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Anyone know a shorter version of the name "Napierkowski?"


JMN1040  3 | 4  
7 Dec 2008 /  #1
Anyone know a shorter version of the name "Napierkowski?" Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheery  10 | 126  
7 Dec 2008 /  #2
You can prolly narrow it to 'Napier' hehe... but then again, it kinda sounds French... ow
osiol  55 | 3921  
7 Dec 2008 /  #3
Well, it's not Napierapierkowskiowskiowskiski.

It derives from the Scottish name Napier, apparently. The word derives from Old French: nappe meaning a cloth (as in napkin), -ier meaning someone who does things with it (ie. someone who works with or deals cloth, or possibly linen), and the Polish suffix (or suffixes) -owski. I had read somewhere that -owski denotes that the name is of a place or of where the person or name came from wheras just -ski doesn't. However, there should be experts around here to explain that a little more precisely.
Seanus  15 | 19666  
7 Dec 2008 /  #4
No shorter version, no. As Osioł said, it is of Scottish origin. There is a university in Edinburgh called Napier. Then the Polish tag is added.

Maybe Napierski, it looks right when written but I don't think it is.

You can't delete posts as you should think before you write, LOL ;)
Polonius3  980 | 12275  
7 Dec 2008 /  #5
14 people in Poland are named Napierko. Napirrkowski could have originated as a patronymic nickname to indicate Napierko's son. It might've also emerged for toponymic reasons. For more info please check out: research60@gmail

Polish surnames incorporating the napor~napier root shorter than Napierkowski include Napieraj, Napierski and Napiórski and Napora.
Quadrisyllabic variants include Napierała, Napieralski and Naporowski.
The root was probably the verb "napierać" - to press upon, push, advance, urge...
BTW, the noble Napierkowskis were entitled to use the Prus I and Prus II coats of arms.

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