Wojtya

Wojtya is a Polish surname, though the standard Polish spelling is Wojtyła. The form Wojtya is often encountered in non-Polish texts where diacritics are omitted or in older or international records. The name belongs to a family of Polish surnames that may be derived from a local office or from a given name, with possible connections to the word wojt, meaning a local leader or head of a village, or to a diminutive/patronymic formation. The exact origins can vary by region, and there is no single universally accepted etymology.

In terms of distribution, Wojtya is primarily found in Poland, with speakers or descendants in Polish diaspora communities abroad, especially in North America and parts of Western Europe. As with many Polish names, the diacritic version Wojtyła is more common in Poland and in formal contexts, while Wojtya appears in English-language sources or where diacritics are omitted.

Notable individuals associated with the name include Karol Józef Wojtyła (1920–2005), who became Pope John Paul II in 1978 and led the Roman Catholic Church until his death. He is the most internationally recognized bearer of the name, contributing to its prominence in contemporary history. Beyond this, there are other people with the surname in Poland and among the Polish diaspora, though none attained the same level of global attention as the pope. The spelling Wojtyła remains the standard form in Polish, while Wojtya appears in non-Polish contexts.