Genealogy / Tatarewicz, Bogdanowicz, Piskunowicz (looking for) [9]

Polishgirltx

Actually just Googling tatarewicz brings up 6700 references, mostly scientific papers , particularly by American astronomer Joe, but also including many of my political posts on Liberty Forum , Aljazeera.com, and other sites. There's even a reference to a family crest, which is probably a scam, since coat-of-arms, etc., are usually the prerogative of royalty. Also seem to be a few scholars by this name in Poland, even a Pawel but I don't think they are relations. Have to try to trace back through dad's old letters. Paul

Genealogy / Tatarewicz, Bogdanowicz, Piskunowicz (looking for) [9]

Tatarewicz seems to be a common name in Poland according to Grzegorz. Easy to pronounce and spell from the sound of it, except for Anglos and and other non-Slavs, so I don't think it was mis-spelled ever since being assigned by the regent's representative eons ago. I suppose if we were Jews it might end with a wycz or a wych. Never thought of asking parents or relatives about the derivation but I presume it may have something to do with do with the Crimean Tatars (Tartars in English). Or just picked from what was left on the list by my great, great...grandfather.

Genealogy / When did Poles adopt surnames? [27]

My understanding (from relatives) is that the wicz's were middle class types: competent and prosperous farmers, businessmen, trades people. The ski's were the nobility. And any other endings were the peasantry. Jews seemed fond of substituting a y for the i.

Remember reading in my Polish (second language) university class that a "royal" representative roamed the countryside to assign and register surnames, based on vocation, geography or some other characteristic, to single name hut dwellers, no doubt for tax collection purposes.