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

No, Martinecz is not a Polish name nor is anyone using it in Poland at present. I would wager that is the equivalent of the Polish surname Marciniak. As for your family's legend, it is possible that they originally did come from Poland. If they moved to Hungary, maybe they hungarianised their surname to blend in better with their new neighbours.

£YSUNIO: from łysy (bald); a nice, cosy-sounding nickname for a bald person, perhaps evoking the flavour of something like 'lovable little baldy'.

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

DZIUBAKOWSKI/DZIÓBAKOWSKI: multiple sources including dzióbak (a stonecutters hammer), dziubek (little beak, kiss); dziuba (Ukrainian for dziewa= maiden); dziuba (hen chicken or turkey); patronymic (son of the pock-marked guy=dziobaty); possibly topo nick from Dziubiele.

KYCIA: same as kicia (childish for kitty); or from verb kycać/hycać (to jump).

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

BIL: Ukrainian for biel (whiteness); possibly topo nick from Bilczów, Bilno, Bilsko (whiting, Whiteville)

WOJNAROWSKI: from German name Woiner derived from Wagner (wagonner, cartwright); probably topo-patronymic from Wojnarowa. The father was called Wojnar and his son became Wojnarowicz.

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

ZA£ĘCKI: root components za (beyond) and łęka (regional for meadow) or łęk (arch, trough, syncline). Either topographic (less likely) to identify someone living on the other side of the meadow or trough (less likely); or toponymic for a resident of Załęcze (more probable).

ŚLĘCZKA: from verb ślęczeć (to pore or agonise over books, papers, documents); the regional term ślęczka was used to describe someone not invited to a wedding who could only to peer through the cracks to see the festivities inside.

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

MOTYKA: hoe; usuallly the names of tools, household items, animals, plants and foods were among the most common nicknames applied to peasants; however when there is a locality by that name, we cannot rule out that at least in some cases the surname is of toponymic origin. No coat of arms accompanies the Motyka surname, but possible Motyka descendants named Motycki (which could mean ' son of Motyka') belonged to the Lewart (Leopard) clan are were entitled to use the following c-o-a:

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plik:POL_COA_Lewart.svg

SINKIEWICZ: variant spelling of Sienkiewicz

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

WADOWSKI: root-word probably wada (defect, shortcoming, failing); most likely originated as a topo nick from Wadowice (JPII's birthplace).

JACKOWSKI: topo nick from Jacków or Jackowo (Hyacinthville)

KOS: blackbird or topo nick from Kosy or Kosów.

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

GABAŃSKI: topo nick from the village of Gabanie (now Gaboń) in Stary Sącz district; root-word: gabać (archaic verb meaning to harrass, pester, annoy, prey on).

For more info including genealogical and family-tracing leads please contact me

News / A devestating verdict on the Polish church [279]

When a majority fo people follow or try to follow the essence of Christiniaty -- the 10 Commandments and 8 Beatitudes -- when people realise that 'you're not alone in this world, your brotherr is here too', then life in this valley of tears can be roughly tolerable. But when these are rejected in favour of total egoisation -- do your own thing and f*ck with the next guy, anything goes, grab as much as you can for yourself here and now and run, then we have the kind of hell on earth you can see all about. And if you can't see it, then you really are in poor shape.

Genealogy / Want to find a person [762]

Both names exist in Poland but have different etymology:

JOŃCZYK: patronymic nich from first name Jonasz (Jonah of whale fame).

JUŃCZYK: patronymic nick from someone 'juny' (young, plucky) as in the word junak (spirited. brave young lad).

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

GRAJKWOSKI: root-word grajek (fiddler); either patronymic nick = fiddler's son or topo nick from Grajów or Grajewo.

For more info including genealogical and family-tracing leads please contact me

NIES£AWSKI: root-word niesława (infamy, shame, disgrace)

KASPRZAK: patronymic nick from Kasper (Casper, Gaspard) = Casperson

GO£ĄB: dove, pigeon

KACHARSKI: probably misspelt Kucharski; someone may have brought the the 2 prongs of the handwritten lower-case letter 'u' to close together, leading the next copyist down the line

to mistake it for an 'a'.

For more info on the above and other Polish surnames as well as helpful genealogical and family-tracing leads please contact me

News / A devestating verdict on the Polish church [279]

Let's not forget the famous wager of French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal who raised the issue of gains and losses. No-one can prove God exists but if one lives accordingly he stands to gain eternal life. If there is no God and one lives as of there was one, all one has to lose is this miserable valley of tears.

News / A devestating verdict on the Polish church [279]

Nietzsche is dead. God lives!

