izzybatko 19 Oct 2010 #1,291Hey,can anybody tell me what Batkowski means ? I am doing my school project and i found out that I'm a bit polish...thank you (:
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 20 Oct 2010 #1,292BATKOWSKI: topo nick from Batków in Soviet-annexed Krzemieniec district (now in Ukraine). Root-word batko (Uktrainian for Eastern Othodox priest), so roughly translatable as Clergyville, Priestbury or something in that vein.Merged thread:ZALESKI, ZALEWSKI, ZA£ĘSKIZALESKI: topographic (overwood, other side of the forest) or topo nick from villages called ZalesieZALEWSKI: topographic (from zalew = lagoon, bay, floodwater) or topo nick from villages called Zalew or ZalewoZA£ĘSKI: topographic (łeg = marshy field + prefix za = beyond) or topo nick from Załęże.
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 22 Oct 2010 #1,294Plofkin is not a Polish surname. It sounds Russian (compare Pushkin). Some Russian Jews have surnames ending in -kin.TOCZYŃSKI: The Toczyński surname probably emerged as a topo nick from one of several localities called Toczeń.
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 23 Oct 2010 #1,296ALEKSANDROWICZ: a nice clear-cut patronymic nick or a topo-patronymic one. So either the dad had been baptized Aleksander or he hailed from Aleksandrów and got the Aleksander as a topo tag.For more information please contact me
ewa omar - | 5 23 Oct 2010 #1,297thx :) I meet some tatar people in poland, its a muslim believers. They told me that there is a lot of Aleksandrowicz in they group :)
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 24 Oct 2010 #1,298FELIKS: from Latin felix (happy, joyous); Chorzów makes sense becuase this name's stronghold is obviosuly Śląsk (Silesia). That includes the Katowice industrial district, the Częstochowa area to the north of it and the Opole region to the west of it. Another bastion is neighboring Małopolska, esp. the Kraków area.Yes, in general the Ruthenian patronymic ending typcial of the Lithuanian-Ruthenian borderlands, where the Tatars mainly settled, is found in the surnames of many Polish Tatars. Their roots include Arabic names lile Achmatowicz (from Ahmed), Jewish ones (Dawidowicz) and Greek ones (Aleksandrowicz).
ficelle1 - | 2 25 Oct 2010 #1,299Merged: The origin of my maiden name LAWRUK?I'd like to know the origin of my maiden name LAWRUK... I have a few clues, but I am often asked by my relatives and friends what nationality is it.My great grandfather was born in Austria in 1852. His name was Nicholas Lawruk and he was married to Anna (?) born in Ukraine in 1876. Nicholas came to Canada in 1911 or 1912.Anna and her two sons Antoine (my grandfather) and Michael followed.My grandfather, Antoine was born June 1904 in Husiatyn, Tarnopol (Austria) Poland.My grandfather, Antoine spoke Austrian, Ukrainian and Polish and English.Since the borders were moved so frequently back then, it is hard to pin down what nationality'Lawruk' is and it's meaning. One relative suggested 'Lawruk' was actually a name of a town.Was there a historical significance of why they escaped?Help!Kindest regards,Stephanie Lawruk Kennery
1jola 14 | 1,879 25 Oct 2010 #1,300The spelling of your name would be £awruk. There are 43 people in Poland with that name: and probably a lot more in the Ukraine. On the map, in red is where your possible relatives might live. Galicia.
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 25 Oct 2010 #1,301£AWRUK: Ukrainian patronymic nick from first name Lavrentiy (Eng: £awrence;Polish: Wawrzyniec), hence originally meaning something like 'Larry's kid'.
ficelle1 - | 2 25 Oct 2010 #1,302Good morning 1jola and Polonius3!Thanks you so much for your information. Wow! I will be sure to keep and share thisinformation with my family. You have been so helpful.Kind regards from Canada,Stephanie
mgosdinski - | 1 25 Oct 2010 #1,303Hi, My name's Monica my last name is Gosdinski. I've done some research about the origin but I just want to compare your opinion with which I have. Thanks
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 26 Oct 2010 #1,304Gosdinksi is not a Polish spelling so it's no wonder no-one in Poland uses this surname as submitted. The closest to that spelling would be:GO-DZIŃSDKI: topo nick from Goździn orGOŚCIŃSKI: nick for some hospitable soul or topo nick from Gościnna.
