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

Couldn't find Tenski, Teński or Tęski. Maybe it was originally Tęskny and got misspelt between the Old Country and the New. The adj. tęskny means wistful, longing, yearning. It is quite a rare surname and on the verge of extinction as only half a dozen people in Poland sign themselves that way.

KUKIE£KA: from kukła (puppet, doll, effigy); kukiełka is the diminutive version (a grammatical form that makes something some sound smaller, cuter, daintier, etc.)

BTW, in the eary days of American TV (late '40s early '50s) there was a kids puppet show called "Kukla, Fran and Ollie".(Fran was the human member of the trio, the other two were puppets.)

Genealogy / Does anyone have any relatives who served with 1st Polish Armoured Division (Gen. Maczek) [311]

KUCHARCZYK: root-word kucharz (cook), the -czyk ending is usually patronymic so it probably originated to "the cook's son".

Food / Fermented Oatmeal Soup from Poland - Recipe? [67]

I often have żurek for breakfast the Old Polish way. First I fill 2 litre jars just under half full with plain rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking because those are chemically treated!), I add a couple slices of stale rye bread (containing at least 50% rye flour -- Dawny from Oskroba is good!), a sliced bud of garlic in each jar and top up with lukewarm pre-boiled water. Keep it near the radiator about 5 days until a pleasantly tart aroma is sensed, then strain it through a colander and it makes about 1 liter of żur. To make the soup I use 1 part żur and 1 part water, some kiełbasa 5-10 dkg for a litre of soup) and cook it 15-20 minutes after it boils covered on low. Season with salt, pepper and marjoram.Then serve it over hard-cooked eggs and diced twaróg (pot cheese). A dollop of sour cream may be added.

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

BARSZCZEWSKI: root-word barszcz, the name of an invasive weed once used by poor peasants in the Commonwealth and Muscovy to make soup to which the plant gave its name. Since -owski and -ewski ending surnames are nearly always of toponymic origin, this one most likely is traceable to Barszcze (1) or Barszczewo (2 such localities), all three in NE Poland's Podlasie region, or similarly named localities in Belarus and Russia.

GRUDNIEWSKI: Most likely a toponymic nick to identify an inhabitant of Grudna or Grudno.
The Jewish connection, of course, cannot be ruled out, but if December were the root I think it would have been Grudziński. Etymologically it was probably derived from the old adjective grudny describing frozen clumps of earth when the ground freezes over.

Law / USD shooting up so high for PLN [76]

Merged: Why so much PLN for the USD in Poland?

The USD in Poland is now fetching around 3.75 zł which is extremely high. Anyone know why? Ukraine conflict? World oil prices? Something else? In the past when the złoty was losing value the movers and shakers NBP would introduce some measures to bring it up. Why are they not doing it at present?

Genealogy / Polish Gypsy Seliga (Szeliga) and Bunk (Bak) ...Need opinions [32]

Michał ranks among Poland's most popular Christian names. At present some 350,000 use it. Re Szeliga, nearly 6,000 in Poland use it, with 1,600 using the Seliga spelling. In Germany it is Szeliga 98 and Seliga 69. Unfortunately, I've got no data for Austria.

No idea why Boyer would be written Böyer. This is a French name originally meaning cowherd. It is found in Germany and Scandinavia but not in Poland. Conceivably it could have been a corruption or misspelling of German Bayer (Bavarian) In script someone didn't pull the tail of the letter "a" down far enough making it look like an "o" to the next copyist down the line (?!)

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

MORTON/MORTOŃ: Some 100 people use the first version and a quarter as many the second. Onamastician Dr Ewa Szczodruch feels it was derived from names such as Marcin or Marta.

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

Although with surname origin most everything is possible, more likely is the toponymic angle -- a great many Polish surnames are derived from place-names (toponyms). Here we have localities such as Piątek, Piątak, Piątki, Piątkowa, Piątkowo, Piątków, Piątkowiec, Piątkowice, Piątkowizna, Piątkowisko and probably a few more.

Genealogy / Polish Gypsy Seliga (Szeliga) and Bunk (Bak) ...Need opinions [32]

SZELIGA: Already known in Poland in the 14th century, this was an adaptation of the German name Selig (the German adjective selig means blessed, happy, blissful). Szeliga was also the name of a Polish noble clan whose coat of arms you can view at:

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szeliga_%28herb_szlachecki%29

Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [239]

When God was creating different nations, he gave the Poles a land rich in natural resources with a beautiful seacoast, majestic mountains, forests full of game, lakes and rivers teeming with fish, vast fields of golden grain, beautiful flaxen-haired maidens and handsome, hard-working youths for them to marry. "Is it fair that the Poles are getting so much of a good thing?" a little angel asked. And God replied: "Wait till you see who I give them for neighbors!"

Merged: Marital interaction of Polish couples?

