Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2023 10:59 pm
Post subject: Liberski or Libera
I have been able to trace my lineage to my great great great grandfather. He lived in Poland in the early 1800s. My question is after that time my last name is listed as Liberski, but before that it was Libera. Any explanation to this change?
MikeP
Joined: 27 Apr 2020 Replies: 18 Location: Houston, Texas, USA
Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2023 11:25 pm
Post subject: Liberski or Libera
I checked William Hoffman's "Polish Surnames", 3rd edition for the surnames Liberski and Libera. They are discussed on Page 399. The stem Liber- is from the Latin word liber meaning "free" or from the German personal name Lieber meaning "dear one" or from a dialect term libera meaning "weakness, illness".
Where in partitioned Poland did your ancestor live? Liberski is probably a polonization of either the Latin surname Liber or the German surname Lieber.
Another information source is the Internet Dictionary of Polish Surnames https://nazwiska.ijp.pan.pl . It currently has 30,000 entries but does list Libera and Liberski.
Have you checked the Geneteka Website? What is happening in your ancestor's parish? Are all the Libera Families (with the help of the parish priest) suddenly changing their surname from Libera to Liberski?
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