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

Pietrovice (Petersonville -- the -vice or -wice ending means "sons of..." suggesting that the original settlement was made up of Peter's children). From a purely linguistic standpoint it should have generated the Pietrowicki (PL) Pietrovicky (CZ) toponymic nickname rather than Pietrowski. But so many things have happened to surnames over the generations, so this is merely a hypothesis, not a dogmatic statement. As for tracing your actual family tree, a professional genealogist is usually required.

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

Probably started out as a toponymic nick for someone from Szypków.


SZURSZEWKI - the "szew" here is coincidental and has nothing to do with a seam; probably a toponymic nick for someone from Szurszew or Szurszewo (meaning obscure: szurać = to drag one's feet, scuffle along; szurza = archaic word fro brother-in-law).

BACHURSKI - possibly patronymic nick from bachur/bachor (brat), hence Bratson.

Quite possible. Many things got miscopied or misread back in times when most people were illierate and even those who could read and write were often semi-literate at best. Did you see the locality in an old handwritten document or what? Could the t in Struszewo have been taken for a z, hence Szurszewski?

BTW ther are 3 people named Szurszewski in Poland, and 66 Struszewskis.

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

WANDO£OWSKI/WĄDO£OWSKI: Wandołowski is a spelling wariant of Wądołowski which probably arose as a toponymic nick to indicate an inhabitant of Wądołów. The root word wądół means ravine.

Genealogy / Adopted from Poland; trying to find my biological parents [99]

You could try adopcjawarszawa.pl/kontakt.html

They may be able to point you in the right direction. However, it depends on the terms of your adoption. In many cases, the court orders the identity of the birth parents to be destroyed. Finding them would then be a rather daunting proposition.

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

Smithson.


Assuming that Paczko is not just Pączko with the squiggle under the ą left out, it might have originated as a toponymic nick from Paczków or Paczkowo (root: paczka = packet, parcel, box, bundle). Poczko might have been a dialectic peasant pronunciation of Paczko or perhaps derived from such localities as Początkowo, Poczółkow or Poćkuny.

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

Niżyński would derive from nizina or niża (archaic) meaning lowland, so Niżyński would be a lowlander. Humorously it could have also been applied to a midget (niziołek). The nicknamers of yesterday were not professors but usually simple, illiterate peasants, and when someone came up with something clever or funny it often caught on. It could have also been a toponymic nickname from some locality called Nizina, Niziny, Niżna £ąka or Niżatyce.

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

That's quite a move from Niżyński to Kanaski and a rather unique one at that. The only way I can think of describing that change is as an attempt to retain the general Polish/Slavonic ambience of the original.

Most Polish-name changes in the English-speaking world have involved:
-- shortening: Kołodziejczak > Kołodziej, Bogdankiewicz > Bogdan
-- respelling: Jabłoński > Yablonski, Czajkowski > Chaykoski
-- respelling & shortening: Jabłoński > Yablon, Czajkowski > Chayka
-- similar-sounding anglicisation: Witkowski > Whitaker, Maklowicz > Mackland
-- arbitrary anglicisation: Wojciechowski > Marlowe, Stasiak > Harris, Żebrowski > Ogden
-- translation of name root: Zima > Winters, Dobrowolski > Goodman, Jankowicz > Johnson
-- Retention of Polish flavour: Niżyński > Kanaski (can't think of any other examples offhand).

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

Kanaski does not exist in Poland but Kanarski (from kanar=canary) and Kanacki (possibly from the Tatar word for nekclace kanak??) do.

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

No-one named Panczko in Poland but there are a few Panczkowskis.
Pączko exists with a few Ponczkos thrown in. Primary meaning of pączek is a flower bud, the doughnut was a later spin-off.
Probably emerged as a toponymic nickname from Pączkowo (Budville).
But we cannot rule out spelling confusioon with pęczek (bunch) and pęczak/pęcak (large-grain barley groats).

No c-o-a for Tokarz but Tokarski has got 7: Korab, Lewart, Ogończyk, Roch, Ryś, Sas and Trąby. Tokarski means (patronymically) lathe-operator's son or apprentice or (toponymically) the bloke from Tokary.

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

SKIBNIEWSKI: toponymic nickname from localities such as Skibniew or SKbniewo. Derived from skiba (originally from German Scheibe) meaning a furrow (the line of soil turned over by a plough), hence Furrowville. In the Poznań dialect skiba also means a slice (of bread).