MĄŻ i ŻONA

WIFE: Good thing you're home. The kitchen tap is leaking. Could you mend it?
HUSBAND: What do you think I am - a plumber.?
WIFE (Next day): Good thing you're home. The back garden needs to be raked.
HUBAND: What do you think I am - a gardener?
WIFE (Next day): Good thing you're home. There's a short circuit in the floor lamp, maybe you could do something about it?
HUSBAND: What do you think I am - an electrician?
WIFE (Next day): The tap and lamp have been mended and the garden has been raked. The neighbour said he'd do anything for me if I baked him a cake or slept with him.

HUSBAND: So what did you bake him?
WIFE: What do you think I am - a pastry chef?!

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

Polish teenagers are sure not polite. They tend to elbow their way to the tram or coach exit as if the word "przepraszam" didn't exist. What's it like in other countries? Are German, French, Italian, Swedish, Hungarian and other teens any better or is it an age thing?

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

CZABAN/CABAN has one of several meanings: 1) a large ox or ram; 2) clumsy oaf: 3) market hawker.

Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [239]

A few more Polish jokes, this time targeting the K-words (Germans):

You know you've crossed into Poland because of the narrow, rutted and potholed roads. You know you've crossed into Germany because the cows are more attractive than the women.

Prostitutes working in Germany have to be imported from neighboring countries, because. German ones would have to pay their customers.
The Germans have invented a new type of extra-large microwave oven. It seats 10.

Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [239]

A tiny sampling of real Polish jokes:

What does PRL (Polish abbreviation for Polish People' Republic) stand for? - Prywatne Ranczo Leonida (Brezhnev's Private Ranch) And DDR (German abbreviation of German Democratic Republic or East Germany)? Dodatek do Rancza (An addition to the ranch.)

When asked by a foreign visitor what is Poland's trade with the Soviet Union like, a Pole replied: "We send their our meat, coal and textiles and they send us shoes......to be repaired."

A Polish fisherman catches a goldfish which promises to fulfill three wishes if he sets it free. The Poles says: "I'd like all the Chinese to come up to the Polish border and then go home. And I'd like them to do the same two more times." The perplexed goldfish replies: "I will fulfill your wish, but please tell me why such an unusual request?" The fisherman replies: "Because that way they will have gone through the Soviet Union six times!"

Since things were a bit less severe in Poland than in other Soviet bloc countries it was often said that "Poland is the jolliest barracks in the socialist camp."

After visiting communist Poland some PolAm tourists concluded that "Poland is a 100% Marxist country: 5% Karl and 95% Groucho!"
Under communist occupation toilet graffiti included: "Tu produkuje się ser dla ZSRR" (Here cheese is produced for the USSR) and "Tu fabryka miodu dla przyjaciół ze Wschodu (This factory produces honey for our friends from the East).

Regarding slipshod labor and low wages Poles explained: "We pretend we're working and they pretend they're paying us."
TV news report: This just in. Sunday's election has been called off. On Saturday somebody lost the results.
Communist Party secretary: "Comrade Nowak, we didn't see you at the last meeting." - "If I had known it was the last, I would've been there."

At a Communist Party meeting Comrade Kowalski asks: "Have we already achieved socialism or will things get even worse?" At the next meeting Comrade Woźniak raises his hand and asks: "Does anyone know what ever happened to Comrade Kowalski?"

Anti-communist jokes circulated profusely during martial law imposed by Jaruzelski in late 1981 to crush Solidarność.. One said: Poland is changing its name to Ubekistan (a play on UB, the Stalin-era secret police). It's capital will be called Jaruzelem (from dictator Jaruzelski's name); its currency will be 30 pieces of silver, and its goal will be to create a "new man" called Homo Zomo (ZOMO was Jaruzelski's riot police).

During martial law a man goes to confession and tells the priest: "Father, I have just killed a ZOMO." The priest replies: "Son, first your sins. You can tell me about your achievements afterwards!"

Why are Jaruzelski's lips so red? - Because Brezhnev suffers from hemorrhoids.
Why was Wałęsa released from detention on November 14, 1982? - Because Brezhnev had said "Over my dead body!" (The Soviet dictator died on November 10.)

History / Terrible past for the Jews in Poland? [930]

Under Soviet policy, (following Stalin's annexation of the eastern half of Poland in collision with Hitler) Poles were denied access to positions in the civil service and former Polish senior officials and notable members of the community were arrested and exiled to remote regions of Russia together with their families. At the same time the Soviet authorities encouraged Jews to fill in the newly emptied government and civil service jobs. (...) While most Poles of all ethnicities had anti-Soviet and anti-communist sentiments, a portion of the Jewish population, along with ethnic Belorussians, Ukrainians and few communist Poles had initially welcomed invading Soviet forces. (...) Polish poet and former communist Aleksander Wat who had Jewish roots stated that Jews were more inclined to cooperate with the Soviets. Norman Davies claimed that among the informers and collaborators, the percentage of Jews was striking, and they prepared lists of Polish "class enemies".

