Dragoman1
31 Aug 2015
Genealogy / Are the origins of Bernatowicz French? [23]
My mother's name was Bernat. Her parents were Polish and she lived in Poland (Austrian portion) for several years as a girl.
According to family lore, the surname went back to one of Napoleon's soldiers who was wounded and remained and married in Poland.
When I lived in Spain, there was a brand of sweet rolls called "Bernat's" and when I was once in Barcelona I found two columns of persons in the phone directory with the surname "Bernat", which is Catalan for "Bernard".
The name in Poland was always Bernat and was not shortened when my grandparents entered the US through Ellis Island.
My mother's name was Bernat. Her parents were Polish and she lived in Poland (Austrian portion) for several years as a girl.
According to family lore, the surname went back to one of Napoleon's soldiers who was wounded and remained and married in Poland.
When I lived in Spain, there was a brand of sweet rolls called "Bernat's" and when I was once in Barcelona I found two columns of persons in the phone directory with the surname "Bernat", which is Catalan for "Bernard".
The name in Poland was always Bernat and was not shortened when my grandparents entered the US through Ellis Island.