THE MEANING OF YOUR POLISH LAST NAME?

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Edited by: Moderator Feb 13, 09, 10:30 #91

MikeP81:

What does Preusser mean?

Preusser or Preußer = Prussian

Gęślicki from gęśla -- an ancient zither-like 3-stringed instrument

marminhem:

Meaning of last name Rychcik

Rychcik -- toponymic nickname from Rychcik or Rychciki; possibly from rychtować (dialectic to repair, set right, settle, mend) -- possible nickname of a Mr Fix-it

lolaloliepop:

Skibicki?

Skibicki-- toponymic nickname from Skibice (Furrowville)

PolskaDollThreads: 44 Posts: 4,134 Joined: Jun 15, 07 ♀	Feb 15, 09, 18:59 #92
LAUBAJ: Also searching for meaning and origin of grandmother's maiden name, "Oleksiak". Thank you. This thread might have some useful information.

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Edited by: Moderator Feb 22, 09, 12:54 #93

kissme:

mine is michalski, which i have a basic idea of what that means, but my moms is zalenska... i have researched a little and i did not find much, does anyone have an idea?

The absence of diacritical marks makes it impossible to even begin researching this surname. The names Zaleński as well as Załęski both exist in Poland. Also Zalenski wouldd be the way an immigrant might phoneticlaly respell Zalęski, Załęski and Żałęski. All these versions have different roots. If possibnle, check the immigrant's Odl World vital documents.

SashaThreads: 2 Posts: 1,597 Joined: Apr 19, 08 ♂	Feb 27, 09, 11:26 #94
polestar: of the surname rybicki Sounds like it's related to the word "fish" which is more or less similar in all Slavic languages - "ryba". "Fischer" would be in German. "Fisher" in English. "Rybakov" or "Rybkin" in Russian. That's a very popular last name in all the countries.

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Feb 27, 09, 22:13 #95
Rybicki is the adjectivał form of rybik -- silverfish, small insects founds in bathrooms, shower stalls, etc. Also possibly toponymic from places like Rybice or Rybiczyzna.

AlannaThreads: - Posts: 7 Joined: Feb 24, 09 ♀	Edited by: Moderator Feb 28, 09, 05:58 #96
bukowski2012: anybody know what Bukowski means in polish go to www.ancestory.com to find out the meanings. I found out that "Piascik" means "to nurse" and "Bukowski" means that your family came from a place called "Bukow". There is a link where you can buy a book from amazon.com called "The Bukowski Name in History"

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Edited by: Moderator Mar 1, 09, 11:04 #97

Alanna:

Does anyone know about "Piascik"

Piast was the name of Poland's founding dynasty. The term Piast was used to mean any native Polish candidate to the throne as opposed to a foreigner.
Piaścik is the diminutive form which possibly meant princeling. Or a toponymic nickname for someone from Piastów or Piastowo.
There are probbaly more nobles with -ski ending surnames, but that does not mean that all -skis were well-born.

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Edited by: Moderator Mar 5, 09, 15:35 #98
Babicz - metronymic (son of an unwed mother) Frankiewicz - patronymic (Frank's boy) Bąk - horsefly, top (child's spinning toy), little tyke Razkowski - probably Raszkowski (toponymic from Raszków)

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Edited by: Moderator Mar 6, 09, 16:25 #99

borchek:

Does anyone have information about the last name Borczyk

bór~bor is a coniferous forest, someone living in or near oen or from a locality called Bory or Borki (Forestville, Forestwood, etc.) might have been nicknamed Borek. When he fathered a son, neighbours could well have dubbed the offspring Borczak, Borkiewicz, Borewicz or Borczyk (patronymic nicknames can be quite prolific in Polish).

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Edited by: Moderator Mar 12, 09, 16:34 #100
rydyr: my last name is Rucinski. is there any one else with this surname Dunno if there's anyone on this forum with your sunrmae, but in Poland more than 7,600 people answer to Ruciński. Root is ruta~rucina (myrtle -- a herb associated with marriage and spinsterhood); possibly arose as toponymic nicname from the locality of Ruciany (Myrtleville?)

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Edited by: Moderator Mar 14, 09, 17:23 #101
Seidowsky: I WAS WONDERING WHAT SEIDOWSKY MEANT Seidowsky is not a Polish spelling. Could it have originally been Sajdowski?

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Edited by: Moderator Mar 15, 09, 07:49 #102

idyllwild:

Skłodowski? Ordon? Łącka?

