List of Polish Americans

This is a list of notable Polish Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained citizenship and their American descendants.

Academics

Norman Finkelstein, political scientist specialising in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; of Polish Jewish ancestry
Leon M. Goldstein, President of Kingsborough Community College, and acting Chancellor of the City University of New York
Joseph S. Murphy, President of Queens College, President of Bennington College, and Chancellor of the City University of New York
Joseph Opala, scholar of African American history

Arts and entertainment

Actors and personalities – TV, radio and film

Nick Adams, film actor; mother was of Polish descent
Grant Aleksander, film and daytime actor, Guiding Light
Pico Alexander, actor; parents are Polish immigrants
Stanley Andrews, TV/radio actor
Anna Anka, actress, model, and author
David Arquette, actor, director, producer; mother was of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Patricia Arquette, actress, director, producer; mother was of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Rosanna Arquette, actress, director, producer; mother was of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Jacob Artist, actor, singer, and dancer; mother is of Polish descent
Joe Augustyn, screenwriter, movie producer
Jake T. Austin, actor; father is of part Polish descent
Pat Benatar, singer and composer
Carroll Baker, film actress and author; father of Polish ancestry
Christine Baranski, actress
Kristen Bell, film/television actress, mother is of Polish descent
Maria Bello, actress ; mother is of Polish descent
Brian Benben, television actor; father was of Polish descent
Jack Benny, comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film; of Polish Jewish descent
Carlos Bernard, actor
Craig Bierko, actor and singer; father has Polish ancestry
Rebecca Black, singer, father of partial Polish descent
Marc Blucas, actor; paternal grandfather of Polish descent
Alex Borstein, actress, voice actress, writer, and comedian; of Polish Jewish descent
Lisa Boyle, actress and model; of part Polish descent
Andrew Bryniarski, actor and bodybuilder; father of Polish descent
Carolina Bartczak, actress; born in Germany, both parents are Polish
Adrien Brody, actor; father has Polish ancestry
Amanda Bynes, actress and comedian; paternal grandmother was of Polish descent
Liz Cackowski, comedy writer and actress; of part Polish descent
Nicolas Cage, actor; maternal grandmother was of Polish descent
Bobby Campo, actor; paternal grandmother of Polish descent
Steve Carell, actor; mother of Polish descent
Jessica Cauffiel, actress and singer; paternal grandmother of Polish ancestry
Jennifer Connelly, Academy Award-winning actress; her mother was of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent
Robert Conrad, film and television actor; Polish on father 's side
D.J. Cotrona, actor; mother of half Polish descent
Elżbieta Czyżewska, Polish-born award-winning theater, film and TV actress
Larry David, comedian, writer, actor, director, and television producer; mother was of Polish descent.
Jenna Dewan-Tatum, actress, model, and dancer; paternal grandmother of Polish descent
Janice Dickinson, model/reality television star; mother was of Polish descent
James Charles Dickinson, YouTuber, model, make-up artist, Internet personality; father is of Polish descent
Dagmara Dominczyk, Polish-born American actress; sister of Marika Dominczyk
Marika Dominczyk, Polish-born American actress; sister of Dagmara Dominczyk
David Duchovny, actor; paternal grandmother of Polish Jewish ancestry
John Duda, actor; father of Polish descent
Anne Dudek, television actress
Alexis Dziena, film and television actress, of part Polish descent
George Dzundza, actor, of part Polish descent
Zac Efron, actor, paternal grandfather was the son of Polish Jewish parents
Jesse Eisenberg, actor, of Polish Jewish and Ukrainian Jewish descent
Linda Emond, actress; paternal grandmother was of Polish descent
Briana Evigan, actress; of part Polish descent
Peter Falk, actor; of Polish Jewish descent
Jason David Frank, actor and mixed martial artist; mother of half-Polish descent
Johnny Galecki, actor; father of Polish descent
Arlene Golonka, actress
Hedwig Gorski, poet and author; father of Polish descent
Katerina Graham, actress, mother of Polish and Russian Jewish descent
Gilda Gray, actress and dancer
Ari Graynor, actress; father of Polish descent
Alice Greczyn, actress
Kim Greist, actress; Polish maternal grandmother
Zach Grenier, actor; mother of Polish descent
Sasha Grey, actress; maternal great-grandfather of Polish descent
Khrystyne Haje, actress
Chelsea Handler, actress and comedian; maternal great-grandmother of Polish origin
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of The View and contestant on Survivor
Izabella Scorupco, actress
Marilu Henner, television actress and health book author; father was of Polish descent
John Hodiak, film actor
Bonnie Hunt, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated actress, comedian, writer, director, television producer, and daytime television host, maternal grandparents were Polish
Ryan Hurst, actor; mother of Polish descent
Scarlett Johansson, actress ; mother is of Polish descent
Jake Johnson, actor; maternal grandmother, Lucille/Lucy Kopacz, was of Polish descent
Angelina Jolie, Academy Award-winning film actress; mother was approximately 1 quarter Polish
Jenny Jones, talk show host who hosted The Jenny Jones Show from 1991 to 2002
Jane Kaczmarek, Emmy-nominated actress Malcolm in the Middle and Raising the Bar
Nina Kaczorowski, actress, stunt woman, model and dancer
Brittney Karbowski, voice actress
John Karlen, Emmy Award-winning stage, film, and television actor
Vincent Kartheiser, actor; maternal great-grandmother was Polish, from Błonie
Harvey Keitel, Academy Award-nominated actor, of Polish Jewish and Romanian Jewish descent
Ted Knight, Emmy Award-winning film and television actor
Victoria Konefal, TV actor
Kristof Konrad, TV and film actor
Camille Kostek, actress and model
Mitchell Kowal, film actor
Linda Kozlowski, film actress
Jane Krakowski, film, stage and television actress ; winner of the 2003 Tony Award; of three quarters Polish descent
John Krasinski, TV and film actor ; of half Polish and half Irish descent
Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA 2019, father is of Polish descent
Lisa Kudrow, actress, of Polish Jewish and Belarusian Jewish descent
Shia LaBeouf, actor, voice actor, and comedian, mother is of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Lisa Lampanelli, comedian and actress; maternal grandfather, Stanley Velgot, of Polish descent
Carole Landis, film actress; mother was of Polish descent and father of Norwegian descent
Joe Lando, TV and film actor
Matt Lanter, actor and model; of part Polish descent
Téa Leoni, film and TV actress; paternal grandmother was of Polish descent
Logan Lerman, actor; his maternal grandfather was a Polish Jewish immigrant, and the rest of Logan's ancestry is Russian Jewish, Lithuanian Jewish, and other Polish Jewish
Justin Long, film and television actor; his mother, former Broadway actress Wendy Lesniak, is of half Polish descent
Josh Lucas, actor
Eric Mabius, TV and film actor, mother is of Polish descent
Richard "Mach" Machowicz, host of Discovery Channel's Future Weapons, former Navy SEAL
Rose Marie, TV and film actress ; mother of Polish heritage and father of Italian descent
Ross Martin, Polish Jewish immigrant, TV and film actor
Ignacyo Matynia, actor; born in Poland and moved to the United States as a child
Joseph Mazzello, actor; maternal grandfather of Polish descent
Jenny McCarthy, actress and comedian; mother of part Polish descent
Piotr Michael, actor, comedian and voice actor; parents of Polish ancestry
Izabella Miko, Polish-American actress and dancer
Patrycja Mikula, also known as Patricia Mikula, model and Playboy Cybergirl
Wentworth Miller, actor, model, screenwriter, and producer; maternal great-grandmother, Florence Busczniewicz, of Polish descent
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, actor; paternal grandmother, Joan Stolarczyk, was of Polish descent
Helena Modjeska, Polish-born actress who specialized in Shakespearean roles
Cameron Monaghan, actor and model; mother of part Polish descent
Kyle Mooney, actor and comedian; maternal great-grandfather of Polish descent
Zero Mostel, actor of stage and screen, of Polish Jewish descent
Pola Negri, Polish film actress who achieved notoriety as a femme fatale in silent films between the 1910s and 1930s
Paul Newman, actor; of Polish Jewish/Hungarian Jewish and Slovak Catholic descent.
Mario Nugara, ballet artist, director, instructor, born Pittsburgh, PA, of Italian and Polish descent, mother is Polish
Charlie O'Connell, reality and TV actor
Jerry O'Connell, TV and film actor; maternal grandfather was of Polish descent
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, actress and model; of part Polish descent
Jerry Orbach, Tony Award-winning stage, film, musical theatre and television actor and singer; mother was of Polish-Lithuanian Roman Catholic background; father was a German Jewish immigrant
Frank Oz, British-born American film director, actor and puppeteer, father was a Polish Jew
Joanna Pacuła, Polish-born actress
Jared Padalecki, actor ; father is of Polish descent
Adrianne Palicki, actress; paternal grandfather of Polish descent
Gwyneth Paltrow, actress; paternal family were Jewish immigrants from Belarus and Poland; grandfather's surname was "Paltrowicz"
Annie Parisse, actress; father of part Polish descent
James Penzi, playwright, screenwriter, poet; mother is Polish
Kinga Philipps, actress/producer
Janelle Pierzina, contestant on the sixth and All-Star seasons of the American version of the CBS reality show Big Brother
Mary Kay Place, actress and singer; Polish maternal great-grandmother
Natalie Portman, actress, part-Polish Jewish descent
Stefanie Powers, actress and singer; mother was of Polish descent
Beata Pozniak, Polish-born actress, film director, painter, fashion model, and activist who is now based out of the United States
Robert Prosky, TV and film actor
Danny Pudi, TV actor; mother is of Polish descent
Maggie Q, model and actress ; father is of Irish and Polish descent
Jack Quaid, actor; maternal grandfather of Polish ancestry
John Ratzenberger, TV actor, mother was of Polish descent
Dana Reeve, actress, singer, and activist for disability causes; paternal grandmother of Polish descent
Scott Rogowsky, comedian and the primary host of HQ Trivia.
Eli Roth, film director, producer, writer and actor, of Polish Jewish, Russian Jewish, and Austrian Jewish descent
Cynthia Rothrock actress; Polish descent
Ronda Rousey, MMA fighter and actress; of part Polish descent
Paul Rudd, actor, of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Amy Ryan, actress, born Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski; of part Polish descent
Meg Ryan, née Hyra, actress, Polish ancestry on her father's side
Thomas Sadoski, actor; paternal grandfather is of Polish descent
Jonathan Sadowski, actor of Polish and Italian descent
Pat Sajak, host of the popular and long-running television game show Wheel of Fortune
Richie Sambora, singer
Fred Savage, actor, of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Rob Schneider, actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director; father was of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Liev Schreiber, film and stage actor, mother is of Polish Jewish descent
Chloë Sevigny, film actress and model; mother is of Polish descent
Kate Siegel, actress of Russian Jewish, Polish Jewish, and German Jewish descent.
Jane Seymour, actress, father is of partial Polish descent
Atticus Shaffer, actor; maternal grandmother, Wanda Mary Jankowski, of Polish descent
Casey Siemaszko, film/television actor, Polish father
Nina Siemaszko, film/television actress, Polish father
Joseph Sikora, Polish-American actor
Edyta Śliwińska, television personality; ballroom dancer
Bill Smitrovich, actor
Leelee Sobieski, actress, father is of partial Polish descent
Olga Sosnovska, Polish-born TV and soap opera actress
Tori Spelling, actress, father is of partial Polish descent
Martin Starr, actor; maternal great-grandmother, Mary H. Krzyzanowski, of Polish descent
Howard Stern, radio and TV personality
Jon Stewart, host
Ben Stiller, actor, father is of Polish Jewish descent
Gloria Swanson, actress ; mother, Adelaide Klainowksi, was of part Polish descent
Loretta Swit, musical theatre and television actress
Keith Szarabajka, TV and film actor
Eric Szmanda, TV actor, of part Polish descent
Christine Taylor, actress; of part Polish descent
Miles Teller, actor; paternal great-grandmother, Catherine Stancavage, was of Polish descent
Uma Thurman, actress; of part Polish descent
Meghan Trainor, singer and actress; maternal grandfather of Polish descent
Alan Tudyk, TV, film and stage actor; father of Polish descent
Liv Tyler, actress and model; paternal great-grandfather was a Polish immigrant
Tom Tyler, film actor
James Urbaniak, film, television and theatre actor
Travis Van Winkle, actor; maternal grandmother of Polish descent
Michael Vartan, film and television actor; mother is a Jewish immigrant from Poland
Theo Von, comedian and podcaster, descended from the Szlachta family of Kurnatowski
Jean Wallace, film actress
Eli Wallach, actor, of Polish Jewish descent
Devon Werkheiser, actor; maternal great-grandmother was of Polish descent
Paul Wesley, actor, born Paweł Tomasz Wasilewski to Polish parents
Steve Wilkos, TV host
Paul Winchell, ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian; his grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Poland and Austria-Hungary
Alicia Witt, actress, singer-songwriter, and pianist
Pia Zadora, actress and singer; mother was of Polish descent
Henry Zebrowski, actor and comedian; grandfather was Polish immigrant
Rachel Zegler, actress and singer; father is of Polish descent
Maddie Ziegler, actress and dancer; of partial Polish descent
Madeline Zima, actress; maternal grandfather of Polish ancestry
Vanessa Zima, actress; maternal grandfather of Polish ancestry
Yvonne Zima, actress; maternal grandfather of Polish ancestry
Sheri Moon Zombie, actress; mother of Polish descent
Daphne Zuniga, actress; maternal grandfather of Polish descent
Chris Zylka, actor; maternal grandfather of Polish descent
Kai Kamal Huening, singer; father of Polish descent
Bahiyyih Jaleh Huening ; father of Polish descent

