Polányi

Polányi is a Hungarian surname derived from the place name Polány, a village in Békés County. The name appears in medieval documents, and it is typically associated with populations that settled in the Magyars' migration era. The surname is most common in Hungary but can be found among Hungarian diaspora communities in Austria, Romania, and the United States.

Notable individuals bearing the name include: László Polányi (1875–1924), a prominent economist who contributed to the early Keynesian school and influenced the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Endre Polányi (1901–1984), a renowned Catalan‑Hungarian photographer known for his portrait collections of Spanish intellectuals during the Spanish Civil War; István Polányi (1930–2005), a respected sports figure who served as secretary‑general of the Hungarian Olympic Committee; and Ágnes Polányi (born 1969), a contemporary novelist whose works explore 20th‑century Hungarian society. The surname is occasionally encountered in genealogical records of Ottoman‑era Transylvania, indicating migration patterns within Central Europe. Polányi is also occasionally used as a noble title within the Transylvanian Saxon community.

Polányi's meaning beyond place is connected to the Hungarian verb "polány" meaning "to scamper"; however this etymology is not widely accepted.