Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

It's not implausible, but I have no knowledge how heralds were nicknamed 500 or 700 years ago. Equally possible is that your ancestor was an owner of a bunch of noisy dogs in the 12th century and his neighbours called him szczekot. It's also possible your ancestor was from the city of Szczekociny "Barktown." One thing we know for sure - that the root-word szczekać was popular in Poland for generating nicknames and later names, as currently there are two dozen names with the same etymology: Szczek, Szczeka, Szczekala, Szczekalik, Szczekalski, Szczekała, Szczekało, Szczekan, Szczekarewicz, Szczekla, Szczeklik, Szczekna (since 1402), Szczekocin (since 1215), Szczekociński, Szczekocki (since 1362), etc.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Szczekot: from szczekać "to bark" (like a dog or fox). Currently, 69 Szczekots live in Poland, most in Leżajsk.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

The ending -czyk is typical in Polish names. But Powelczyk is incorrect.
Pawełczyk: first recorded in 1605, from Paweł "Paul," "son of Paul" or "Paulson;" Paweł from Latin Paulus "small" since the 12th century. Currently, 3611 Pawełczyks live in Poland, most in Będzin:

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Jaroch: since 1444, from names such as Jarogniew, also from jary "springlike, young, strong." Currently, 1147 Jarochs live in Poland - most in Bydgoszcz.

moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/jaroch.html

Other names are not in use in today's Poland. Most are orthographically impossible in Polish. Names beginning with Szach- are common. Szach comes from Persian Shah and the game of chess.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Wilkanowski: since 1640, toponimic from Wilkanowo, a village in Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship. Wilkanowo = wilk "wolf" + nowo "new." Currently, 135 Wilkanowskis and 152 Wilkanowskas live in Poland. No info on Wilganowski or Wilkinowski.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

More likely German or Prussian than Polish as this area was part of Germany before 1945. But you can't deduce someone's nationality from their name alone or from the name of locality they came from.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Białołęcka (female)/Białołęcki (male): toponimic from Białołęka, a village near (now part of) Warsaw founded in 1425, from biały "white" + łąka "meadow." Currently, 45 Białołęckas and 33 Białołęckis live in Poland.

Zahacefski: likely a corrupted form of Zachaczewski, from names beginning with Za- such as Zachariasz, Zacheusz, Zabor, Zasław or toponimic from a village no longer existing in Poland.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Data: from datek "offering, dole, charity" (from Proto-Slavic dati), from data "date" (from Latin data). Currently, 1691 Datas live in Poland.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

No. Działecki is from działać "to do," not from dzielić "to divide" or działka "a parcel of land." Even names such as Działek, Działko, Działkiewicz, Działkowicz, Działkowski, Działkowiec come from działać "to do."

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Szott: since 1671, from Szot in Old Polish "Scot, Scottish person," from szot in Old Polish "trader, herring," from German personal name Schot. Similar names: Szotta, Szottek. Currently, 734 Szotts live in Poland. Sources:

stankiewicz.e.pl/index.php?kat=44&sub=828
moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/szott.html

Genealogy / Want to find a person [759]

If you know which school he went to, you can try to find him on Nasza-klasa.pl ("Classmates"): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasza-klasa.pl

Life / Installing a solar panel in Poland [14]

The best place for solar panels is in the basement.

Genealogy / Last Name Information - Lewandowski [16]


Currently, 43690 Lewandowskis live in Poland as this map shows: moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/lewandowski.html

Of course, all of them belong to nobility and own peasants who work for them. This is their current Coat of Arms:

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Papka: from papka "gruel" or from verb papkać "to eat" in Old Polish. Currently, 476 Papkas live in Poland. Most Papkas live in Sandomierz and Kielce. The name is not "more eastern." Distribution in Poland: moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/papka.html

Genealogy / Is Gajos a Silesian or Polish surname? [12]

Gajos is a popular Polish surname. 4146 people named Gajos live in Poland. Distribution of Gajos name in Poland: The largest concentration of Gajoses is in Miechów and Kielce, suggesting that the origin of the name was not in Silesia.

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


Originally in Polish, "polska" was an adjective always attached explicitly or implicitly to ziemia (land) "ziemia polska" (Polish Land). It still survives as an adjective in the name of the country "Rzeczpospolita Polska." Polska as a noun is a colloquial abbreviation, common since the 19th century. In the Constitution of May 3, 1991, "Polska" is used both as an adjective and a noun.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Bajdo: first recorded in 1789, from Old Polish bajda "blabber, gossipmonger." No apparent meaning in contemporary Polish. Currently, 128 Bajdos live in Poland.
Woloszyn: from Slavic first name Wolimir or from verb woleć "to prefer" or from noun wola "will." Currently, only 4 Woloszyns live in Poland.

If originally spelled Wołoszyn: first recorded in 1359, from Wołoch "a member of pastoral people in Carpathian Mountains of Romanian origin. Wołochs were mistakenly thought to be from Italy, hence the name of Italy and Italians in Polish is Włochy. Currently, 6682 Wołoszyns live in Poland.

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

@vodopad
My mistake. Thanks.


No, the list is not searchable this way. You'd have go name by name. But when I randomly searched few hundred names on the list I noticed that there are very few young soldiers born in 1926, and I found only one born in 1927 (but not Stanisław). So there is a good chance you will find very few Stanisławs born in 1927, and luckily only one. Unforunately, vodopad is right and the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division was also a part of the II Corps and fought at MC. It was a huge division too, and I didn't find a list of its soldiers on the internet. Such lists are in books published long time ago.

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

If he fought at Monte Cassino, he was in the Polish II Corps. If he was in infantry, he had to be in the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division. The division was 29000 strong. Here's the list of all names, followed by birth date, rank, etc.:

stankiewicz.e.pl/index.php?kat=42&sub=644
I have no idea how to find your father's name there. There are many sites dedicated to the Polish soldiers who fought in the II Corps, at Monte Cassino, etc. (some in English) - with personal stories perhaps worth checking out.

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


They do. The ending -ski creates an adjective. All ski-names are adjectives. The name of Poland in Polish "Polska" is originally also an adjective (since the 19th century also used as a noun). However, Polish ski-names started to form not earlier than the 13th century and became very popular only in the 16th century. The equivalents of Slavic -ski and -cki in English are -ic and -ish. Celtycki=Celtic; brytyjski=British.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Szybkowski: first recorded in 1747, root word szybki "quick, swift, fast." Currently, 114 Szybkowskis and 111 Szybkowskas (females) live in Poland:

Life / Halloween vs All Saints' Day in Poland [48]

Celtic All Hallows' Eve is closely related to Slavic Zaduszki. Zaduszki, an ancient pagan festival, has nothing to do with All Saints Day, a Catholic holiday. All Saints Day celebrates martyrs for Catholic faith, not dead relatives. All Saints Day is on November 1, Zaduszki on November 2. Poles often confuse the two holidays. For some unknown reason All Saints Day is a state holiday in Poland, while more ancient and more Polish Zaduszki is not.

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."

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

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.

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? [4501]

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 / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

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? [4501]

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? [4501]

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

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.