What does Kraków mean in Polish? Origin of the name

Kraków, sometimes also spelled as Cracow, is a popular tourist destination, great both as a travel destination and as a stop while exploring Europe. Many people planning a trip to Kraków often ask themselves: what does Kraków mean in Polish? What does the name Kraków mean? Is Kraków a word that has any meaning?

Etymology of the name Kraków

What does Kraków mean in Polish? In practice, the name Kraków means nothing other than the name Kraków. If we look it up in the Polish dictionary, the definition of the name Kraków is simply:

one of the oldest cities in Poland, located in the southern part of the country on the Vistula River, the former capital of Poland and the seat of Polish kings.

Where does the name Kraków come from?

The origin of the name Kraków is not clear, and there is no definitive answer to this question. Some claim that the name Kraków comes from the name of the legendary Prince Krak. However, it is worth remembering that no such prince or ruler of Poland ever existed, and he is a fictional character. Neither King Krak nor Prince Krak existed.

The biography of this legendary figure is somewhat similar to another regional legend, the legend of Prince Krok, a fictional ruler of the Czech area.

According to other accounts, the name Kraków may come from the word “krak,” meaning raven. This is stated in the Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language (Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego) from 1927 by Aleksander Brückner:

“Kraków comes from krak, i.e., raven” – we read in the definition.

In Polish the world “krak”, it is pronounced the same as the name of one of the famous stimulants…

Another etymological dictionary suggests that the name may derive from the name of “some Croat in the service of the Prince of Great Moravia, who founded this stronghold to subjugate the Vistulans.” This is an equally unconfirmed theory.

The name Kraków, though surrounded by legends and various etymological theories, remains a mystery without a definitive explanation. Whether it derives from the legendary Prince Krak, the word “krak” meaning raven, or the name of a Croatian founder of the stronghold – it is difficult to say with certainty. The word itself has no specific meaning in the Polish language.

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