Brocki Spelling of Polish Surname

Hi there,

My surname is Brocki, which reflects, to my knowledge, an incorrect pronounciation and spelling of Brodski. To give some background, my father's family is of Polish descent, and the city of Brody was historically situated in Poland, nowadays in the Ukraine. I would like to know whether spelling Brocki is not perceived as an error by Polish speakers.

Thanks in advance!

Brocki is quite unusual here. Brodzki much more popular. Brodski looks Russian.

Admittedly, I know nothing about the Polish language, but isn't -ski a common suffix in Polish, making the -zki suffix also a kind of mispronounciation? I am actually considering changing my surname from Brocki to Brodski, since it seems more accurate and is more pleasant to the ear, and I wanted to hear from a Polish speaker what the deal is with all these variations.

Depends. The pleasantry is in the ear of the beholder. :):)

Besides, in Polish, these two versions sound almost the same.


No. Brodzki originated from bród or brody and then it isn`t just -zki ending, but it must be -dzki.

No doubt about that, just my personal taste ^^


This is the reason the meaning is lost with Brocki, and I prefer for the name to still convey it. Thanks for the clarification.

Ok, but if you plan to use s instead of z, living in an English speaking country, you also need to put Y at the end. Brodsky.

Nah! That just makes it sound Jewish or Russian.
Stop trolling!

That was already stated before. Before you take voice, try to get acquainted with the content of the thread co your comments are foolish. :):)

Could you explain why Brodski(y) would seem specifically Russian? I was under the impression that any surname ending in -ski is a legitimate Polish form, although, of course, it could always be Russian/Ukrainian/Czech.

I am familiar with the habit of anglicizing -ski into -sky, since my uncle changed Brocki to Brodsky when he immigrated to America, as Americans are usually unfamiliar with Polish spelling. I do not live in an English-speaking country, but we are influenced by America and anglicize names in the same fashion. Still, spelling -sky seems to me a bit like a mish-mash of Eastern-European names and English spelling, although it all comes down to personal choice.

@Gutless
Because it's Russian Jewish. I hope your name isn't Josef.

Searching the Internet, it seems that Jewish people could be carrying all the possible variations: Brocki, Brodski, and Brodzki.


And why is that?

Iosif Brodsky was a known dissident in Soviet RuSSia times.


Interesting. I didn`t encounter so many variations of Jewish surnames.

:D Yes, I know the story, just wanted to make sure. Actually, my brother has been asked multiple times whether he was related to Iosif Brodsky.

@Gutless


the Brocki surname can originate from the town of Brok (on the lower run of the Bug river and... it is a small town) - the towns of the eastern parts of present day Poland were largely inhabited by Jews

Interesting. If you were able to find any information regarding this, please refer me to it, even if it is not in English; I will use Google Translate. Thanks!

@Gutless
Josef Brodsky. That would be same as named Fyodor Dostoevsky, ridiculous.

there is not so much to refer to, regarding Brok - it is a quite small place that was popular in the interwar period as a vacation destination (it's not far from Warsaw) - that and the fact that the 'of Brok' gets translated in Polish as 'brocki' (which is an adjective) and there are millions of Poles who carry surnames that were created on the same pattern and are basically adjectives

there is little info on Jewish citizens of Brok on the internet - this article is on the Jewish cemetery of Brok (but well: is it concise): pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cmentarz_%C5%BCydowski_w_Broku

@RussianAntiPutin
Joseph is an extremely common name. My uncle is named Joseph Brodsky, and my great grandfather was named Josef Brocki.


Thank you for the information. In light of this explanation, it would seem more probable that Brocki is derived directly from Brock, although some argue that Brocki could be a mispronounciation of Brodski. According to what I have gathered, Jewish surnames in Eastern Europe began at the beginning of the 19th century, which is not long ago. I am in the process of uncovering my family history via Ancestry.com, etc., but for now, I am only able to trace my Polish origins to Lodz. I hope I am able to clarify this down the road.


Brok, of course.

Brocki/Brocka is fairly common surname indigenous to the former German occupied areas of Pomerania and Kujawy-Pomerania in modern-day North West Poland. It translates to either of two words: Beard or Ford......So the original bearer was either bearded or they resided near a fjord.

In German maps, "Bydgoszcz" remains "Bromberg".

@Lyzko
In Google Maps Bydgoszcz is Bydgoszcz.

Well, finally:-)