Genealogy / Any information about Dziedzic Surname? [35]

Yes, more than 20,000 in Poland share the Dziedzic surname. The biggest concentrations are found in southern Poladn in the Katowice, Bielsko-Biała Kraków, Tarnów and Rzeszów areas. Two different coats of arms accompany the related surname Dziedzicki. For more information please contact resaerch60@gmail

Genealogy / Leszczynski surname, Balcerzak [51]

Lescinskis appears to be the Lithuanian translation of Leszczyński. The latter incidentally was the name of one of Poland's kings.

FYI the following people are researching the Leszczyński surname:
Leszczyński -- Montpellier & Carmaux, FRANCE; Strzelno, POLAND -- laurent.leszczynski@wanadoo.fr -- Feb/05
Leszczynski ---- BrennaJne@aol.com -- Feb/98
Leszczynski ---- gbarnes@unicomp.net -- Oct/96
Leszczynski -- Bielsk k. Płocka -- john@prodicus.com -- Aug/98
Leszczynski -- POLAND > SWEDEN -- k1mart@cox.net -- Sep/03
Leszczynski ---- kathyrt@dreamscape.com -- Mar/99
Leszczynski -- Pennsylvania, USA -- Keepersmom@worldnet.att.net -- Jan/98
Leszczynski -- Rekitnica -- kowallek@iglou.com -- May/04
Leszczynski -- Biechów, POLAND > Depew, New York; Toledo, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan, USA -- meliasz@em-group-llc.com -- Nov/02
Leszczynski ---- mike@eliasz.com -- Mar/07
Leszczynski -- GALICIA -- ripr@pipeline.com -- Mar/01
Leszczynski; Leszczyński ---- malachowo@yoyo.pl -- Apr/01
Leszczynski; Leszczyński -- Bereza Kartuska i okolice -- p_towpik@poczta.onet.pl -- Nov/00

Genealogy / Looking for a person living in Warsaw - any online phone book in Poland? [33]

A major concentration of Kłopotowski family members is in the Greater Warsaw area. Another is to the NE in and around the city of Białystok.

Genealogy / Polish & Prussian/German town name cross-reference. [100]

A partial lsit is found at:
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niemieckie_nazwy_polskich_miejscowo%C5%9Bci

Genealogy / Any information about Dziedzic Surname? [35]

A nominal fee is charged. Send me email for details.

Genealogy / Justewicz and Szawatkowski [11]

Only two people in Poland sign themselves Justewicz and a mere 12 share the Szawatkowski surname. That makes it much easier to trace long-lost relations than with more popular surnames.

History / Is there a list of those in the Polish Army during WWII? [193]

Try faxing your inquiry to the following military-research bureau: Prof. Krzysztof Komorowski, Wojskowe Biuro Badań Historycznych; tel. (+48 22) 682 5873.
Be sure to include as much vital data as you possess.

Genealogy / Polish surnames - Origin and Meaning [29]

Polish and probably all otehr european surnames following a similar pattern. Polish ones are based on ia the following:
1) Occupation (eg Piekarz = baker)
2) Place of origin (Brzeziński = the bloke from Brzezina/Birchville)
3) Characteristic (Cimięga = duffer, clumsy oaf)
4) Common household and barnyard objects, animals, food, etc. -- typical of peasant names: £opata = spade; Wróbel = Sparrow)
5) Nationality (Niemiec = German)
6) Polonised foreign names (Michejda derived from Scottish McCleod) -- BTW itinerant Scots traders were once so common in the sprawling Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that a (now obnolete) English saying once referred to "a Scots pedlar's pack in Poland" - meaning everything but the kitchen sink.

Genealogy / Polish surnames - Origin and Meaning [29]

You may be interested to know that there is only 1 person in Poland currently using the Szpital surname, but 31 people are named Szpitalak (a patroynmic meaning son of the bloke called Szpital).

Szpital nowadays means hospital but back when the surname was emerging it had a broader range of meanings including: poorhouse, homeless shelter, hostel for travellers, etc. BTW etymlogically the words host, hospital, hotel, hospice as well as the Germanic Gast, the English guest and the Polish gość all go back to the same Indo-European root.

Genealogy / Surnames Gall / Figura / Odrowaz [34]

There are more than 5,500 Figuras in Poland, the major stronghold beiong in southern Poland's contiguous Bielsko-Biała. Katowice and Nowy Sącz areas. Figura is obviously of Latin origin and in Poland meant a religious statue or a bigshot /celebrity).

Gall is used by only 268 Poles. It means Gaul, ancient forerunner of the Frenchman. The first chroncler of Poland was called Gallus Anonimus (the Anonymous Gaul).

Genealogy / Surnames Gall / Figura / Odrowaz [34]

The surname Petin probably started out as the French Pétin. Most likely many wounded Napoleonic soldiers were nursed back to health by Polish maidens and decided to settle down and start a family. The name appears derived from the French verb péter (roughly pronoucned payTAY) which means... to give off a loud cracking sound, let 'er rip or, to put it mildly, to break wind. The related word péteur means farter or sorry individual, a miserable excuse for a human being. On Polish soil the etymology was not widely known, as only the upper classes knew French.

