Witold as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Witold

What is the meaning of the name Witold ?

The baby name Witold is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced {'polish_ipa': '/ˈvitɔlt/', 'polish_approx': 'VEE-tolt', 'english_approx': 'WIT-old or VIT-old'}.

Witold is Polish in Origin.

Of Lithuanian origin, Witold is the standard Polish form of Vytautas, built from Lithuanian vyti (“to drive/lead”) and tauta (“people, nation”). The compound is usually interpreted as “leader of the people” or “he who rallies the nation.” The name entered Polish on the wave of the Polish–Lithuanian union and became prestigious through the fame of Grand Duke Vytautas the Great - known in Polish as Witold - whose campaigns culminated in the 1410 victory at Grunwald. It saw steady use among the szlachta and later a renaissance in the early 20th century.

Variants and related forms include Lithuanian Vytautas, East Slavic Vitovt (Russian) and Vitaŭt (Belarusian). Polish diminutives are Witek and Wituś; the feminine is Witolda. Notable bearers such as composer Witold Lutosławski, writer Witold Gombrowicz, and resistance hero Witold Pilecki have kept the name culturally prominent in modern Poland.