Genealogy / Mongolian the Golden Horde - do Poles have Mongolian ancestry? [256]

Mongolian admixture in Poland is a myth: polishgenes.blogspot.com/2013/03/no-mongolian-admixture-in-poland.html

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

KAMROWSKI: the ending "wski" suggests a toponimic name, however, on the list of all Polish localities nothing comes close to the root "Kamr" like "Kamry", Kamrów", etc. According to this site

stankiewicze.com/index.php?kat=44&sub=541

your name comes from German personal name Kamer, Kammer, Kammeres - from Old German word "kammerer", which means "chamberlain" or a person in charge of the noble houshold. See here:

houseofnames.com/kamer-family-crest

Of the same origin are similar Polish names such as Kamrański, Kamrek, Kamrańczyk, Kamraj, Kamracki, Kamraczewski. Kamrowski would mean a son of Kamer.

There are 649 people named Kamrowski in Poland, living mostly south of Gdańsk aka Danzig. See here:

moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/kamrowski.html

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

Volnick..or Wolnich: In proper Polish these names are written Wolnik and Wolnicz. Both come from "wolny" or "free". The ending "nik" and "(n)(w)icz" mean "son of wolny". "Nik" is more popular in southern Poland, "icz" in eastern. 1848 people in Poland are named Wolnik and 16 Wolnicz.

Study / Review of the Poznan University of Economics? [18]


I don't agree. In the USA for example, a degree from a Polish state university can be valued more than from an American university. Polish matura is commonly recognized as equivalent to 2 years of American college. 3 years from the Jagiellonian University gets you easily accepted to any Ph.D. program as a transfer student. With a M.A. from the University of Warsaw you probably have a better chance of getting to Harvard Law School than with a B.A. from Harvard. Polish public universities are very good at teaching, and that is recognized worldwide. However, on the lists of best universities Polish schools don't do well for two reasons. They don't help you find a job. Secondly, Polish professors work in a lazy system which does not force them to "publish or perish", so they don't publish, are not quoted in scientific papers, which lowers the scores of Polish schools. They are not prolific scientists, but good academic teachers. There are thousands of Poles with Polish degrees teaching in American Universities.

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

Światłowski, from światło (light) or a village with such root word. Today, 611 people in Poland are named Światłowski. The name sounds Polish, but anyone could use it: a Catholic, Jew, Protestant, agnostic, Armenian, Tartat.

Lazaruk (4 in Poland) or £azaruk (119), from Hebrew Eliza, Latinized to Lazarus, then Polonized to Lazaruk, £azaruk. Planty of similar sounding names. The name first documented in the 13 century. Same story: anyone could use it.

Note that Jews in Poland traditionally used only one name. In court documents of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a patronimic could be added to distinguish Izaak son of Dawid (Izaak Dawidowicz) from Izaak son of Abraham (Izaak Abrahamowicz) or Izaak from Kraków (Izaak Krakowski) from Izaak from Tarnów (Izaak Tarnowski). Only after the partition of Poland Jews were forced to use a second name (19 century) by Austria, Prusssia and Russia. Austrian soldiers forced Jews in Galicia (stretching from Kraków to Lwów) to buy Germanized names from preselected lists of names. Nice sounding names were purposely expensive. Ridiculous sounding names (to the Austrian soldiers) - such as Bloomberg, Rosenblatt, etc. - were the cheapest. This is the reason why so many Polish Jews have German names, and not because they had them when they migrated to Poland from Germany centurier earlier.

History / History of Poland in a pill - illustrated [38]


A good history of the Polish state. Let's try a history of the Polish Nation, which is quite different:

1. Baptism. Mieszko, a tribal duke of unknown ethnicity, forces baptism onto his tribe of uknown name (there is no scientific proof that Polanie ever existed in western Poland). No Polish Nation at that time.

2. Kings and queens. The beginning of the Polish Nation. Some knights begin to think of themselves in broader terms than feudal lords and tribal leaders - as Poles. Most kings and queens are not Polish, but are chosen by Polish knights to rule over the domain. Only the knights (probably less than 1% of the population) belong to the Polish Nation.

3. Golden Age. Rapid growth of the Polish Nation. It now consists exclusively of szlachta - about 8% of all inhabitants of the Commonwealth. 92% of the population are non-Poles. Peasants, Jews, city dwellers are not considered Poles or Polish in any way. The Polish Nation is not ethnic as many of the nobles are not ethnic Poles in contemporaty sense.