You may be interested to know that Odrowąż is the name of a Polish coat of arms whose origin is quite unusual. In genral Polish coats of arms are surrounded by medieval legends explaining the circumsatnces of their emergence. The rather gory legend surrounding the Odrowąż coat of arms is said to go back to a hand-to-hand encounter that took place in the Middle Ages in Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic) between a Polish knight and a pagan warrior. The knight became so frustrated that he could not topple the resisting pagan that he grabbed him by his bushy moustache and ripped it off, nose and all, impaled it on an arrow and presented it to his lord as a trophy. The lord was so revolted at the sight of the mutilated noseless pagan that he forced the knight to use the Odrowąż coat of arms which means something like "moustache-ripper" and depicts what is supposed to symbolise a white moustache impaled on a stylized arrow set against a blood-red shield. The heraldic device may be viewed online at:

republika.pl/akromer/armorial_pocz.html

Genealogy / Polish surnames - Origin and Meaning [29]

The -ski, -cki and -dzki in Polish surnames are adjectival endings (that is why they must agree with the person they describe: Mańkowski for males and Mańkowska for females). In the majority of cases, these are surnames of toponymic origin, ie they were derived from the name of a region, town, village or, in the case of nobility, estate.

In general, the -ki ending surnames were used by more people of noble stature than other surnames. In the olden days a nobleman owning the village and/or estate of Dąbków (Oakville) would have been known as Jan z Dąbkowa (John of Oakwood), but in time it got adjectivalised into Jan Dąbkowski (in English tradition the ‘of’ got dropped and it became simply John Oakwood).

But peasants living in the village would also be referred to by the Dąbkowski nickname which eventually evolved into a bona fide surname..
According to rough estimates, at various times in Polish history up to 10% of the population enjoyed noble status. The percentage among the bearers of ski-ending names would be somewhat higher.

The main reason for many non-ski-type surnames amongst the nobility was the practice of ennobling entire villages in exchange for defending the local prince’s castle or performing some service to the Crown. We therefore got a whole class of impoverished gentry who differed little from peasants in a neighbouring village in terms of wealth but had a coat of arms and sword to prove their noble status. This was especially true of the Podlasie region along the Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian borderlands. That area’s castle-towns were frequently attacked by the pagan Jadvingians and the local peasantry had to be enlisted to fend off the assault.

Food / Polish Potatoes [48]

Nowadays many people process raw, peeled, cuebd ptoatoes in a blender or processor instead of the knuckle-scraping manual grating. These can then be mixed with an egg and a bit of floor to form pyzy or kluski śląskie and boiled in salted water. The same mixture can be fried in lard or oil for potato pancakes (placki kartoflane). Pursits claim: Jeśli nie tarte to gówna warte (meaning only the hand-grated kind are any good).

Food / Polish Milk Soup [72]

Milk soups are an excellent way to use up the preceding day's leftover noodles or any kind of pasta, cooked rice, buckwheat or barley groats.

To 2 pint hot milk add 1-3 cups of any of the above, and let your diners either salt or sweeten it to taste. A pat of butter may be added.

If there's nothing leftover from the day before, into the boiling milk pour egg-batter in a thin strema to make lane kluski: 1 egg beaten with a heaped tablespoon flour a pinch of salt and just enough liquid (boiling water or milk) to get a nice pourable batter. Cook several minutes and serve as above.

USA, Canada / Are there any Polish people in Florida? [311]

This is only a partial listing, but may be the place to start….
Vero Beach has an unusually large (for Florida) concentration of Pol-Ams.
Polish American Social Club of Vero Beach, Florida, Inc. 7500 North US 1,
Vero Beach, FL 32967
PO Box 6508, Vero Beach, FL 32961-6508
Tel: 561-778-0039
Florida. Sounds of the South at the Polish American Society, 1343 Beach Dr. SE., St. Petersburg, Fla., dinner 2:30-4:00 p.m., $7.50; music 4:00-7:00 p.m., $5 members, $7 non-members. For details call (727) 526-6835.

Florida. Northern Sounds at the Polish American Pulaski Association, Holiday, Fla., 7:00-11:00 p.m. Check locally for details.
Polish-American people and activities may also be encountered at the Polonian parishes of OL of Częstochowa in Pompano Beach and St Joseph’s in Davies, FL.

There is also a Polish club in Titusville.

