Because of this, the population in 1946 was only 402, all of them Polish newcomers. After the war, the town was given the name Chociwel, which is a modern version of the Old Polish name of the nearby lake Kotzavil, as it appeared in medieval documents. Among the settlers were Poles displaced from former eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union, Poles returning from forced labour both from the USSR and Germany and soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces in the West.
In 1946, the population was limited to 402 individuals, all of whom were Polish newcomers. Post-war, the town adopted the name Chociwel, derived from an old Polish term for a nearby lake that appeared in medieval records. Among the settlers were Poles who had been displaced from eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union, as well as those returning from forced labor in both the USSR and Germany, along with soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces in the West.