THE MEANING OF YOUR POLISH LAST NAME?

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Aug 22, 10, 12:03 #1,171
JAKUBOWSKI: most likely topo nick from Jakubów or Jakubowo (Jamestown, Jacobville); less likely patronymic nick -- son of Jakub or Jacobson.

mast551Threads: - Posts: 3 Joined: Aug 22, 10 ♂	Aug 22, 10, 17:18 #1,172
Hello I've been trying to find out information on my last name but its pretty much impossible. My last name is Mastalerz Thanks in advance

ShortHairThugThreads: - Posts: 1,295 Joined: May 1, 09 ♂	Aug 22, 10, 17:48 #1,173
mast551: My last name is Mastalerz Mastalerz or Mastalarz – dating back to 1700’s a person taking care of horses – old fashion form of (stajenny) someone in charge of stables.

mast551Threads: - Posts: 3 Joined: Aug 22, 10 ♂	Aug 22, 10, 20:17 #1,174
thanks

ShortHairThugThreads: - Posts: 1,295 Joined: May 1, 09 ♂	Edited by: ShortHairThug Aug 22, 10, 21:33 #1,175
You're welcome. Mind you, not to be confused with stable boy but someone with authority on an estate, a respectable position back then. The Master of the Horse a proper name in English was and in some cases, is a historical position of varying importance in several European nations.

ShortHairThugThreads: - Posts: 1,295 Joined: May 1, 09 ♂	Aug 22, 10, 22:07 #1,176
Someone with the same position at Kings Court was called Koniuszy an office reserved for someone of nobility but at the Counts estate Mastalerz performed the same duties and it was not necessary for one to be of noble blood to hold this position although some were. He thought horse riding skills to the children of the Count as well.

mast551Threads: - Posts: 3 Joined: Aug 22, 10 ♂	Aug 23, 10, 04:51 #1,177
awesome! thank you. I have just one quick question, If you don't mind. Where could i find info about which Rody Mastalerz belongs to or if it even belongs to one?

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Aug 23, 10, 08:38 #1,178
According to available Polish armorial resources, no bearer of your surname was ever known to have achieved gentry status entitling him to a heraldic device (coat of arms). Incidentally as for its etymology, it evolved from the German Marstall/Marställe (stable/stables).

zielinska

Aug 23, 10, 21:55 #1,179

Hi does anyone know anything about surname BERWERTZ? It's not common in Poland (mostly existing in northwest Poland it seems) but I have relative with this name on my mum side. Sounds German or German-Jewish to me, but as the name seems so uncommon, I can't find out much about it, and Ive only been able to trace my family back to this one person so far. Could it be name which was once two names, like Ber Wertz, (which kind of sounds even more Jewish to me). I used to think we were almost totally Polish but now Im not sure. Thanks to anyone who can help.

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Aug 23, 10, 22:56 #1,180
BERWERTZ: quite rare, biggest cluster in and around Lublin; according to one hypothesis its source was the word barwa (colour), which came from Old German verwe (modern German -- Farbe). BERWERC: Polish phonetic respelling; three people in Kłodzko area of SW Poland.

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Aug 25, 10, 09:04 #1,181
KUNICA: topo nick from Kunice (Martensonsville) KOWALSKI: patronymic (blacksmith's son) or topo nick from Kowale and similar (Smiths). BIŃKOWSKI: topo nick from Binkowo (Bennyville). For more info contact polonius3@gazeta.pl

reubyn34	Aug 25, 10, 21:21 #1,182
I have 2 easy names and 2 hard...Chrzanowski & Kowalski. The hard ones I can't find anywhere. I'm assuming they were changed when they immigrated to the US: Guzielek & Kaido. Anything close to either name would help. Thanks.

reubyn34	Aug 25, 10, 21:22 #1,183
Sorry! I missed the previous post!

NorthMancPolakThreads: 6 Posts: 615 Joined: Jun 13, 10 ♂	Aug 25, 10, 22:40 #1,184
Polonius3, where do you get all your information from? I've been looking for the meaning/origin of my surname for ages, but with no success. I don't want to post it on the forum though, but if you're willing to point me in the right direction, I can do my own research, I guess ;)

♂

Edited by: Polonius3 Aug 25, 10, 22:52 #1,185

CHRZANOWSKI: root-word chrzan (horseradish); topo nick, from Chrzanów (Horseradishville)
KOWALSKI: patronymic from kowal (Smithson) or topo nick from Kowale or similar.
GUZIELEK: diminutive or root-word guz (bulge, lump, bump, growth); probably topo nick from Guzew, Guźlin or similar (Bulgeville, Bumpton)..
KAIDO: probably variant form of kajda (wooden container attached to belt in which a scythesman kept his whetstone)
For more surname details please contact: polonius3@gazeta.pl

NorthMancPolak:
What is the name that interests you?
As for your question, I make use of online databases including http://www.jurzak.pl, http://www.herby.com.pl and http://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/LocTown.asp, my own resources compiled over the years plus hard-copy sources such as Kazimierz Rymut’s Nazwiska Polkaów, the multi-volume dictionary of Karłowicz, Kryński and Niedźwiedzki (Warsaw 1905), Tadeusz Gajl’s Herby szlacheckie, assorted German, French, Italian, Russian and other dictionaries, plus a life-long interest in Polish linguistics esp. onomastics. Hope this helps point you in the right direction.

reubyn34	Aug 27, 10, 17:53 #1,186
I have 2 more...Zaklukiewicz (supposedly it was -kowicz before immigrating) and Halgas. Thank you.

teenagexdreamThreads: 1 Posts: 3 Joined: Aug 27, 10 ♀	Aug 27, 10, 20:49 #1,187
What about Kunczewitz? It was later changed at Ellis Island though, to Consavage.