Architects

John S. Flizikowski, prominent Chicago architect
Frank Gehry, Canadian-born of Polish Jewish descent; California architect
Norman Jaffe, architect widely noted for his contemporary residential architecture
Daniel Libeskind, Polish-born architect
Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Polish American leader of the New Urbanism movement
Witold Rybczynski, Scottish-born architect, author and professor; later based in Canada and the United States

Artists

Richard Anuszkiewicz, painter, sculptor, and printmaker
Joseph Bakos, Southwestern artist
Władysław T. Benda, painter and illustrator
Hedwig Gorski, performance poet and avant-garde artist
Frank Kozik, graphic artist who has worked with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Melvins, The Offspring and Butthole Surfers; runs Man's Ruin Records
Tamara de Lempicka, art deco artist
Jan Lorenc, photographer and designer
Jozef Mazur, painter and stained glass artist
Rafał Olbiński, artist
Ed Paschke, artist
Miroslaw Rogala, video artist
Theodore Roszak, sculptor
Jan Sawka, painter, sculptor, printmaker, stage design, and set design
Kesha Sebert, singer
David Seymour, Polish-born photographer and photojournalist
Julian Stanczak, painter
Stanisław Szukalski, painter, sculptor and pseudoscientific historian
Arthur Szyk, political cartoonist
Jack Tworkov, painter
Piotr Uklański, artist and photographer
Jurek Wajdowicz, photographer, artist and graphic designer
Max Weber, Polish-born Expressionist painter
Krzysztof Wodiczko, artist
Korczak Ziolkowski, sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial

Authors

George Adamski, author
Douglas Blazek, poet and editor
Quinn Bradlee, author
Charles Bukowski, writer
Virginia C. Bulat, author and historian
Mark Z. Danielewski, author
Stuart Dybek, poet, writer
Marie Ferrarella, author
Hedwig Gorski, performance poet, avant-garde artist
John Guzlowski, poet/novelist/essayist, author
Chuck Klosterman, author with German and Polish ancestry
Lelord Kordel, author of books on nutrition and healthy living
Jerzy Kosinski, novelist
Chris Kuzneski, best-selling author of multiple thrillers
Richard C. Lukas, author, historian and freelance writer
Czesław Miłosz, Nobel Prize–winning poet, prose writer, essayist and translator
Andrew Nagorski, non-fiction/fiction author and award-winning senior editor of Newsweek magazine
Michael Alfred Peszke, psychiatrist and historian of the Polish Armed Forces in World War II
David Pietrusza, non-fiction and historical author
Chez Raginiak, author
James Rollins, bestselling author of fantasy and action-adventure thrillers
Leo Rosten, teacher and academic; best known as a humorist in the fields of scriptwriting, storywriting, journalism and Yiddish lexicography
Maurice Sendak, Polish Jewish-American writer and illustrator of children's books
Isaac Bashevis Singer, Polish-American writer in Yiddish, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978.
Maja Trochimczyk, music historian, poet, editor, translator and publisher, founder of Moonrise Press
Diane Wakoski, poet and essayist in residence at Michigan State University
Maia Wojciechowska, writer of children's books
Leo Yankevich, critic, editor, poet and translator associated with the New Formalist movement
Adam Zamoyski, historian and a member of the Zamoyski ancient Polish nobility family
George Zebrowski, science fiction author
Roger Zelazny, writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels
Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm, academic and non-fiction and historical author