Life / Is/was Polish society patriarchal or matriarchal? [37]

Historically Polish males were often off to war or fomenting insurrrections, thrown into prisons or sent to Siberia, where members of the 'weaker' (?) sex had to hitch themselves up to a plough and keep the family togteher. Nowadays, men can lose jobs leaving the woman as the sole breadwinner. This plus the constant feminist agitation in ther news and entertainment media has undermiend traditional roles to a considirable extent. Morever, men are more inclined towards irresponsibile libation and infideltiy with all the problems that can entail for the family...

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

From the standpoint of a surname being used in today's Poland or not, landing on the Soviet side of the border in 1920 or 1945* would have removed someone from the Polish realm. If the last bearer of a surname emigrated or died without leaving a male heir, that would spell the end of the line. If the name got inadvertently misspelt (by a semi-literate priest, village scribe, clerk of the partitioning powers or immigration official) or purposely respelt (to facilitate pronunciation or shorten the name) -- any of those factors make tracing a name's meaning and tracking down a given family more difficult.

*However many of those stranded on the Soviet side of hte border in 1945 were subsequently repatriated to the new, small, truncated so-called 'People's Republic'.

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

Surnames shared by a very small number of people may mean that most of them:
--died heriless or emigrated;
--were stranded on ther wrong (Russian) side of the border in 1920 or 1945;
--had their name changed (inadvertently misspelt or deliberately respelt) beyond recognition.

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

WIDULSKI: either from widać (able to be seen) or topo nick from Widuch, Widowo or similar.
Extremely rare (9 users in Poland).

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

STETZ: German hypocoristic form of Stephan (like English Steve); adapted in Polish as Stec

SPIESKI: ??? uncertain, obscure; no users in Poland; perhaps misspelt?

Life / Is/was Polish society patriarchal or matriarchal? [37]

I might do if I thought it would sell, but sad to say we live in an increasingly anti-book era.

Life / Is/was Polish society patriarchal or matriarchal? [37]

The majority of today's Polish families.

Language / Niech będzie pochwalony Jezus Chrystus - a religious greeting? [39]

Let's not forget that 'Szczęść Boże' is a greeting widely used by Silesian coalminers. It is emblazoned in large lettering at the entrance to Polish collieries. Maybe it has been reinforced by the German 'Gruß Gott'.

Life / Is/was Polish society patriarchal or matriarchal? [37]

Nominally yes, but efffectively?

News / A devestating verdict on the Polish church [279]

All Church-bashers are sick people who deserve our pity and prayers.

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

I merely stated to no-one in Poland at present uses that spelling nor any of the other hypothetical versions I listed.

Language / Niech będzie pochwalony Jezus Chrystus - a religious greeting? [39]

Even simpler and not requiring a separate response is: Szczęść Boże (literally: May God grant you happiness) - rough equivalent of God speed.
The response to Szczęść Boże is the same: Szczęść Boże. This is always used when greeting priests, friars and nuns.
One would use this greeting with only those laypersons who are Catholic or parish activists as per the custom in a givern communtiy.

Love / Online matrimonial - a good way to find a true Polish man/woman on the net? [51]

And more than one wife also means more than one mother-in-law! My case rests.

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

VILUDSKI (???): The letter 'v' does not exist in indigenous Polish names. Other spellings such as Wiludski, Wiludzki, Wyłudzki, Wyludzki, Wieludzki, etc. -- also could not found. Please re-check your ancestors' Old World documents.

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

£OTOŻYŃSKI: the root may have something to do either with flying (lot, latać) or patching (łotoszyć); another possible source could be łotocz (a yellow wild flower). -ski endings usually indicate a toponymic source, but the only thing close is in the Moscow region of Russia: Лотошино (£otoszyno). Who knows - maybe some Muscovite pedlar, mercenary or traveller wandered west into the sprawling Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, liked what he saw, married a local lass, put down roots, fathered kids....etc.

News / A devestating verdict on the Polish church [279]

Father Wiśniewski's critique may be a thought-provoking stimulus aimed at helping the Church get its act together. Assuming that his remarks were sincere and that he wasn't put up to it by someone. Au contraire, Gazeta Wyborcza - its feigned solicitide over the Church resembles that of Trybuna Ludu's -- so concerned about the Polish Church becoming more trendy and progresssive like that of Western Europe.... Luckily under Hlond, Wyszyński and Glemp, the Church stayed on course and still enjoys a position of authority in Poland. Sure it has problems. We are not a church of angels, B16 said recently. Rather than sweeping controversies under the rug (like Michnik does about in reference to his Stalinist family roots), let's hope the problems are weeded out the Church can more effectively perform its mission of evangelisation.

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

CIESZEWSKI: Like nearly all surnames ending in-owski or -ewski this most likely emerged as a topo nick for someone from Cisza, Cisze or Ciszewo (roughly translatable as Quietville, Stillton, Silentburg, etc.).

For more info please contact me

Mea maxima culpa! Forgot to switch off my computer's typo-creating attachment. It should be CISZEWSKI, not Cieszewski.