were primarily connected with it, because of the significant number of villages by such names.

Another possible ethymology for one of the forms of Zalewski surname comes from a topographic name for someone who lived by a flood plain or bay. Two locations that this may be connected to are Zalew in Sieradz voivodeship or Zalewo in Olsztyn voivodeship. Coat of Arms of Sieradz Sieradz is a town on Warta river in central Poland with 44,700 inhabitants (1995). ... Olsztyn (pronounce: [:ɔlʃtin], German Allenstein) is a city in northeast Poland, on the Lyna River (German Alle). ...

Germanised version of this surname is Salewski and Saleski, usually found in the Silesia region.

The mother - form of this surname was first noted in the year 1370.

Many families from different classes and with different background used this surname.

Several famous people have the surname Zalewski or a variant of it:

• • August Zaleski - Polish Politician of the early Twentieth Century
  • Erich von dem Bach Zalewski - SS-Obergruppenführer Erich von dem Bach-Zalewski
  • Michał Zalewski - Polish "White Hat" Hacker, computer security expert.

The town of Zaleski, Ohio is a small village in South Eastern Ohio. August Zaleski (b. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... Erich von dem Bach, born Erich von Zalewski and also known as Erich von dem Bach-Zalewski (March 1, 1899 - March 8, 1972), was a Nazi official and a member of the SS (in which he reached the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer). ... Michal Zalewski is a hacker in the Jargon File meaning of the word and a young yet well-known computer security expert from Poland. ... Zaleski is a village located in Vinton County, Ohio. ...

Related links

• Zalewski Surname Resource Center