Filmmakers

Joe Augustyn, screenwriter, producer
Andrzej Bartkowiak, cinematographer, director and actor
Richard Boleslavsky, director
Mark Cendrowski, television director
Shirley Clarke, experimental and independent filmmaker
Tad Danielewski, director/producer; his first wife was Polish-American actress Sylvia Daneel, with whom he emigrated to the United States
Max Fleischer, Polish-American cartoonist, filmmaker and creator of Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman, of Jewish descent
Samuel Goldwyn, Polish-born U.S. Hollywood motion picture producer and founding contributor of several motion picture studios, of Jewish descent
Gene Gutowski, Polish-born European and U.S. motion picture and theater producer, noted sculptor and author. Producer of several of Roman Polanski's early films. Co-producer of The Pianist.
Janusz Kamiński, two-time-Oscar-winning cinematographer and film director who has photographed all of Steven Spielberg's movies since Schindler's List
Stanley Kubrick, US/UK filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and photographer, of Jewish descent
Martin Kunert, writer/director
Rudolph Maté, cinematographer and film director
Alan J. Pakula, producer, writer and director, of Jewish descent
Roman Polanski, filmmaker born in France; at age 3 moved to Poland; fled from the U.S. to France in 1978 due to allegations of statutory rape, of Jewish descent
Anthony Stanislas Radziwill, television executive/filmmaker
Zbigniew Rybczyński, director, filmmaker, cinematographer, Oscar winner 1983 Best Animated Short Film
Andrzej Sekuła, cinematographer and film director
Aaron Spelling, film and television producer, of Jewish descent
Sam Spiegel, Academy Award-winning film producer, of Jewish descent
Chad Stahelski, stuntman and film director
J. Michael Straczynski, writer/producer
Gore Verbinski, director
Lana Wachowski, filmmaker, director
Lilly Wachowski, filmmaker, director
Albert Warner, co-founder of Warner Bros. Studios, of Jewish descent
Harry Warner, one of the founders of Warner Bros. and a major contributor to the development of the film industry, of Jewish descent
Jack L. Warner, president and driving force behind the highly successful development of Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, of Jewish descent
Sam Warner, co-founder and chief executive officer of Warner Bros. film company, of Jewish descent
Billy Wilder, journalist, screenwriter, film director, and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films, of Jewish descent
Tommy Wiseau, writer, director, and star of The Room
Dariusz Wolski, Polish-born cinematographer

Journalists

Ben Bradlee, journalist, author, newspaper editor of the Washington Post
Ben Bradlee, Jr., journalist, author, a newspaper editor of the Boston Globe
Mika Brzezinski, NBC and MSNBC News journalist and commentator
Wolf Blitzer, CNN anchor, born in Augsburg, Allied-occupied Germany to Polish-Jewish survivors from Auschwitz
Rita Cosby, MSNBC anchor; journalist
Christopher Hitchens, literary critic and political activist
Laura Ingraham, conservative political TV commentator/radio show host/author
Wanda Jablonski, journalist
Larry King, Larry King Live, of Jewish descent
John Kobylt, radio personality and co-host of talk radio program John and Ken on KFI AM 640
Max Kolonko, TV personality, news correspondent, author, producer
Steve Kornacki, national political correspondent for NBC News
Michelle Kosinski, NBC News correspondent
Alan Krashesky, anchorman of Chicago's WLS-TV or ABC 7
Samuel Lubell, print journalist, pollster, and National Book Award finalist
Jim Miklaszewski, chief Pentagon correspondent for NBC News
Carl Monday, investigative journalist in Cleveland
Mike Royko, long-time Chicago newspaper columnist
S.L. Shneiderman, journalist, poet, and writer
Wilma Smith, anchorwoman WJW-TV
Gloria Steinem, American feminist icon, journalist, and social and political activist, of partial Jewish descent
Barbara Walters, broadcast journalist and television personality
Ivo Widlak, Polish-born international press, radio and television journalist

Models

Alessandra Ambrosio, model and actress
Anna Chudoba, model/reality TV star
Janice Dickinson, self-proclaimed first supermodel, fashion photographer, actress, author and an agent
Katarzyna Dolinska, model and contestant of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10
Alice Greczyn, model and actress
Jacquelyn Jablonski, model
Anna Jagodzińska, Polish model, born in Sierpc
Diane Klimaszewski, model and one half of the Coors Light Twins with sister Elaine
Elaine Klimaszewski, model and one half of the Coors Light Twins with sister Diane
Karlie Kloss, model
Camille Kostek, model, actress, and host; was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Joanna Krupa, model and actress, born in Warsaw
Jordan Monroe, Playboy model
Beth Ostrosky Stern, model and wife of Howard Stern
Emily Ratajkowski, Polish-American model who appeared on iCarly
Anja Rubik, Polish model, born in Rzeszów
Mia Tyler, plus-size model, actress, public speaker and advocate; great-grandfather emigrated from Poland

Musicians

Esther Allan, composer, pianist, and organist
Rosalie Allen, country singer-songwriter, and guitarist
Michael Anthony, né Michael Anthony Sobolewski; bassist
Jerry Augustyniak, drummer
Pat Benatar, née Patricia Mae Andrzejewski, rock singer
Bhad Bhabie, rapper, songwriter and internet personality. Has Jewish Polish ancestry on her father's side.
Eddie Blazonczyk, polka musician
Mike Bordin, drummer for
Dan Bryk,, singer-songwriter
Porcelain Black, singer-songwriter, rapper, and model; mother of Polish descent
Jordan Buckley, guitarist for Every Time I Die and Better Lovers
Keith Buckley, vocalist for Every Time I Die and Many Eyes
Clem Burke, drummer
Peter Cetera, singer-songwriter, bassist
Greyson Chance, singer-songwriter, and pianist; maternal great-grandmother, Annie J. Kosinski, of Polish descent
Louis Cheslock, violinist and composer. Both parents Polish.
Leonard Chess, co-founder of Chess Records
Phil Chess, co-founder of Chess Records
"Metal" Mike Chlasciak, guitarist of Halford, Cans and PainmuseuM
Florian Chmielewski, Minnesota musician; politician; former legislator; former President of the Minnesota Senate
John Curulewski, one of the original members of Styx
Dick Dale, pioneer of surf rock and one of the most influential guitarists of the early 1960s; experimented with reverb and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers
Neil Diamond, singer-songwriter, born to a Jewish family descended from Russian and Polish immigrants
Sławomir Dobrzański, classical pianist
Henry Doktorski, accordionist, pianist, composer and conductor
Urszula Dudziak, jazz singer
Adam Dutkiewicz, guitarist
Eminem, rapper, songwriter, and record producer
Rik Fox, heavy metal bass/guitar player ; also actor and published writer
Piotr Gajewski, conductor, music director
Tamara Gee, pop singer-songwriter
Paul Gilbert, guitarist
Leopold Godowsky, Polish-born pianist/composer
Benny Goodman, jazz musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as "King of Swing", "Patriarch of the Clarinet", "The Professor", and "Swing's Senior Statesman; of Polish Jewish descent
Lawrence Gwozdz, saxophone player
Donnie Hamzik, heavy metal drummer and original member of Manowar, of Polish descent, born Dominik Hamzik
Woody Herman, jazz clarinetist and big band leader
Josef Hofmann, Polish-born pianist and composer
Mieczysław Horszowski, Polish-born pianist
Frank Iero, guitarist for the band
Walter Jagiello, polka musician; akas: "Mały Władziu", "Li'l Wally", "The Polka King"
Jill Janus, heavy metal singer and frontperson of Huntress, born Jill Janiszewska
Sarah Jarosz, singer-songwriter
Bobby Jarzombek, drummer
Ron Jarzombek, guitarist
JoJo, pop and R&B singer-songwriter; actress
Jan A. P. Kaczmarek, Academy Award-winning composer
Kesha, pop singer, Polish by maternal great-grandfathers
Greg Kihn, pop musician, frontman
Pee Wee King, country-western singer-songwriter
Jake Kiszka, guitarist
Josh Kiszka, frontman
Sam Kiszka, bassist
Frank Klepacki, musician, video game music composer and sound director
Miliza Korjus, Polish-born opera singer and Academy Award-nominated actress
Adam Kowalczyk, guitar player
Ed Kowalczyk, vocalist
Gene Krupa, big band and jazz drummer
Jan Lewan, polka band leader
Liberace, entertainer of Polish and Italian descent
Karl Logan, heavy metal guitarist and member of Manowar, born Carl Mozelewski
Adam Makowicz, jazz pianist and composer
Marilyn Manson, rock musician
Ray Manzarek, The Doors keyboardist and co-founder
Marilyn Mazur, percussionist/composer/singer/pianist/bandleader
Paul Mazurkiewicz, drummer
Robert Muczynski, composer
Karen O, née Karen Lee Orzolek, singer
Krystian Ochman, singer-songwriter
Benjamin Orr, lead singer and bassist
Norman Paris, pianist, arranger, composer, conductor, bandleader; both parents Polish immigrants
Ken Peplowski, jazz clarinetist and saxophonist
Christina Perri, singer-songwriter
Gene Pitney, singer-songwriter
Poe, née Anne Decatur Danielewski, singer-songwriter
Bogdan Raczynski, musician
Frederic Rzewski, composer and pianist
John Rzeznik, guitarist and vocalist of Goo Goo Dolls
Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi guitarist
Neil Sedaka, singer-songwriter
Stevenson Sedgwick, composer, keyboard player, multi-instrumentalist, composer Black Ice
Jacques Singer, conductor
Matt Skiba, singer and guitarist
Ruth Slenczynska, pianist
Hillel Slovak, Israeli-American musician; original guitarist and founding Igor Stravinsky of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Walt Solek, polka musician
Paul Stanley, Kiss singer and guitarist with Polish father
Peter Steele, vocalist, bassist
Zygmunt Stojowski, pianist and composer
Leopold Stokowski, conductor and composer
Igor Stravinsky, Polish blooded composer, widely considered the top 20th century composer who immigrated from Russia
Roman Totenberg, Polish-born violinist
Thomas Tyra, college bandmaster, composer, arranger and music educator
Steven Tyler, lead singer for the rock band Aerosmith
Michał Urbaniak, Polish-born jazz musician
Bobby Vinton, pop singer
Henryk Wars, composer
Cory Wells, born in Buffalo, New York; one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night
Jack White, singer/guitarist for The White Stripes
D'arcy Wretzky, bassist
Franciszek Zachara, composer, pianist

