THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME?

Trojanowskis originated in the slums of Ropczyce in southern Poland - they were notorious thieves, drunkards and rapists - the surname more or less states that the forefather used poison ('trucizna') to inherit all of the measly fortune of his father (he was a bastard) - Troajnowski women were know to walk like ducks for ages :) - I'm sure you are quite proud of your ancestry :)

What about Drucki-Lubecki?

do you really bear the surname - it's pretty famous one in Polish history -

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franciszek_Ksawery_Drucki-Lubecki

DRUCKI-LUBECKI: toponyms from Druck and Lubecz - the name of a Lithuanian princely clan which used the Druck coat of arms. Check out:
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druccy-Lubeccy

Merged: Origin of my last name!

Hello! I was wondering if anyone could assist me with translating my last name. My last name is Białota. I know that "Biał" is "white" but what about "ota"?

BIA£OTA: I'll answer your question with another question. What do -ly, -ing or -on mean in English? They appear in such surnames as Whitely, Whiting and Whiton. In Polish -ota is simply a suffix which appears in many words (eg robota /toil/, głupota /foolishness/, hołota /rabble/, etc.).

For more information on Białota please contact me

Radek is the name of a man.

What does Kędra or Kęndra mean?

What about Białota? Nevermind! I just saw that my question was answered. thank you!

Looking for the meaning of 2 Polish last names and the area of their origin: 1. Burcz 3. Majka

BURCZ: from verb burczeć (growl, grumble) - most users in Kuajwy and N. Mazowsze

MAJKA: probably topo nick from many localities called Majk, Majki, Majków and similar - most Majkas live in southern Poland.

For more info please contact me

ZAB£OCKI: from za (beyond) and błoto (mud). It could have emerged as a topographic nickname for someone living on the other side of the mud flats, swamp or suchlike, or a toponymic one for an inhabitant of the village of Zabłocie (Mudville, Overbog)

Hey, for years now I was wondering what the true meaning behind my polish surname actually was, I would really appreciate it if you could help me here, seeing as you have done so before for other people many times now.

My surname is Szczucki, that is from my father.
Also it would be awesome if you could find out the meaning behind my mothers maiden-name, Stańczak. :)

SZCZUCKI: root-word szczuka (old Polish and modern Russian word for northern pike -a predactory fish species); topo nick source also possible.

STAŃCZAK: a straight forward patronymic tag for the 'son of Stanek' (Stan's kid).

VOLODARSKY/VOLODARSKI: Have no idea what this means, my mom claims it's Jewish

"My surname is Szczucki, that is from my father."
Haha awesome, that means you're a carnivorous fish in plural form

Thank you Polanius3 so so much, I don't know how you do it but your bloody brilliant :)

KĘDRA & WO£ODARSKI

KĘDRA/KENDRA: comes from kędry (the locks and braids cut off from a bride's hair during the oczepiny /becapping/ ceremony in olden times) -- the symbol of her transition from maidenhood to wifehood.

WO£ODARSKI/W£ODARSKI: It could have been used by Jewish people (as every imaginable surname has been), but it isi not typcially Jewish but Russian as evidenced by the inserted 'o'. The Polish equivalent is włodarz. It has been used to mean leader, ruler, headman, manager of an estate, at any rate some top dog who is in charge of things. In Poland there are thousands of Włodarskis but only half a dozen Wołodarskis. In Russia it's probably just the opposite.

trying to find the meaning so I know where to search. It may be shortened from the orignal name.

Trying to research my mothers family. My Mother Roseann(e) Claire Rataj was born in Milford Pa May 3, 1934. I know her fathers name was Joseph Rataj and her mothers was Beatrice Craven. From the stories I have heard she was raised by her fathers family. I have searched census records but have drawn a blank, I remember visitng Aunts Claire and Betsy and Cass in Philadelphia as a child and my grandfather coming from Chicago to visit his family and us his grandchildren. I know my Aunts Cass and Claire where my grandfathers sisters, he also had a brother Charles that looked just like him. If memory serves there was also an Uncle Mart and Nanny. My grandfathers mothers name was Anna I think. Someone has mentioned that my mother was named for one her Aunts. I also had an Aunt Dorothy that was born a Rataj. And an Uncle Buck. The family has lost touch with each other due to my parents divorce in the 70's and I cannot seem to locate anyone to assist me. If any of you have an clues to unravel my ancestry I would appreciate it... Jacky

Thanks Polonius, that was really useful info. I learn something new every day :)

RATAJ: an old Polish word for a hired farmhand; this suranme and its many derivatives (Ratajski, Ratajczak, etc,) are esp. popular in western Poland's Wielkopolska region.

For more information please contact me

Merged: Meaning of my surname

What does the surname "Barczynski" mean?

BARCZYŃSKI: probable root bark~barcz generating such words as barki (shoulders) and barczysty (broad-shouldered). But -ski names are more often than not toponymic in origin so it probably traces back to localities such as Barcza. Barczyzna or similar.

What does Grucha£a mean?

Bob

My family is also from Port Salut and within our family tree the surname Darbourze comes up!

GRUCHA£A: From verb gruchać (to coo – said of pigeons and people whispering ‘sweet nothings’)

Whta ? Are you sure Polonious3?

Hi I was curious to find out the origin of my maternal granparents surnames. My grandfather's was Serok, born in Ostrołęka and my grandmother's was Nowik born in Pinsk.

Nobody can be 100% where names are involved. These are simply linguistic hypotheses based on observation and typicality. It might have also originated for some totally different reason like a village incorporating the Gruch- syllable or someone who used to go gruch-gruch (for reasons known only to hismelf) during interaction with others until eventually he acquired such a nickname. But it could also have ended up as Gruchal, Gruchacz, Gruchocki, Gruchowiec, Gruchalski and many other.

What about GRUCHA? Pear tree.

That is coincidental. Gruchała belongs in the group of verb-derived surnames traceable to the past tense and usually in the feminine gender such as Biegała, Gwizdała, Mrugała, etc.

Grucha (a noun) is indeed now the augmentative/pejorative form of gruszka. In older Polish it was the basic form, and gruszka the diminutive. Same with córa and córka (daughter).

MAZUREK: Diminutive of Mazur (Masurian -- inhabitant of Masuria but also Masovia -- the two were sometimes confused and equated).