Gródek

Gródek is a Polish toponym used for several settlements in Poland and, historically, in areas that have since become parts of other countries. The name derives from gród, meaning a fortified settlement, with the diminutive suffix -ek, giving the sense of a "little fort" or "small fortress." The form reflects historical origins as small defensive sites that grew into inhabited places.

The best-known Gródek in modern Poland is Gródek nad Dunajcem, a town in Nowy Sącz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It lies on the Dunajec river and serves as the seat of Gmina Gródek Nad Dunajcem. The town has historic ties to regional trade and local governance.

Beyond Gródek nad Dunajcem, the name is used by several other villages across various voivodeships in Poland. The recurrence of the name reflects common settlement patterns and historical fortification sites throughout the region.

Historically, places named Gródek appeared in territories that were part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and later came under the administration of modern-day Ukraine, Belarus, or Lithuania. In present-day contexts, cognate forms and placenames appear in neighboring languages as well, illustrating the cross-border historical footprint of the name.

In contemporary usage, Gródek typically denotes one or more specific localities, and disambiguation is needed to distinguish among the different places bearing the name.