Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

KOKOTKIEWICZ: root-word kokot (cock), diminutive form: kokotek. Someone might have been nicknamed kokotek because he was cocky and always ready for a scrap or maybe a skirt-chaser. But he coiuld have also acquired that tag for purely toponymic reasons like hailing from some such locality as Kokot ro Kokotek. In either case, when the fathered a son, the offspring would have been given a typical patronymic ending -wicz, hence Kokotkiewicz.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

The surnames are not specifically Jewish, but any name can be used by Jews from Smith to Czarnecki to Schneider and Lomonosov.
Francis is the English version of the Latin name Franciscus which originally referred to the Franks, a Germanic tribe.
Maria is the European (Italian, Polish, Spanish, German, etc.) version of the Hebrew name Miriam.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

RULKO: used by five dozen people in Poland, the most in the Olsztyn area. Meaning and origin obscure (to me at least).

Genealogy / I am of Polish descent (i am something called kashoop). Kaszub, Kashubian? [19]

AT first I thought the Schawitch part was the whole surname and the intial dave was short for David.
My guess is that whatever the first part, the final syllables were probably -siewicz. Could the two parts combined have initially been something like Dziwisiewicz, Dziewisiewicz, Dziawisiewicz, etc.?

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

SZCZEŚNIAK/SZCZĘŚNIAK: both forms exist and most likely arose as patronymics for the son of Szczesny, Szczestny or Szczęsny (happy, joyful), the Polish equivalent of Felix. In the 15th and 126th century the nasal vowel 'ę' was missing more oftne than not.

CZEŚNIAK: this is a separate name in its own right dervied from Czesny or Czestny -- an archaic word for honest, upright or honourable.. (The greeting cześć means little more than 'hi' today but once meant 'honour to thee').

However, considering the state of illiteracy in old Poland, Cześniak and Szcześniak (similarly pronounced in rapid speech) could have been easily mistaken and miscopied.,

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

SZAWIC/SZAWICZ: a surname of patronymic origin probably derived from the first name Szaweł (Saul).

Genealogy / I am of Polish descent (i am something called kashoop). Kaszub, Kashubian? [19]

daveschawitsch
What do you suspect it to be? What versions of the name are known and used in your family? Where in Poland did your ancestors come from? For starters, every shred of information can help piece the puzzle together.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

PRZEPAŚNIAK: Indeed, this looks to be a nickname-turned-surname of patronymic origin. Przepastny means spacious, broad, capacious, extemnsive, etc. Was the father nicknamed Przepastny (possibly simplified to Przepasny) becuase of his hulky size or some other reason? Whatever the case, when he sired a son, fellow-villagers could have called the offpsring Przepaśniak.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Further following that line of reasoning, it might have originally been Bezradczyk. Someone unable to cope with things, a helpless and unresourceful loser could have been locally dubbed bezradny. When he fathered a son: Bezradcyzk.

When we are dealing with old handwritten docments, confusion is often possible. Someone might have not brought together the two prongs of a lower-case handwritten 'a' making it look like a 'u'.

LANCKOROŃSKI: toponymic tag from Lanckorona, a village south of Kraków set up by German colonists in the 13th century; the original German name was Landskrone.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

KUCZYŃSKI: topo tag from Kuczyn or Kuczyna

MALEY(?): possibly Anglicized version of Mały (little guy, shrimp, pint size)

BEKIER: Polish phonetic respelling of German Bäcker (baker)

PINDEL: from verb pindzryć się (to primp) -- a fop, someone who fusses over his appearance in front of a mirror.

For more information, heraldic links, etc. concerning the above surnames please contact me.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

KIERNA: possibly derived from the Old Polish word kiernia (butter-churn). It migth have been the nickname given to a butter-churner or butter-churn maker. Or perhaps a topo tag for someone from Kierzno (Churnville).

RATAJCZYK: root-word rataj (peasant farmer); -czyk is a patronymic ending indicating an offspring, in this case the farmer's..

BEDNARKOW: root-word bednarz (cooper); also possibly a patronymic

GU-NICZAK: root-word guz (lump, tumor); guźny could have been the nick for someone with lots of lumps on his body and Guźniczak would have been his son.

NOTE: All three above surnames could have laso been of toponymic (place-name) origin.

For more information please contact me.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

PLUSKOTA: pluskota is a synonym of słota - foul, wretched, rainy weather. The verb pluskotać means to splash as when stomping through puddles. Someone who had that habit or (toponymically) an inhabitant of such places as Pluksi or Plukocin migth have acquried the Pluskota nickname-turned.-surname.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

CZORNANYCZ: This surname appears to be of Ukrainian origin, although the spelling is Polish. In Ukrainian it would have been written be Чорнанич, but all Cyrillic names get transliterated into languages using the Latin alphabet. My guess is that this name could have originated as a topo-patronymic nickname. Someone from one of several localities called Чорнa (Czorna) could have been dubbed Чорный, and the son he fathered might have been called Чорнанич. Anotehr option is that the father was called Чорный (Blackie), because of his dark complexion and raven hair, but his offspring could have been called Чорнанич all the same.

