might be a slight misspelling when ur ancestors came to America (immigration people did that often) maybe Hajnowski as in resident of Hajnówka a town in Poland. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajn%C3%B3wka
might be a slight misspelling when ur ancestors came to America (immigration people did that often)
Immigration people never touched my unpronouncable surname, unpronouncable for English speakers at least, because both pairs of my paternal great-grand-parents immigrated illegally into the USA via ships that docked in Baltimore, and you know what else? I'd sneak into another country too if it suited my fancy, because I don't give a crap about any goddamn laws that say what I can and cannot do. I am the Liberum Veto made flesh!
HEJNOWSKI: As repeatedly noted on this forum, the -owski ending is nearly always toponymic. Hejnowski probably originated to identify an inhabitant of the Wielkopolska locality of Hejna. BTW there is a Hejna and Hejnov in the Czech Republic -- also ideal sources of this surname, although there it would be spelt Hejnovský.
Can you help me with two names? Baracz and Turton. We've been told that Baracz could be Hungarian and that it has something to do with peaches. My grandparents spoke Polish and came over sometime around 1910-1915.
BARACZ: probably from the archaic Polish verb barać (struggle, put up resistance, reject); the 'bar' part shares the same root as the Russian noun борба (struggle). It's a good Polish name. If it were Hungarian it would have to be spelt Baracs.
TURTOŃ: from the dialectal verb turtać (to dawdle, lag behind, be a slowcoach).
DĄBROWSKI: a topographic (for someone living in or near an oak wood) or toponymic (for an inhabitant of any of the numerous localities called Dąbrów, Dąbrowo or Dąbrowa) nickname-turned-surname; some 90,000 users in Poland. Mazowsze is the main stronghold but sizable bastions are found all over the country including Wielkopolska, £ódź region, Kujawy, Ślask, Podlasie and the recovered lands.
My family name was Imyak (Imjak, Imiak, etc.). In the same way that people sometimes name their dog "Dog" and their cat "Cat", might my ancestors have taken a variation of the name "Name" (imię) when required to adopt a surname? Is this plausible, or might there be some other derivation?
IMIAK/IMJAK: Your imię theory is interesting and cannot be ruled out, but more likely it came from the now archaic verb imać (to grab, hold - that is where imadło/vise derives from); another possibility is the Old Polish first name Imisław.
DZIEDZIC: root-word dziedzic = heir or squire; probably topo nick from Dziedzice (Squireville).
WÓJCIK: patronymic tag from wójt (village mayor); an extended version could have been Wójcicki or Wójcikowski.
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GILANOWSKI???: from the Gilanians (Gilanowie), a 2-million-strogn ethnic group related to the Persians and fishing for sturgeon in the Caspian Sea(????)
SZPIN: from verb spinać (to fasten together) or noun spina (Old Polish for clasp or buckle); or possibly from German Spinne (spider).
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Hello, I am trying to research my late father's ancestors. He (Piotr Osman) was born in Tychy in 1922. I have obtained his birth certificate but although it tells me his parents names, it doesn't give me an address in tychy or the nationality of his parents. I have via my local priest, discovered that the only way of finding this information is by using a historian in Poland. Can you give me any information on how to find one?
OSMAN: Osman is Polish for Ottoman; the German equivalent is Osmane or Ottomane. Tychy was an area udner strong German influence for centuries. But the original bearers of the name in whatever spelling were probably Turkish or in some way associated with or connected to the Ottoman empire.
I've seen the information regarding the Bober family name above, and now I'm wondering if there is any correlation between that name and the family name Pyś.
I recently hired a genealogist in Poland to research my great-great-grandmother's family. He let me know that she was born Katarzyna Pyś and that she married Franciszek Turoń, but I just found a record in the States that lists her as Katarzyna Bober and marrying Franciszek Turoń.
Could the names Pyś and Bober be related in any way?
BOBER: peasant dialectal form of bób (broad bean); possibly adaptation of Russian word for beaver бобёр (bobior).
TUROŃ: aurochs (extinct wild bovine); of someone strong as an ox or topo nick from Turowiec, Turowo and similar.
PYŚ: from pysio, endearing form of the animal or human pejorative pysk (mouth as in 'stul pysk' - shut your yap).
MACHALIŃSKI: possibly from verb machać (to wave, gesticulate); also humorous elaboration of names in Ma- (Małomir, Maciej, Marcin).
For more information and genealogical leads on these and other surnames please contact me
LUTOWSKI: root-word luty (Old Polish for harsh, severe, bleak, hence it's the Polish name of the month of February); maybe the originator was born or converted (to Catholicism) in that month; or topo nick from Lutowo (Februaryville)
WOJNOWSKI: root-word wojna (war); topo nick from Wojnowo (Warville)
SOBOLAK: patronymic tag for son of Soból (sable)
WALSKI: patronymic nick for the son of Walenty or Walerian
For more info and genealogical leads for these and other surnames please contact me
KIECO£T: names such as Kiecołt, Kiecuń, Kiecur, Kieczot and similar are traceable to several sources: 1) kiec - corncrake (a meadow brid); 2) kieca (gown, frock, garment), 3) pet form of the old first name Kilian (beleived by some to have Celtic roots).
PAŚCIAK: possibly linked to Old Polish term past (pâté, dough, pasta) or pastka (archaic for mouse-trap)
ZWIERZYŃSKI; root-word zwierzyna (wildlife); probably topo nick from Zwierzyn
DĄBKIEWICZ: patronymic tag for the son of Dąbek; the father may have been called that because he was 'silny jak dąb' (strong as an oak) or hailed from Dąbek or Dąbki (numerous such localities in Poland).
For more information and genealogical leads pertaining to these and other surnames please contact me
Looking for Pietras (Americanized), when I looked up in 1910 census, my great grandfather spelled his name, Pietros, which I think is dirived from Piotrow, Poland. Also, is there a polish name for Alexander?
I also have a great grandmother that had a surname of Motsko (I believe Americanized), with a maiden name of Cooper (is there such a polish surname?).
Both list Biala, Galicia, Austria and then only my great grandfather lists Poland after all that. Thought it would help in anyalzing.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
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