SOBUCKI: Probably originated as a nickname-turned-surname of toponmyic origin, traceable to the village of Sobuczyna in southern Poland's Częstochowa area. Check out: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobuczyna,_Silesian_Voivodeship Less likely but not inconceivable from Суббота (Subbota) -- Saturday in Russian.
KULA nad KUK£A are two different terms. Kula means ball, kukła is the puppet.
CZOKA£O: from dialectal verb czokać (standard Polish cmokać) to kiss loudly, make a puckering lip-smacking sound imitating a loud kiss; this is one of a fairly small group of surnames derived from he past tense of verbs. Others include Przybył, Biegała, Gwizdała, Mrugało, etc.
KOBYLARZ: root-word kobyła (mare, female horse); possibly originated as a nick for the sole farmer in a hamlet to own only one mare; alternatively as a topo tag from villages such as Kobylarnia, Kobylasz,. Kobyle, Kobylec and similar. (Rough Eng. equivalents: Mareville, Mareton, Marebury.)
I can answer "Koc". It's an Ashkenazi Hebrew or Yiddish form of "Katz", "Ka'tz" for "KohAn TZedek". It could also be "KOhen TZedek". In Polish and Magyar, "c" is pronounced "ts".
Meanwhile, as I recall, I never did get an answer to this: what does "Uszinsky" or "Ushinsky" mean?
KOC: according toi Poznań Univ. onomastician Dr Ewa Szczodruch, koc also means blanket (bed covering) and could have been derived from kocić się (of some animals -- cats, sheep, etc. --to give birth).
USZYŃSKI: probably from uszy (plural of ucho = ear); Uszyński could originated as a comical nick for a big-eared bloke or one who heard everything within earshot..
USZYŃSKI: probably from uszy (plural of ucho = ear); Uszyński could originated as a comical nick for a big-eared bloke or one who heard everything within earshot..
Are variants of "Uszinsky"/"Ushinsky" ones such as "Osinsky", "Oshinski", "Ashinski", etc.?
"Uszinsky"/"Ushinsky" ones such as "Osinsky", "Oshinski", "Ashinski", etc.?
USZINSKY/USHINSKY: Neither is a Polish spelling: the vowel "i" never follows the diagraph "sz", and no Polish surnames ever end in -sky. That is Czech and Slovak as well as the conventional transliteration of Russian and Yiddish.
OSINSKY/OSHINSKI/ASHINSKI: Neither are any of these spelt correctly and are unconnected to Uszyński. Osiński comes from osina (aspen - tree species) and the name of a village. In N. Ameirca it is not inconceivable that someone might have changed Osiński to Osinski to facilitate proper pronunciation.
I am researching my genealogy. My Great Grandfather Anthony Spewock was born in Ropica Ruska, Galicia in 1884. He was Ruthenian. His Last Name was spelt several different ways on documents here in the States. Spiwak, Spiewak, Spivak and Spewock. They were Greek Catholic and the Church in Ropica Ruska was St. Michael the Archangel. His parents were Joseph Spivak and Anna Bonitsky. I cannot find records at Ellis Island and am wondering if the name is spelled differently in Polish.
Also Searching for records of My Great Grandmother Paulina Cherrup. Born in Perunka in 1891. Her fathers name was George Cherrup and her mothers was Helen Slusarczyk. Cherrup may also have been changed. Perhaps shortened?
I would appreciate anyone information anyone might have on these Surnames.
Also, what are the meanings of those surnames? And does anyone know how to contact a church in Poland. I know absolutely no polish and am confused about the mailing addresses and phone numbers. I found and address but it seems incomplete. What does a Polish address look like?
Pich Name Meaning German and Danish: variant of Pech.Polish: nickname for a pushy person, from Polish dialect pichac 'to push'.Catalan: variant of pic, a word of Celtic origin meaning '(mountain) peak', hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a pointed peak, or a habitational name from any place named with this word. RS, GT.
PICH: Several hundred Poles sign themselves Pich. It is traceable to different sources including pichacz, a a local term of contempt for villagers inhabiting a certain strip of land in the Olkusz area of southern Poland.
Does anyone have any idea about - Swalboski, Schwalboski or Schwalbowski. These are all different spellings of my last name, newest/current spelling to oldest. Does anyone have or help me find information out about it?? Any help would be greatfully appricated
SZWALBOWSKI/SWALBOWSKI: root-word Schwalbe (German for swallow, bird species); in a Polish-speaking environment the son of someone nicknamed Szwalbe could have been called Szwalbowski. Schwalbe itself would have been just another name amongst Polish speakers. German speakers would spell it Schwalbowski.
ŚPIEWAK: This is the Polish spelling of the surname which means singer. It was often used by Polish Jews whose Yiddish name was Singer.
just found out I am pure Polish on my mom's side--putting the pieces together but am stymied by their last name FAL--grandmother came to America in 1922 Dombrowka is typed in her Emergency Passport as area issued--is there an area of Poland where this name is more common?????
BONICKI/BONIECKI: Probably arose as a patronymic nick for the "son of Boniek" (pet form of Bonifacy); also a toponymic for someone from the village of Bońki.
ŚLUSARCZYK: Patronymic from ślusarz (locksmith, precision mechanic).
CHERUB: Named after one type of angel; there are various Catholic-derived surnames in Polish including Kościelny, Świątyński, Nieszporski, Ornatowicz, Serafin, Anioł, Wobis, Sekuła, Pater, Frater, etc. (many from Church Latin).
NOWAKOWSKI: toponymic tag for someone from Nowakowo or Nowakwów (Newbury, Newton); 7 gentry lines.
MARKUSZEWSKI: toponymic tag for someone from Markuszów or Markusy (Marcusville, Markton); one gentry line.
STACHYRA: one of many variants derived from Stach, pet form of Stanisław; no noble lines.
KĄKO£ÓW: patronymic meaning the Kąkols' son; a kąkoł is a corncockle
WILIŃSKI: toponymic tag from Wilno; nowadays the adj. is wileński; one noble line
MIRCZAK: patronymic nick for the son of Mirek (pet form of Mirosław); no known gentry connections.
CISCONIK: root-word is the mazurianised pronunciation of czyścionik (someone with a hygiene obsession); in modern Polish czyścioszek; no known gentry connections.
CAMLET: ????
TREMBACZ/TRĘBACZ: occupational tag for trumpeter, bugler
CHMIELARSKI: root-word chmiel (hops); patronymic for the son of the chmielarz (which can mean a hop grower or vendor or a drunk or vagrant); no known gentry connections.
WARZYCKI: topo tag from Warzyce: root-wrod warzyć (to cook, boil, scorch), hence Scorchville, Boilton, etc.; 3 noble lines.
KOWALECE(?): this doesn't look right; maybe it was Kowalec in which case it could have been the blacksmith's son or helper; no known gentry connections.
NOTE: For more information on the above please contact me.
Malik. I am looking for my family from Poland. The last names are Michalik and Malek or Malik. They lived in Oppeln prior to WWII, that's where my grandma Maria Michalik was born in 1929.
MALIK AND MA£EK both come from the word mały (small. little, tiny, negligible, minor etc.) but are separate names; both are quite common in the Opole region.
MICHALIK: is a different story; its root-word is Michał (Michael) and it probably arose as a patronymic tag whose English equivalent would be Michaelson. Also quite a number in and around Opole.
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