LeAnne 1 | 4 26 Oct 2010 #1,305hi, i may have the incorrect "polish' spelling but here in Canada , my last name is Dziekan. wats the meaning- so curious to know!
1jola 14 | 1,879 26 Oct 2010 #1,306Nice, Dziekan it is a tittle given to university department heads.Here is an explanation in French: fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doyen
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 26 Oct 2010 #1,307DZIEKAN: This is the proper spelling. As noted above it means dean. It can be a university official, or a priest in charge of 10 parishes (dekanat), or a senior diplomat. It could have origianted as an occupational/titular nick or a topo nick from places such as Dziekanów (Deanville).
koleda88 27 Oct 2010 #1,309Hi was up everybody, this is my first post but i had a question about my last name. Now i`m 100% polish as both my parents and grandparents were born in poland, but is My last name Koleda, 100% polish, as i know it is a common slavic term for christmas as well
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 27 Oct 2010 #1,310KOLĘDA: derived from Latin calendae (first days of the month). It made its way into the Eastern Orthodox realm to mean New Year's Day and spread throughout the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and was extended to things (songs, gifts, etc.) pertaining to the entire Christmas-New Year's season. Kaledos is the Lithuanian word for Christmas itself. In Poland kolęda means both a Christmas carol as well as the New Year's pastoral visits to the homes of parishioners. As a surname it is also spell as Kolenda.For more information please contact me
Kesik 2 | 7 28 Oct 2010 #1,311Does anyone know if "KESIK" means "slab" or does it mean something else??? I googled it and it came back as that, I am refering to my last name KESIKowski. please help?thank you!
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 28 Oct 2010 #1,313KĘSIKOWSKI - DOBOSZEŃSKIKĘSIKOWSKI: root-word kęsik (small bit of food, morsel, bite); Kęsikowski could have arisen as a toponymic nick from Kęsików or Kęsikowo (Morselville) or as a patronymic one for the son of someone nicknamed Kęsik.DOBOSZEŃSKI: variant spelling of the more common Doboszyński; from dobosz (army drummer); possibly a patronymic nick for his son or maybe even a Romanian toponymic connection to the locality of Doboşeni.For more information please contact me
nogoal81 - | 1 28 Oct 2010 #1,314What about the meaning of Tontala or Tontała? (I have found Polish citizens with the spelling of Tontała). We're originally from southern Poland, Krakow area according to relatives. Thank you!
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 28 Oct 2010 #1,315TONTA£A: from now archaic verb tątać (to thoroughly search every corner, bustle about or fastidiously perform some task); Karłowicz & Co. define it as krzątać się. So a person known to act this way would have been nicknamed Tątała or Tontała.BARAN, WALCZAK, STĘPIEŃ & OSTROWSKI---------------------------------------------------BARAN: looks, bleats or smells like an old ram, or herds sheeps or hails from Baranów (Ramsville).WALCZAK: patornymic nick from Walek or Waluś (pet forms of Walenty or Walerian) = Val's boy.STĘPIEŃ: someone who married into money or hails from Stępina or Stępów.OSTROWSKI: topo nick from Ostrów (an old word for island).For more information on these and other Polish surnames please contact me
Stec - | 1 31 Oct 2010 #1,316Merged thread:Stec!Could someone tell me the meaning of "Stec"? I believe that's the orignal spelling.Thank you.
jwojcie 2 | 762 31 Oct 2010 #1,317Those below:genealodzy.pl/modules.php?op=modload&name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=649947news.pl/detail/58591have two hypothesis:1. Stec is derived from beehive buildersor2. Stec is derived from name Stefan = StephenAlso they think that all those surnames:Stec,Steć,Stecyk,Steckiel,Stecki,Steczare derived from the same source
OP Polonius3 994 | 12,367 31 Oct 2010 #1,318STEC: probably a pet from of Stefan using the German pattern of short one-syllable forms including Stetz (Stefan), Dietz (from Dietrich) and Detz (Dettlaff).
kimpitt - | 1 31 Oct 2010 #1,319Merged thread:Spellings of last nameI am looking for the last name with different spellings. The last name I am looking for is Dereniwski or Dereniwsky or Derewinski. When my grandfather came to Canada there was a spelling mix up. If anyone has any information please let me know.