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

No, I haven't got a doctorate in szlachtology, but I have inforamlly studied this and other aspects of Polish history and culture for years. Podlasie was a place they called "laski, piaski and karaski". The latter is the cruceon (karaś -- a small fish that can survive in evaoporating, very-low-oxygen pools. They can be all head, tail and backbone covered with skin but little if any meat). Little more than potatoes grew in the sandy soil. "Boso lecz w ostrogach" (barefoot but in stirups) was also applied to the impoverished, soil-tilling gentry. Probably the percentage of szlachta in Podlasie was higher (12-15%) at different times in centuries past.

Gumishu -- I think you may find this item about the pettry gentry of Podlasie interesting.:
koc.pl/szl_podl.htm


No-one by that (Sopneski) spelling in Poland. Someone probably changed the spelling so it wouldn't get Anglo-mangled into sop-NOO-ski. Must have originally been Sopniewski -- toponymic nickname describing somerone from the village of Sopniew or Sopniewo. Possible etymolgogy: sopel (icicle) or sopeń (dialectic for supeł -- knot); hence Icicleville or Knotbury.


KUZDEBA: Could well be Russian. There are no suitable localities in Poland as possible toponymic sources, and the only word anywhere near that in Polish is kuzdroń, a dialectic name for common ivy (a plant).

There is only 1 Kuzdeba in Poland who lives in SW Poland's Opole area.


ŻAK: Etymology could incldue the following:
1. żak -- schoolboy, student, scholar
2. Żak -- Polish spelling of French Jacques
3. Zak -- Jewish rabbinical name from Hebrew contraction meaning "holy seed"
4. Toponymic nickname for someone from Żakowiec, Żakowo, Żakowice, Żaków, etc.


Eastern Polish patronymic nickname-turned-surname -- the equivalent of Stevenson.
The ethncially indigenous version would be Szczepaniak.

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

Indeed, dirt-poor Podlasie was known for its inordinate number of impoverished petty gentry, who hitched their old lady up to plough but had a heraldic crest and sword to show they were nobility. That was probably because often entire villages were ennobled for defending the lord's castle or manor house against an invasion or some other service rendered to a prince or king. Do you really believe most Kowalskis, Nowakowskis, Brzezińskis, Jaworowskis, Kapuścińskis, etc.

Let's imagine there were a number of people named Jan in a hamlet called Jaworów. One was Jan Kowal or Kowalski (blacksmith or native of Kowale), Jan Ciemięga (clumsy oaf), Jan Stasiak (Stan's boy), Jan Piekarczyk's (the baker's son or helper), etc, etc. But to residents of surrounding villages any of those might have been called Jan Jaworowski. At the nickname stage (before surnames took root) one person might be called different things: Adam Garbed (humpbacked), Adam Gwizdała (the whistler), Adam Jasiewicz (Johnny's kid) or Adam WiIkowski (the bloke from Wilkowo). Which name ended up as his surname that got passed down to his children is a good question. The whole area of surname emergence is full of meanders, complexities and confusion.

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

Szurpicki – toponymic from Szurpice (Featherton, Slovenville); probably derived from szurpa (peasant dialect) for a curly-featured fowl or slovenly housewife.

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

It is a myth that -ski names are those of only the gentry. Yes, more famileis of noble ancestry have -ski names than any other single group of surnames, but the vast majority were commoners. Jan Brzeziński could indeed have been Sir John of Birchwood, but all the peasants living in that village would also be called Brzeziński by outsiders, ie inhabitants of surrounding villagers. WHere soemoen was from was ocne an important qualifier. To determine whether your ancestors were Lords of Latuszew or simple, dirt-poor peasants, you need to enlist the services of a professional genealogical firm.

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

Toponymic nickname for an inhabtiant of Latuszew or Latuszewo. Possibly translatable as Summerton, Summerville, Summerburg?

In a follow-up to the Latuszeski query, most likely some immigrant to the English-speaking world prudently dropped ther "w". If it had been left Latuszewski, the Anglos would have Anglo-mangled it into some such atrocity as "lotta-SHOE-ski". In primary school a young child with such a name might well get taunted with: "So you've got a lotta shoes, eh?"