Skłodowski -- toponymic from a place called Skłody (dialectic for sk$ady -- storage sheds)
Ordon -- probably from orda (horde); the Złota Orda was a Tatar-Mongolian state set up in the 13th century; name well-known in Polish culture thanks ia to Mickiewicz's poem Reduta Ordona (Ordon's Redoubt)
Łącka -- dialectic (mazurianised pronunciation) for łączka (meadow)

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Edited by: Moderator Mar 15, 09, 16:29 #103
Skorzewski: SKORZEWSKI Most liklely a toponymic nickname for an inhabitant of Skórzew or Skórzewo (probably derived from skóra -- leather, hide, skin, hence Hideville, Leatherton, etc.)

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Edited by: Moderator Mar 18, 09, 12:47 #104

SRK85:

If anyone has info on Korab that would be awesome. Thanks.

Korab is an archaic Polish word for boat, ark, barge (still used in Russian and other Slavonic tongues). It is also the crest-name of a Polish coat of arms which depicts a boat with a tower at its center. Conflicitng legends place its origin in Germany, England or even ancient Rome. One version contends that the Roman Emperor Justinian (527-65) granted such emblems to his warriors who had successfully sailed such ships up the Danube into the lands of the Slavs and/or Huns.

Guest:

The surname Szczerbacki is quite similar to Shcherbatsky - The names that appear in Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina".(ie. Prince Alexsander Dimitrevich Shcherbatsky, Princess Katherine Shcherbatsky) Is the Szczerbacki surname is variant of Shcherbatsky ?

Re Szczerbacki, it is the exact same name except that one if written in Cyrillic script: Щербацкий, the other the Polish way -- Szczerbacki.
BTW, note the efficiency and economy of Russian which compresses the szcz sound into a single letter: Щ

SashaThreads: 2 Posts: 1,597 Joined: Apr 19, 08 ♂	Mar 18, 09, 18:15 #105
Polonius3: Korab Korabl' is still the main word used for "ship" in Russian. Guest: Is the Szczerbacki surname is variant of Shcherbatsky ? In Russian they would be spelt similar way. Like this Polonius3: Щербацкий In Polish I guess the first variant is more proper.

krysiaThreads: 26 Posts: 3,604 Joined: Aug 10, 06 ♀	Mar 20, 09, 22:34 #106
Jolli: Dmuchowski "Dmuchać" means to blow, as in balloon or a candle or hot soup.

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Edited by: Moderator Mar 20, 09, 23:21 #107
Jolli: I've been trying to figure out the meaning of my last name: Dmuchowski Dmuchowski, Dmóchowski and Dmochowski probably started as a toponymic nicknames from at least six localities called Dmochy (Blowton, Gustville).

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Edited by: Moderator Mar 22, 09, 10:44 #108
123slaskii123: slaski Regional toponymic adjective Śląski (pronounced: SHLON-skee) from the southern region of Śląsk (Silesia). Others include the nouns Ślązak and Ślęzak

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Edited by: Moderator Mar 26, 09, 06:38 #109

Devonf:

hey my last name is Firomski, i have looked everywhere but cant seem to find anything about it.

A stumper indeed! Not only is there no-one named Firomski in Poland, but I have also struck out with a number of hypothetical spelling variants such as: Fieromski, Piromski, Pieromski, Wiromski, Wieromski, Chwiromski, Chwieromski, Kwiromski, Kwieromski....
Please check your ancestor's Old World documents (preferably birth/baptismal or marriage certificates if possible for the original spelling which may have become deformed over the years.

PolsonThreads: 15 Posts: 2,812 Joined: May 9, 07 ♂	Edited by: Moderator Apr 3, 09, 21:03 #110
jasony0423: Just checking to see about my last name of Yankowski Originally Jankowski, could be Jan's son for example (Johnson). That's just my opinion ;)

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 5, 09, 21:46 #111
Jankowski might have arisen as a patronymic nickname meaningson fo Janek, but the majority of -wski surnames are toponymic in origin, so more likely than not it emerged to identify someone as a native of Janków, Jankowo or Janki.

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 7, 09, 19:12 #112
Siedlarz is dialectic for siodlarz (saddle & harness maker)

krysiaThreads: 26 Posts: 3,604 Joined: Aug 10, 06 ♀	Edited by: Moderator Apr 8, 09, 05:39 #113
Guest: my name is Niemczura, and I've never had a satisfactory explanation of what it means. Sounds like you might be able to help me out? Niemczura is a degrading name for a German woman.

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Edited by: Bratwurst Boy Apr 8, 09, 05:56 #114

krysia:

Niemczura is a degrading name for a German woman.

