Malinowskis

Malinowskis is the English-language plural form used to refer to people who bear the Polish surname Malinowski. The name is of Polish origin and is found throughout Poland and in communities abroad where Polish families have settled.

Etymology and origin: The surname Malinowski is typically toponymic or estate-based, derived from place names such as Malinów or Malinowo in Poland. The root mal- may be connected with malina, the Polish word for raspberry, or with other landscape features associated with these places. The suffix -ski signifies belonging or origin from a place or estate, a common pattern in Polish noble and gentry surnames.

Usage and variants: In Polish, the masculine form is Malinowski, the feminine Malinowska, and the plural Malinowscy. In English-language references, the family is often referred to as the Malinowskis. The name has variant spellings in other languages, including Malinovsky or Malinovski in Slavic contexts, and Malinovskis in Baltic and Baltic-adjacent usages, reflecting transliteration and local spelling conventions.

Notable bearers: Among the best-known bearers is Bronisław Malinowski (1884–1942), the Polish-British anthropologist whose fieldwork among the Trobriand Islanders helped establish modern social anthropology. His work emphasizes participant observation and functionalist approaches, and he remains a key reference in anthropology.