THE MEANING OF YOUR POLISH LAST NAME?

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,160 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Apr 9, 09, 16:06 #121
Kutas means penis or is an insult. Like calling sb a dickhead.

SashaThreads: 2 Posts: 1,558 Joined: Apr 19, 08 ♂	Apr 9, 09, 16:11 #122
Seanus: Kutas means penis or is an insult. Like calling sb a dickhead. Oh... I see... this was my guess.Thanks, Sean. That's why I asked about "kutak". To the best of my memory it's the same in Serbian or elsewise I don't know from where I remember the word.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,160 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Apr 9, 09, 16:13 #123
It looks Hungarian. I saw a town name called Kutas there.

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Apr 9, 09, 17:24 #124

"Słowo kutas to rutenizm, pochodzący z drugiej połowy XVI wieku, oznaczał ozdobny pędzelek – wisiorek z nici jedwabnych.
Drugie znaczenie – czyli penis - pochodzi z wieku XVII lub XVIII."

The word "kutas" - 2nd half of XVI century - decorated pencil(?), pendant(it appears in "Pan Tadeusz" As a penis - XVII - XVIII century.

Polonius3:

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.

Pity, that you don't know:)

GregrogThreads: 1 Posts: 107 Joined: Feb 2, 09 ♂	Apr 9, 09, 17:53 #125
no. In fact, I know some ppl with surnames as "Niemczyk" and I didn't hear any complain about it.

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Edited by: krysia Apr 10, 09, 15:26 #126

Gregrog:

In fact, I know some ppl with surnames as "Niemczyk" and I didn't hear any complain about it.

That's because Niemczyk is not a degrading form like Niemczura. Like polonius said, the "ura" is a form meaning broken down, good for nothing, "czyk" is kinda cute and nice.
We don't know why a person was named Niemczura or for what reason, but that is what it means. It could have been a Polish woman who liked Germans and not liked in Poland or a German woman not liked in Poland.
And it does sound funny when a man's last name is Niemczura.

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 11, 09, 00:06 #127
The -czyk ending usually indicates a patroynmic nickname-turned-surname, so Niemczyk probably originated to mean "son of the German" or (toponymically) "son of the bloke from Niemce, Niemcz, Niemczewo, Niemcowizna, Niemczyn or Niemcówka" (all those localities exist in Poland).

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Edited by: Moderator Apr 11, 09, 12:45 #128

Mystic:

In Poland my last name is Szczyglinski. In America it's slightly different (when my grandpa joined the Navy in WWII they "Americanized" it. Can anyone tell me about my last name? There is also Yanas, which I believe was Janas in Poland.

The root is szczygieł (goldfinch, bird species), but Szczygliński originated most likely as a toponymic nickname traceable to a locality called Szczyglin (Goldfinchville).

Janas is one of a plethora of surnames derived from Jan (John). Others include: Janek, Janik, Janiak, Janda, Janczak, Jasik, Jasiak, Jaśkiewicz, Janowicz and many more.

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Edited by: Moderator Apr 18, 09, 13:17 #129
Guest: My last name is Witko and my family came from Poland. Do you know what Witko means? Witko, Witek and Wituś are hypocoristic (endearing dimunituve) forms of the first name Witold. In America, it might have been a shortened version of Witkowski, which would be a toponymic nickname identiying soemone as a native of Witków or Witkowo.

PennBoyThreads: 147 Posts: 3,270 Joined: Dec 7, 08 ♂	Apr 19, 09, 01:25 #130
Marzec-March, like the month

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 20, 09, 08:40 #131
Marzec (March) and other months as well as days of tenved as nicknames marking someone's time of birth or conversion (usually from Judaeism to Catholicism). It could have also orignated as a toponymic nikcname traceable to such localities as Marzęcin, Marzecice, Marzewo or Marcówka.

