Polish Jewish Names


 

Polish Jewish Names

The earliest historically confirmed news about the region, which today is the State of Poland, dates back to the 10th century. At that time, and maybe already two centuries earlier, Jews came to Poland from Ukraine, from the Khazarian Empire — between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea — and the Byzantium Empire.

The emigration from Germany, especially from Franconia and the Rhine area, and from Bohemia — which took place from the 11th century — influ­enced the language and the people's names.

The Jews brought along, to Poland, the German language of that time, as well as the community organization typical of the German ones. The Yiddish language, still existing, was a combination of German dialect and Hebrew words.

The Jews were engaged in this area in trade and money business, the trigger of the setting up of a local economy.

The oldest Jewish communities in Poland in the 13th and 14th centuries were: Plozk, Kalisch, Krakau, Lemberg, Posnan and Sandomierz. Posnan was an important place where Jewish names have their origin: Flatau (Flatow in Polish), Kempner (Kempo in Polish, in some cases also from Kempen in the Rhine area), Witkower or Witkowski (Witkow), Pinner (Pniewy), Graetz (Grodinsk), Schoken (Shoki), Posner or Posener (Posnanski), Lissauer or Lissa (Leszno), Gollantsch (Gollancz), Sammter and Birnbaum. The names Konitz (Chosnice in Polish) and Tuchel or Tuchola (Tucholsky) came from West Prussia.

For the many back and forth Jewish migrations occurring in Poland, the Jewish names did not last long enough to take roots, except for the names derived from places, and as a result, there are no typical Polish names from that time.

With the Reconquista in Spain, starting from 1492, a minority of Sephardim — with a different approach to religion and Hebraic traditions ­ migrate to Poland, where up to then the Jews were numbered only among

Text Box: 78the Aschkenasim. Sephardim family names are for example Esperanza, Belmonte, Cordova and Abravanel.

Despite continuous harassment of groups and individuals, what can be called the Jewish Polish culture developed considerably from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

A religious-mystic movement based on the cabbala and Chassidism (from Chassid = religious) developed beside a rich public literature.

The messianic movement of the pseudo-Messiah Sabbatai Zevi in Turk­ish Smyrna called the Sabbatian sect was founded in 1626 and was fol­lowed by many eastern Jews, especially in Poland as far as the 18th century, up to the French revolution.

At that time, the social order in Poland was very reactionary: great land­owners reigned over millions of serfs. The Jews lived in between. The re­stricted middle class hated the Jews. The Cossack and peasant revolt of 1648, led by Bogdan Chmielnicki, resulted in a succession of massacres of Jewish communities in Ukraine and Eastern Poland. In 1658, having been caught between warring Russians and Poles, 700 Jewish communities were destroyed.

Because of the political partition of Poland in 1772—1795, many of the Polish Jews, although living in the same area and because of previous par­titions, were by that time under the protection of other nations. Those who lived under the power of Prussia or Austria remained in these main coun­tries and partially moved to the border areas of the Empire: to Moldavia, Hungary and Bulgaria.

Only in Russia, they could not scatter around as elsewhere because the Tsar permitted them to remain strictly in “the Jewish Pale of settlement”, between Poland — White Russia — Ukraine, and this from 1772 to about 1900.

The splitting of Poland enabled Catherine II of Russia to incorporate the largest part of the Eastern Slavic orthodox population in Podolia, Volhynia, White Ruthenia as well as the Dukedom of Courland, where some Jewish communities had settled.

Text Box: 79At the end of the 18th century, Jews were again persecuted in Poland and had to escape partly back to Germany or Austria.

As a result of those many partitions, for the Polish Jews, we can speak of “motionless emigration” when, for example, Galicia went to Austria and Posnan to Prussia.

The frequently German-sounding names of Polish Jews are because of the changing allocation of Polish provinces to Prussia and Austria. There were often imposed German names to Jews (cfr. the Prussian naming Act dated 11 March 1812 and Chapter 4 on Austria). The Ashkenazim were most willing to accept these changing names. This explains the frequently preferred German names in the Aschkenasism in Germany, Alsace, Po­land, Austria and Russia. On the contrary, the Sephardim were more linked to their original names.

The following names originating from the Polish part were taken over in Russia: Russ/Russo/Rousseau (Russia), Ukrainczik (Ukraine), Litwak (Lithuania), Pollack/ Pollatschek/ Pohl, Menuhin (Menachem), Heifetz, Tobalsky (Tobolsk), Dubno(w) = oak, Sloninsky (Slon = elephant).

