stumaniac - | 5 19 Aug 2010 #1,141I was asked by a cousin about the meaning of his last name--Polaski (Pulaski). Anybody know the meaning?
OP Polonius3 993 | 12,357 20 Aug 2010 #1,142POLASKI: topo nick from Polasie (£ódź area)PU£ASKI: topo nick from Pułazie (Mazowsze region)PU£AWSKI: topo nick from Puławy (Lublin region)** All 3 are accompanied by heraldic devicesFor more info please contact me
jako001 21 Aug 2010 #1,143Thread attached on merging:THE MEANING OF YOUR POLISH LAST NAME?Please can you explain the meaning of my surname: Jakubowski
OP Polonius3 993 | 12,357 22 Aug 2010 #1,144JAKUBOWSKI: most likely topo nick from Jakubów or Jakubowo (Jamestown, Jacobville); less likely patronymic nick -- son of Jakub or Jacobson.
mast551 - | 2 22 Aug 2010 #1,145HelloI've been trying to find out information on my last name but its pretty much impossible. My last name is MastalerzThanks in advance
ShortHairThug - | 1,101 22 Aug 2010 #1,146My last name is MastalerzMastalerz or Mastalarz – dating back to 1700’s a person taking care of horses – old fashion form of (stajenny) someone in charge of stables.You're welcome.Mind you, not to be confused with stable boy but someone with authority on an estate, a respectable position back then. The Master of the Horse a proper name in English was and in some cases, is a historical position of varying importance in several European nations.Someone with the same position at Kings Court was called Koniuszy an office reserved for someone of nobility but at the Counts estate Mastalerz performed the same duties and it was not necessary for one to be of noble blood to hold this position although some were. He thought horse riding skills to the children of the Count as well.
mast551 - | 2 23 Aug 2010 #1,147awesome! thank you.I have just one quick question, If you don't mind. Where could i find info about which Rody Mastalerz belongs to or if it even belongs to one?
OP Polonius3 993 | 12,357 23 Aug 2010 #1,148According to available Polish armorial resources, no bearer of your surname was ever known to have achieved gentry status entitling him to a heraldic device (coat of arms).Incidentally as for its etymology, it evolved from the German Marstall/Marställe (stable/stables).
farmmom - | 3 23 Aug 2010 #1,149Great grandparents from around Gniezno, if fact the Polish settlers named our township Gnesen, located in Minnesota, USA. Can you find out if there are any of these names there now? Thank youThis Polish settlement was near Duluth, Minnesota.
zielinska 23 Aug 2010 #1,150Hi does anyone know anything about surname BERWERTZ? It's not common in Poland (mostly existing in northwest Poland it seems) but I have relative with this name on my mum side. Sounds German or German-Jewish to me, but as the name seems so uncommon, I can't find out much about it, and Ive only been able to trace my family back to this one person so far. Could it be name which was once two names, like Ber Wertz, (which kind of sounds even more Jewish to me). I used to think we were almost totally Polish but now Im not sure. Thanks to anyone who can help.
OP Polonius3 993 | 12,357 23 Aug 2010 #1,151BERWERTZ: quite rare, biggest cluster in and around Lublin; according to one hypothesis its source was the word barwa (colour), which came from Old German verwe (modern German -- Farbe).BERWERC: Polish phonetic respelling; three people in Kłodzko area of SW Poland.KUNICA: topo nick from Kunice (Martensonsville)KOWALSKI: patronymic (blacksmith's son) or topo nick from Kowale and similar (Smiths).BIŃKOWSKI: topo nick from Binkowo (Bennyville).For more info contact me
reubyn34 25 Aug 2010 #1,152I have 2 easy names and 2 hard...Chrzanowski & Kowalski. The hard ones I can't find anywhere. I'm assuming they were changed when they immigrated to the US: Guzielek & Kaido. Anything close to either name would help. Thanks.Sorry! I missed the previous post!
NorthMancPolak 4 | 645 25 Aug 2010 #1,153Polonius3, where do you get all your information from?I've been looking for the meaning/origin of my surname for ages, but with no success.I don't want to post it on the forum though, but if you're willing to point me in the right direction, I can do my own research, I guess ;)
OP Polonius3 993 | 12,357 25 Aug 2010 #1,154CHRZANOWSKI: root-word chrzan (horseradish); topo nick, from Chrzanów (Horseradishville)KOWALSKI: patronymic from kowal (Smithson) or topo nick from Kowale or similar.GUZIELEK: diminutive or root-word guz (bulge, lump, bump, growth); probably topo nick from Guzew, Guźlin or similar (Bulgeville, Bumpton)..KAIDO: probably variant form of kajda (wooden container attached to belt in which a scythesman kept his whetstone)For more surname details please contact meNorthMancPolak:What is the name that interests you?As for your question, I make use of online databases including jurzak.pl, herby.com.pl and jewishgen.org/Communities/LocTown.asp, my own resources compiled over the years plus hard-copy sources such as Kazimierz Rymut's Nazwiska Polkaów, the multi-volume dictionary of Karłowicz, Kryński and Niedźwiedzki (Warsaw 1905), Tadeusz Gajl's Herby szlacheckie, assorted German, French, Italian, Russian and other dictionaries, plus a life-long interest in Polish linguistics esp. onomastics. Hope this helps point you in the right direction.
reubyn34 27 Aug 2010 #1,155I have 2 more...Zaklukiewicz (supposedly it was -kowicz before immigrating) and Halgas. Thank you.
teenagexdream 1 | 3 27 Aug 2010 #1,156What about Kunczewitz? It was later changed at Ellis Island though, to Consavage.