4. Decline. The Polish Nation (szlachta) goes nuts. It introduces liberum veto which makes it difficult to collect taxes, reform and defend the state. It elects as king a Swede who starts wars with Sweden (the Deluge).

5. Partitions. The Polish Nation still consists of 8% of the population. The Constitution of May 3 tries to expand the Polish Nation, introduce taxation of szlachta and raise an army, but it's too late.

6. Risings. Rapid decline of the Polish Nation. The partitioning powers take away szlachta's privilages reducing its numbers to about 4% of the population. Decapitated szlachta tries to regain privilages and state sovereignty in 2 uprisings. 96% of the population, however, does not join the remnants of szlachta in uprisings.

7. Resurrection. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century the remnants of szlachta evolve into Polish intelligentsia. The abolition of serfdom and free education for peasants creates Poles out of peasants. Peasants stop thinking of themselves as local serfs and discover they are free Poles just like szlachta used to be. Polishness is understood now ethnically. The Polish Nation was thus created little more than 100 years ago.

8. World wars. The newly created ethnic Polish Nation regains sovereignty after World War I. However, over 30% of the population is ethnically non-Polish. The new concept of the Polish Nation arises: all citizens of Poland belong to the Polish Nation (despite attempts of Dmowski and nationalists who prefered ethnic concept of Polishness).

9. Communism. German Holocaust and Soviet ethnic cleansing create Poland practically without ethnic minorities for the first time in Polish history. The Polish Nation is a political nation and at the same time an ethnic nation.

10 EU. Poland loses 2 million citizens who prefer a better place to live. Since 2007, 2500 schools were closed in Poland due to lack of students.

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

Orlenkowicz: From the city of Orleans, France, or a type of light woolen fabrics made in that city and exported to Poland. Possibly, your ancestor was a marchant/vendor of such fabrics or an emmigrant from Orleans (Orlean in Polish). The ending "wicz" means "son of" and is typical of the eastern part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth called Kresy. Only 2 people in Poland have this name today. But there are many similar names, sounding Polish-Ukrainian: Orleniuk, Orlenko, Orlenkiewicz, Orleński.

Genealogy / Trying to find Kellis (Keiles) family from Semiatyche (Siemiatycze), Poland [15]


Most likely the name was spelled Kejles as this commemorative plaque to the Jews of Siemiatycze suggests:



It reads: "Here lie the mortal remains of innocent victims murdered by Hitlerite butchers in the year 1942 in the city of Siemiatycze / of children, women, men and the old / 70 people in all / among them Efraim Kejles / Abram Ekstrak / Mejta Lew and others / Remained alive in deep sorrow and conducted the exhumation Joshua Kejles / Honored be their memory

Plenty of info about the Jews of Siemiatycze, for example photos - check Google

USA, Canada / Poles in America: How do you pronounce your Polish surname? [128]


Type your name and click "play" here: ivona.com/pl/

But before you do that you can choose from among 5 different pronunciations next to where it says "Polski, Jacek": choose instead "Polski, Agnieszka" as it the best.

Only one person named Sciog lives in Poland today: in Tarnów. There are many similar names, such as Ciog and Ciok. Over 2,000 Cioks live in Poland.

Sciog (or a similar name) was first recorded in Poland in the 15th century. It comes from the verb "ciokać" in old Polish or "cmokać" in modern Polish, which means to smack one's lips.


That's perfect pronunciation of your name. Interestingly, "h" and "ch" in modern Polish have exactly the same sound. In old Polish they were pronounced differently.

USA, Canada / Poles in America: How do you pronounce your Polish surname? [128]


Probably. Ścióg is pronounced slightly differently than Sciog in Polish because "ś" has a different sound from "s" and "ó" is not "o". But this is basically the same name with two alternative spellings - Ścióg being more modern form. I just found out that there are 60 Ściógs in Poland, as opposed to 1 Sciog. And so it's more likely that your name was originally spelled (and pronounced) Ścióg.

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

CHEKHOVSKIY: Likely Russified Polish name Czechowski - meaning someone from Czechowo or Czechów in Poland.

Cilebes: not Polish. Not known meaning in Polish. Not currently used in Poland.

Travel / Poles the worst-dressed tourists in the world? [25]

Sandals and socks was a Roman thing. It was high fashion for Roman soldiers in Britain to wear brightly coloured socks.