Language / NAMES POLES GIVE THEIR DOGS [76]

some common names for Polish bitches:
Abra
Aga
Asia
Basia
Bera
Dora
Figa
Fryga
Kaja
Kasia
Klara
Kora
Kropelka
Kropka
Kropla
Lala
Lalka
Lila
Maja
Misia
Mucha
Nana
Nora
Niusia
Perła
Psotka
Pusia
Saba
Sara
Śnieżka
Śnieżynka
Tara
Zuzia
Zyta

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

Not many Lichotas live in the Płock area. The biggest concentrations are in southern Poland. The name's meaning is none too flattering. For more inforamtion please contact research60

[Moved from]: SURNAMES JADCZAK & HODAR

There are a couple of thousand people named Jadczak in Poland. However not a single person spells his name Hodar at present. There are quite a few people surnamed Hodara and even more spelling it Chodara. There is only one Chodar. Please re-check your immigrant ancestor's Old World documents if possibłe.

Language / NAMES POLES GIVE THEIR DOGS [76]

As far as I know, all Polish bitch names end in -a. But there's no reason why you couldn't blaze a new trail and give your female dog a male name or anything else for that matter.

Genealogy / Want to find a person [762]

[Moved from]: USING PEOPLE-FINDERS TO TRACK DOWN POLES?

Has anyone used or know how effective Internet people finders are in Poland?
For instance: peoplesite.com/search.asp
Unfortunately, this one requries the name and address. ISstehre any population data base that would list all the people using the Chrisitian name and surname with their addresses, phones and e-mails? Probably not. Does anyone know for sure?

Language / Polish words difficult to translate into English [66]

That calls to mind anotter difficult word -- murowany as in "murowany zamek"... English is more precise in specifying whether it was made of brick or stone.

Yes, wychwoanie is upbringing or rearing, but how does that sound in a proper name: Departament of Upbringing, Child Education and Rearing Department???

Can you think of any other such untranslatable or difficult to translate Polish words.

News / Original cars manufactured in Poland [64]

Merged: POLISH MOTORCARS THEN AND NOW?

Anyone interested in the history and current sitauton of Poland's motor industry? Has anyone on this forum heard of such pre-war makes as SKAF, Polonia, Iradam or CWS? How about such post-war models the Meduza, Mikrus, Smyk, Brzdąc, Wars and Beskid? Closer to our times, although lightly protected, the Honker light military reconaissance vehicle has performed well in a torrid, desert climate. One of the world's most outstanding and pricey sportscars, owned by kings and sheiks, is also produced in Poland?

News / Original cars manufactured in Poland [64]

About the only pre-war Polsih-buitl cars still about are the Polski Fiats. They turn up at oldtimer parades and rallies, esp. the miniscule Topolino (a two-seater with a small jump seat fro a child or very small adult in back) which was produced in the largest number. One does occasionally still encounter pre-war Mercedes, BMW Dixi and a few others, but these were not produced in Poland. Chevrolet assembled their cars in Warsaw in the 1930s. There is an old car museum in the Warsaw suburb of Otrębusy. In general, Poland had few motorcars on the road before WW2, and many were taken abraod (to Romania) when refugees began fleeing the combined German-Soviet invasion of 1939. The Germans and Russiasn confiscated many of those that remained, and the war destroyed most of the rest. Some survived hidden in sheds, haystacks and forest dugouts -- often in good condition.

Genealogy / Looking for Sakowski ancestors (near Kierzek??) / also Szymanski [30]

Larry in Polish is Wawrzek -- short for Wawrzyniec (Lawrence).

News / Original cars manufactured in Poland [64]

It's hard to say what you saw, but a few decades ago there were 3-wheeled Czech-built vehicles for the handicapped -- basically an enclosed motorbike with windsreen, hood, side-screens or doors. The body was made from a brown, leatherette-type substance. I'm sure they haven't been produced for years.

Is the Velorex 3-wheeler what you saw?
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikrosamoch%C3%B3d

News / Original cars manufactured in Poland [64]

In 2007 Poland's top-selling marques in this order were:
Toyota, Skoda, Opel, Fiat, VW, Ford, Renault, Peugeot, Citroën and Honda.

Merged: Anyone ever seen a Mikrus (car)?

A Maluch (126P) was Lincoln stretch limo compared to the miniscule Mikrus which appeared at the turn of the 1960s. It was really tiny, had pram-sized, perhaps 10" wheels and you felt you'd lose your fillings if the road was less than perfectly smooth. It could hasve motorised Poland a good decade before the Maluch but Big Brother said "nyet". He felt it would be comeptiton for their Zaporozhets. Probabylno more than about 2,000 units were built, so it was still in the prototype stage.

Genealogy / Looking for any Glaszcz's from Poland (Głaszcz surname) [2]

The Głaszcz surname (Glaszcz does not exist in Poland!) appears derived from the verb głaskać (to pet, stroke, fondle). It is shared by some 150 people in today's Poland. For a complete surname analysis please contact me.

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


For information on the Koladycz surname please contact me.


Molik might have been derived from the verb молиться (Ruthenian for "to pray"), so it could have arisen as a nickname fro someone who prayed a lot, a pious person. The Polish equivalent would be Modlik

I wonder if it migth be connected to the insect known as the praying mantis (modliszka) which copulates with the male mantis and then proceeds to devour him for lunch.