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THE MEANING OF YOUR POLISH LAST NAME?
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THE MEANING OF YOUR POLISH LAST NAME?


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Polonius3Threads: 961
Posts: 4,522
Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂ 		 May 29, 08, 02:34    #1
You can easily find out the meaning and derivation of your Polish surname, how many people use it, where they live and whether a coat of arms accompanies it. You will also learn how to touch base with genealogists able to trace your family tree and possibly even track down your family’s ancestral homestead in Poland.

To find out more, please contact: polonius3@gazeta.pl
Polonius3Threads: 961
Posts: 4,522
Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂ 		 Jun 25, 08, 17:33    #2
Lillian Koladyc:
Koladycz

For information on the Koladycz surname please contact me.
Polonius3Threads: 961
Posts: 4,522
Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: Moderator  Jun 29, 08, 09:11    #3
Polski:
Molik

Molik might have been derived from the verb молиться (Ruthenian for "to pray"), so it could have arisen as a nickname fro someone who prayed a lot, a pious person. The Polish equivalent would be Modlik
I wonder if it migth be connected to the insect known as the praying mantis (modliszka) which copulates with the male mantis and then proceeds to devour him for lunch.
krysiaThreads: 26
Posts: 3,604
Joined: Aug 10, 06 ♀ 		Edited by: Moderator  Jul 8, 08, 23:26    #4
Guest:
I am from the USA and have a question. I was told that those that served with Sobeski (spell) were allowed to put a ski on the end of their name. Is this so.


Not only with Sobieski but higher royalty and richer people had a "ski"
Polonius3Threads: 961
Posts: 4,522
Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: Moderator  Jul 10, 08, 15:02    #5
SSpringer:
I found that my family is part of Doliwa coat of arms. Can someone tell me what Rykowski means?

Comes from "ryk" which is usually the loud sound made by an animal or violent wind. In English (depending on the animal species) is might be a roar, low, bray, growl, bellow, trumpet (elephant),etc. But the root notwithstanding, as with nearly all
-owski ending surnames it probably started out as a toponymic nickname, ie derived from places called Ryków or Rykowo (rough translations: Roarton, Bellowshire, Growlville, Braymont or something in that general vein.
So some distant ancestor may have been called Andrzej z Rykowa (Andrew of Roarton) which over time adjectivalised into Andrzej Rykowski.
Grzegorz_Threads: 80
Posts: 6,094
Joined: Nov 16, 06 ♂ 		 Jul 14, 08, 18:54    #6
Dana:
Any one have any info on the surname Zak?


Probably used to be "Żak"...
EurolaThreads: 6
Posts: 2,647
Joined: Dec 2, 06 ♀ 		Edited by: Moderator  Jul 17, 08, 22:01    #7
Guest:
what would D±browski mean?

D±browy- is a description for an oak forest.

D±browski would be somebody who lived in or close to oak forest.
EurolaThreads: 6
Posts: 2,647
Joined: Dec 2, 06 ♀ 		 Jul 17, 08, 22:08    #8
Yes, d±browa, d±browy, d±browski, d±brówka, d±browiec, d±browica (mala), d±browica (duza) etc.
polishgirltx Edited by: Moderator  Jul 20, 08, 22:25    #9
Wahldo:
Kita

kitka....like a pony tail.... or just tail....
krysiaThreads: 26
Posts: 3,604
Joined: Aug 10, 06 ♀ 		 Jul 20, 08, 22:26    #10
One meaning of kita is a fox's tail
SwiteziankaThreads: -
Posts: 525
Joined: Jun 17, 08 ♀ 		Edited by: Moderator  Jul 22, 08, 08:20    #11
Janina:
What is the meaning of my maiden polish last name? Radek

Radek is a diminutive of Radosław - a male name.

Wahldo:
How about my friend's name, Rakaska?