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

Dryja: first recorded in 1434, from German personal names Drei, Dreier, those from dri, today drei, meaning "three"; old Polish dryja meant the face of a die with three pips; a coat of arms is called Dryja. Currently, 1718 people in Poland are called Dryja. Most live in Radom, Radomsko and Rzeszów. Many similar names: Dryj, Dryjacki, Dryjak, Dryjański, Dryjar, Dryjas, etc.

Lopacki: no such name in Poland, likely £opacki, first recorded in1592, from łopata or "shovel", "spade" or toponimic from one of many villages called £opata. Currently, 275 males in Poland are called £opacki and 328 females (£opacka). Most live in Warsaw.

Kajdasz: from kajda or "a wooden case for a whetstone" used by haymakers. Currently, 228 people in Poland are called Kajdasz. Most live in or around Poznań. More popular is Kajdas: 789 - most live west of Kraków, especially in Wadowice.

Rachwal: first recorded in the 13th c., from first name Rafał, which came from Latin and Hebrew repha' el meaning "God cures". Only 3 people in Poland are called Rachwal. More popular is Rachwał: 3820.

Zielaskowski: toponimic from one of many villages called Żelazki ("Ironville"). Currently, 145 males in Poland are called Zielaskowski and 159 females are called Zielaskowska. Most live in and around Toruń.

Zbytowski: possibly toponimic, from zbytek meaning "a planty", "abundance", "luxury." Only 1 Zbytowski and 2 Zbytowskas live in Poland: all in Warsaw. Proper pronunciation here: ivona.com/pl/

Kaczmarczyk: first recorded in 1588, from karczma or "inn", "tavern"; means "son of innkeeper." A very popular name in Poland: 26295 users, especially in Kraków: 1428.

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

Sure. Here's a typical Kaczmarczyk from Kraków:

youtube.com/watch?v=T5ARXAamSMY

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

Bucia: from but, buta, bucić się (pysznić się) meaning pride, arrogance, to boast (about). Currently, only 31 Bucias live in Poland: 5 in Gdańsk, 4 in Kraków. 2 Bucias live in Germany.

Święch: first recorded in 1375, from Slavic first names Świętobor, Świętosław. Currently, 2293 Święchs live in Poland, mostly in Lesser Poland (203 in Myślenice, 157 in Brzesko, 138 in Kraków).

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

Palka: from the root pal: from pal (stake, pale), palec (finger), palić (burn), pałać (desire) or palik (little stake, pale). 3381 people in Poland named Palka.

If similar Pałka: first recorded in 1433, from the same root word as Palka or pałka which means "truncheon", "baton". 11394 people in Poland named Pałka, mostly from Lesser Poland.


Secio: not Polish, sounds Italian.

Pamula: Polish, only 2 people in Poland use this name, no meaning in this spelling.
If spelled Pamuła: "prune soup" or "servant" in old Polish. 1955 Pamułas live in Poland, mostly in and around Kraków.

Hujar: Polish, from hojdać, hujtać in old Polish meaning "to swing", "sway", "rock (to sleep)." 14 people in Poland named Hujar.

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

Dzialecki: from the verb działać: "to do", "to make", "to create." Currently, no Dzialecki or Dzialecka live in Poland. 34 Polish males are called Działecki and 41 Polish females are called Działecka. 47 of them live in Pabianice.

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

Fairly common: 1137.

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

Kuberski: first recorded in 1626, from the village Kubra, £omża County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. Kubra first recorded in 1497, has no meaning in Polish as it is of Baltic origin (Old Prussian or Yotvingian). 917 Kuberskis and 914 Kuberskas (females) live in Poland. Surprisingly, none of them live in southeastern Poland as this map shows: You have a Polish name with Old Baltic roots.

Chmielewski: root word chmiel or "hops", first recorded in 1415, from one of many localities called Chmielów or "Hopsville." Popular: 16646 Chmielewskis and 17780 Chmielewskas live in Poland.

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

Paderewski: first recorded in 1580, toponimic from the village Paderew in Masovian Voivodeship. Paderew from German Pader or Bader meaning "barber" who also specialized in simple medical procedures such as bloodletting. Currently, 202 Paderewskis and 211 Paderewskas live in Poland, most just north and west of the ancestral village. A typical Paderewski:

Life / Would getting a Polish eagle tattoo be frowned upon?? [39]

I know a Polish guy with a big tattoo on his forearm: Made in Poland.

