Given name · also Lithuanian, Germanic
Witold
“ruler of the wide land”
Witold is used as a given name. One German interpretation is “ruler of the wide land.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “ruler of the wide land.”
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Germanic and Lithuanian naming traditions.
How it developed
In German usage, Witold developed from VYTAUTAS.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1916. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Witold through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 45
- 45 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1917
- 8 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1924. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 774 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Witold’s family of names
In Polish usage, Witold has a diminutive in WITEK. In German usage, Witold developed from the Lithuanian form VYTAUTAS. In Polish usage, Witold has a conventional equivalent in Vietholdt.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Witold has relatives in 9 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
12 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 13
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Witold
- Witold GombrowiczPolish writer (1904–1969)
- Witold LutosławskiPolish composer and conductor (1913-1994)
- Witold PileckiPolish underground resistance soldier, World War II concentration camp resistance leader (1901-1948)
- DonatanPolish singerborn 1984
- Witold WoydaPolish fencer (1939–2008)
- Witold WaszczykowskiPolish politician, diplomat, historianborn 1957
- Witold MaliszewskiPolish composer (1873–1939)
- Vitold KreyerSovietic athletics competitor (1932–2020)
- Witold LeszczyńskiPolish film director1933–2007
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Witold, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Willard
“a resolute and brave man”
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“one who is willful; a bright man”
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Mayland
“milan”
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Rector
Rector is a surname from German.
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Wilson
“the son of William”
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Hartzell
Hartzell is a surname from German.
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“from the wealthy hill” · “a powerful protector”
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