Theater and dance

Christine Baranski, stage, film and television actress
Walter Bobbie, Broadway director
Pesach Burstein, Polish-born Israeli-American actor, comedian, singer; director of Yiddish vaudeville/theatre
Mike Burstyn, musical theatre actor; entertainer
David Burtka, stage actor
John Gromada, Broadway composer and sound designer
Jerry Jarrett, Broadway musical theatre actor
Staś Kmieć, theater and dance choreographer
Chloe Lukasiak, dancer and reality television personality
Lillian Lux, singer-songwriter, author, and actress in Yiddish theater and Yiddish vaudeville; wife of Pesach Burstein; mother of Mike Burstyn
Ida Nowakowska, actress, singer and dancer
Eva Puck, vaudeville and Broadway star from the 1890s to the 1920s, mother was born in Poland.
Anna Sokolow, leading American modern-dance choreographer, Broadway choreographer
Zypora Spaisman, Lublin-born, U.S. stage actress ; was midwife in Poland during World War II
Marta Wittkowska, contralto operatic singer
Karen Ziemba, Tony Award-winning actress, singer and dancer

Business and economics

Darius Adamczyk, Polish-born CEO of Honeywell
Drew Bartkiewicz, founder and CEO of lettrs
Andrzej Beck, in 1983, he established his own firm, Eastport Trading
Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder and CSO of Airbnb
Leonard Bosack, co-founder of Cisco Systems
Paul Bragiel, internet entrepreneur
Maciej Cegłowski, web developer, entrepreneur. He is the owner of the bookmarking service Pinboard
Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb
Jennifer Dulski, President and COO of Change.org
Olga Erteszek, undergarment designer and lingerie company owner
Max Factor, Sr., Polish-born cosmetics company founder
Tony Fadell, American engineer, inventor, designer, entrepreneur, and angel investor. Known as "one of the fathers of the iPod"
Andrew Filipowski, technology entrepreneur and founded Platinum Technology
David Geffen, American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer and philanthropist
Leo Gerstenzang, inventor of Q-Tips
Alan Greenspan, economist; Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States, 1987-2006
Joseph Grendys, chairman, CEO, president and owner od Koch Foods
Ron Grzywinski, co-founder of ShoreBank
Nathan Handwerker, Polish-Jewish-American entrepreneur known for creating the Nathan's Famous brand of hot dogs
Erazm Jerzmanowski, industrialist, philanthropist and patron of art
Barbara Piasecka Johnson, humanitarian and art collector, who was one of the richest women in the world
Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman/CEO of Gibson Guitar Corporation
Tom Kalinske, former president and CEO of Sega of America
Chris Kempczinski, president and CEO of McDonald's Corporation.
Marcin Kleczynski, CEO and co-founder of American Internet security company, Malwarebytes
Adam Kolawa, CEO and co-founder of Parasoft
John Koza, computer scientist and co-founder of Scientific Games Corporation
Dennis Kozlowski, former CEO of Tyco International, convicted in 2005 of fraud
Anthony Levandowski, American self-driving car engineer. He co-founded Otto and Pronto AI
Valeria Lipczynski, American businesswoman
Hank Magnuski, co-founder and CEO of GammaLink, an early pioneer in PC-to-fax technology
John Michael Małek, engineer, entrepreneur, real estate investor and developer and philanthropist
Reuben and Rose Mattus, founders of the Häagen-Dazs company
John Mojecki, businessman and community activist
Edward Mosberg, Polish-American Holocaust survivor, real estate developer, educator, and philanthropist
Luke Nosek, co-founder of PayPal
Edward P. Roski, real estate businessman; rated #163 on Forbes 400 Richest Americans, with a net worth of approximately $2.5 billion
Frank Piasecki, founder of Piasecki Helicopter Company, inventor of dual-rotor helicopters
Edward Piszek, co-founded the Mrs. Paul's frozen foods brand
Helena Rubinstein, Polish-born cosmetics company founder
Lydia Sarfati, founder of the Repechage cosmetics company
Martha Stewart, business magnate, author, editor, former stockbroker, model, and homemaking advocate
John J. Studzinski, investment banker and philanthropist
John Stumpf, former chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo
Bob Stupak, founded Vegas World casino and the Stratosphere tower
Peter Szulczewski, co-founder and CEO of Wish
Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore International; President and CEO of Atari Corporation
Jan Waszkiewicz, co-founder of Randolph Engineering
Sanford I. Weill, banker, philanthropist, CEO/Chairman of Citigroup
Warren Winiarski, winemaker, stag leap winery
Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe, a personal genomics and biotechnology company
Susan Wojcicki, senior vice president in charge of product management and engineering at Google
Steve Wozniak, co-founder Apple Computer, Inc.
Michael J. Wytrwal, one of the successful businessmen and entrepreneurs of the early 1900s in Amsterdam, New York
Carl Yankowski, former CEO of Palm, Inc. and Ambient Devices
Christian Brevoort Zabriskie, vice president of Pacific Coast Borax Company
Felix Zandman, founder of Vishay Intertechnology
Wojciech Zaremba, co-founder of OpenAI
Sam Zell, U.S.-born billionaire and real estate entrepreneur
Ben S. Stefanski, founder of Third Federal S&L

