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.

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

SMARINSKY: looks ot be Czech Smařinský; no such name in Poland; the Czech ř is sometimes rendered in Polish as rz, and the Smarzyński surname does exist in Poland. Its root might be smarz/smardz (morel mushroom) or a locality such as Smarzewo (Morelville). The Polish surnames Smaruń, Smaryga are derived from smar (lubricant, grease).

SZWACZYK: metronymic nick from szwaczka (seamstress) or patronymic from szwacz (seamster).

JELIŃSKI; variant of Jeleński from jeleń (stag); probably topo nick from Jeleń, Jelenia or similar.

Genealogy / Drobinski, Szczesny - Polish battle of Britain pilots & R.A.F squadrons [10]

SZCZĘSNY: Old Polish word for lucky, happy, joyful; as a name it is the Polish equivalent of the Latin-dervied Felix.

Genealogy / Michalsky/ Biela from Radziechowy, Poland [11]

MICHALSKI: patronymic nick from first name Michał (app. Eng. equivalent: Michaels, Michaelson

BIELA: from biel (whiteness); probably topo nick from Biel, Biela, Bielany, Bielawa, etc. Whiting, Whitfield, Whitewood, etc.)

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

JEDZINIAK: some local dialects tend to palatalize (soften) consonants; in this case both the d and the n of jedynak have been palatalized into dź and ń respectively. In some cases this may have occurred under Russian influence.

£OIN: without the barred ł, Loin looks like a good English joint of meat. Probably łoin traces back to the archaic word łoni (last year, now zeszłego roku). Rey wrote: 'Tego roku będzie lepi jak łoni'.

For more information please contact me

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

KOPCZYŃSKI: topo nick from Kopczyna; root-word kopiec (heap, mound); hence (to anglicize the locality) Moundville or Heapton.

KANTROWSKI(+)/KANTOROWSKI/KANTOWSKI: The Polish word kant definitely means edge or crease, but then the name would have had to have been Kantowski. But that disregards the 'r'.

For more information please contact me

Kopernik has around 100 users in Poland making it a none-too-common surname.

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

D£UGOKĘSKI: topo nick from Nowokąty (new corners)

KANTROWSKI (?): couldn't find anything for Kantrowski, Kątrowski, Kentrowski or Kętrowski... Could it have been Kantorowski (patronymic for the cantor's son)?

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

JEDZINIAK: variant form of jedynak (only child)

TOBO£A: archaic for shepherd's sack; the diminutive tobołek is used to this day to mean a bundle or pack.

Genealogy / Czajka name? And Poland questions. [25]

The following people were (or still are) researching the Czajka surname. The older entries may no longer be valid anymore:

Czajka ---- Ajlamberti#aol.com -- Apr/00
Czajka -- Pniów, Tarnobrzeg? -- jczelusta@gmail -- Jan/11
Czajka ---- Gkneeolog@aol.com -- Sep/97
Czajka ---- jczajka#inreach.com -- Oct/96
Czajka -- Ciechanów -- lawblum#gte.net -- Oct/96
Czajka ---- marguerite.czajka#chicagoil.ncr.com -- Nov/97
Czajka ---- mtczajka@aol.com -- Apr/97
Czajka -- Krzesin, Poznań > New York, USA -- happyturski@aol.com -- Nov/08
Czajka -- Grudna Kempska, GALICIA > Connecticut, USA -- smwallor@yahoo -- Jan/01
Czajka -- POLAND > Connecticut, USA -- SRudu@aol.com -- Aug/97

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

BZIBZIAK: possibly from infantile bzibzi (having to do with sleep -- something like Eng. beddy-bye); or maybe dervied from bzdzić (to break wind).

I said 'possibly' derived...because so many things have happened to names over the centuries.
Theoretically it should have been Bździoch or Bździak to mean 'the wind-breaker'. However, over generations of manual recopying by semi-literate village scribes and parish priests, letters were known to get dropped out or added. So this is simply a loose hypothesis.

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

KRĘCIOCH: the verb kręcić mainly describes physical things (only secondarily lies and deception); someone turning a spit, winding a spool or reel, cranking a milling device or performing some other task requring turning or winding might have acquired the kręcioch nickname.

