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Polish Romani (gypsy) surnames


lecount1973
31 Oct 2009 #1
I'm curious as to whether anyone has a list or knows of any common Gypsy or Romani surnames from Poland, specifically Begitka Carpathian Roma. Thank you for any information.

I'm curious as to whether anyone has a list or knows of any common Gypsy or Romani surnames from Poland, specifically Bergitka Carpathian Roma. Thank you for any information.

no need to bump the post.
Polonius3 994 | 12,367
31 Oct 2009 #2
Unfortunately, Gypsy onomastics is not my speciality, but I thinjk it’s safe to say that like Jews, many Gypsies picked up names from the countries they lived in. Bergitka Roma from the Carpathian Mts tended to have names of Hungarian origin such as Gabor or highlander names (Dunka, Mirga, Siwak). Lowland Gypsies tended to have Polish names including Majewski, Pawłowski and Paczkowski. The Kełderasza Gypsies (from the Romanian word caldarar for pot-maker) produced Gypsy kings in the between-the-wars period including Janusz Kwiek. One of the best-known Polish Gypsy poets was Jerzy Ficowski (1942-2006).
Magdalena 3 | 1,837
1 Nov 2009 #3
One of the best-known Polish Gypsy poets was Jerzy Ficowski (1942-2006).

Not quite right:

Jerzy Ficowski (October 4, 1924, Warsaw - May 9, 2006, Warsaw) was a Polish poet, writer and translator (from Yiddish, Russian and Romani). (Wikipedia)

He discovered and translated into Polish the poetry of Papusza, a Gypsy poetess, who was subsequently shunned and exiled by other Roma for "revealing secrets to the Gajos". But AFAIK, he was not of Romani extraction himself.
Polonius3 994 | 12,367
1 Nov 2009 #4
Thanks for settign the record straight.
kallop - | 3
14 Feb 2010 #5
I am pretty sure my ancestors were Polish Roma. Their name was Kallop or Kallap which I am told is Hungarian. They were Polish-speaking, and my mtDNA is identified with Polish Romani population. Any guesses whether this surname could be Polish Romani?
Crystalsh
22 Mar 2010 #6
Another Romani-Polish surname question-- did the Romani combine their words with polish suffix endings to create an assimilated surname? The "trin" in the surname Trinowski appears to have no other etymology in any language other than the Romani word for "three". There seems not to be a location called "Trinow" in Poland, though there is a "Trino" in Italy. There was one reference online that someone posted that their Polish name was "Trojanowski" and was changed to "Trinowski" in the US. Thanks in advance for any linguistic possibilities for this.
Polonius3 994 | 12,367
22 Mar 2010 #7
Polish (and not only Polish) immigrants coming to the US often shortened theri names. Eg Kowal from Kowalewicz, Kolodziej (possibly respelt Kolojay) from Kołodziejczak, etc. It is not inconceivable that some Roma might have done the same, but I don't believe that to be a uniquely Roma tendency.
Crystalsh
23 Mar 2010 #8
Do you have any suggestion then regarding this combination of "trin" + "owski" or "trinow" + "ski". Does it appear to be name originating in Poland?

Thanks, Polonius3 for all your knowledge and help!
Polskiej_Dumy 18 | 66
8 May 2010 #9
my last name is Wajda which in Polish is "leader of the Gypsies" does this mean i have Gypsy ancestors?
Polonius3 994 | 12,367
9 May 2010 #10
WAJDA: traceable to one of 2 different sources: 1) Polish phonetic spelling of the German word Weide (meadow); 2) leader of the Walachian (Romanian) shepherds. You may be confusing Romani (Gipsies) with Romanians, becasue the similarity is coincidental.
travelop
9 May 2010 #11
is name wojdolowicz gypsy name
noona
15 May 2010 #12
Has anyone heard of the name Stepovikov or Eustratova/Elestratova [spelling??]? My father was from Rowno, Vohlyn region Ukraine. His family had to leave their country after WWII and go to Australia. His mother used to refer to herself as a wonderer. Am trying to start research into family history. Thanks.
przeniczny - | 2
17 Sep 2011 #13
Try these web sites
stowarzyszenie.romowie.net/ (only Polish I'm afraid)
romowie.com (Polish English Roma)