♂

Aug 27, 10, 23:29 #1,188

ZAKLUKIEWICZ: possible source – the Russian locality of Zakluka (Заклюка); an inhabitant would have been Zakluk and his son – Zaklukiewicz (in both Russian and Polish).

HALGAS: no names currently used in Poland start with either halg- or chalg-

KUNCEWICZ: from Kunz, German hypocoristic (pet) form of Kunrad or Konrad; Kuncewicz is the Polonised spelling of a patronymic nick meaning Kunz’s son.

For more info please contact: polonius3@gazeta.pl

njpack	Aug 28, 10, 04:22 #1,189
Looking for the meaning of my last name unsure what it was really was before ellis island changed it. Hodlofski supposedly it was chodakofski or something similar any help would be appreciated

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Aug 28, 10, 09:38 #1,190
CHODAKOWSKI: topo nick from Chodaków; root-word chodak (rustic tree-bark shoe once used by poor peasants) For more info please contact: polonius3@gazeta.pl

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Aug 29, 10, 14:40 #1,191
NIESŁAWSKI: root-word niesława (infamy, disgrace, notoriety)

♂

Edited by: Xenohorde1988 Aug 30, 10, 02:54 #1,192

Thread attached on merging:
anyone know what my name last name means?

I'm a fourth generation Polish American from Chicago Illinois USA. No one in family speaks Polish surprisingly seeing as that we have been in this country since before WWI. My last name is Hejnowski and so far on the web the only thing I can find is that I share the same last name with a few people in Warsaw, Gdansk, and Poznań. I can't figure out what my name means or where it originated. Any help would be strongly appreciated.

John

Helvetian	Aug 30, 10, 03:12 #1,193
Hello I am wonder about the meaning/origin of the name Petrykowski, thank you in advance.

MEMBER ♀

Aug 30, 10, 03:13 #1,194

Xenohorde1988:

anyone know what my name last name means?

I'm a fourth generation Polish American from Chicago Illinois USA. No one in family speaks Polish surprisingly seeing as that we have been in this country since before WWI. My last name is Hejnowski and so far on the web the only thing I can find is that I share the same last name with a few people in Warsaw, Gdansk, and Poznań. I can't figure out what my name means or where it originated. Any help would be strongly appreciated.

anyone know what my name last name means?

i did a quick search and Hejnowski is a surname that originated from the Gdansk area. it comes from the German word hein which means something like huh? or eh? (it's an interjection). also when used as a first name, Hein means 'house ruler'. hope this helps!

clerical12Threads: - Posts: 1 Joined: Aug 30, 10 ♂	Edited by: clerical12 Aug 30, 10, 05:35 #1,195
My family changed our name when we got here in America. I'm told it used to be Coveleski, but they changed it to Kovalewski to make it look cooler. Wow just looked it up, Local Coveleski who was a baseball player, there is a wiki page on him. I did some quick geneology on ancestry.com. I just found this forum and will be trying to lean the language. Thanks guys

♂

Aug 30, 10, 22:38 #1,196

HEJNOWSKI: quite likely from German names Hein or Hin which go back to Old Germanic Hagan. I think the 'Hägar the Horrible' cartoon strip alluides to that name root.
However, since most -owski surnames are of toponymic origin, I'm wondering whether some misspellings might not have occurred over genenrations of re-copying. The ch- variant should be checked out (Chojnowksiu???). Also the g- possibility (from Russian and Ukrainian).

KOWALEWSKi: topo nick from Kowalewo (Smithville). Spelling it Kovaleski would solve the pronunciation problem. With Kovalewski you'll get Anglo-manglers distorting it into
Kova-LOO-ski!

valpomikeThreads: 18 Posts: 230 Joined: Apr 20, 09 ♂	Aug 31, 10, 16:32 #1,197
What does Dabrowski or Dombrowski mean, and where would they have come from? I was told my grandparents came from just south of Warsaw. Why would the name be changed to Dombrowski anyway? Mike

DeskiThreads: - Posts: 1 Joined: Aug 31, 10 ♀	Edited by: Deski Aug 31, 10, 19:59 #1,198
What is the meaning of my last name DESKIEWICZ? Iam very proud of my Heritage!!!! What part of Poland did my family come from??

musicwriterThreads: 5 Posts: 95 Joined: Jan 7, 10 ♂	Aug 31, 10, 22:05 #1,199
When checking on my surname Drzewiecki I found two possibilities; (1) something to do with wood, timber or the woods, (2) pertaining to a lance or lancer (Medieaval soldier). I know where my Drzewiecki ancestors lived- it was near Wenecja pow. Żninski. now in woj. Kujawsko-Pomorskie. Any theories on the name? pozdrawiam

♂

Aug 31, 10, 22:20 #1,200

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valpomike:

What does Dabrowski or Dombrowski mean, and where would they have come from?
I was told my grandparents came from just south of Warsaw. Why would the name be changed to Dombrowski anyway?

Mike

Literally it means "a man from the oak forest". This is a quite popular name in Poland, so there is no way to indicate where your roots are.
Change of "ą" into "om" is a common spelling mistake.
Dąbrowski's coat of arms (also known as Panna - Virgin):

Deski:

What is the meaning of my last name DESKIEWICZ?

Iam very proud of my Heritage!!!!
What part of Poland did my family come from??

Well... The first impression is a word "deska" (plank, wooden board). The -icz suggest Lithuanian roots of this surname (like Mickiewicz)

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