MOSOŃ: if it was dervied from Mojżesz (Moses) than it indeed would have been a Jewish name. The spin-offs it has generated on Polish soil inlcude: Mosz, Mosko, Moszko, Mośko, Mosiek, Mosek, Mosior and Mosiołek.

For information on Jewish names in Poland contact: Yale Reisner at the Jewish Historical Institute -- reisner@plearn.edu.pl

CZUBIŃSKI: from czub (tip, top, including hair on the top of one's head); verb czubić się (to bicker); most likely a topo nick from Czubiny, Czubaki or similar.

Life / Doughnut [Pączki] Day... in Poland [70]

The best pączki in Warsaw are sold by the A. Blikle company at several outlets -- one in Midowa street, another in Arcadia shopping centre adn WIlson Square. Prof. Blikle (heir to the 140-year-old family-owned company) is advertising a bank on Polish TV but, since he is associated with pączki, says something to the effect: 'There are only two kinds of pączki -- those filled with rose-petal jam and hopeless ones.'

This year Blikle pączki were going for 2.90 zł apiece (or $1 a throw). The big chainn sueprmarkets were selling bigger but poorer quality ones for 80 groszy.

In America, Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras = Fat Tuesday) is the traditonal Pączki Day. Detroit's once predominantly Polish industrial suburb of Hamtramck (now undercoing de-Polonisation cum Moslemisation) is the Pączki Capital of America.

Genealogy / Looking for any and all information on Dabrowski/Dombrowski from Poland [88]

With some 150 localities in today's Poland called Dąbrowa (meaning oak wood or oak grove) it's no wonder some 80,000 people in Poland (and maybe another 20,000 in America and around the globe) sign themslves Dąbrowski (also spelt Dombrowski and Dabrowski esp. in the Diaspora).

Here is a listing of people who have been researching the name and may be willing to share what they have turned up. Some of these contacts going back a decade or more may no longer be valid:

Dabrowscy -- POLAND -- peekaboobrat@yahoo -- Oct/08
Dabrowski; Dąbrowski -- Kowalewo -- bjszczep@comcast.net -- May/10
Dabrowski -- Wisniowek -- csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com -- Aug/09
Dabrowski; Dąbrowski; Dombrowski -- POLAND > Indiana, USA -- mrdinvestigations@att.net -- Sep/07
Dabrowski ---- bitsyba@sbcglobal.net -- Mar/03
Dabrowski -- Hielka, Lubinia -- BOBPOOZ@aol.com -- Oct/96
Dabrowski ---- CeceliaN@aol.com -- Mar/03
Dabrowski ---- cjensen@mipolonia.net -- May/01
Dabrowski ---- lartymiuk@optusnet.com.au -- Mar/06
Dabrowski ---- malecki#algonet.se -- Dec/96
Dabrowski -- Rozwadów Ksziazki -- mbrewer@nt.net -- Oct/96
Dabrowski -- Brześć nad Bugiem -- nadialars@aol.com -- Nov/00
Dabrowski ---- pbush@ismi.net -- Feb/99
Dabrowski -- Kolno area, Jedwabne -- rybka5641#sbcglobal.net -- Jul/07
Dabrowski -- Limanowa, Nowy Sącz -- TpaGrits@tampabay.rr.com -- Apr/05
Dabrowski; Dąbrowski -- Lębork, Puck & Nowe Miasto areas -- Mkanderson2#comcast.net -- Jan/02
Dabrowski; Dąbrowska ---- rlulis#mchsi.com -- Oct/04
Dabrowski; Dąbrowski -- POMERANIA -- JWDIII#email.msn.com -- Dec/99
Dabrowski; Dąbrowski -- £omża, POLAND > Massachusetts & Michigan, USA; CANADA -- mardore#att.net -- Jan/00
Dabrowski; Dąbrowski ---- rlulis#mchsi.com -- Feb/05
Dabrowski; Dąbrowski -- POLAND > New Jersey, USA -- sundevil77@frontiernet.net -- Oct/09
Dabrowski; Dąbrowski; Donbrowski ---- tim@timofeyev.usr.pu.ru -- Dec/96
Dabrowski; Dabowski -- Warsaw -- RKr833@aol.com -- Jun/98
Dabrowski; Dabroski; Dombrowski -- RUSSIAN-POLAND > New Jersey, USA -- cmhocoka#mindspring.com -- Jun/98
Dabrowski; Dombroski ---- ponkers@aol.com -- Nov/99
Dabrowski; Dombrowski -- £omża area? > Pennsylvania & Michigan, USA -- kilonine#dreamscape.com -- Jul/98
Dabrowski; Dombrowski -- POLAND > USA, Indiana -- mrdinvestigations@att.net -- Jul/07