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

Dubiel: first recorded in 1424, from Old Polish dubiel "fool; a kind of fish".

Sources:

a/ Kazimierz Rymut, "Nazwiska Polaków. Słownik historyczno - etymologiczny", Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN, Kraków 1999
b/ Kazimierz Rymut, 'Nazwiska Polaków. Słownik historyczno - etymologiczny, Wydawnictwo Naukowe DWN, Kraków 2001
c/ Zofia Kaleta, "Słownik etymologiczno-motywacyjny staropolskich nazw osobowych. Odmiejscowe nazwy osobowe", Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN, Kraków 1997
d/ Aleksandra Cieślikowa 'Słownik etymologiczno-motywacyjny staropolskich nazw osobowych. Odapelatywne nazwy osobowe', Wydawnictwo Naukowe DWN, PAN, Instytut Języka Polskiego, Kraków 2000
e/ Maria Malec 'Słownik etymologiczno-motywacyjny staropolskich nazw osobowych. Nazwy osobowe pochodzenia chrześcijańskiego', Polska Akademia Nauk, Instytut Języka Polskiego, Kraków 1995
f/ Zygmunt Klimek, 'Słownik etymologiczno-motywacyjny staropolskich nazw osobowych. Nazwy osobowe pochodzenia niemieckiego', Polska Akademia Nauk, Instytut Języka Polskiego, Kraków 1997

Genealogy / Bernatowicz surname? (I am starting to wonder if anyone in my family was American?) [85]

Bernatowicz: first recorded in Poland in 1507, from first name Bernard which was first recorded in the 12 century, of Germanic origin from Bernhard: beren "bear" and hard "strong". The ending "wicz" is Polish and means "son of". Currently, 1172 people named Bernatowicz live in Poland.

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

Chudywa, Dukasz, Chygyrinski: Currently, no one uses these names in Poland; possibly misspelled Polish names.

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

Wyrembelski: from wyrąb/wyręb/wyremb "clearing (in the forest)", "felling trees" or from a village called Wyrąb. Currently, 27 Wyrembelskis and 31 Wyrembelskas (female version) live in Poland.

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

Dukacz: root word dukać "to stammer" or from duk "hollow, hole." Currently, 116 people named Dukacz live i Poland, mostly in Lubaczów on the border with Ukraine:

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

Siwecki: root word siwy "gray", "gray-haired"; from place named Siwce, Siwica, Siwki, etc. Many similar names: Siwek, Siwiak, Siwicki, Siwiecki, Siwielec, Siwienko, Siwień, etc.

Genealogy / Andreij Ulicki or Andrés Ulicki Ancestors [2]

4 - 6 Ulickis and 1 - 3 Ulickas live in Augustów County. None in Suwałki. Most Ulickis and Ulickas live in Warsaw:

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

Kendik: from Proto-Slavic kąd-, kędr-, later kądek "curl, lock, bride's hair after cutting." Currently, 28 Kendiks live in Poland: 27 in Nysa and 1 in Krosno.

Dombec: root word dąb "oak." Currently, 4 Dombecs live in Poland: 2 in Nowy Dwór Gdański and 2 in Elbląg.

No Dombyk, but Dombik "little oak." 11 Dombiks live in Poland: 6 in Kluczbork and 5 in Namysłów.

No Parasczuk, but Paraszczuk: probably from the name Paramon used in Eastern Orthodox Church, from Greek Parámonos "faithful." Polonized Ukrainian name. Currently, 138 Paraszczuks live in Poland, most in Krasnystaw on the border with Ukraine.

Paraszczynsk/Paraszczyński: Currently, no one uses this name in Poland.

Language / -ski/-ska, -scy/ski, -wicz - Polish surnames help [185]

Dziemieszkiewicz: from first name Damian, first recorded in Poland in the 12 century as Damijan (1178), Doman (1250), Demijan (1405). The name came to Polish from Latin Damianus, which came to Rome from Greece and to Greece from Egyptian godess Damia. All in all, Dziemieszkiewicz is the son of an Egyptian godess. Currently, 50 Dziemieszkiewiczs live in Poland.

Rychorcewicz/Hychorcewicz: No such names in Poland. Both most likely misspelled. There are many similar names to "Hychorcewicz": Hryhorkiewicz, Hryhorkowicz, Hryhorowicz, Hryhorowski. They all mean "son of Gregory."