PolishOrigins Forum

 FAQFAQ    SearchSearch    MemberlistMemberlist    ProfileProfile    Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages    Log inLog in    RegisterRegister 
Author
Message
Tina



Joined: 21 Apr 2012
Replies: 22

Back to top
Post Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:00 pm      Post subject:
Reply with quote

I have always wondered about my great-grandparents' surnames.

My great-grandfather was Jan Ignatz Iskirka (or Iskierka). I believe this means "Little Spark" -- so I guess it
would be a "characteristics" surname -- maybe it originated with someone who was cheerful
and sprightly? It doesn't seem to be a very common Polish name.

My great-grandmother Clara's surname was Malgraff - she was from Prussian-occupied Poland, as was Jan, and
according to my aunt, she had a heavy German accent. Is Malgraff a Polish name? I've never been able to
find out anything about it.

Any ideas would be most appreciated!
View user's profile
Send private message
Slav
PolishOrigins Team


Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Replies: 172
Location: Warsaw, Poland

Back to top
Post Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:20 am      Post subject:
Reply with quote

Hello Tina,

I believe that you have already received some answers in this thread: http://polishorigins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1343
I can only confirm that iskierka does mean “little spark” as opposed to iskra which means “spark”, and Malgraff is of German origin indeed. And Malgraff does not feature in the Polish surnames database Moikrewni, which is ultimately based on the official PESEL database as of the year 2000-2002.

You may wish to add Iskierka to the Surnames section of your Profile so that someone interested in the same surname can find you.

Click here http://polishorigins.com/databases/index?s=Iskierka to check what can be found about your surname on websites dealing specifically with genealogy PolishOrigins Databases tool.

Have you made any progress since your last post in May?
View user's profile
Send private message
Slav
PolishOrigins Team


Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Replies: 172
Location: Warsaw, Poland

Back to top
Post Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:37 am      Post subject: Malgraff - Margraf
Reply with quote

Actually, thanks to the PolishOrigins Databases tool
I found some information on a Polish genealogy website:
http://www.stankiewicze.com/index.php?kat=44&sub=812

A possible variant of Malgraff is Margraff, which means "ruler of a March", a Margrave - see a Wikipedia entry at http://tinyurl.com/bq5dhb6
View user's profile
Send private message
Tina



Joined: 21 Apr 2012
Replies: 22

Back to top
Post Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 5:48 pm      Post subject:
Reply with quote

Thank you so much for this information Slav, and the links. I was particularly happy to find the origin of the surname Malgraff, which in our family was sometimes referred to as Malgrave, very close to the explanation "margrave." The Malgraffs also came from Pomerania, which is an area that has a "march" or borderland.
With appreciation, Tina.
View user's profile
Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    PolishOrigins Forum Index -> Origins of surnames All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Powered by phpBB ©

© 2009-2024 COPYRIGHTS BY THE OWNER OF POLISHORIGINS.COM