Bronislav
Almost no one in Poland carries it: about 120 men in all, so meeting one would stick in your memory. A few newborns have arrived in the last couple of years, nudging it up from near zero. The Slavic root means "to defend glory".
Bronislav Pronunciation
What Bronislav means
Where Bronislav comes from and what it has meant to the people who carry it.
Bronisław comes from two old Slavic roots. "Bronić" means to defend or guard, and "sława" means glory or fame. Put together they give the short meaning that follows the name: to defend glory, broniący sławy in Polish.
The name found real bearers early. Blessed Bronisława, a Norbertine nun near Kraków in the thirteenth century, carried the feminine form Bronisława. Her name day falls on 1 September. Centuries later the anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski took the name across oceans to the Trobriand Islands, and Bronisław Komorowski served as Polish president from 2010 to 2015.
At home the name softens to Bronek. A boy entered as Bronisław on a school register becomes Bronek by the second week.
The feminine Bronisława balances it, same roots, same promise to guard something worth keeping. The meaning stays literal here, unusually so. The name says what it means: defend glory.
How many people are named Bronislav
1 in 174969 men in Poland is named Bronislav. 122 people carry it in the 2025 register: rank #3036 among male names.
Bronislav's popularity over time
2 boys were given the name in 2025, ranking #1490 among newborns. It has been climbing since 2024.