The name is derived from the Polish (dialectal) common noun wesołowski meaning ‘rural fiddler', and refers to an occupation or activity. It may also be derived from such Polish place names (settlement names) as Wesołowo or Wesołów with the suffix -ski and refer to a place of residence, origin or estate. Alternatively, it may also be derived from the Polish personal name Wesoły (derived from the Polish adjective wesoły meaning ‘cheerful, joyful'), imitating the structure of surnames derived from place names with the suffix -(ow)ski, and refer to the connection with the father or another ancestor by that name.