Military

Sylvester Antolak, U.S. Army sergeant, posthumously received the Medal of Honor
Alexander Bielaski, Captain of the Union Army
Leo J. Dulacki, U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general whose last assignment was as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower
Gabby Gabreski, Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski was a U.S. Army Air Corps and later U.S. Air Force officer who was a fighter ace in World War II, and again in Korea
Stephen R. Gregg, U.S. Army T/Sgt, received the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II
Ralph Ignatowski, awarded the Purple Heart with Gold Star, Presidential Unit Citation with Star, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal
Appolonia Jagiello, Polish-Lithuainian revolutionary during the 1846 Kraków uprising and Hungarian Revolution, later immigrated to the United States.
Jan Karski, Polish World War II resistance fighter and scholar
Tadeusz Kościuszko, Polish and Lithuanian national hero, general and a leader of 1794 uprising against the Russians
James Kowalski, high ranking air force commander
Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski, Polish military leader and a Union general in the American Civil War
Donald J. Kutyna, General, commander in chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the United States Space Command from 1990 to 1992, and commander of Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado from 1987 to 1990
Stanislaw Mlotkowski, military officer in the 1846 Wielkopolska uprising. Captain of the Pennsylvania Light Artillery in Fort Delaware.
Robert J. Modrzejewski, U.S. Marine and Medal of Honor Recipient for conspicuous gallantry in Vietnam
Richard F. Natonski, U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general whose last assignment was as the Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command.
Kazimierz Pułaski, Polish soldier and politician; has been called "the father of American cavalry"; from 1777, until his death, he fought in the American Revolutionary War for the independence of the U.S. Awarded honorary U.S. citizenship in 2009.
Hyman G. Rickover, U.S. Navy Admiral; known as the "father of the Nuclear Navy"; first Director of Naval Reactors
Edward Rowny, U.S. Army General and ambassador, Chief U.S. Negotiator for Arms Control
John Shalikashvili, U.S. Army general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; born in Warsaw, Poland and emigrated to the U.S. as a teenager; became the first draftee to rise to rank of General and first JCS Chairman after General Colin Powell
Matt Urban, U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and Medal of Honor recipient
Frank P. Witek, U.S. Marine and Medal of Honor recipient
Edward J. York, U.S. Air Force colonel and participant of the Doolittle Raid, the first American air operation during the Second World War to strike the Japanese Home Islands in retaliation for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

Politics

Anna Maria Anders, Polish politician and diplomat
Abraham Beame, Mayor of New York City, 1974–1977, New York City Comptroller, 1962–1965, 1970–1973
Mark Begich, U.S. Senator from Alaska, 2009-2015
Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator from Colorado, mother of Polish descent
Dan Benishek, physician; U.S. Representative for Michigan's 1st congressional district
A. Bruce Bielaski, director of the Bureau of Investigation
Jackie Biskupski, politician and businesswoman from Utah
Michael F. Blenski, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1893–1895
Michael Bloomberg, businessman and politician, and the former Mayor of New York City, paternal grandfather was a Polish Jew
Zbigniew Brzezinski, Polish-American political scientist, geostrategist, and statesman
Sala Burton, U.S. representative for California's 5th congressional district, 1983–1987
Susan Bysiewicz, Lt. Governor, Connecticut
John D. Cherry, Lt. Governor, Michigan
Florian Chmielewski, Minnesota musician; politician; former legislator; former President of the Minnesota Senate
Andrew R. Ciesla, State Senator, New Jersey, Republican
Mark Critz, U.S. Congressman
Ed Derwinski, former U.S. Secretary of Veteran Affairs
John Dingell, former Democratic representative from Michigan
John Dingell Sr., former Democratic representative from Michigan
Thaddeus J. Dulski, U.S. House of Representatives, New York
Kendel Ehrlich, former first lady of Maryland
Renee Ellmers, U.S. Representative for, 2011–2017
Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator from California, paternal grandparents of Polish Jewish descent
Barry Goldwater, former U.S. Senator from Arizona and 1964 Republican presidential nominee.
Martin Gorski, U.S. Representative for Illinois's 4th and 5th congressional districts, 1943–1949
John A. Gronouski, Postmaster General and ambassador
Chuck Hagel, U.S. Senator ; U.S. Secretary of Defense
Kyle Janek, Texas State senator
Leon Jaworski, special prosecutor during the Watergate scandal
Mike Johanns, U.S. Senator
Lazarus Joseph, NY State senator and New York City Comptroller
Paul E. Kanjorski, Pennsylvania Congressman, Democrat
Marcy Kaptur, U.S. Representative for the Ninth Congressional District of Ohio, Democrat
Casimir Kendziorski, Wisconsin State Senate
Jerry Kleczka, U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 2005, representing the Fourth Congressional District of Wisconsin
Douglas Kmiec, U.S. Ambassador, U.S. Assistant Attorney General , legal scholar
Ted Kulongoski, Governor of Oregon
Raymond Lesniak, New Jersey State senator
Corey Lewandowski, lobbyist and campaign manager of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign for President of the United States
Bill Lipinski, U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2005, representing the 3rd District of Illinois; father of Dan Lipinski
Dan Lipinski, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 3rd District of Illinois; son of Bill Lipinski
Tom Malinowski, U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 7th congressional district, 2019–2023, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 2014–2017
Thaddeus M. Machrowicz, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 1961–1970, U.S. Representative for Michigan's 1st congressional district, 1951–1961
George D. Maziarz, Republican state senator from New York's 62nd district
Barbara Mikulski, senior U.S. Senator
Frank Murkowski, former U.S. Senator and Governor ; father of Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Murkowski, junior U.S. Senator from Alaska; first U.S. Senator born in Alaska; Alaska's first female senator ; daughter of Frank Murkowski
Chris Murphy, U.S. Senator ; mother of Polish descent
Edmund Muskie, Democratic politician from Maine, served as Governor of Maine, a U.S. Senator, as U.S. Secretary of State, and ran as a candidate for Vice President of the United States
Jan Nowak-Jeziorański Polish patriot, journalist, resistance fighter, and security adviser under Carter, and Reagan.
Marian P. Opala, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice
Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota, Republican
Ed Pawlowski, Mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Gene Pelowski, Representative in the Minnesota State Legislature for District 31A; schoolteacher
Władysław Pleszczyński, conservative editor and writer
Janet Protasiewicz, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice
Adam Przeworski, Professor of Political Science
Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary under President Biden, of Irish, Greek and Polish descent
Roman Pucinski, House of Representatives, Illinois
Nicholas Andrew Rey, United States Ambassador to Poland from 1993 to 1997
Dan Rostenkowski, served in the U.S. Congress as a U.S. Representative from 1959 to 1995
Susan Sadlowski Garza, member of the Chicago City Council
Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator from Vermont, mother was of Polish Jewish descent
Scott Stringer, New York City Comptroller and Borough President of Manhattan
Bart Stupak, former U.S. Representative
Richard Trumka, American labor movement leader
Alexander Vershbow, United States Ambassador to South Korea
Jackie Walorski, U.S. Representative, representing the 2nd district of Indiana's 2nd congressional district
Aldona Wos, United States Ambassador to Estonia until 2006
Joseph Zaretzki, New York State Senator from 1948 to 1974
Marion Zioncheck, U.S. House of Representatives from 1933 to 1936

Religion

Paul Gregory Bootkoski, Bishop of Metuchen, New Jersey
Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska
Franciszek Chalupka, Polish priest, graduate of Orchard Lake Seminary, founder of the first Polish parishes in New England, started from 1887
Walter Ciszek, Jesuit priest held by the Soviet Union for 23 years, between 1941 and 1963
Józef Dąbrowski, Catholic priest
William A. Dembski, Episcopalian; prominent proponent of intelligent design
Edward Kmiec, Bishop of Buffalo, New York
John Cardinal Krol, Archbishop of Philadelphia
Jerome Edward Listecki, Archbishop of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Adam Cardinal Maida, Archbishop of Detroit, Michigan
David Miscavige, chairman of the board of Religious Technology Center, a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology, and controls the copyrighted teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard
Leopold Moczygemba, Franciscan, founder of the first Polish settlement in Panna Maria, Texas
Thomas J. Paprocki, Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield, Illinois
Edmund Cardinal Szoka, former president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and Governor of Vatican City
Thomas Wenski, Bishop of Orlando, Florida
David Zubik, Roman Catholic Bishop of Pittsburgh

