Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:47 pm
Post subject: Please help, any info or tips - Surname problems! (lol)
Hello. My name is Amy Wyrshyhora, I live in NY - USA. I have been very interested in my family's history from a very young age. The last few years I have began to work on my family tree. I literally, am beyond stuck and don't know what other routes to go with this last name of mine!! Literally, there are about 9 people in the whole United State of America with my last name, and its just myself, and the few people in my family.
What I do know, my great grandpa (ta) whos name was Paul P "Wyrshyhora" came to the US in March of 1919, and came through port of entry in Niagara Falls. Born on 11.14.1985. He came alone, to my knowledge, and there was never any speak of family member that also came over, and I do know he left siblings back home. I do have a LOT of letters, from my grandpa writing to his family back home, but I am yet to meet someone that can translate them for me. I know my great grandpas fathers name was Yoakim, in which Ive seen that spelled quite a few ways. I do have some of my great grandfathers original papers from him coming over.
So my last name. My grandpa always told me it means Large/Big - Mountain/Hill. Ive tried so hard to research that. I have found that there are different variations, but for the most part Hora/Gora (ending of my last name) is "Mountain or hill" and that the first half of my last name which also has diff variations, "velky/vershy" = large or big. But I know my name got changed when he came over. I have seen it written on his papers as Vershyhora, Verhyhora, Wershyhora, and then how I spell it - Wyrshyhora. There is literally no one else anywhere with the last name "Wyrshyhora" as it is spelled for my few family members in the US with this name. But I cant for the life of me figure out how it was originally spelled before he entered the USA. In my life, I have only met 2 people besides my grandpa that knew what my name meant, and could properly pronounce it just as my grandpa did! And they were both Slavic, and even told me the meaning. So, im hoping someone can help, or give me some pointers. =)
-And then, (sorry theres more) My great grandmothers surname - Pavelchak. I have found some cousins also in the USA that i was not aware of since I began my family tree journey, and we work together to try build. But we're a little stuck. We have seen it spelled Pavelchak, Pawelchak, Pavelczak, Pawelczak, Pavolchik. The family members we do have confirmed, came from (and I have so many spellings) Czarne/Cgarne/Czarnie/Czarny/Charnie. And then other places listed on different documents are Gorlice/Galatia/Austria/Poland/Europe. - So, sometimes my head is spinning!!
Sorry for such the long message! 
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Elzbieta PorteneuvePO Top Contributor
Joined: 09 Nov 2012
Replies: 3098
Location: Paris, FranceBack to top |
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 4:14 am
Post subject: Re: Please help, any info or tips - Surname problems! (lol)
| Amywish wrote: | Hello. My name is Amy Wyrshyhora, I live in NY - USA. I have been very interested in my family's history from a very young age. The last few years I have began to work on my family tree. I literally, am beyond stuck and don't know what other routes to go with this last name of mine!! Literally, there are about 9 people in the whole United State of America with my last name, and its just myself, and the few people in my family.
What I do know, my great grandpa (ta) whos name was Paul P "Wyrshyhora" came to the US in March of 1919, and came through port of entry in Niagara Falls. Born on 11.14.1985. He came alone, to my knowledge, and there was never any speak of family member that also came over, and I do know he left siblings back home. I do have a LOT of letters, from my grandpa writing to his family back home, but I am yet to meet someone that can translate them for me. I know my great grandpas fathers name was Yoakim, in which Ive seen that spelled quite a few ways. I do have some of my great grandfathers original papers from him coming over.
