etymology

The etymology of the surname Wysocki (pronunciation) defines someone who comes from a place called: Wysoka, Wysokie or Wysock, Wysocko ect. The name indicates the topography of the area - an elevated place (located higher then other places). It is also possible that the name was coined following the pattern of names ending in -ski and was given to someone who was tall (in Polish: wysoki). 
Wysocki has been recorded since the 14th c. and already then was quite common.  
It is listed in "A Dictionary of Surnames" as frequent among Poles living outside of the country and Ashkenazic Jews. 

There are many Wysockis' home places both within the current and former territories of Poland:

 Poland-142KB         Lithuania         Byelorussia-66KB         Ukraine-102KB

Last updated: 2001-03-08                                                                                                                                                           
© 2000 JW