Scientists

Victor Ambros, developmental biologist who discovered the first known microRNA.
Henryk Arctowski, scientist, oceanographer and Antarctica explorer
Julius Axelrod, biochemist
Paul Baran, Internet pioneer, one of the developers of packet-switched networks along with Donald Davies and Leonard Kleinrock
Mieczysław G. Bekker, engineer and scientist; inventor of the lunar rover
Karol J. Bobko, former NASA astronaut
William J. Borucki, in charge of NASA Kepler mission
Jozef Cywinski, biomedical engineer; developed several first-on-the market electro-medical devices like cardiac stimulators pacemakers, train-of-four nerve stimulators, PACS, EMS, TENS and Veinoplus calf pump stimulators
Ewa Deelman, computer scientist
Stanley Dudrick, surgeon behind total parenteral nutrition
Elonka Dunin, game developer, writer, and amateur cryptographer; maintains a website dedicated to the Kryptos sculpture/cipher located at the CIA's headquarters
Andrzej Ehrenfeucht, mathematician and computer scientist; formulated the Ehrenfeucht–Fraïssé game and Ehrenfeucht–Mycielski sequence
Kazimierz Fajans, pioneer in the science of radioactivity; created Fajans' rules; discovered the element protactinium
Christopher Ferguson, former NASA astronaut
Richard Feynman, physicist; 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics
Casimir Funk, biochemist, generally credited with the first formulation of the concept of vitamins in 1912
Michael Genesereth, logician and computer scientist
Walter Golaski, engineer
Joanna Hoffman, part of the original Apple Macintosh developer team; acted as the team's only marketing person for more than a year; wrote the first draft of the Macintosh User Interface Guidelines
Roald Hoffmann, chemist and writer, Nobel Prize winner
Josef Hofmann, inventor of windshield wipers, shock absorbers for vehicles, and oil-burning furnace
John Hopfield, physicist, he is known for the development of the Hopfield network
Leonid Hurwicz, economist, Nobel Prize winner
Tomasz Imieliński, computer scientist, most known in the areas of data mining, mobile computing, data extraction, and search engine technology
Christopher Jargocki, physicist and author
Paul G. Kaminski, behind stealth technology.
Hilary Koprowski, virologist and immunologist
Alfred Korzybski, developed the theory of general semantics
Richard Kowalski, astronomer
Robert Kowalski, logician, and computer scientist
Stephanie Kwolek, inventor of kevlar
Gerhard Lenski, sociologist known for contributions to the sociology of religion, social inequality, and ecological-evolutionary social theory
Richard Lenski, evolutionary biologist, proved evolution with the E. coli long-term evolution experiment
Cass Lewart, electrical engineer and author
Janusz Liberkowski, winner of the first season of the show American Inventor; his invention was the Anecia Safety Capsule
Stephen J. Lukasik, a director of USA tech at DARPA
Henryk Magnuski, inventor of the first walkie talkie the SCR-300
Bronislaw Malinowski, one of the most important 20th-century anthropologists
Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, polymer chemist best known for the discovery of atom transfer radical polymerization
Albert Abraham Michelson, Polish-born American physicist; awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for work done on the measurement of the speed of light; the first American to receive the Nobel in the sciences
Ralph Modjeski, engineer and bridge builder
Jan Moor-Jankowski, primatologist; Polish independence fighter during World War II
Tomasz Mrowka, American mathematician specializing in differential geometry and gauge theory.
Stanisław Mrozowski, worked on the Manhattan Project
Jan Mycielski, mathematician whose work includes the Ehrenfeucht–Mycielski sequence, The Mycielskian, The Mycielski–Grötzsch graph and Mycielski's theorem
Bohdan Paczyński, astronomer, leading scientist in theory of the evolution of stars
Scott E. Parazynski, NASA astronaut, performed a dangerous EVA never performed before to repair a live solar array on the International Space Station
Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski, physicist described as next Einstein by Harvard.
James A. Pawelczyk, astronaut, associate professor of Physiology and Kinesiology at Penn State; the first Pole in outer space
Sidney Pestka, geneticist and biochemist who discovered how mRNA is translated into proteins through a small ribosomal subunit
Frank Piasecki, aviation engineer, developed vertical lift aircraft
Piotr Piecuch, physical chemist, best known for his work in theoretical and computational chemistry, particularly ab initio quantum-mechanical methods based on coupled-cluster theory
Marek Pienkowski, medical researcher and clinician known for innovations in diagnosis and treatment of immunological deficiencies and asthma/allergic disorders
Nikodem Poplawski, physicist described as next Einstein, whose theory is every black hole contains another universe.
Isidor Isaac Rabi, emigrated to the U.S. in 1899; awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for work on molecular-beam magnetic-resonance detection method.
Ronald T. Raines, chemical biologist known for his research on proteins
Wojciech Rostafiński, worked for NASA; contributed to the theory of aeronautics and applied mathematics; listed in Scientific Citation Index
Albert Sabin, Polish-born medical scientist, discovered oral vaccine for poliomyelitis; President of the Weizmann Institute of Science
Andrew Schally, endocrinologist and Nobel Prize winner in 1977 in Medicine for research work
Terry Sejnowski, neuroscientists whose research in neural networks and computational neuroscience has been pioneering.
Tadeusz Sendzimir, engineer and inventor of international renown with 120 patents in mining and metallurgy, 73 of which were awarded to him in the United States
Maria Siemionow, Polish surgeon who performed the first face transplant surgery in the U.S.
Igor Sikorsky, helicopter engineer who founded the first helicopter industry in the U.S.
Iwona Stroynowski, immunologist, discovered the process of gene expression control called attenuation, the first example of a riboswitch mechanism
Ryszard Syski, mathematician whose research was in queueing theory
Stanisław Szarek, mathematician his research concerns convex geometry and functional analysis
Jack W. Szostak, Nobel Prize–winning biologist; his work helped us to understand telomeres and helped create the human genome project
Bolesław Szymański, computer scientist, known for multiple contributions into computer science, including Szymański's algorithm
Alfred Tarski, mathematician and philosopher
Joseph Tykociński-Tykociner, patent and invention of sound film on motion pictures
Adam Ulam, historian and political scientist at Harvard University, one of the world's foremost authorities on Russia and the Soviet Union
Stanisław Ulam, mathematician who participated in the Manhattan Project and proposed the Teller–Ulam design of thermonuclear weapons
Thaddeus Vincenty, geodesist, devised Vincenty's formulae, a geodesic calculation technique published in 1975 which is accurate to about half a millimeter
Andrzej Walicki, economist; in 1998 he won Balzan Prize for his contribution to the study of the Russian and Polish cultural and social history, and also the study of European culture in the 19th century
Frank Wilczek, physicist, Nobel Prize 2004
Anne Wojcicki, biotech analyst, biologist, and businesswoman; co-founder of 23andMe
Stanley Wojcicki, professor and former chair of the physics department at Stanford University in California
Aleksander Wolszczan, astronomer, discoverer of the first extrasolar planets and pulsar planets
Robert Zajonc, social psychologist
Maria Zakrzewska, pioneering female doctor in the United States
Edmund Zalinski, invented pneumatic dynamite torpedo-gun, invented an electrical fuse, Other inventions included a modified entrenching tool, a ramrod-bayonet, and a telescopic sight for artillery and the Zalinsky boat, one of the earliest submarines in the United States
George D. Zamka, NASA astronaut
Casimir Zeglen, invented the bulletproof vest in 1897; a Catholic priest of St. Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Church in Chicago
Florian Znaniecki, sociologist and philosopher
Wojciech H. Zurek, pioneer in information physics; co-author of a proof stating that a single quantum cannot be cloned; coined the terms "einselection" and "quantum discord"
Antoni Zygmund, mathematician, "trigonometric series"