Prof. L. Glesinger mentions the following local names: Alkus, Dan ziger, Dobrin, Dubowsky, Janower, Kalisch, Kolisch, Lasker, Lubliner, Mazur, Pianko, Pinsker, Pinsky, Ribalow, Ridker, Schmukler, Szmurklerz, Tarno­grod, Wallack, Wallach, Wloch, Warschauer, Warszawski, Wilner, Zamosc and Zeleznikov.

Text Box: 80Geographic names (place-names)

Begar, the son of a rabbi, when it is a Sephardi name, then it originates from the word

"sea-behar" in Arabic.

Bernick from the town Berniki.

Blashki from Blaszki.

Bloch originates from Vlach or Veloch (the foreigner), was Germanised to "Bloch".

Bromberg today Bydgoszcz.

Brostoff from Brzostowica.

Burstein from Bursztyn.

Calisch or Kalisck or Kalisz, from Chomsky/Chomsk near Pinsk.

Cornfeld or Kornfeld.

Dissen or Dzisna, from Dubow (Eichenwald).

Gravier from Grajewo.

Kaluzna from Kaluszyn, Kolodny from Kolodno, Kossowsky from Kossow.

Kovarsly from .Kowarsk, Kutner f. Kutno, Kutoff f. Kuty, Kwileski from Kwilez.

Lagover f. Lagov, Lenoff f. Leniew, Lowitz from Lowicz, and Lysagora (Berggipfel).

Malevo from Malevsky, Manishen from Maniusin, Mankovsky from Mankowsze.

Mazur from Mazowsze, Melnick from Mielnik, Mellitz from Mielec.

Metchik from Mieczyk, Mosak from Mozak.

Naymark from Naymark.

Ostrow in Poland and later in Russia, Ozarovsky from Ozarov.

Pelovsky from Pilawa, Pianko from Pianki, Pilch from Pilica, Pinchofsky from

Pinchovsky

Piser from Peisern, Pollok means native of Poland.

Radzik from Radziki, Ratner from Ratno, Ridker from Rutka.

Rothenberg from the town of, Rovner from Rowin.

Samter from Szamortuly, Sarna from Sarna, Savitzky from Sawicze.

Schwartzberg is in Poland, Silberberg in Silesia and Poland, Sladovsky is a town.

Sloninsky from Slonin (Slon also elephant), Steiner from Kamien.

Tartakover from Tartak, Tichtin from Tykocin.

Turbin from Turbin, Turowitz from Turowicze.

Warte from Wartele.

Zaretsky from Zaretky.

Text Box: 81Trade and occupational names in Poland

Bedwinek    as itinerant or agent.

Bukzpan      Buxbaum, as wood worker or carver.

Bulka          The baker who makes small rolls.

Cherniak     "The black fish".

Dekovnik       A person who makes thatched roofs.

Dratwa        Wire string for shoes and boots.

Emale         From "Emalja", a dealer of enamel ware.

Forman          Furmann too, a carter.

Galinsky      A dealer of the best quality of wheat.

Garber/Gerber Is a tanner in Yiddish, Garbonsky too.

Gutmacher    Is a hatter.

Imber          A ginger dealer.

Kotlar          From "Kotlary", the copper kitchen ware.

Kovarsky     A smith or a metal worker.

Kra(e)tchmer   An inn owner in Poland = "kretchme". Krachmann too.

Kushner      A furrier.

Ligorner      From Lugarniarz, a bleacher of cotton.

Lopata/Lopatnik       A shovel worker. Lopatov too.

Meltz (er)    Form Mielcarc, and Malz is the owner and the name of a

brewer.

Naparstek   Is a thimble.

Patinkin       From "Patinka", ladies slipper or shoemaker.

Prochownik Powder maker or pharmacist.

Reifmann    From"Reifen", as Raif or wine cellar man.

Robalow      A fish dealer.

Rubenchick A cabinet maker or carpenter.

Schrift         A type-setter.

Text Box: 82Shandalov  "Shandal" is the son of the shingler.

Sklar          A glass maker.

Skora         Someone working with "leather".

Tabachnik   A salesman of snuff.

Talesnich    From "talisnich", a manufacturer of prayer-book.

Targownik  Is a dealer.

Taxin/Taksen    Is a tax-collector.

Toporek      Is a hatchet (for workers).

Tygel          Is a melting pot.

Vigoda/Wigodar From "Wigoda"= tavern or inn-keeper. Wigodney too.

Winokur     A distiller of brandy.

Zelemikov   An iron dealer.

Zupnick      A government official responsible for salt-works.

 

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