The fact that the name got transliterated into Czronanycz rather than Czornanicz (the Russian version) points to its Ukrainian origin.
Chorny and Chorney are quite likely English adaptations of the Russian/Ruthenian root “chorn-” indicating blackness.

Genealogy / Last Name: DOWGIALLO from Poland [44]

DOWGIA££O: This is the Polonised version of the Lithuanian name Daugela (whose roots translated into 'great pain').

SIEMIASZKO: Polonised spelling of a Belarusian name probably meanin 'son of Siemion' (Ruthenian for Szymon/SImon).

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

It could have indicated the month in which someone was born or converted from Judaism to Catholicism.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

OCZKOWICZ: root-word: oko (eye), specifically its diminutive form oczko (lttile eye). Someone may have been nicknamed Oczko becuase of something about his eyes -- maybe they were small and beady or maybe he only had one. But it could have also origianted as a toponymic tag for an inhabitant of Oczków (Eyeville) or Oczkowice (Eyesonville). Whichever the case, when Oczko sired a son, fellow-villagers gave the offspring a patronymic nick and Oczkowicz was born!

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Poland was once known for its horse-hair sieves which had a myriadf of uses -- in the kitchen, in the mill, for bolting flour, in the building sector for sieving gravel or various size as well as fine sand. Since that was a highly specialist occupation it would all the more so becoeme an ocaupational nicknamne,

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

OLCZYK: either toponymic nickname from the village of Olcza (Małopolska) or patronymic for the son of Oleś or Olek (Al, Alec - short for Aleksander).

LUBOWICKI: toponymic tag from Lubowicz oir Lubowicze in the Podlasie region. That's where most of the Lubowickis still live.
Possible etymology of place-name: place settled by a son of Luby (lover, sweetheart, beloved -- perhaps the local Don Juan?) or Lubow (Lubowicz); or the Luby or Lubow offspring (Lubowicze). Yes, Lubow (Polish transliteration) is the Russian word for love.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

PRZYTAKOWSKI: most likely originated as a toponymic tag, possibly from such localities as Przytyk or Przetoczno.

Language / It is not possible to translate names into English or Polish! [52]

Even the dumbest Anglo can say MAR-cheen (marcin). You may have to repeat it very slowly several times but eventually it'll sink in..

Life / Do Polish names generally have a meaning to them or a particular structure?. [88]

isthatu2
Brzęczyszczykiewicz is a joke. There's no such name in Poland. it appeared in the 1970s comedy 'Jak rozpętałem II weojnę światoweą' ('How I unleashed the Second World War').

There's a slew of -ska ending names including Milewska, Sokołowka, Kowalska, Nowacka, Rybińska, Kaczorowska, Olszewska, Staszewska, Mikołajska, Adamska, Wacławska, Piotrowska, Pawłowska, Alska, Romanowska, Kopczyńska, WIśniewska,, Rutkowska, Makowska,, Ostrowska, Witkowska, Kwiatkowska, Lewandowska , Kopińska, Nowińska, Różycka, £azewska, Tarnowska, Rozalska, Zembrzuska, Orłowska, Orlińska and a great many more.

Genealogy / Help me find my cousins from Rybnik [25]

RYBNIK: root-word ryba (fish). It could have originater as an occuaptional tag (a rybnik was once a fishpond) or a toponymic nickname for someone from the town of Rybnik.

I'm not sure whether this holds true for Poles changing their names in Germany, but in America some translated their names so Rybnik might become Fisher, Fichman, Fishpond, etc.; others chose sound-alike equivalents so maybe Ribman, Ribton, etc.

If we apply that approach to Germany than maybe they changed it to Fischer, Fischmann, Fischteich or similar or Ribbmann, although probably not Ribbentrop.

Life / Do Polish names generally have a meaning to them or a particular structure?. [88]

What is the gender and social class of your character?

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

In other words, Iwieński and the others most likely orignated as patonmyic tags equivalent to the English Johns or Johnson.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

IWIEŃSKI: This is one of many different surnames traceable to the eastern (Ruthenian) first name Iwan (John, Jan). Others incldue Iwański, Iwulski, Iwicki, Iwiński, Iwonicz, Iwaniuk, Iwaszkiewicz., Wańkowicz, Wański and many more.

Genealogy / Trying to find a town called Masana Delma (Mszana Dolna) in Poland - Sentysz surname [20]

SENTYSZ: possibly orignated as a Polonised form of the Hunagrian name Sándor (Alexander).

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

NIEPOSTYN: origin obscure; possibly derived from niepostnik, Ukrainian niepostnyk (someone who refused to maitnain the fast)???

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

NIECHCIA£: exactly as you assumed -- he didn't want to, he refused, etc. Could have identified a refusenik, someone who turned down an offer or shirked some duty.

RESZETNIK: occupational tag for a sieve-maker; also Rzeszetnik.

Travel / Any Anglican churches in Poland? [35]

There is no such thing as an American 'nationality'. There is citizenship, yes, but America is a salad bowl of at least two zillion different nationalities. An Italo-American, Afro-American, Scandinavian American, Americans of Czech, Hispanic,.Haitian, Korean, Arab, etc. heritage have little in common except death and taxes.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

PAWLAK: patronymic nickname = Paulson.