Travel / Why most taxis in Warsaw cheat foreigners to get more money? [38]

This question should be approached more broadly -- why do so many people everywhere nowadays lie and cheat and even steal with no regret, remorse or pangs of conscience? How can they shave or apply make-up in front of a mirror and see their own image without feeling disgust? That is a more salient question than why some New York, London, Warsaw or Mexico City taxi driver took someone for a ride.

Genealogy / Kosiorek - looking for Polish meaning, relatives [12]

KOSIOREK: a wooden paddle on a long handle once used by bakers to scoop hot coals and ashes out of a bread oven; also a net on a long pole use to scoop up fish.

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

BAT: lash, whip, strap

LEONTOWYCZ: Ukrainian patronymic from Leon; Polish equivalent Leontowicz

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

KIECO£T: This appears to follow the pattern of some German names Polonised into Gasztołd, Marchołt, etc. Kietz could have originated as the German pet form of the first name Kilian, just as Dietz is from Dietrich and Stetz from Stefan.

No-one at present uses the Kiecołt surname in Poland as far as I know, but Kiecoł, Kiecun and similar forms do exist.

Genealogy / Wierzcholek family surname [15]

WIERZCHO£EK: mountain peak, tree top or tip (of the iceberg)

ORSZULAK: variant fotrm of Urszulak - metronymic for Urszula's son

Genealogy / Kasprzak Golab looking for family history [11]

KASPRZAK: patronymic nick from Kasper; Eng. equivalent = Casperson

GO£ĄB: dove, pigeon

KACHARSKI(?): shouldn't it have been Kucharski (cook's helper)

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

GWIZDA£A: from the verb "gwizdać" (to whistle), ergo the whsitler. This is one of a group of surnames formed from the past tense of the verb, and more often than not in the feminine form. Others include Biegała, Mrugała, Przybył, etc.

WOJCIECH: from the first name Wojciech (Adalbert), the name of Poland's first martyr-saint. First names sometimes serverd as patronymic nickanmes before eventually evolving into surnames esp. when only one person in a given locality used it. More typical patronymics would incldue Wojcieszak, Wojciechowicz, Wojtczak and others.

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

PIETRZAK: Indeed, this is the Polish equivalent of the patronymic Anglo-Germanic Peters, Peterson or Petersen.
Other variants included Pietrzyk, Pietrowicz, Pietrewicz, Piotrowicz, Pietraszek, Pietrowiak Piotrowiak et al.

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

SAJD£OWSKI: probably from German Seidel (glass mug), polonized into zajdel.

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

RADZMIRSKI: This probably originated as a a patronymic nick derived from the old Polish first name Radzimierz. However, no coat of arms was ever associated with it, as far as I can determine. Since you said the spelling may have been changed, there were nobles amongst the bearers of such close-sounding surnames as Radzimski, Radzimowski and Radzimiński. Maybe orignally it was one of those.

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

CHODAKOWSKI: the topo nick hypothesis tracing the name to Chodaków seems the most plausible. Incidentally, that locality may have got its name from chodaki, primitive shoes made of tree bark, once used by the most impoverished peasants.

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

Unfortunately there isn't. The closest heraldic surnames I could find were Kicki and Kiczka.

Love / Are Polish mothers-in-law monsters? [91]

Merged thread:
Polish mothers-in-law?

Of course one shouldn't generalise -- there surely are Polish females whose mothers are kind, sweet, helpful, generous and angelic to the core -- but has any non-Pole had any interesting contacts (or run-ins) with their Polish mothers-in-law, the chronic but of many Polish jokes.* How do they compare with mothers-in-law in your own country?

Co to jest teściowa na sto dwa? - Dwa metry pod ziemią i sto metrów stąd (untransatable).

Genealogy / tracing my family roots- the surname Tarasiewicz? [8]

TARASIEWICZ: patronymic nick for the son of Taras (a popular Ukrainian first name).

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

USTASIEWSKI: variant spelling of Ustaszewski - topo nick from Ustaszewo; no-one in Poland now spells it Ustasiewski; root-word possibly the old-fashion first name Eustachy (Eustace).

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

NAWALIŃSKI: root-word probably nawał/nawała (attack, onslaught, throng); possibly variant spelling of Nowaliński (from nowy = new).

KRY£OWICZ: patronymic nick probably traceable to German names Krill or Krell (from Karl); or to eastern (Ruthenian) kryło (wing).

SICIŃSKI: root-word sicina (pejorative for sito - strainer, sieve), ergo a miserable excuse for a sieve; most likely topo nick from Siciny (Strainerton, Sieveville).

ZALENTAŃSKI (?): The following diacritical and non-diacritical versions have produced no hits: Zalentański, Zalętański, Załentański, Załętański, Żalentański, Żalętański, Żałentański, Żałętański. Maybe that initial 'n' got inadvertantly inserted, because there is a Zaletański surname. Its root appears to be zaleta (virtue, merit, honour).

TU£AK: drifter, wanderer, refugee

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

CIERECH: Couldn't find Ciereck but Cierech does exist. Its root was probably the verb cierać/trzeć (to wipe, clean).

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

PIETRASZEWSKI has been known to get shortened to Pietras and

PIETROWSKI/PIOTROWSKI might have got abbreviated to Pietros or Piotros respectively, but without seeing the immigrant ancestor's Old World documents, this is only guesswork.

MOTSKO: possibly derived from Mojżesz (Moses) which in Polish has produced Moćko, Mośko, Moszka, Moszko, Mosiek, Mojsza, Mosej. Mosiej and others.

BEDNARZ/KUPER: A few Polish immirgants have translated their names in ameirca (eg Piekarz > Baker, and Bednarz > Cooper). But the word kuper also exists in Poland for rump (bum, backside), and someone having it might have Anglicised the spelling to Cooper.

ALEKSANDER is the Polish equivalent of Alexander; there's no letter 'x' in modern Polish, although priest was once spelt xiądz!

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

PIEKARZ: occupational nick (baker)

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

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

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).

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

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

Genealogy / Looking for grandfather and prior: Laskowski, Ostroleka Poland 1850+ / Witzke [12]

LASKOWSKI: topo nick from Laski, Lasków, Laskowo, Laskowizna, etc. (Woodville, Hazelton)

ZIEMKIEWICZ: patronymic tag for Ziemko's son (Ziemko is a hypocoristic version of Ziemowit).

KRUPIŃSKI: topo nick from Krupin, Krupieńskie, etc. (Groatville, Grainton)

CENDROWSKI/CĘDROWSKI; topo nick from Cędry or Cędrowice (Teddyville); the Greek name Theodoros (whose roots mean gift of God) produced a variety of spin-offs across the Slavonic realm inlcuding Cędor, Czador, Chodor, Todor, Fiodor and Teodor.

D£UGO£ĘCKI: topo nick from Długołęka (Longmeadow)

For more information and genealogical leads please contact me

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

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.

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

ANTONAK: patronymic nick from Antoni or Anton

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).

For more information and genealogical contacts please e-mail me

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

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.

For more in formation and genealogical contacts please e-mail me

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

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.

For more information please contact me

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

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).

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

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.

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

Marybrach

BRACH: humorous form of brat (brother), known already in Mikołaj Rey's time (16th century) if not earlier; it was also a pet form of the old first name Bratumił.

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

GMYTRASIEWICZ: the gmytr- root is a variant form of dmytr-, the soruce of numerous east Slavonic names such as Dymitr, Dimitri, Dmytry, etc.; -wicz is always a patronymic ending, so the surname originated to indicate the son of someone nicknamed Gmytraś.