Żdanowski/Zdanowski = toponymic nickname from Polish Żdanów or Zdanowo and/or similarly named localities Ждaново or Ждaнов in Russia and Ukraine. Probably derived from the Russian verb ждать (to wait).


The word wypiór means a fledgling, a baby bird covered with its first feathers. It some dialects it was used as a synonym for upiór (ghost, phantom).

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]

jaja (prounounced yaya) means eggs in Polish!

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

Archaic forms of wnuk (grandson) included wnęk and, believe it or not, gnuk.
Is it indeed Wadysława? Władysława is the common version: (English: Ladislava).


JACKOWSKI = son of Hyacinth

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

BAJKOWSKI: toponymic nickname from Bajków or Bajkowo (Storyville, Taleton)

OLESKIAK: patronymic nickname from Olek (short for Aleksander); Eng. equivalent Alecson.

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

Both the Tatara and Tatar surnames in Poland are linked to the Tatars, the Asiatic horsemen warriors that served in Poland's royal army. Check out:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatars


Kulczyk -- another name for the szczygieł (goldfinch, a small bird species)

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


Modzelewski: toponymic nickname from locality of Modzele

Konieczko: toponymic nickname from locality of Konieczki or Konieczków

Jóźwiak: patronymic nickname = Josephson.

Myśliwy: mroe than 200 users in Poland


The word fiut and derivatives predate the current slang usage. Mainly fiut was an interjection implying something lightning swift like the Polish word myk or the English zip or whiz. hence the verb "fiutnąć" (to pinch,swipe). Fiut was also the name of a small silvery fish, the bleak, aka uklejka in Polish.

So there's no reason to be ashamed of the name Fiut or Fiutek. I recently ran across somone ashamed to admit his grandfather had been surnamed Dupla (he confused it with dupa), whereas this is nothing more than the Ukrainian word for tree hollow (Polish dziupla).

Food / BREAD IN POLAND IS DETERIORATING [90]

Wasps or bees attracted to bread suggests browned miód sztuczny was used to give the bread a darker hue.

Food / BREAD IN POLAND IS DETERIORATING [90]

I've lost count of how many times I've eaten bread in Poland ovde the past decades, and food has laways been at the centre of my interest also for professional reasons. Besides, much of it is now imported to the US in places like Polish Market in Troy or Bożek's in Sterling Hts. My palate well remembers commie era bread prodcued by small GS (cooperative) bakeries in the countryside or small family-owned ones in cities. Even the big state-run urban bread combines turned out soem fairly decent products. Last time I checked I was told that the standard Polish bread, Balatoński or Balatonowski (somethign like that) has around 30-35% rye flour which has been gradually decreased over the years to fool the public.

Haven't you heard of Schulsted (spelling?) bread which seems to be everywhere in Poland. And even if the German angle is not apparent in the logo, some 70% of Poland's food industry is in now in foreign hadns: Krakus Ham (Smithfield), Wedel chocolates (Cabdury), Winiary (Nestle), Okocim beer (Carsberg), Wyborowa (Pernod), etc., etc., etc. ad nauseam!

And those greedmasters are going to use every trick in the book to trim costs and increase profits!!!

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

Both probably originated as toponymic nicknames (the guy from.....):

BUKOWSKI: from Buków or Bukowo (Beechton, Beechville, Beechwood)

JASIŃSKI: from the village of Jasin.

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

DMUCHOWSKI: Probably originated as a toponymic nickname from localities called Dmuchów or Dmuchowo (Blowton, Gustville, etc.). Also spelt Dmóchowski.

WIDER: a neighbourhood of the town of Otwock in the Warsaw area; possibly a misspelling of Świder (??????)

BEĆ: Possibly short form of berbeć (endearing term for a cute little baby, toddler, tyke???)

SZCZERBACKI: A szczerba is a crack, crevice or fissure. Szczerbaty means gap-toothed. Could have arisen for those reasons or as a toponymic nickname from some locality such as Szczerbaków or Szczerbakowo (Gapville, Crackton).


WĄSIK = little moustache.

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

Yes, from one of several different localities in Poland called Wiśniew or Wiśniewo (Cherryville, Cherrywood, Cherrytown, etc.).

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

Adjective meaning strong, powerful, mighty, formidable, potent, etc. It was the nickname of one of two Saxon kings that ruled Poland in the 18th century. August Mocny reputedly could bend horseshoes with his bare hands!


