Zawadzki

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Zawadzki is a Polish and Ukrainian surname. The feminine form is Zawadzka and the plural is Zawadzcy. It comes from place names such as Zawada or Zawady. Some Zawadzki families were noble and bore the Zawadzki coat of arms. Spelling varied a lot over time and in different regions, so the same person or family might have different spellings. Variants include Zawadski, Zavadsky, Zavadski, Zawadowsky, Zawadowski, Sawadsky, Sawadski, Sawatsky, Sawatzky, Zawatzki, and more.

This name is very common among Plautdietsch-speaking Russian Mennonites who moved from Ukraine to Canada and the United States; there are hundreds or thousands of families with these spellings. The family history suggests it comes from a Pole who converted to Mennonitism in the Vistula delta region. It is not related to similar-sounding German names like Watzke or Watzky.