Zaleska is how we we all now spell it here in the U.S. My grandfathers grave stone has it spelt Zalecki however. They came here around 1900 or a tiny bit earlier. Arrived in the Massachusetts area. I have not had much luck tracing them back.
The Zelecki family in Worcester, Massachusetts are from Lithuania, in the census records I can find on them. In one record, a Frank Kvietinskas boards/lodges with them. The head of household, Anthony Zelecki, arrived in the US in 1897.
At Ellis Island I found a record of a Janus Zelecki from Kalwaris, Russia/Lithuania, arriving in the US in 1905.
Thanks so much! Any idea what town,county, or general area this name came from. Such as near Germany, Lithuania, Russia on and on. Anything will help. Thanks again.
I'm afraid you're being steered in wrong direction. It's a descriptive surname based on a nickname derived form (zalecieć) ''to arrive at the destination running".
Zalecki comes probabbly from toponimic name Załęcki. za = behind łąka = meadow or łęg = riparian I believe this name can mean "a man who lives behind riparian".
Whilst Załędzki and Załęcki are pronoucned the same and may have caused confusion amongst illterate peasants, etymologically they come from different roots. The root of Załędzki is łęg, a marshy meadow on or near a riverbank. With Załęcki the root is łęka (reigonal for meadow; standard Polish). In both cases, the msot likely origin is toponymic traceable to the loclaites of Załęcze and Załęże frespectively.
Ther Załęcki stronghold in Poland is Mazowsze in the coutnry's NE quarter, from the Ciechanów area in the north on through Greater Warsaw down to Radom and vicintiy to the south of the captial district.
My great-grandmother maiden name was Załęcka. She came from a village near Maków Mazowiecki (northern Mazowsze). Most of her family left to US between 1905-1910 she was one of the few who stayed in their homeland. So maybe we are related ;-)
I don't know if you are aware, but the 'cki' ending is a variation of the 'ski' normally used for naming nobles, so, from previous comments, it seems likely to mean 'a noble from the family that owned the estate of £ęka/Meadow'. I found internet lists of noble names that include spellings Zalęcki, Załęcki, Żalęcki, so there are wider possibilities. I particularly like the idea that Żalęcki might have been a name taken by a newly appointed, but estateless noble to describe himself as complainer, from żalenie się, but that is very fanciful. I am sure that you are aware that Jews also used the 'cki' and 'ski' endings added to the places they lived in.
You have to understand what "nobility" meant in Poland - it was nothing connected with wealth. Nobles were those who had political rights during "First Republic" times. They could be very poor, especially after the partitions when after various uprisings government was taking back the land from families whose members had fought against them. So my great-grandmother could feel "nobel" because of rights of her ancestors even thought she was taking care of cows, not having shoes until she was twelve...
Hi I had no idea about nobility in Poland.?? Interesting. I lived part of my life in a polish community when I was a lot younger. I do not remember much about it. I would love to learn more. Most of my polish relatives are dead. One thing I can say is they tend to live a very long life (the women). Some lived to 100 yrs or older. No dementia, no meds? Seems unreal to me? But they did. Once again any info about family and Polish customs and ways of life would be great.
ZALECKI: Well over 100 people in Poland spell their name without any diacritical accent marks. That form migth be traceable to the verb zalecać się (to court, woo). It might have been applied to the village's perpetual suitor courting different gals but getting repeatedly turned down.
I suppouse that most probably origin of this name comes from a property called "Załęże/Załęcze" - "a place behind riparian/meadow". It could be a village, a farm or just a piece of land. Załęcki-nobleman could be a landlord while Załęcki-peasant could be just a villager. We have to remember that -ski, -cki ends exclusively for nobelmans names is mostly XVI-XVII century fashion. More, unfortunately in Poland "a nobleman" did not always mean "a wealthy man". He could be "a gołodupiec" (nacked-ass) too.
