Hello, this is my first post to this forum. I have checked all the usual resources listed in the "read before you post" thread. I've taken all of those resources about as far as you can without paying money.
I'm looking for any additional information on my surname, Gadziński.
Most immigration records to the US that I've found list point of departure to German Empire, if that helps any.
I've also found that this name belongs to the Pobóg herb szlachecki.
I'm mainly looking for any information on history of this name in Partitioned Poland, and especially before 1772-75.
Forgot to add that I'm looking for historical and current areas in Poland home to this surname.
My grandmother is very old on has lost much memory, she says family came originally from Kraków-- Lesser Poland area, but often mistakes what she ate for breakfast so I'm not too sure on this.
TYSZKA: This nickname-turned surname originated as the hypocoristic (pet) form of such first names as Tymoteusz or Tytus, so at least the first name given would be the equivalent of Tim or Timmy (from Timothy). Another common form is Tyszko. Most every Polish surname has been used by Jews at one time or another, but that does not make it a typically Jewish name. Typically Jewish names include Lewin, Szapiro, Margolis, Kabała and those incorporating the names of precious substances: perl, rubin, diamant, silber, gold, bursztyn, etc.
Tyska would be the mazurianised (peasant dialectal) version.
GADZIŃSKI: root-word gadzina (poisonous snake, viper, reptile); also said of a vicious, toxic person); most likely a toponymic nickname for an inhabitant of Gadzinowo (Viperton, Snakeville). You are correct that its noble line stamped their documents, adorned their manor house façades and engraved their tombs with the Pobóg heraldic device.
PAWLOSKI: This is the regional (probably Śląsk/Silesia) version of Pawłowski. The latter is a toponymic nick for someone from Pawłów or Pawłowo (Paulville, Paulton).
DZIDO: probably from dzida (spear - ancient weapon comprising a pointed blade mounted in a long thin shaft); another possibility is dzid -- an Ukrainianised word from grandfather or old man (Polish: dziad).
RĘBISZ: names with the rąb~ręb component refer to wood-cutting or forest-clearing, so it could have emerged as an occupational nick; but in some cases it may also be traceable to toponymic sources such as the villages of Rębisze, Rębiszewo and similar.
My surname is Bernatowicz, originally it used to be Bernatowitz, a Germanized polish surname, it got changed as soon as my great grandad moved to Poland with my grandad :)
BERNATOWICZ: patronymic tag which originally meant "Bernat's son".Bernat is an Old Polish form of Bernard. One of the first books ever printed in Polish was a prayer book entitled "Raj duszny" (Spiritual paradise) by a priest known as Bernat z Lublina.
The ending -witz may have been German but not the name's origin. The patronymic Polish -wicz ending as well as similar endings in other Slavonic tongues (Russian -вич, Croatian -vić, etc,) are routinely transcribed into German and Anglicized Yiddish as -witz.
Most likely it went this way: Bernatowicz changed the spelling to Bernatowitz (or had it changed for him by some overzealous Prussian clerk); then when borders shifted someone found it expedient to revert to the original Polish version.
SIWY: the colour grey; probably nick of a gray-haired person.
KARPIŃSKI: root-word carp (fish species); probably topo nick from Karpin, Karpiny, Karpinówka or similar.
BEDNARSKI: patronymic nick from bednarz (wooden-tub and barrel maker); Eng. equivalent Cooperson.
SZCZEPANEK: from first name Szczepan (variant of Stefan); probably a patronymic nick equivalent to Stevens or Stevenson.
SKRZYPEK: occupational nick for a violinist or home-spun fiddler.
TOBOLSKI: root-word toboł or toboła (traveller's sack, bundle); quite likely originated as a toponymic nick from Tobołowo, Tobolice, Tobułki, Tobałówko or similar in Poland or Tobolsk in Siberia (a good name for an exile).
BERNAT could be Polish or Czech. It comes from German Bernard or Bernhard which derived from the Old High German roots bero (bear) and hart (strong). Another Polish variant is Biernat. Bernard is now the most popular as a first name.
I have an uncommon Polish surname, Stalewski, insomuch that I really haven't been able to identify much in it that would point be beyond my branch of the family's departure from Ceranów, Mazowieckie in 1906 when Nicholas II oversaw the region as the last Russian "czar".
I understand the -ski can generally be a toponymic nick or an occupational reference, but I haven't been able to connect the "stal" to much historically. Additionally, I've never been able to find anything that relates the surname to a heraldry, original or borrowed around the 1500s, though I'd imagine the name didn't just pop into existence between then and the late 1800s when I can actually track my recorded ancestry.
If anyone can help me find my family's place in Polish history, I'd greatly appreciate it. One more request - can anyone help me spell the name phonetically? I generally have a difficult time getting people in America to understand the /w/ sound is omitted in the Anglicized version, and proper phonetic spelling is beyond my reach (more than simply putting it staLESski or something similar to convey the proper sound). Dziękuję!
STALEWSKI: Yes, this is a nickname-turned-surname of toponymic origin from the village of Stale in Podkarparckie or Stalewo in Pomorze. It is shared by some 500 people.
In English-speaking countries dropping the "w" is often a good way to retain the proper pronunciation. Stalewski in the US would be instinctively pronoucned by most as sta-LOO-ski.