Janusz Przeniczny UK
Sukowicz
25 Nov 2011 #14
czigany or cziganetski is describe as Gypsy in POLISH language regions
Georgewicz
17 Feb 2012 #15
Is the name Georgewicz of gypsy origin?
candacechorney
10 Apr 2013 #16
Śurahov (surharob) was my grandmothers maiden name, i was told everythi g but the truth about my grandmother . I do know at a young age she got married to a chorney and was horribly shunned by his family to the point of them actually not.letting her stay in.the family homestead he made her live in hot at the end of the property and not let her know if child in the home and without feed them to see the point where the child died of starvation. She never spoke of her father or mother or any of her family um we do not know she has brothers or sisters she moved to Victoria she lost all her accents and never spoke.of.her heritage. She l did have very unique talents as a tea leaf reader as well as the "cursed ring

Has anyone heard this last name before?
WaterDroplet
27 Apr 2014 #17
My great grandmother's maiden name was Sęcio. She supposedly came from £ask, a village near £ódź, but we know nothing about her parents, or if she had siblings. I have seen a photo of her , and she had black hair , in curly small ringlets, intense dark brown eyes (close together ) a beaky nose that was skinny, but fair skin. Has a very 'Mediterranean look.' I've googled the last name and found tons of somewhat similar ones from Spain, Italy, etc but none are similar enough to be hers. Any thoughts?
DominicB - | 2,707
28 Apr 2014 #18
My great grandmother's maiden name was Sęcio.

About 50 people of that name in Poland, highly concentrated in Pabianice, not far from £ask. Pabianice does indeed have a significant gypsy community. So it's possible.
Josana
10 Aug 2015 #19
I have found through DNA testing that I have Polish Roma ancestry. While doing some searching I found my 3rd great grand father's name was Lovic Tabor. Does that sound about right for a Romini name? I was just wondering if I had found my link.
Polonius3 994 | 12,367
10 Aug 2015 #20
Tabor

Sounds right for a Gypsy name. Tabor in Polish is a wagon train and a "tabor cygański" is a Gypsy wagon train.

Some 4,000 people in Poland sign themselves Tabor, but it is unknown how many of them are Roma.
carolonpark 2 | 13
11 Aug 2015 #21
Wondering if "Jarentowski" could be Romani. I can't find any trace of the name on any of the geneaology web sites
Polonius3 994 | 12,367
12 Aug 2015 #22
Romani

JARENTOWSKI: root-word Jeremiasz = (the prophet) Jeremiah; probably originated as a toponymic nick from Jarantów nad Jarantowice in Wielkopolska.
The word-formation process is purely Polish, but a Gypsy from there might conceivably be called Jarantowski or Jarentowski.
CArtistThink
2 Mar 2016 #23
Could the surname Cag have a gypsy origin? My ancestors lived in Rzeszów.
Polonius3 994 | 12,367
2 Mar 2016 #24
Cag

CAG: I am nor familiar with any Gipsy language and no word in Polish comprises or begins with "cag", But some 150 peope in Poland do sign themselves Cag and their stronghold is Rzeszów and vicinity, home to around 100 of them.
CArtistThink
2 Mar 2016 #25
Thank you! Interesting how this name came to be.
Polonius3 994 | 12,367
2 Mar 2016 #26
I suggest you check some Roma language sites for the answer.
lynny
20 Apr 2016 #27
If anyone has any insight on the last night rybij it would be appreciated. I was always told that it was unsure where exactly our great grandparents came from, possibly Poland, but were displaced people or traveling people in that area possibly and I've always been curious even just about the name itself...
purple
19 Jul 2016 #28
mangel?
jost? are these names found of polish, gypsy victims,in the holocaust?
Ksarah
15 Aug 2016 #29
My grandfather last name was Kopcsek from Hungary and my grandmother was Dziendziel , my grandfather always said he was a gypsy any information?
cbee
3 Oct 2016 #30
Surname: Potsadlofiki does anyone know anything about this surname. My great great grandmother's maiden name was Potsadlofiki


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