Requesting any information on surname Mielniczuk

Czesc, I am trying to piece together some family background; as my relatives have long since passed, I do not have much information to go on. My grandfather came to Ellis Island (NY) January 11, 1928. His name was Grzegorz Mielniczuk which they "Americanized" to George Malnick. My grandmother was so teased and taken advantage of in America that she learned English quickly, and told herself that she would never pass down the Polish language (thinking she was doing her children a favor)...how unfortunate. Since our family history was never really talked about, basically all I have to go on is that Grzegorz left Krzemieniec (which I believe is North of Tarnopol?) to come to America. I have tried a number of different websites (Ellis Island sites, Polish geneology posts, ancestory web pages), but to no avail. The only other info. I have is that he was born on January 9, 1908 in Kozerierieski (sp?), baptized (Russian Orthodox) in Finki (sp?) and might have lived in Chrdakis / Chndaki (sp?). I realize that these were probably very small villages, not to mention the border of Poland and Russia at the time were pretty undefined. I mention Russia only for the fact that he was baptized Russian Orthodox and spoke Russian as well (not sure if any of those cities were considered "Russian" at the time). But had he been Russian, wouldn't his first name have been something more like "Yuri"? Anyway, I would like to thank all of you for your time in reading this, and any help that your could provide; i.e. what Mielniczuk means (a Russian I asked once told me "little miller"?), and / or where any of the cities are located, etc.? Dziekuje bardzo.

Mielniczuk sounds Ukrainian to me. Maybe trying Ukraine for the villages might help.

Sounds like they could be Ukrainian.

Mielniczuk sounds like a polonized Ukranian surname

it has the ukranian ending "uk" yet the Polish "cz"

as of 1998 there were 2766 persons living in Poland with this Surname

Sometimes it is tough to find where a family comes from because the borders changed so much and surnames and town names often changed

often finding one's roots is not so cut and dry as saying you are Polish, Ukranian or Russian, because Lithuanians became Poles (Pilsudski family), Poles became Russians and so on.
For example take the case of Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky ( Polish spelling Feliks Dzierżyński), the founder of the Bolshevik secret police

he was born into Polish szlachta "noble family" in Western Belarus, then part of the Russian Empire.

Felix_Dzerzhinsky_19.jpg

ancestry.com

Gentlemen, I appreciate the quick and informative responses. One final question, would that area have been the Ukraine in the early 1900's, or do you mean modern day Ukraine? Thanks again for all of your help.

There was no Ukrain befor 1991... just one year in 1920 when Petrula rules there

but after Red Army went to Poland thay slaved Ukrain first than Pilsudzki crashed Red Army but no free Ukrain after that

and Befor 1794 was also Sicz Zaporoska but Cesarea Katarina take that land 2/3 part of Poland ant reslave Krym from Turkey...

Interesting, thanks.

Mielniczuk I think this is Ukrainian surname.

It means-little son of miller but disrespectful-I'm affraid.

LOL

According to Hoffman (1998) in Polish surnames: Origins and Meanings Mielniczuk is listed and does refer to "Miller" but no derogatory context is listed. In his publication there were approx 2766 people with this surname in Poland based on the 1990's census.

As of the more recent 2002 census information 2793 people share the same surname in Poland. At moikrewni.pl the Mapa Nazwisk shows an high concentration of that surname along the south eastern Polish Russian border associated with several jurisdictions. With others spread out through Poland.

At mapa.szukacz.pl Krzememniec is nowhere near Tarnopol. However there are 5 places with that name (Krzemeniec) or variations of such. All located in southern half of Poland.

Using these resources may provide some insight when tied to specific information that you have. First the correct Krzemeniec location is the thing to find.