Life / The Polish Wedding - What is it Like in Poland? [338]

Anyone know why at Polish weddins in America guests clang glasses and cups wtih spoons raising a loud din as a sign for the bride and groom to kiss (often with their mouths full of food)? In Poland, they chant gorzko, gorzko instead.

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

Marzec (March) and other months as well as days of tenved as nicknames marking someone's time of birth or conversion (usually from Judaeism to Catholicism). It could have also orignated as a toponymic nikcname traceable to such localities as Marzęcin, Marzecice, Marzewo or Marcówka.


Bejma most likely originated from one of the following two sources:
1. As a version of Bem or Bema which came from German Böhme (Bohemian, Czech).
2. The Yiddish word bejm (tree) from German Baum.


Spejcher is the Polish phonetic respelling of the German word Speicher (granary). There is no-one in Poland by that name at present, but there is one person who spells his/her surname Spejchert. Incidentally, the Polish language borrowed the German word to create spichrz which subsequently evovled into spichlerz (granary).

Food / Polish head cheese [46]

Head cheese or brawn is not only encased in a bladder but is far less gelatinous. In fact it is compact enough to be sliceable. It would be difficult to cut zimne nogi into slices, that's why it is seved in squares.

Food / Polish head cheese [46]

Although head cheese, also known in English as pork brawn, and jellied pig's knuckles (feet, trotters) may seem similar at first glance, they are not the same.

The jellied feet are an aspic dish containing pork trotters and hocks and maybe pork meat. Some add a cooked sliced sliced or hard-cooked eggs for nicer colour. The Brawn is a more compact sliceable lunch meat made largely from the pig's head (jowls, lips, ears, brains with maybe some trotters added).

The head cheese is known as sacleson in Polish.
The jellied pig's feet are: nóżki wieprzowe w galarecie, galareta z nóżek wieprzowych, zimne nogi or studzienina in different parts of Poland.

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

The -czyk ending usually indicates a patroynmic nickname-turned-surname, so Niemczyk probably originated to mean "son of the German" or (toponymically) "son of the bloke from Niemce, Niemcz, Niemczewo, Niemcowizna, Niemczyn or Niemcówka" (all those localities exist in Poland).


The root is szczygieł (goldfinch, bird species), but Szczygliński originated most likely as a toponymic nickname traceable to a locality called Szczyglin (Goldfinchville).

Janas is one of a plethora of surnames derived from Jan (John). Others include: Janek, Janik, Janiak, Janda, Janczak, Jasik, Jasiak, Jaśkiewicz, Janowicz and many more.


Witko, Witek and Wituś are hypocoristic (endearing dimunituve) forms of the first name Witold.
In America, it might have been a shortened version of Witkowski, which would be a toponymic nickname identiying soemone as a native of Witków or Witkowo.

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

Indeed, these concocted examples were intended only to convey the general flavour of negativity to English speakers. One could have added something like szwabska zdzira and translated it as Teutonic tootsie.

No sweat about Niemczura and its etymology. With the exception of the most outrageous or obscene-sounding names (Moczymorda, Pierdoła or Kutas), the meaning of most surnames in all lanmgauegs has undergone lexicalisation. That means they are treated simply as surnames regardless of their original meanings. In English too if we meet someone named Baker, Cooper or Cartwright we do not usually ask them how many loaves, barrels or carts they have produced that day, because these are only names.

That also applies to words, and the Russian word for hair-dresser (perukmacher) comes to mind. It's original meaning was wig-maker but today it means only hairdresser.

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


Fabiszewski = toponymic nickname for native of the locality of Fabiszew (probably from the hypocoristic or endearing form of Fabian -- Fabiś, Fabuś, Fabek)
Więczykowski = toponymic nickname for native of the locality of Więczyków or Więczykowo (probably from "więcyk/więczyk" -- an archaic dialectic from of the word "więcej" = more).


Kavtievski or its Polish phonetic rendering Kawtiewski (except for the -ski which could be of other-Slavonic origin) does not look Polish nor does anyone in Poland use it. It may have been misspelt.