Rakaska doesn't mean anything specific.
krysiaThreads: 26
Posts: 3,604
Joined: Aug 10, 06 ♀ 		Edited by: Moderator  Jul 26, 08, 16:59    #12
David_18:
What is the meaning of Toczynski and Pomorski

Toczyński - might come from toczyć - to roll, draw, carry on, bore
Pomorski - region in Poland Pomorze - close to the sea
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07 ♂ 		Edited by: Moderator  Jul 29, 08, 23:08    #13
Grzymkowski:
Grzymkowski, Bielski, Kukawski, Wegrzynowicz, and Kaliszewski

Kubik - sounds like a diminutive of Kuba (Jacob) or something to do with volume (cubic meter)
Bielski - of white color
Wegrzynowicz - of Hungarian origin (the ending is more easterly; ukrainian/russian/armenian)
Kaliszewski - of Kalisz (Kalisz is one of the the oldest Polish cities)
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07 ♂ 		 Jul 30, 08, 09:15    #14
celinski:
Lochki

depending on how you pronounce the "ch" ("sz" or "cz"e) it, it's either:
- little curls (hair)
- little female piglets.
- diminutive of "locha", female pigs.
SwiteziankaThreads: -
Posts: 525
Joined: Jun 17, 08 ♀ 		 Jul 31, 08, 17:29    #15
sanmar:
Does anyone know anything (meaning/origin) about the name Marchewa? Someone told me it means "big carrot."

It does.
krysiaThreads: 26
Posts: 3,604
Joined: Aug 10, 06 ♀ 		 Aug 4, 08, 15:12    #16
Rakky:
Rak - fresh water crab.

or cancer
krysiaThreads: 26
Posts: 3,604
Joined: Aug 10, 06 ♀ 		 Aug 9, 08, 22:12    #17
Some suggestions:


MALYSZ - mały - means small
DUDA - found a meaning of it used by Jewish spies, like a password:
DUDA, jest to hasło - odzew, taki tajny kod:
hasło: Jak sie nazywa - odzew: Duda
hasło: co ma ładne - odzew: uda
hasło: da ci dupy - odzew: da
hasło: a co powie - odzew: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
:)

POREMBIAK (Porębiak)- R±bie drzewo- as cutting down tree
WINARSKI - wino - wine
MARKIEWICZ - last name from Mark, could be of noble descent
McCoyThreads: 46
Posts: 1,755
Joined: Jul 3, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: McCoy  Aug 24, 08, 07:30    #18
Dav1d:

zygmuntowski


zygmunt = sigmund. probably it means son of a sigmund or maybe someone from village zygmuntow. its my guess
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07 ♂ 		 Aug 24, 08, 22:52    #19
russlvk29:

hi, could you tell me the meaning of Kotkowicz? thanks

the name derives from "cat"

Mad:

My maiden last name is Szydlek.

Crochet hooks come to mind.
krysiaThreads: 26
Posts: 3,604
Joined: Aug 10, 06 ♀ 		Edited by: krysia  Aug 29, 08, 08:54    #20
aceinmd:

Still no help with Jakelski... is it polish or something else?

Might be spelled Jakielski.
"Jak" means "how" or a "yak"
so it could've came from someone who knew how to do things, or was tending a yak herd.
Polonius3Threads: 961
Posts: 4,522
Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: Moderator  Sep 1, 08, 03:12    #21
huttonteks:
Meaning of Jewula, Cebula, Gawlik? I was lead to believe that the ULA ending meant "little" or "small"

It probably originally was ¦wi±tek whose root is ¶wi±t~¶więt and has generated such words as ¶więto (holiday, feastday), ¶więty (saint, holy), ¶więcić (to bless, consecrate, sanctify).
The -ula ending is a diminutive that expresses pity. For instance biedula means poor, sorry, little thing and contains a note of feeling sorry and expressing sympathy for the person thus named. Cebula is onion and Gawlik is a diminutvie of Gaweł (Gaul, Gall).
For more info on how these suranmes came about, how many people use them, where they live and whether a coat of arms accompanies them please contact research60@gmail.com
Guest  Sep 18, 08, 00:41    #22
Lewandowski----- In Polish-Lithuanian Commonwelath there was village called Lewadów, thought to have been 50 km east of Póznan. Lewandow also derives from the word Lawendow, meaning Lavender. Fukin epic name, get off me ;)
Gregoriooo Edited by: Moderator  Sep 23, 08, 22:06    #23
bkowal22:
what is the difference between Kowalczyk and Kowalski..my last name is Kowalczyk

You should firstly look in some big dictionary like
www_websters-online-dictionary_com/translation/kowal
but insted of 'kowal' put your surname without ending, and instead of '_' put dot. For example for 'kowalski' or 'kowalczyk' put 'kowal', and you will see it means 'blacksmith', so longer form will mean 'of blacksmith'. Easy, and this not commercial dictionary, will automatically search databases of every language, not only Polish, so U may see answer quickly.
Polonius3Threads: 961
Posts: 4,522
Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: Moderator  Sep 24, 08, 10:18    #24
Kimpiński does exist in Poland but is extremely rare. It looks to be a spelling variant of Kępiński.
Picnawode Edited by: Moderator  Oct 7, 08, 11:40    #25
arrowrydr:
I am researching two of my ancestors... Brodowicz and Kaminski. Can you tell me anything about either of these names?