OP Polonius3 993 | 12,357 27 Aug 2010 #1,157ZAKLUKIEWICZ: possible source - the Russian locality of Zakluka (Заклюка); an inhabitant would have been Zakluk and his son - Zaklukiewicz (in both Russian and Polish).HALGAS: no names currently used in Poland start with either halg- or chalg-KUNCEWICZ: from Kunz, German hypocoristic (pet) form of Kunrad or Konrad; Kuncewicz is the Polonised spelling of a patronymic nick meaning Kunz's son.For more info please contact me
njpack 28 Aug 2010 #1,158Looking for the meaning of my last name unsure what it was really was before ellis island changed it. Hodlofski supposedly it was chodakofski or something similar any help would be appreciated
OP Polonius3 993 | 12,357 28 Aug 2010 #1,159CHODAKOWSKI: topo nick from Chodaków; root-word chodak (rustic tree-bark shoe once used by poor peasants)For more info please contact meNIES£AWSKI: root-word niesława (infamy, disgrace, notoriety)
Xenohorde1988 2 | 4 30 Aug 2010 #1,160Thread attached on merging:anyone know what my name last name means?I'm a fourth generation Polish American from Chicago Illinois USA. No one in family speaks Polish surprisingly seeing as that we have been in this country since before WWI. My last name is Hejnowski and so far on the web the only thing I can find is that I share the same last name with a few people in Warsaw, Gdansk, and Poznań. I can't figure out what my name means or where it originated. Any help would be strongly appreciated.John
Helvetian 30 Aug 2010 #1,161Hello I am wonder about the meaning/origin of the name Petrykowski, thank you in advance.
JustysiaS 13 | 2,238 30 Aug 2010 #1,162No one in family speaks Polish surprisingly seeing as that we have been in this country since before WWI. My last name is HejnowskiI did a quick search and Hejnowski is a surname that originated from the Gdansk area. it comes from the German word hein which means something like huh? or eh? (it's an interjection). also when used as a first name, Hein means 'house ruler'. hope this helps!
clerical12 - | 1 30 Aug 2010 #1,163My family changed our name when we got here in America. I'm told it used to be Coveleski, but they changed it to Kovalewski to make it look cooler.Wow just looked it up, Local Coveleski who was a baseball player, there is a wiki page on him. I did some quick geneology on ancestry.com. I just found this forum and will be trying to lean the language. Thanks guys
OP Polonius3 993 | 12,357 30 Aug 2010 #1,164HEJNOWSKI: quite likely from German names Hein or Hin which go back to Old Germanic Hagan. I think the 'Hägar the Horrible' cartoon strip alluides to that name root.However, since most -owski surnames are of toponymic origin, I'm wondering whether some misspellings might not have occurred over genenrations of re-copying. The ch- variant should be checked out (Chojnowksiu???). Also the g- possibility (from Russian and Ukrainian).KOWALEWSKi: topo nick from Kowalewo (Smithville). Spelling it Kovaleski would solve the pronunciation problem. With Kovalewski you'll get Anglo-manglers distorting it intoKova-LOO-ski!
valpomike 11 | 195 31 Aug 2010 #1,165What does Dabrowski or Dombrowski mean, and where would they have come from?I was told my grandparents came from just south of Warsaw. Why would the name be changed to Dombrowski anyway?Mike
Deski - | 1 31 Aug 2010 #1,166What is the meaning of my last name DESKIEWICZ?Iam very proud of my Heritage!!!!What part of Poland did my family come from??
musicwriter 5 | 87 31 Aug 2010 #1,167When checking on my surname Drzewiecki I found two possibilities; (1) something to do with wood, timber or the woods, (2) pertaining to a lance or lancer (Medieaval soldier). I know where my Drzewiecki ancestors lived- it was near Wenecja pow. Żninski. now in woj. Kujawsko-Pomorskie. Any theories on the name?pozdrawiam
enkidu 7 | 623 31 Aug 2010 #1,168Dabrowski or DombrowskiLiterally it means "a man from the oak forest". This is a quite popular name in Poland, so there is no way to indicate where your roots are.Change of "ą" into "om" is a common spelling mistake.Dąbrowski's coat of arms (also known as Panna - Virgin):DESKIEWICZ?Well... The first impression is a word "deska" (plank, wooden board). The -icz suggest Lithuanian roots of this surname (like Mickiewicz)
OP Polonius3 993 | 12,357 31 Aug 2010 #1,170DĄBROWSKI: topo nick from Dąbrowo or Dąbrów (Oakville, Oakton, etc.).DOMBROWSKI: illiterate alternate spelling in Poland; common respelling in the Diaspora