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

DĄBEK: diminutive of dąb (oak). Probably originated as a topo nick from numerous localities in Poland called Dąbek or Dąbki.

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

PERLAK: patronymic tag from perl (German/Yiddish for pearl). Names of precious metals and gems (rubin, diament, silber, gold, etc.) were typically Jewish names.

FLATOW or FLATÓW: possibly from German name Flat, perhaps derived for Middle High German vlat (clean, tidy).

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

GADZA£A: root-word probably verg gadać (speak, chat, jabber). If so, it probably originated to describe a gossip or rumour-monger. It is one of a group of surnames derived from the past tense of a verb. Examples: Mrugała, Gwizdała, Biegała, etc. The feminine form predominates but one can also encounter things like Przybył (masc.) and Ścigło (netuer).

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

HEBDA: another name for dziki bez (elderberry)

KRĘCIOCH: from verb kręcić (twist, turn, deceive, dodge, confuse the issue, etc.)

MOSOŃ: probably derived from old first name Mojsław or Mojżesz (Moses).

SOCHA: primitive wooden plough (predating the iron ploughshare)

For more information on the above please contact me

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

GRANKOWSKI: 95% of all surnames endfing in -owski are of toponymic origin. Perhaps it came from Gronków in Małopolska which somehow got misspelt (an excessively large loop on the 'o' might have been misread by some manual copyist as an 'a'). But in Russia there is actually a locality called Grankowskij (Polish transliteration). During the partitions there was considerable Russo-Polish interaction.

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

RYBNICKI: basic root is ryba (fish) but it probably originated as a topo nick from Rybnik (Fisherton).

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

CALEMCZUK: The only thing I can think of for the patronymic nickname-turned-surname (цалемчук) is that it's root might have been the Jewish name Becalel which in Polish (and possibly also Urkainian) was often reduced to Calel. Can't think of any other names that would even come close. Sorry.

GONSOWSKI: variant spelling of Gąsowski, toponymic tag for an inhabitant fo Gąsowo (Gooseville).

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

JACHIMOWICZ: patronmyic from Jachim, variant form of the first name Joachim

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

Things may have gone as follows. There is an East Slavonic first name Kalenik (only 2 poeple in Poland now use it); in Russian is it is Kalinnik, in Ukrainian -- Kalenyk.

The Ukrainian patronymic would have been Kalenczuk. Over years of manual rercopying perhaps the 'n' written with a fancy loop-like curlicue reminded the next copyist down the line of an 'm'.....and the name got written down as Kalemczuk.

This is only a very shaky hypothesis, but for wantt of a better explanation, I have tried to answer your query the best I could.

Genealogy / Gawryluk family tree [6]

GAWRYLUK: from Gawrylo (Ruthenian for Gabriel), patronymic nick, hence Eng equivalent = Gabrielson

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

GIER£OWSKI: possibly traceable to the German name Gerlach which got polonised into Gierło. When he fathered a son, locals might have dubbed the offspring Gierlak, Gierłoczyk or Gierłowski. Another possible source would be toponymic from Gierłoż or Gierłachów.

Life / Price of cigarettes in Poland? [192]

Last Christmas Viceroys were 7.90 zł a packet at Carrefour.
BTW, do any Poles roll theri own (not MaryJane, but cigarettes)? Is loose tobacco even available? If so, is that a big savings? In the US favourites are Bugler, Top and Target -- all with gummed papers.