Sports

Baseball

Rick Ankiel, former professional baseball outfielder and pitcher
Mike Bielecki, former professional baseball player
Dave Borkowski, former Major League Baseball relief pitcher
Joe Borowski, Cleveland Indians closing pitcher
Stan Coveleski, Major League Baseball player during the 1910s and 1920s
Jim Czajkowski, Major League Baseball starting pitcher
Doug Drabek, former professional baseball player
Kyle Drabek, former professional baseball player
Moe Drabowsky, right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball
Dave Dombrowski, baseball executive
Tim Federowicz, catcher for the Chicago Cubs
Mark Fidrych, pitcher in Major League Baseball
Jason Grabowski, pitcher in Major League Baseball
Johnny Grabowski, catcher in Major League Baseball
Steve Gromek, pitcher in Major League Baseball
Mark Grudzielanek, second baseman in Major League Baseball, plays for the Kansas City Royals
Kevin Gryboski, right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball
Mark Gubicza, former pitcher in Major League Baseball
Ray Jablonski, third baseman in Major League Baseball with an eight-year career from 1953 to 1960
Travis Jankowski, Major League Baseball outfielder
Scott Kamieniecki, former professional baseball player
Matt Kata, Major League Baseball infielder
Ryan Klesko, Major League Baseball player
Ted Kluszewski, Major League first baseman
Paul Konerko, former professional baseball first baseman
Tony Kubek, baseball player and television broadcaster
Whitey Kurowski, third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals
Mat Latos, professional baseball pitcher
James Loney, first baseman in Major League Baseball
Eddie Lopat, Major League Baseball pitcher
Stan Lopata, Major League Baseball player
Mark Lukasiewicz, former professional baseball player who played two seasons for the Anaheim Angels
Greg Luzinski, former left fielder in Major League Baseball
Joe Maddon, Major League Baseball manager, currently serving as manager of the Chicago Cubs
Gary Majewski, former Major League Baseball pitcher
Phil Mankowski, former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets
Brian Matusz, professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball
Bill Mazeroski, former Major League baseball player
Barney McCosky, center fielder/left fielder in Major League Baseball
Doug Mientkiewicz, former first baseman for the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and several other MLB teams
Dave Mlicki, former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball
Stan Musial, Major League Baseball player who played 22 seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1941 to 1963
Joe Niekro, starting pitcher in Major League Baseball; younger brother of Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro; father of first baseman Lance Niekro
Phil Niekro, former pitcher in Major League Baseball and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
C. J. Nitkowski, left-handed former professional baseball pitcher
Tom Paciorek, Major League outfielder and first baseman for 18 seasons between 1970 and 1987
Freddie Patek, Major League Baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, and California Angels
Ron Perranoski, Major League pitcher
A. J. Pierzynski, Major League catcher
Stephen Piscotty Major League Outfielder for Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals
Johnny Podres, Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher
Jack Quinn, Major League pitcher
Ron Reed, Major League pitcher
Marc Rzepczynski, Major League pitcher
Art Shamsky, outfielder in Major League Baseball and Israel Baseball League manager
Ryan Sherriff, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
Al Simmons, player in Major League Baseball over three decades
Bill "Moose" Skowron, Major League Baseball player, primarily a first baseman
Matt Szczur, active Major League outfielder for the Chicago Cubs
Frank Tanana, former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball
Alan Trammell, baseball shortstop for the Detroit Tigers from 1977 to 1996
Troy Tulowitzki, Major League Baseball shortstop
Helen Walulik, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
Ted Wilks, relief pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians; coach of the Kansas City A's
Carl Yastrzemski, Major League Baseball player
Richie Zisk, Major League Baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners from 1971 to 1983

Basketball

Carol Blazejowski, women's professional basketball player
Vince Boryla, former NBA player for the New York Knicks, first ever NBA All-Star player of Polish descent, coach, and Denver Nuggets executive
Frank Brickowski, 12-year NBA veteran
Olek Czyż, Duke Blue Devils and Nevada Wolf Pack NCAA player
Dan Dickau, former professional basketball and NBA player
Phil Farbman, basketball player
Kyle Filipowski, drafted in 2024 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz
Mike Gminski, former college and professional basketball player, 14-year NBA veteran
Tom Gola, one of Philadelphia's most famous basketball players 5-time NBA All-Star and NBA Champion
Joe Graboski, 13-year NBA veteran
Bobby Hurley, former Duke and NBA basketball player
Frank Kaminsky, current NBA player
Joe Kopicki, former NBA player
Thomas Kelati, professional basketball player in the Poland national team
Len Kosmalski, former NBA player
Ronald Kozlicki, former ABA basketball player
Larry Krystkowiak, 10-year NBA veteran
Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of the Duke University men's basketball team and the 2008 gold medal-winning U.S. men's Olympic basketball team
Steve Kuberski, former NBA player and NBA Champion, last ever Boston Celtic to wear no 33 jersey before the arrival of Larry Bird
Bruce Kuczenski, former basketball and NBA player
Leo Kubiak, former BAA and minor league baseball player
Mitch Kupchak, former 9-year NBA veteran, NBA Champion and former general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers
Bob Kurland, 7-foot basketball center
Christian Laettner, 13-year NBA veteran, NBA All-Star and a member of the 1992 Olympics men's team
John Laskowski, former Chicago Bulls player, nicknamed 'Super Sub'
Hank Lefkowitz, former BAA player
Red Mihalik, NCAA and Olympic official/referee
Paul Mokeski, 12-year NBA veteran
Nick Muszynski, professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers
Mike Peplowski, former NBA player
Eric Piatkowski, former 14-year NBA veteran with the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns
Walt Piatkowski, former ABA player, Eric Piatkowski's father
Stan Pietkiewicz, former NBA player
Dave Piontek, former 7-year NBA player
Tom Piotrowski, former NBA player
Brandin Podziemski, drafted in 2023 by Golden State Warriors
Joe Proski, first trainer of Phoenix Suns; inducted into Phoenix Ring of Fame in 2001
Joel Przybilla, former 13-year NBA veteran
Ray Radziszewski, former professional basketball player
George Ratkovicz, former 6-year NBA player
Jim Rowinski, former NBA player
Ed Sadowski, former BAA and NBA player
Jeremy Sochan, Polish-American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. He is also a member of Poland men's national basketball team.
Ed Stanczak, former NBA player
Bob Sura, former NBA player for the Cavaliers, Warriors, Pistons, Hawks and Rockets.
Wally Szczerbiak, former 10-year NBA veteran, NBA All-Star. Although his father claimed the family is of Ukrainian descent, Szczerbiak is a 100% Polish surname. Considering that most of the western part of today's Ukrainian territory was for centuries a part of the Polish empire, Polish roots of Szczerbiak's family are obvious.
Walter Szczerbiak, Wally Szczerbiak's father, former ABA player
A.J. Slaughter, professional basketball player in the Poland national team
Cole Swider, professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers, also played for Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat
Kaleb Tarczewski, professional basketball player
Kelly Tripucka, former 10-year NBA veteran for the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, and Charlotte Hornets, two-time NBA All-Star
Dave Twardzik, former NBA and ABA player, ABA All-Star and 1977 NBA Champion
Jayson Williams, former NBA player for the 76ers and New Jersey Nets, NBA All-Star in 1998. He is of Polish, Italian and African-American descent
Steve Wojciechowski, former head coach of the Marquette University men's basketball team
Dennis Wuycik, former ABA player
Marcus Zegarowski, professional basketball player

Bowling

Eddie Lubanski, considered one of the greatest bowlers of all time; in the Guinness book of World Records

Boxing

Bobby Czyz, boxer
Andrew Golota, professional boxer from Poland who has been involved in many controversial fights
Stanley Ketchel, boxer who became one of the greatest world middleweight champions
Adam Kownacki, heavyweight boxer born in Poland, and lived in the United States since 1996
Stanley Poreda, Jersey City boxer considered a top heavyweight contender in the early 1930s
Paweł Wolak, former WBC USNBC Light Middleweight Champion
Teddy Yarosz, NBA Middleweight Boxing Champion
Tony Zale, two-time Middleweight World Champion Boxer

Fencing

Monica Aksamit, Olympic bronze medalist, Women's Team Saber
Dagmara Wozniak, Olympic bronze medalist, Women's Team Saber

Figure skating

Tara Lipinski, Olympic gold medalist figure skater and celebrity
Janet Lynn, figure skater and Olympic bronze medalist