Dobrzycki = topopnymic nickname for the bloke from Dobrzyca (Goodville, Goodington, etc.)


Posyniak - probably from the now obsolete verb posynąć (to induce a sharp muscle pain in the back) as in: Posynęło mnie w lesie. Posyniak could have been the way villagers nicknamed someone prone to such attacks. Posuniak would have been a dialectic variant.

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

English or other* respelling of Janowiak (Johnson). Jan has generated a whole slew of patronymic nicknames-turned-surnames inlcuding: Jankowicz, Janiewicz, Janiak, Janda, Jasiek, Jasiak, Jasiewicz, Janota and at least a dozen or so more...

* In any country (France, Hispanic lands, etc.) where tej "j" does not have the English "y" sound in yard, yet, etc.

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

Toponymic nickname from the village fo Malewice in Podlasie (NE Poland).

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

Pakuza possibly a toponymic nickname from such places as Pakszyn, Pakosze, Pakość, Pakuły or Pakówka???

Długosz toponymic nickname from such localities as Długosz, Długosze or Długoszyn. Less likely a nickname reflecting someone's characteristic, similar to English Longfellow!!!

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

It comes from the verb kosić (to mow with a kosa/scythe) and could have emerged as an occupational nickname meaning soemthing like grain-cutter, scythesman or harvester. Or as a toponymic nickname from some locality incorporating the kosiar- root.

SEMIK: It could have come from Semion, the Ukrainian equivalent of Szymon (Simon). That would be a diminutive form which might have served as a patronymic nickname (Eng.: Simonson).

CICHOŃ:The adjective cichy (quiet, silent, mute) or some locality containing the cich- root.
In the former case it would have meant the silent one or the quiet bloke. In the latter -- the guy from Quietville.

WĄDOLNY - from wądół (ravine). This probably originated to identify the guy who lived at the edge of the ravine. 98 such people with epicentre in the Bielsko-Biala district of S. Poland.

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

Kaszuba -- originally from the Kashubia region along the Baltic. Many still live there but the single largest concentration is now in the Katowice area of Śląsk, about as far form the sea as possible.

Only 28 Kaszubińskis in Poland and none live by the sea.

The largest Ryba pocket is in and around Tarnów, definitely Galicja!

Maślanka = buttermilk, a typical peasant name. I could find places called Świątkowice only in the Kuajwy and £ódź areas. Perhaps it was once within the boundaries of Warsaw voivodship or gubernia.

Kosłowski -- only three such people in Poland, of which only 1 in the Kraków area (former Galicja); the common spelling is Kozłowski which runs in the thousands.


Jakiel was a typical Jewish first name. The adjetival Jakielski probably served as a patronymic nickname (son of Jakiel).

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


The old Polish sier- root meant poor or destitute and appears in still exitent words such as sierota (orphan) or obsolete ones like sierak (coarse, home-spun peasant's coat). Most

-owski ending surnames are of toponymic origin, hence Sierowski proably originated to indicate an inhabitant of Sierów, Sierowa, Sierowo, etc. (Poorville, Poverton, Miseryburg?).


Bergman is obviosuly of German or Yiddish origin (literally mountain man) but it is widely used in Poland. After WW2, when things German were frowned uopn, some Bergmans changed their name to the more Polish-sounding Górski (mountainous)-


Ochman is of German origin, possibly orignally from hoch (high) and Mann (man), presumably meaning something like "top guy" or "head honcho".


Brożek appears to have been derived from the first name Ambroży (Ambrose).

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

Wittkowski is a variant minority and apparently German-influenced spelling. The standard name is Witkowski used by some 40,000 people in Poland and maybe another 10,000 in North America and around the globe. It is one of Poland's more popular surnames.

Genealogy / Kuzdeba: Is My Last Name Polish? [14]

KUZDEBA: Kuzdeba could be most anything -- Polish, but even more likely Ukrainian or Russian. There is an archaic Polish word kuzdubek which once meant a small grey dove. But that word too looks "eastern" -- indigenous Polish would probably be closer to kozdąbek (although that is a hypothetical re-creation).

Not every surname can be ethnically pin-pointed owing to the amount of linguistic and culutual interation (respellings, misspellings, abbreivations, de-ethnicisations, re-ethnicisations, etc.) that has occurred over the generations.