Forum | PolishOrigins :: View topic - surnames Figura, Gall, Petin

Author

Message

rfacianagump

Joined: 14 Aug 2011
Replies: 11

Back to top

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:25 am Post subject: surnames Figura, Gall, Petin

Hi there,

I've been looking, but can't seem to find too much regarding some of my surnames. I've basically found that Figura translates to a figure shape, Gall can be French origin and Petin seems a mystery! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Renee

Slav
PolishOrigins Team

Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Replies: 172
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Back to top

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 6:25 am Post subject: Origins of the surname Figura

Hi Renee

It has been a year since you posted your question but you may still find this useful.

Besides being a surname, Figura is actually a common noun in Polish meaning “figure, person”.

According to a map of Polish surnames ( https://nazwiska-polskie.pl ), there were 5327 people with the name Figura. See https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/Figura

The highest concentration of this surname is in Zywiec county, the city of Radom, the neighboring Lipsko county as well as the counties of Oswiecim, Jaworzno and Limanowa in southern Poland.

You can click here http://polishorigins.com/databases/index?s=figura and http://polishorigins.com/databases/index?s=chojnowska to check what can be found about your surname in the PolishOrigins Databases tool.

I believe that you are already familiar with the PolishOrigins Surnames Database and PolishOrigins Places Database which enables you to find other people interested in a given surname or place.

There is a famous Polish actress Kasia Figura:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarzyna_Figura
Would you fancy being related to her? Very Happy

Slav
PolishOrigins Team

Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Replies: 172
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Back to top

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 6:55 am Post subject: Gall and Petin

As regards Gall or Gal, it has several possible origins:

- from Latin first name Gallus, known in Poland since 12th century
- from Gall meaning “Frenchman”
- from an archaic word galic, “to put a ball in play, to serve, favor”

Here you can see the distribution of the surname Gal in Poland circa the year 2000:
https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/Gal (790 people)

and of the Gall variant: https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/Gall (283 people)

Petin seems to be of French origin and is very rare in Poland:

https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/Petin

Please let us know if you need further assistance.

Regards,

Slav

rfacianagump

Joined: 14 Aug 2011
Replies: 11

Back to top

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 7:45 am Post subject: Thank you

Hi Slav, thanks so much! It certainly is still helpful! I have a lot of ancestry information on my Figura side, but the Gall side is still a mystery to my family. We know they got to Chicago but can't find any details as to where they originally came from in Poland.
Have a good day!

Zenon
PolishOrigins Team Leader

Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1532
Location: Poland
Back to top

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 4:46 am Post subject:

Renee,

Have you seen the members of PO interested in Gal surname:?: Click here: http://polishorigins.com/surnames/search/string/gal . I think that Polish spelling of the surname would be Gal with one "l" at the end.

When a few years ago we visited Odrowąż in Podhale region with Shellie in the church books there were many Gals, and some of them were Shellie's ancestors. There were also Figuras. What is equally interesting most of the people living in Odrowąż now still have families in Chicago.

Click here to see 'Shellie’s Family History and Tour to Ancestral Places' http://blog.polishorigins.com/category/shellies-tour/ (or start from the first installment here: http://blog.polishorigins.com/2009/06/11/shellies-family-history-and-tour-to-ancestral-places/ )

You may also find interesting Odrowąż thread here: http://forum.polishorigins.com/viewtopic.php?t=381 .

PolishOrigins Forum