"Brodowicz" has two meanings:
Broda - berad/chin
Bród - ford
+owicz - this suffix means (in the past) "son of".


"Kamiński"
Kamień - stone
+ski - this suffix was used by nobleman. In XIX century some people changed their suffix to -ski.
PolanglikThreads: 40
Posts: 848
Joined: May 16, 07 ♂ 		 Oct 26, 08, 02:18    #26
nobody:

What about the last name: Pashkovskiy


do you mean Paszkowski ?
BzibziohThreads: 6
Posts: 3,643
Joined: Oct 15, 08 ♀ 		Edited by: Moderator  Nov 2, 08, 15:11    #27
Guest:
Hi, my name is George (Jerzy or Jurek) Kotkowicz, I was looking for a translation as well. What is your name and where do you live. I Live in Michigan, USA.

Kot=Cat

Jak się nazywasz i gdzie mieszkasz? Mieszkam w Michigan, w Stanach Zjednoczonych.
Guest Edited by: Moderator  Nov 12, 08, 20:24    #28
Guest:
Does anybody know the meaning of Przybylowski?

Przyby means arrived but it can mean a lot od things, like travelling but also for example in my language,Dutch, there's a saying(if its roughly translated) where it can mean you've became wealthy...

Cieslewicz – “ewicz” means “son of” “Cie¶la” means “carpenter” so probably “Son of carpenter”

Przybylowski – “owski” means “of the” “Przybył” means “arrived” so probably “of the one who arrived”

ErryJay1010:
Two of my family names are Szymkowiak and Ignasiak. I have been told that they are names common in western Poland. Is this true? Also, is there anything about the names that could shed light on where precisely they came from?

Szymkowiak – “iak” -ak/-iak is diminutive “little” especially when applied to first names, it tends to have a patronymic significance. Appended to the root of a first name we can translate it as "son of." Root is “Szymon” (Simon) therefore "son of Simon" or "little Simon".

Ignasiak – “iak” again the same thing root is a name “Ignacy” so it’s "son of Ignacy" (if the root is a name of a place like Kraków it would be one from Kraków like in Krakowiak).
Guest  Nov 12, 08, 21:03    #29
Common misconception is that –ski is of the Nobile heritage. That’s not the case unless you can trace your ancestry all the way back to 14th century. If you think you might be of the Nobile heritage check if your surname belongs to any of the Polish Coat of Arms but even then it might not be the case. Please be careful when doing your research and don’t jump into any conclusions prematurely.

Just to remind you Basic Explanation of Surname Endings.

-EWSKI, -OWSKI, -IEŃSKI, -IŃSKI, and -YŃSKI meaning : "of the”

-CKI and –ZKI these are just variants of -ski/-ska : "of the”

-OWICZ or –EWICZ : "son of"

-AK –EK –IAK –IK –KA –KO –UK –YK: generally diminutives "little" or "son of"

-ANKA, -INA -YNA, -OWA -EWA, -WNA –EWNA: These suffixes differ from the others mentioned in that they're not intrinsic parts of the surnames. These suffixes all mark feminine versions of surnames that take the form of nouns, not of adjectives ending in -ski or -cki or -zki. In standard Polish -owa or -ewa indicates a married woman, and –wna -ewna an unmarried one.

Look for the root of your surname and you have the meaning of your Polish Last Name.
RJ_cdnThreads: -
Posts: 323
Joined: Sep 10, 07 ♂ 		 Nov 15, 08, 21:23    #30
christine:

last name was Gonserkeviz

Possible polish spellings:
G±sierkiewicz (6 people in Poland with that name, 2 in ŁódĽ)
or
G±siorkiewicz (289 people in Poland with that name, 100 in ŁódĽ)
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