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Edited by: Moderator Apr 22, 09, 10:42 #132

Eliza...:

Bejma? I've got no clue what it means or where it derives from. My Polish grandfather was put in a concentration camp at 14, and he escaped later to meet my grandmother in the US. I live in Australia now but I have never met any of my polish relatives... I want to know more about my background and I'd like to begin with my last name. thanks for helping

Bejma most likely originated from one of the following two sources:
1. As a version of Bem or Bema which came from German Böhme (Bohemian, Czech).
2. The Yiddish word bejm (tree) from German Baum.

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Edited by: Moderator Apr 23, 09, 18:20 #133

silverstar46:

i would like to know what is the meaning of my grandmother's maiden name-------SPEJCHER--------

Spejcher is the Polish phonetic respelling of the German word Speicher (granary). There is no-one in Poland by that name at present, but there is one person who spells his/her surname Spejchert. Incidentally, the Polish language borrowed the German word to create spichrz which subsequently evovled into spichlerz (granary).

ksaweryThreads: 1 Posts: 12 Joined: Mar 20, 09 ♂	Apr 24, 09, 02:24 #134
how 'bout latuszeski anyone know dat?

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 24, 09, 12:28 #135
Toponymic nickname for an inhabtiant of Latuszew or Latuszewo. Possibly translatable as Summerton, Summerville, Summerburg?

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 24, 09, 19:21 #136
In a follow-up to the Latuszeski query, most likely some immigrant to the English-speaking world prudently dropped ther "w". If it had been left Latuszewski, the Anglos would have Anglo-mangled it into some such atrocity as "lotta-SHOE-ski". In primary school a young child with such a name might well get taunted with: "So you've got a lotta shoes, eh?"

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Apr 24, 09, 21:05 #137

Polonius you are mistaken as for one thing - the rule was such: toponymic names like that were born by noble people - not any inhabitants of the place. Latuszewski or any other ski or cki can be a regular adjective in Polish. The origin of noble class names of that type is from notion of pan latuszewski (Lord of Latuszew) - e.g. Hieronim pan na Latuszewie/pan latuszewski - noble class constituted a large part of Polish society in the end of 18th century (10 per cent) - most of them were not rich, they lived liked peasants but were free. Noble-like names were taken later (made up) by some other people for snobism, and other reasons.

ksaweryThreads: 1 Posts: 12 Joined: Mar 20, 09 ♂	Apr 24, 09, 22:20 #138
so what ur saying is my last name is that of a noble man(mi ancestors)?

gumishuThreads: 13 Posts: 3,633 Joined: Apr 6, 09 ♂	Apr 24, 09, 22:32 #139
nobility were not as a rule wealthy people - they were just free contrary to peasantry who were in fact half-slaves (serf class) - even had to stay where their masters/lords wanted them, but as a rule you can say nobility were land owners even if petty. there is good possibility that some of your ancestors where from nobility but it's not for sure for the reasons I mentioned in previous post

ksaweryThreads: 1 Posts: 12 Joined: Mar 20, 09 ♂	Apr 24, 09, 22:36 #140
so wat would have been mi last name if mi ancestors did not come to america?

gumishuThreads: 13 Posts: 3,633 Joined: Apr 6, 09 ♂	Apr 24, 09, 22:48 #141
Latuszewski (btw it would often be pronounced as Latuszeski in colloquial speech - i don't know what this phonetic phenomenon is called but it does have some seriously looking scientific name to it ) :)

ksaweryThreads: 1 Posts: 12 Joined: Mar 20, 09 ♂	Apr 24, 09, 23:02 #142
so its spelled latuszewski but pronounced latuszeski i see now

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Apr 25, 09, 11:40 #143

It is a myth that -ski names are those of only the gentry. Yes, more famileis of noble ancestry have -ski names than any other single group of surnames, but the vast majority were commoners. Jan Brzeziński could indeed have been Sir John of Birchwood, but all the peasants living in that village would also be called Brzeziński by outsiders, ie inhabitants of surrounding villagers. WHere soemoen was from was ocne an important qualifier. To determine whether your ancestors were Lords of Latuszew or simple, dirt-poor peasants, you need to enlist the services of a professional genealogical firm.