So my last name. My grandpa always told me it means Large/Big - Mountain/Hill. Ive tried so hard to research that. I have found that there are different variations, but for the most part Hora/Gora (ending of my last name) is "Mountain or hill" and that the first half of my last name which also has diff variations, "velky/vershy" = large or big. But I know my name got changed when he came over. I have seen it written on his papers as Vershyhora, Verhyhora, Wershyhora, and then how I spell it - Wyrshyhora. There is literally no one else anywhere with the last name "Wyrshyhora" as it is spelled for my few family members in the US with this name. But I cant for the life of me figure out how it was originally spelled before he entered the USA. In my life, I have only met 2 people besides my grandpa that knew what my name meant, and could properly pronounce it just as my grandpa did! And they were both Slavic, and even told me the meaning. So, im hoping someone can help, or give me some pointers. =)
-And then, (sorry theres more) My great grandmothers surname - Pavelchak. I have found some cousins also in the USA that i was not aware of since I began my family tree journey, and we work together to try build. But we're a little stuck. We have seen it spelled Pavelchak, Pawelchak, Pavelczak, Pawelczak, Pavolchik. The family members we do have confirmed, came from (and I have so many spellings) Czarne/Cgarne/Czarnie/Czarny/Charnie. And then other places listed on different documents are Gorlice/Galatia/Austria/Poland/Europe. - So, sometimes my head is spinning!!
Sorry for such the long message! |
Welcome Amy,
I think your family name is an outcome of transliterations between Cyrillic and Latin, including ear-recording on immigration to America – there is no reverse (unique reverse) between Latin and Cyrillic scripting of a Slavic name, alas.
The etymology in Polish is Wysoka Góra, and it’s exactly what your grandpa always told you: Large/Big - Mountain/Hill.
I am quite sure the name of your ancestors was not exactly two words “Wysoka Góra”, but rather a composition of this two words into one, like Wyszogóra, or alike.
When you write Wysoka Góra in Cyrillic, it makes: Высокая Гора.
When you write my example Wyszogóra in Cyrillic, you get Вышогора.
The reverse of Cyrillic “гора” is ambiguous, as the first letter may be “h” or “g” – that way we get to hora, the second part of your name Wyrshy-hora.
Today’s Google transliteration (using English based Romanization system) writes the first part: Vysho. In Polish we do not write V (it’s only used for foreign names), make it Wysho. Then add some ear-distortion, Wyrshy is close.
Your great grandpas fathers name was Yoakim – that is easy, Joachim in Polish. IMPORTANT: in Polish "j" does not spell like in English! "Y" in Yoakim is close.
If you want me to look on your old letters, please post it – no guarantee I can decipher, but I will try.
Your second name – Pavelchak – is straightforward in Polish: Pawelczak.
Re: Czarne/Cgarne/Czarnie/Czarny/Charnie. And then other places listed on different documents are Gorlice/Galatia/Austria/Poland/Europe.
Gorlice is a village in Galicia.
Galicia was in Austrian partition of Poland.
The adjective czarne/czarny/czarna (neutral/masculine/feminine) means black, you imagine easily a number of villages in Poland.
I have 2 candidates nearby Gorlice (within county Gorlice, one in community Uście Gorlickie, one in community Sękowa)
Czarne
pow. gorlicki
gmina Sękowa
Czarna
pow. gorlicki
gmina Uście Gorlickie
Google is your friend, see on google maps:
Gorlice, Poland
Czarne, Sękowa, Poland
Czarna, Uście Gorlickie, Poland
Best,
Elzbieta
==
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:45 am
Post subject:
Dear Amywish,
I've checked all your family names with main Polish etymological works, and special database given on www.herby.com.pl - here is my shot:
WERSZYGORA - derived from werszy, wierszy, wyzszy - higher, and gora - hill/mountain
This vey old surname vanished from Polish names in the 20th century, and cannot be found now in Poland
The different version could be WERSZYCHORA - and we can find in present-day Poland only 12 adults surnamed Werszychora.
PAWELCZAK (fully in Polish as Pawełczak - L has Polish grammar diacritical mark criossing the letter), noted in Poland from the year 1707, derived from the name Pawel - Paweł.
1426 Polish adults surnamed Pawełczak with the a/m database, and we can find them also in the town of Gorlice, SE Poland.
Do hope this helps a bit in your invaluable search,
Tad
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