Poles in America: How do you pronounce your Polish surname?

roughly (vowels like Spanish)

yah-goh-DOHFF-skee

if you go to google translate and put the name, then there's a recording you can play

translate.google.pl/?hl=pl&sl=pl&tl=en&text=Jagodowski&op=translate

Nope, I have no idea. What does it mean?

@mafketis
Thanks, I was wondering if it was being pronounced correctly. I'm always cautious of Google's pronunciation though. I've heard that sound can be off or the translation isn't accurate.

The sound there was close enough...

Jagodowski is most likely derived from jagoda (blueberry) though the cognate in most other slavic languages means strawberry

Awesome thank you mafketis! I'm thinking about changing my name back to Jagodowski. I wish they didn't change it in the first place.

to expand a bit, jagoda technically usually refers to bilberries (aka European blueberries) or even just 'berry'... but that's a minor quibble I thought I'd get in before anyone else can... (American blueberry is borówka)

Still I'm just assuming that's the origin...

I appreciate the info. I just realized my entire name roughly translates "to behold bitter blueberries". I am mildly entertained.

@Looker
@Dirk diggler

Thank you both. I shared this with my husband and he reminded me that he understood the name to mean newcomer in Polish which Google (so hard to know when to trust) tells me is przybyły with the same basic pronunciation. Now I know I can trust Google on this one and teach our children how to say it properly in the intended language.


Think of the chaos this would create for Genealogists!

"Przybyło" = "(Neuter-gendered noun, or Polish neuter pronoun "Ono") + arrived" (Example in sentence form: "Awokado przybyło")

Emphasis on 2nd-last syllable of individual Polish word, unless word is derived from non-Polish origin (Some Polish verb tense forms are also exceptions). In this particular word "Przybyło" the emphasized syllable of word is the 2nd vowel Y.

Polish letter Y always pronounced like English letter I and English Y in the words "With" and "Myth" (There is no double Polish YY, which would hypothetically be pronounced as a double-length vowel, and would therefore a 2-syllable sound). There's no "Silent Y" except words of non-Polish origin.

Polish letters B & P pronounced identical to English B & P (except unlike double English consonants BB & PP, double Polish consonants BB & PP are pronounced twice in quick succession, as letters B & P are individually pronounced as "non-continuous" consonants. Also, when spelled within certain Polish consonant clusters, Polish B pronounced as Polish P, and Polish P pronounced as Polish B...although original spellings remain unchanged). There's no "Silent B" nor "Silent P" except words of non-Polish origin.

Polish RZ (and also Polish letter Ż) pronounced like French letter J in "Bonjour"...but Polish RZ pronounced like Polish SZ a.k.a. English SH when spelled immediately before or immediately after individual or clustered Polish consonants C, CZ, Ć, F, H, K, P, S, SZ, Ś, and T...hence Polish PRZ pronounced like Polish PSZ a.k.a. English PSH...and Polish RZP / ŻP pronounced like Polish SZP a.k.a. English SHP (Original spellings remain unchanged).

(Polish Ż, when spelled within certain Polish consonant clusters, is pronounced like Polish SZ when ONLY immediately before individual or clustered Polish consonants C, CZ, Ć, F, H, K, P, S, SZ, Ś, and T...Polish B also pronounced like Polish P when spelled immediately before those same individual or clustered...Original spellings remain unchanged).

(Polish PŻ pronounced like Polish BŻ / BRZ, and Polish SZŻ pronounced like double Polish RZRZ / ŻŻ...Double RZRZ / ŻŻ is pronounced as slightly lengthened version of singular RZ / Ż, as RZ / Ż are individually pronounced as "continuous" consonants...Polish SZB pronounced like Polish RZB / ŻB...Original spellings remain unchanged).

(Both RZ and Ż pronounced like SZ when spelled in last-letter position. Also, Polish B pronounced like Polish P when spelled in last-letter position...That rule applies, if the word is spoken all by itself, or is last spoken word in sequence, or if the next spoken word in sequence begins with Polish individual consonants C, CZ, Ć, F, H, K, P, S, SZ, Ś, or T before 1st vowel...or if next spoken word begins with certain Polish consonant clusters before 1st vowel. Original spellings remain unchanged).

Polish letter Ł always pronounced like English W in the word "With" (except "Silent Ł" is when Ł is spelled between consonants, and "Silent Ł" when "Consonant + Ł" spelled in last-letter position. Double ŁŁ is pronounced as slightly lengthened version of singular Ł, as letter Ł is individually pronounced as a "continuous" consonant).

Polish O always pronounced somewhat halfway point between English pronunciations (if American/Canadian-Anglophone accent) of the vowels in the words "Toll" and "Tall". Double Polish OO pronounced as a double-length vowel, and therefore a 2-syllable sound. There's no "Silent O" except words of non-Polish origin.