shopgirlThreads: 7 Posts: 1,446 Joined: Apr 6, 07 ♀	Apr 26, 09, 09:04 #144
theyshineforyou: Does anyone know the meaning of the surname Szurpicki? Nope, but maybe you can find something here.. surname finder

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 26, 09, 10:08 #145
Szurpicki – toponymic from Szurpice (Featherton, Slovenville); probably derived from szurpa (peasant dialect) for a curly-featured fowl or slovenly housewife.

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Apr 26, 09, 10:17 #146

Polonius maybe I am mistaken but I think only nobility or perhaps city dwellers were called any surnames before say 18th century and only zaścianek szlachta - nobility who had no serfs and worked their own fields would be called a surname after their zaścianek name not being 'lords of the place' just inhabitants (in my family there where Wszeborowscy from Wszebory north of Łomża) - these people couldn't be told appart from peasantry already in the second part of 19th century (after the January uprising when the peasants became free and acquired land they were working on for themselves - the big land owners (mostly rich nobles) kept their land until 1921 or even 1944/45)

there were areas in Poland where zaścianki (villages of nobles) were numerous sometimes even occupied most of the land

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Apr 26, 09, 14:32 #147

Indeed, dirt-poor Podlasie was known for its inordinate number of impoverished petty gentry, who hitched their old lady up to plough but had a heraldic crest and sword to show they were nobility. That was probably because often entire villages were ennobled for defending the lord's castle or manor house against an invasion or some other service rendered to a prince or king. Do you really believe most Kowalskis, Nowakowskis, Brzezińskis, Jaworowskis, Kapuścińskis, etc.
Let's imagine there were a number of people named Jan in a hamlet called Jaworów. One was Jan Kowal or Kowalski (blacksmith or native of Kowale), Jan Ciemięga (clumsy oaf), Jan Stasiak (Stan's boy), Jan Piekarczyk's (the baker's son or helper), etc, etc. But to residents of surrounding villages any of those might have been called Jan Jaworowski. At the nickname stage (before surnames took root) one person might be called different things: Adam Garbed (humpbacked), Adam Gwizdała (the whistler), Adam Jasiewicz (Johnny's kid) or Adam WiIkowski (the bloke from Wilkowo). Which name ended up as his surname that got passed down to his children is a good question. The whole area of surname emergence is full of meanders, complexities and confusion.

gumishuThreads: 13 Posts: 3,633 Joined: Apr 6, 09 ♂	Edited by: gumishu Apr 26, 09, 16:23 #148
is this your theory or is it based on some studies Polonius - i guess it did happen from time to time but I don't think it was any significant thing - but still I have never studied the issue so you may actually be right yes there can be a lot of confusion - many Jews adopted the surnames of nobility they worked for (as tenants etc) - this is just one example - I'm sure it was quite complex

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Apr 26, 09, 16:52 #149

No, I haven't got a doctorate in szlachtology, but I have inforamlly studied this and other aspects of Polish history and culture for years. Podlasie was a place they called "laski, piaski and karaski". The latter is the cruceon (karaś -- a small fish that can survive in evaoporating, very-low-oxygen pools. They can be all head, tail and backbone covered with skin but little if any meat). Little more than potatoes grew in the sandy soil. "Boso lecz w ostrogach" (barefoot but in stirups) was also applied to the impoverished, soil-tilling gentry. Probably the percentage of szlachta in Podlasie was higher (12-15%) at different times in centuries past.

Polonius3Threads: 963 Posts: 4,547 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 26, 09, 21:53 #150
Gumishu -- I think you may find this item about the pettry gentry of Podlasie interesting.: http://www.koc.pl/szl_podl.htm

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