Hmmm....doubtfull...just google this name:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Niemczura&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f &oq=

It seems to be an international quite wide spread surname...
A somewhat unlogical development if that would had be seen as a nick.
Family names are seldom derogatory nicknames given by enemies! :)

(Or they just forgot to tell them...)

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Edited by: Moderator Apr 8, 09, 10:46 #115

mary jo:

My mother's maiden name was Fabiszewski. My grandmother's maiden name was Wieczykowski. Any info would be great. Thanks

Fabiszewski = toponymic nickname for native of the locality of Fabiszew (probably from the hypocoristic or endearing form of Fabian -- Fabiś, Fabuś, Fabek)
Więczykowski = toponymic nickname for native of the locality of Więczyków or Więczykowo (probably from "więcyk/więczyk" -- an archaic dialectic from of the word "więcej" = more).

eliso:

my ancestors were from Poland and i'm looking for my roots.
My last name is Kavtievski. From where i am and what does my last name mean

Kavtievski or its Polish phonetic rendering Kawtiewski (except for the -ski which could be of other-Slavonic origin) does not look Polish nor does anyone in Poland use it. It may have been misspelt.

Guest:

Niemczura

Niemczura might be roughly translated as that "kraut *****", "Teutonic slut", "Hitlerite hag", etc.

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Edited by: Moderator Apr 8, 09, 22:58 #116

Re Niemczura -- yes, -ura is usually a pejorative suffix as in "szlachciura" -- old, broken, down, good-for-nothing, set-in-this-ways petty nobleman.

EliteOps1:

Stankiewicz. Also, my mother's maiden name: Samsel.

Re Stankiewicz -- patronymic nickname meaning Stanek's boy (Eng. Stanson)

Re Samsel -- German/Yiddish hypocoristic of Samson, less likely Samuel.

narodowiec:

My username is Narodowiec that is my mothers madien name..... I traveled to Poland and couldnt really get the whole history of my family but I know it means something about the people.

Re Narodowiec = nationalist; rather strange for a nickname-turned-surname.

alexpaleski:

paleski. what does it mean?

Re Pałęski -- topnymic nickname for someone from Pałęgi in the Świętokrzyski Mts; a pałęga is a clearing or not overgrown section of a garden.

Gregrog:

Czwakiel

Re Czwakiel -- obscure. Possibly from szwak (archaic term for brother-in-law) or German/Yiddish adj. schwach (weak), ergo a weakling? But this is all very dubious.

Bratwurst BoyThreads: 11 Posts: 14,563 Joined: Apr 2, 07 ♂	Edited by: Bratwurst Boy Apr 8, 09, 23:01 #117
Polonius3: Niemczura might be roughly translated as that "kraut *****", "Teutonic slut", "Hitlerite hag", etc. But these family surnames are so much older than anything "Kraut", or "Hitlerite"... http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=0&gsln=Niemczura&f7=NY &gss=genfact&db=1920usfedcen

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Edited by: Moderator Apr 9, 09, 15:29 #118

Bratwurst Boy:

But these family surnames are so much older than anything "Kraut", or "Hitlerite"

Indeed, these concocted examples were intended only to convey the general flavour of negativity to English speakers. One could have added something like szwabska zdzira and translated it as Teutonic tootsie.

No sweat about Niemczura and its etymology. With the exception of the most outrageous or obscene-sounding names (Moczymorda, Pierdoła or Kutas), the meaning of most surnames in all lanmgauegs has undergone lexicalisation. That means they are treated simply as surnames regardless of their original meanings. In English too if we meet someone named Baker, Cooper or Cartwright we do not usually ask them how many loaves, barrels or carts they have produced that day, because these are only names.
That also applies to words, and the Russian word for hair-dresser (perukmacher) comes to mind. It's original meaning was wig-maker but today it means only hairdresser.

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Edited by: Bratwurst Boy Apr 9, 09, 15:42 #119

That is totally different!

As the surnames became fashion several centuries back the actual profession like baker or cartwright played a big role also often the place of living or outstanding characteristics like height and such.

But denigrating nicknames don't make logical family surnames because those families most likely already had proper surnames as they came into contact with a hostile, foreign population.

Also when one looks at the link about the "Niemczuras" in the US they seem to be polish families, not german ones...

SashaThreads: 2 Posts: 1,597 Joined: Apr 19, 08 ♂	Apr 9, 09, 16:04 #120
Polonius3: Kutas What does it mean in Polish, Polonius? I know one man with that last name here. Is it any related to "kutak"? :)) Polonius3: perukmacher Is Russian it's spellt "parikmacher". I think it's originally German word. Die Perücke + the verb "machen".

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