Niemczura might be roughly translated as that "kraut *****", "Teutonic slut", "Hitlerite hag", etc.

Re Niemczura -- yes, -ura is usually a pejorative suffix as in "szlachciura" -- old, broken, down, good-for-nothing, set-in-this-ways petty nobleman.


Re Stankiewicz -- patronymic nickname meaning Stanek's boy (Eng. Stanson)

Re Samsel -- German/Yiddish hypocoristic of Samson, less likely Samuel.


Re Narodowiec = nationalist; rather strange for a nickname-turned-surname.


Re Pałęski -- topnymic nickname for someone from Pałęgi in the Świętokrzyski Mts; a pałęga is a clearing or not overgrown section of a garden.


Re Czwakiel -- obscure. Possibly from szwak (archaic term for brother-in-law) or German/Yiddish adj. schwach (weak), ergo a weakling? But this is all very dubious.

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

Waszak and Wasiak are both patronymic nicknames from the Ruthenian first name Wasyl (Polish: Bazyli), ie "Basil's boy".

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

Jankowski might have arisen as a patronymic nickname meaningson fo Janek, but the majority of -wski surnames are toponymic in origin, so more likely than not it emerged to identify someone as a native of Janków, Jankowo or Janki.

Siedlarz is dialectic for siodlarz (saddle & harness maker)

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


Dmuchowski, Dmóchowski and Dmochowski probably started as a toponymic nicknames from at least six localities called Dmochy (Blowton, Gustville).


Regional toponymic adjective Śląski (pronounced: SHLON-skee) from the southern region of Śląsk (Silesia). Others include the nouns Ślązak and Ślęzak


A stumper indeed! Not only is there no-one named Firomski in Poland, but I have also struck out with a number of hypothetical spelling variants such as: Fieromski, Piromski, Pieromski, Wiromski, Wieromski, Chwiromski, Chwieromski, Kwiromski, Kwieromski....

Please check your ancestor's Old World documents (preferably birth/baptismal or marriage certificates if possible for the original spelling which may have become deformed over the years.

Life / Funeral Traditions in Poland [67]

Contact me

Life / Womans day in Poland? [242]

I thought Święto Kobiec (8th March) was a commie invention that Poles have scrubbed the way they have 22nd July (commie take-over day). It surely cannot be celebrated as widely as it was under communism, can it?

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


Piast was the name of Poland's founding dynasty. The term Piast was used to mean any native Polish candidate to the throne as opposed to a foreigner.

Piaścik is the diminutive form which possibly meant princeling. Or a toponymic nickname for someone from Piastów or Piastowo.
There are probbaly more nobles with -ski ending surnames, but that does not mean that all -skis were well-born.

Babicz - metronymic (son of an unwed mother)

Frankiewicz - patronymic (Frank's boy)

Bąk - horsefly, top (child's spinning toy), little tyke

Razkowski - probably Raszkowski (toponymic from Raszków)


bór~bor is a coniferous forest, someone living in or near oen or from a locality called Bory or Borki (Forestville, Forestwood, etc.) might have been nicknamed Borek. When he fathered a son, neighbours could well have dubbed the offspring Borczak, Borkiewicz, Borewicz or Borczyk (patronymic nicknames can be quite prolific in Polish).


Dunno if there's anyone on this forum with your sunrmae, but in Poland more than 7,600 people answer to Ruciński. Root is ruta~rucina (myrtle -- a herb associated with marriage and spinsterhood); possibly arose as toponymic nicname from the locality of Ruciany (Myrtleville?)


Seidowsky is not a Polish spelling. Could it have originally been Sajdowski?


Skłodowski -- toponymic from a place called Skłody (dialectic for sk$ady -- storage sheds)
Ordon -- probably from orda (horde); the Złota Orda was a Tatar-Mongolian state set up in the 13th century; name well-known in Polish culture thanks ia to Mickiewicz's poem Reduta Ordona (Ordon's Redoubt)

£ącka -- dialectic (mazurianised pronunciation) for łączka (meadow)


Most liklely a toponymic nickname for an inhabitant of Skórzew or Skórzewo (probably derived from skóra -- leather, hide, skin, hence Hideville, Leatherton, etc.)