Football

Danny Abramowicz, wide receiver in the NFL who played for the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers
Pete Banaszak, college and professional football player
Steve Bartkowski, former NFL quarterback
Tom Brady, 6 time Super Bowl champion, NFL quarterback for the New England Patriots; Maternal grandmother of Polish descent.
Zeke Bratkowski, All-American quarterback at the University of Georgia in 1952 and 1953
Bryan Bulaga, NFL offensive tackle
Carter Bykowski, football player
Frank Bykowski, football player
Brad Cieslak, tight end in the NFL; currently plays for the Cleveland Browns
Lou Creekmur, NFL left offensive tackle/guard for the Detroit Lions from 1951 to 1959
Frank Dancewicz, former NFL quarterback
Mike Ditka, former NFL player, television commentator, and coach
Julian Edelman, New England Patriots player
Frank Gatski, former NFL player
Mike Gesicki, football player
Tom Glassic, former NFL player, guard for the Denver Broncos of the NFL from 1976 to 1983
Mark Glowinski, football player
Stephen Gostkowski, placekicker for the New England Patriots of the NFL
Jim Grabowski, football player and broadcaster
Bruce Gradkowski, quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals
Chris Gronkowski, fullback for the Denver Broncos
Dan Gronkowski, tight end for the Cleveland Browns
Rob Gronkowski, former tight end for the New England Patriots
Jack Ham, former linebacker who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Jim Harbaugh, NFL quarterback and coach
John Harbaugh, NFL coach
Leon Hart, tight end and defensive end
Henry Hynoski, fullback for the New York Giants
Jim Irsay, owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts
Jeff Jagodzinski, head coach of the Boston College Eagles football team
Sebastian Janikowski, former kicker for the Oakland Raiders/Seattle Seahawks
Vic Janowicz, halfback for Ohio State University
Ron Jaworski, former football player, NFL analyst on ESPN
Kyle Juszczyk, NFL player
Mike Kenn, former offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons
Joe Klecko, former NFL defensive end
Gary Kubiak, NFL coach and former player
Frank Kush, football coach who most prominently served as head coach at Arizona State University for more than two decades
Joe Kowalewski, tight end for the New York Jets
Brian Kozlowski, former NFL tight end
Glen Kozlowski, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears
Joe Kulbacki, Buffalo Bills
Ted Kwalick, former tight end in the NFL and World Football League
Nick Kwiatkoski, NFL linebacker
Chris Liwienski, former offensive guard
Johnny Lujack, former quarterback for the University of Notre Dame and the Chicago Bears
Don Majkowski, former NFL quarterback
Stas Maliszewski, Princeton All-American 1964 and 1965, Baltimore Colts 1966 NFL draft
Ted Marchibroda, former quarterback and head coach in the NFL
Dan Marino, former quarterback for the Miami Dolphins
John Matuszak, former defensive end with the Oilers, Chiefs, and Raiders; son of Marv Matuszak
Marv Matuszak, former linebacker; son of John Matuszak
Lou Michaels, former pro defensive lineman, 1958–1971, with the Colts, Steelers, Rams, and Packers
Walt Michaels, former player and coach, remembered for his six-year tenure as head coach of the New York Jets from 1977 to 1982
Dick Modzelewski, former college and pro football player with the Redskins, Steelers, Giants and Browns; coach for the Cleveland Browns; member of the College Football Hall of Fame
Gene Mruczkowski, offensive lineman for the New England Patriots of the NFL
Scott Mruczkowski, center, San Diego Chargers, Bowling Green
Mike Munchak, former pro offense with the Houston Oilers; Pro Football Hall of Fame
Bronko Nagurski, former NFL player and professional wrestler
Ray Nitschke, former Hall of Fame NFL linebacker for the Green Bay Packers
Bill Osmanski, College and Pro Football Hall of Fame; former player with Chicago Bears
Walt Patulski, former defensive end for the University of Notre Dame, Buffalo Bills, and St. Louis Cardinals
Jason Pociask, tight end for the New York Jets
Paul Posluszny, linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Bill Romanowski, former football player for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders
Tony Romo, NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys
Ed Rutkowski, former wide receiver and quarterback for the Buffalo Bills; later became County Executive of Erie County
Jack Sack, American football player and coach
John Sandusky, former NFL player for the Browns and Packers, former head coach of the Colts, of Irish and Polish descent.
Mark Stepnoski, one of NFL's top linemen with the Dallas Cowboys
Hank Stram, Head Coach, Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Tomczak, former NFL quarterback
Frank Tripucka, former quarterback for the Broncos, Cardinals and Lions
Steve Wisniewski, former pro-bowler, offensive guard with the Oakland Raiders
Alex Wojciechowicz, former offensive lineman and linebacker for the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles
Tom Zbikowski, safety for the Baltimore Ravens

Golf

Billy Burke, prominent golfer of the 1930s
Jim Furyk, professional golfer, 2003 U.S. Open winner, FedEx Cup Champion, PGA Tour Player of the Year, Ryder Cup captain
Betsy King, professional golfer
Paul Stankowski, professional golfer with two PGA Tour wins; finished tied for 5th at the 1997 Masters as well as a tie for 17th at the 1997 U.S. Open
Bob Toski, golf player and teacher
Al Watrous, PGA champion
Walt Zembriski, former ironworker; played on both the PGA and Senior PGA tour

Hockey

Justin Abdelkader, left wing for the Detroit Red Wings from Muskegon, Michigan
Matt Bartkowski, defenseman for the Minnesota Wild from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Eric Boguniecki, center for the Anaheim Ducks from New Haven, Connecticut
Jonny Brodzinski, forward for the Los Angeles Kings from Blaine, Minnesota
Len Ceglarski, U.S. Olympic ice hockey team silver medal winner, 1952
Austin Czarnik, center for the Calgary Flames from Washington, Michigan
Alex Goligoski, defenseman for the Arizona Coyotes from Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Patrick Kaleta, retired NHL forward from Angola, New York
Mike Komisarek, defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs from West Islip, New York
Ed Olczyk, former head coach and player in the National Hockey League
Joe Pavelski, center for the Dallas Stars from Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Lee Stempniak, NHL free agent
Andy Welinski, defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers from Duluth, Minnesota
Zach Werenski, defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets from Grosse Pointe, Michigan
James Wisniewski, defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets from Canton, Michigan
Luke Witkowski, defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning from Holland, Michigan
Andy Wozniewski, retired NHL defenseman

Media

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports NBA reporter, originator of the "Woj Bomb"

Olympic athletes

Monica Aksamit, Olympic bronze medalist, Women's Team Saber
Lillian Copeland, Olympic discus champion; set world records in discus, javelin, and shot put
Alyson Dudek, short track speed skater at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics; won bronze in 2010
Mark Gorski, track cyclist; gold medal
Bob Gutowski, pole vaulter; won silver at 1956 Summer Olympics
Jeffrey Klepacki, rower in 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics; won Rowing World Championship titles in 1994, 1998 and 1999
Christopher Liwski, rower in 2004 and 2008 Olympic teams ; won Rowing World Championship title in 2007
Norbert Schemansky, gold, silver and bronze Olympic m in weightlifting
Jenn Suhr, pole vaulter, won silver at 2008 Summer Olympics
Stanisława Walasiewicz , athlete and Olympic champion
Dagmara Wozniak, Olympic bronze medalist, Women's Team Saber
Sam Mikulak, retired three time Olympian, Artistic Gymnastics

Soccer

Brad Guzan, USA international goalkeeper currently playing for Atlanta United
Wojtek Krakowiak, soccer player; most recently for the Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer
Matt Miazga, soccer player for Chelsea F.C. and for the United States men's national soccer team; currently loaned to SBV Vitesse.
Gabriel Slonina, soccer player for Chicago Fire FC
Danny Szetela, soccer player for the Columbus Crew of the MLS
Chris Wondolowski, soccer player for the San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS; 2010 MLS Golden Boot winner

Wrestling

Ole Anderson
Killer Kowalski
Chris Mordetsky
Beth Phoenix, Polish descent by both parents
Ivan Putski, Polish-born American professional wrestler and champion
Stanley Radwan, professional wrestler and strongman
Trish Stratus
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
Johnny Valentine
Rob Van Dam, Belgian and Polish descent by grandparents
Velvet Sky
Stanislaus Zbyszko

Other sports

Tony Adamowicz, champion SCCA and IMSA road racing driver
Jane Bartkowicz, a top woman U.S. tennis player in the 1960s
Frank Cumiskey, Olympic gymnast
Kevin Cywinski, NASCAR driver
Arthur Dake, Grand Master chess player
Stefan Janoski, professional skateboarder of half-Polish, half-Irish descent; one of the most recognized pro skateboarders
Henryk Jordan, philanthropist, physician, and pioneer of physical education in Poland
Brad Keselowski, NASCAR driver
Brian Keselowski, NASCAR driver
Ed Korfanty, fencing master, U.S. National Women's saber coach, Olympic saber coach, and a former Men's Veteran's Saber World Champion
Alan Kulwicki, auto racing champion
Dylan Kwasniewski, NASCAR driver
Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, tennis player
Billy Packer, sportscaster for CBS Sports
Gary Styczynski, professional poker player; won the 2007 World Series of Poker

Other

John Ogonowski Airline pilot, farming advocate, and victim of the September 11th Attacks
George Adamski, one of the first people to publicly claim to have seen and photographed UFOs
Francis E. Dec, outsider writer and predecessor to targeted individuals
Leon Czolgosz, assassin of U.S. President William McKinley
John Wayne Gacy, serial killer, of Polish and Danish ancestry. His paternal grandparents were from what is now Poland, then part of the German Empire.
Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber
Richard "Iceman" Kuklinski, notorious hitman, claimed to have killed 200 people
Meyer Lansky, organized crime figure who was instrumental in the development of the National Crime Syndicate in the United States
Jan Lewan, songwriter and polka band leader, who ran a Ponzi scheme
Curtis Sliwa, Guardian Angels founder
Wilfrid Michael Voynich, antiquarian and bibliophile, and the eponym of the Voynich manuscript
Henry Earl J. Wojciechowski , mob boss and rival of Al Capone
John Wojnowski, protester against pedophilia in the Catholic Church.