Thank you Polonius3 for the reply. Yeah, you're exactly right on the pronunciation of LEW/LOO in this country - I'm constantly correcting people who try to read my name rather than just listen to how I say it (and whenever asked why I don't just say it "American" or more like "staLEVski" if it's a slavic-language W, I just say it's because it's not an English name, and that's the way my grandfather says it, so that's the way I say it).
-- I'm in the military, so that never helps whenever meeting people while I'm in uniform... and I'll tell you, the majority of superiors I've worked with over the past decade couldn't care less how it's actually pronounced - once they think they've got something right, no one can change their minds! --
I never knew anything about my family's origin beyond Ceranów, so I'm very curious to do more digging into the villages you provided me with. Thank you again!
This one should be challenging, I have a rough story of it's background but I'd love to hear your definition, DeMucha.
Perhaps if I provide more context: The surname itself doesn't appear very Polish which is conflicting but the Mucha portion directly translates to fly if I am correct, however "De" isn't Polish at all.
Origins however go something along the lines of a soldier in Napoleons army resigned to Poland when Napoleon retreats from the east (failed conquest). It doesn't make much sense and I may be entirely wrong, but whatever you can dig up on the origins will be greatly appreciated.
DeMucha/Demucha?: The spelling DeMucha suggests someone had prefaced the Polish nickname-turned-surname Mucha (fly) with the French preposition de (of, from), found not only in some French aristocratic surnames (eg Degaulle, DeLaSalle) but also in purely plebeian patronymics such as DePierre (Polish Pietrzak, Spanish Perez, English Peters, etc.).
In actuality Demucha spelt together is a purely Slavonic name, a hypocoristic (pet) form of the first name Dymitr. Other variants include Demuch, Demuć, Demus, Demek, Dejmek, Dejmuś, Dymuś, Dymek and many others.
Merged: Chowanski, Laskowski, Surazynska, Krynicki or Krentisky
Hello,
My maiden name is Chowańska. My great-grandfather Joachim Chowański moved here with my great-grandmother, Juliana Krenitsky or Krynickie from present-day Uscie Gorlickie. I believe they were Carpatho-Rusyns, as they attended a Byzantine Catholic church.
My great-grandmother on the other side was Wiktorja Surażyńska and I know she was not Rusyn...and I'm unsure where in Poland she was from. Her husband was Ksawery Laskowski and he was also not a Rusyn but I'm unsure of where in Poland he was from...possibly Warsaw area, but again, I am unsure. They all moved to Shenandoah area of PA in the late 1800s.
So, I am looking for the meanings of the following surnames: Chowański Krenitsky or Krynicki Laskowski Surażyńska
For now no one reported oneself, but the name is not rare in Poland. Look at your surname map: moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/wojta%25C5%259B.html If not here, I'm sure you'll find other people with your name at facebook and nk.pl
Hi there, I have been searching for a very long time trying to find something on the meaning of my Surname. And, have not been able to come across anything. Have tried contacting a few cousins in Poland to see if they knew, but I think the language barrier did not help with trying to translate English into Polish. But, the last name is Pocian. I really hope you could help or even point me in a direction which could help. Thank you in advance, greatly appreciate this.
POCIAN: Poznań University onomastician Ewa Szczodruch beleives this name was derived from the German name Potz. But in some cases it might have emerged as a misspelling, generated by the mispronunciation and resultant miscopying of Bocian (stork).
CZARNECKI: (from one Detroiter to another) root-word czarny (black); toponymic nickname from any of dozens of localities in Poland called Czarna or Czarne. (Since Black and Blacks doesn't sound good in English as place-names, let's imagine their equivalents are more like Blackville, Blackly, Blackton or Blackbury.) The Czarneckis of Poland belonged to numerous gentry clans including one actually called Czarnecki.
Ah okay, thank you. So would Wesneski just be an english translation that happened over time? Him and his parents were born here in the U.S, not sure how far back his family goes and which generation actually were born in Poland. I'm just curious, he doesnt talk about his heritage much, but im intrigued by it.
My great, great grandfather, Felix Bogusz, emigrated from Poland to Chicago during the Great Immigration. I know that Bogusz comes from Bogusław meaning "praise be to God," but does anyone have any further information on this Bogusz family? I've been looking on the internet for ages, but seem to have hit a wall.
WOJTYGA: One of many Polish surnames traceable to either the first name Wojciech (Adalbert) or wójt (village major). Others include Wojtyła, Wojtysz, Wojtyszek, Wojtych, Wojtyń,Wojtyczko, etc. About five dozen people in Poland sign themselves Wojtyga. If it were Lithuanian it would have to be something like Vojtygas (No letter "w" in Lithuanian and nearly all surnames end in "s").
Surname Rybczyński is not truly connected with a fish itselt. It is a surname created on a base of village named Rybka located in £ódź Voivodeship. Though the name of the village may be connected with a fish.
At least a page of Janusz Stankiewicz about the ethymology of Polish surnames claim so.
My surname is in general connected with name "John", though in East Slavic variant - "Ivan". It leads to thinking that some of my ancestors could be Ruthenians, especially due to the suffix -uk.
Home / Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME?