Korab is an archaic Polish word for boat, ark, barge (still used in Russian and other Slavonic tongues). It is also the crest-name of a Polish coat of arms which depicts a boat with a tower at its center. Conflicitng legends place its origin in Germany, England or even ancient Rome. One version contends that the Roman Emperor Justinian (527-65) granted such emblems to his warriors who had successfully sailed such ships up the Danube into the lands of the Slavs and/or Huns.


Re Szczerbacki, it is the exact same name except that one if written in Cyrillic script: Щербацкий, the other the Polish way -- Szczerbacki.
BTW, note the efficiency and economy of Russian which compresses the szcz sound into a single letter: Щ

Language / Harmless old-fashioned Polish swear words/phrases [159]

Sorry, I misphrased things. I did not intend to suggest that choroba has replaced or displaced cholera which is very much alive. I wanted to say choroba was once used by those who felt cholera was too strong. Mea maxima culpa for my lack of clarity!

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

Rybicki is the adjectivał form of rybik -- silverfish, small insects founds in bathrooms, shower stalls, etc. Also possibly toponymic from places like Rybice or Rybiczyzna.

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

The absence of diacritical marks makes it impossible to even begin researching this surname. The names Zaleński as well as Załęski both exist in Poland. Also Zalenski wouldd be the way an immigrant might phoneticlaly respell Zalęski, Załęski and Żałęski. All these versions have different roots. If possibnle, check the immigrant's Odl World vital documents.

Language / Harmless old-fashioned Polish swear words/phrases [159]

Cholera was once considered quite rude so it was replaced by the euphemism choroba. Go figure.
Just as do diaska replaced do diabła, regarded as a very strong oath.

Genealogy / Kaczorowski [3]

Kaczorowski probably arose as a toponymic nickname for an inhabitant of Kaczorów or Kaczorowo (Drakeville).
A kaczor is a drake (male duck).

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


Preusser or Preußer = Prussian

Gęślicki from gęśla -- an ancient zither-like 3-stringed instrument


Rychcik -- toponymic nickname from Rychcik or Rychciki; possibly from rychtować (dialectic to repair, set right, settle, mend) -- possible nickname of a Mr Fix-it


Skibicki-- toponymic nickname from Skibice (Furrowville)

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

This has been going on for ages, but, since patience is a Christian value, here goes again: busha, busia, babci or bobchee are all in substandard Anglo-Polish jargon used in some US Polonian families, BYT THEY ARE NOT IN POLISH! The Polish word for grandmother is babka and popular hypocoristic forsm include babcia, babunia and

babuleńka.

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

Bercik could also be the diminutive or Berthold. But someone who came from Bohemia and was called Brcik migth have inserted a vowel to avoid snide comments and ridicule in a Polish-speaking area. Only a hypothesis!

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

Dudek -- Hoopoe, Old World bird species; colloquially a fool; also possible toponymic sources such as Dudki.


Brcik looks Czech. They love such words. Smrt is Czech for death (Polish: śmierć).
The Brcik name has been recorded in Poland but no-one bears it at present. There is one person named Bercik living in the Katowice area (which borders on Bohemia) and 2 Burciks living in the Warsaw area. It is not inconceivable that some Brcik added a vowel to make his name sound less strange in Poland.

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

More than 2,000 people in Poland use the Pączek surname, whilst fewer than 300 spell it Ponczek. Names have been subject to all kinds of inadvertent misspellings and deliberate respelligns as well as numerous otehr modifciatons. There are some people in Poland named Dembek but that does nto change teh fact that the original seżplling had been Dębek. One msut remember that most people were illiterate centuries ago, and even many village scribes and parish preists were semi-literate at best. Then the clerks of the partitioning powers took over... After Poland regained her freedom (1918) and literacy had improved considerably, some Poels restored the original spelling of their names, but others did not.

Genealogy / Looking for Polish Spelling of Last Name [17]

Couldn't find aynthign even close: Nieświerk, Nieświk, Nieszwierg...
Looks Germanic or Yiddish. Were yoru ancestors ethnic Poles?