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland

Genealogy / Easy way to find out which Polish coat of arm/Clan you belong to. [105]

According to Taduesz Gajl's armorial, the most authoritative and updated available, no coat of arms accompanies the Kubisz surname. There were nobles amongst the bearers of such similar names including Kibicki, Kubiński and Kubiczek.

Genealogy / Last name History or help please: BREJ surname [20]


NIEŻYJE: (he/she) is not alive; origin uncertain, possibly originated as a nick given to someone born after his father had died or mother died in childbirth; alternatively a topo nick from Nieżywięc.

BREJ: possibly from breja or bryja (mush, thick porridge); originally from Gemran Brei (mush, porridge).

For more information please contact me.

Genealogy / Does anyone know where the name Ciupa is derived from? [29]

WEINZWIEG: wine-twig, grapevine twig (German/Yiddish).

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

GAZDECKI: root-word gazda (highland farmer); Gazedcki (patronymic) would be his son.

PIERZYNOWSKI: root-word pierzyna (featherbed, down-filled comforter; someone making or dealing in featherbed of hailing from the locality of Pierzyny could have earned such a nickname.

BUDZIŃSKI: root-word budzić (to wake); colloquially "the waker"; or toponymically from localities east of the border such as Budin or Budino.

NOTE: Coats of arms accompany all three above surnames. For more info please contact me.

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

By Jews yes, but to each nationality old country refers to the land one's ethnic ancestors hailed from. With Jews the plural old countries might be more appropriate. Also, for Jews that term often has a negative connotation and is equated with "that horrible place". By contrast, Goyim often use it nostalgically to refer to one's native parts, childhood reminiscing, quaint old customs, favorite comfort foods and other such sentimental reverie.

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

LESMAN: German toponymic nick for someone from the German town of Leese. Incidentally, Bolesław Lesman (an assimilated Jew), one of the early 20th century's greatest Polish poets, changed his name to Leśmian to make it sound more Polish.

Old Country is the way Americans of different nationalities refer to the European country to which they trace their ancestral roots. It is used by the Irish, Italians, Poles, Czechs, Germans et al, so it's not surprising that Jewish Americans do likewise.

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

If a surname exists in Polonia but not in Poland that could mean the Old Country branch all emigrated or died off or maybe got stranded on the eastern side of the Soviet border in 1920 or 1945.

Genealogy / WW2 Polish Immigrant - Sgt Florian Stanislaw Bilicki [6]

BILICKI: Ruthenianised version of Bielicki -- toponymic nick from Bielice; root-word is biel (Ukrainian bil) meaning white.

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

BUCIA: it's a toss-up. Could be from but (boot), maybe a clipped form of buciar (big, old, worn-out boot) which in modern Polish is more commonly bucior. But also buta (extreme arrogance). Possibly even a topo nick from Bucze.

Genealogy / Szercman / Kutmer - information [5]

For Jewish genealogy questions check out the Jeiwsh Historical Institute (Żydowski Instytut Historyczny); phone: +48 22 827 9221.

Genealogy / SURNAME:CZARNECKI [27]

CZARNECKI: most likely originated as a toponymic nick for someone hailing from one of many villages in Poland called Czarna or Czarne. Another possibility is the patronymic avenue: someone nicknamed Czarny (Blackie) for his dark completion and raven-black hair fathered a son, and fellow-villagers could have dubbed the offspring Czarniak, Czarnowicz or Czarnecki (Blackie's boy).

There are 10 different coats of arms for the Czarneckis.
For more info please contact me.

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

POLICHOŃSKI/POLECHOŃSKI: These are two variants of the same surname, Polechoński being the more common version.
Its meaning is obscure but it might trace back to such first names as Leopold or Apoloniusz whose pet forms include Polek or Poldek. Hence Polechoński might have originated as a patronymic nickname indicating Polek's son.

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

MIZERACKI: This surname exists in Poland. It comes from the Old Polish word mizera (poverty, misery, wretchedness). Mizretsky might have been a clumsy attempt to phonetically respell it.

Yetta is not a Polish female first name. She might have been called that after landing overseas, but not in Poland.

Genealogy / Walerzak. Help needed Trying to trace my father's roots in Poland [2]

WALERZAK: originated as a patronymic nickname to indicate the son of Walery (Valerian).

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

SOBIERALSKI: Soberalski is not used in Poland. It may have resulted from a mistranslation of the Russian Cyrillic or from a misspelling at Ellis Island or elsewhere. Your great great grandfather's last name could not have been Soberalska, because that is the feminine form. Sobieralski was probably derived from the first names Sobiesław or Sobiestian (an old form of Sebastian).

For more info on the name's origin, where your namesakes are from and whether a coat of arms goes with it, please contact me.

When an émigré has a Polish surname no longer used in Poland, that suggests that: 1) all its bearers have either died off or emigrated; 2) its users were stranded on the Soviet side of the border after 1920 and 1945. 3) In the case of an unusual-sounding name (and Naj certainly fits the bill), its users changed it to something else like perhaps Najlepszy (the best) or Najmanowicz (son of Najman, Yiddish pronunciation of German Neumann = newman, newcomer).