Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 4:04 pm
Post subject: Paczkowski
Hello, I am doing research on my family genealogy and am trying to figure out the origins of Paczkowski. After moving to America, the family changed it to Pekowski so that it would be more 'Americanized'. Family tradition says that Paczkowski was a trade name and that our ancestors were 'packers'. Supporting this, I have found that that paczka essentially means parcel. However, I've also come across articles that suggest surnames that end in -ski usually mean they were location based. There is a town called Paczkow, so it seems that makes since as well.
So, does the surname Paczkowski indicate a trade or a location? Also, if my family tradition is correct, what exactly is a 'packer'?
Thanks for help!
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Magroski49PO Top Contributor & Patron
Joined: 10 Nov 2008
Replies: 1762
Location: Joao Pessoa - BrazilBack to top |
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 6:57 am
Post subject: Re: Paczkowski
Pekowski wrote: | Hello, I am doing research on my family genealogy and am trying to figure out the origins of Paczkowski. After moving to America, the family changed it to Pekowski so that it would be more 'Americanized'. Family tradition says that Paczkowski was a trade name and that our ancestors were 'packers'. Supporting this, I have found that that paczka essentially means parcel. However, I've also come across articles that suggest surnames that end in -ski usually mean they were location based. There is a town called Paczkow, so it seems that makes since as well.
So, does the surname Paczkowski indicate a trade or a location? Also, if my family tradition is correct, what exactly is a 'packer'?
Thanks for help! |
Hi,
http://www.stankiewicze.com/index.php?kat=44
http://www.polishroots.org/Research/SurnameSearch/Surnamesendings/tabid/118/Default.aspx
http://www.polishroots.org/Research/SurnameSearch/SurnameOrigins/tabid/117/Default.aspx
Gilberto
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 3:38 pm
Post subject:
Hi!
I'm very interested in your family as my paternal grandmother's father's surname was Patskoski.... or Pachkoske..... or Patzkoski! I have a feeling we may be talking about the same family. From what I have gathered (not much), John Toefel Patzkoski was in the Russian Army for four years (Connecticut Military Census, 1917) although he listed his ethnicity as Polish. At that time he was not an American citizen. He was supposedly born in Golub in 1866 and died in Wallingford, CT in 1935. He lived in the coal mining area of Plymouth/Wilkes-Barre when he first came to the US. According to the 1920 Federal Census he came to the US in 1892 and his wife in 1893. If any of this seems to connect with what you know about your family, please let me know and I can share more about what I know.... or don't know!
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 2:22 am
Post subject:
Magroski, thank you for those links! I haven't made it through all of them yet, but they seem to be confirming my suspicions. That is, the surname could indicate a trade, location or both!
Meg, the names are very similar. Unfortunately I do not know anything of the family before coming to America. What I do know is that my direct ancestor, Joseph Paczkowski came to America from Poland in 1903. He ended up settling in St. Louis, IL where his three siblings were already living. His brother (Frank) and two sisters (Julia and Antonia) all came to America prior to Joseph between 1888 and 1903. All that I know of their parents is that the father's name is either Frank or John and the mother is Mary. Records show that all four siblings interchangeably used Poland and Germany as their places of birth. That may throw some doubt on whether or not our families are related. From what I've read, Poland was split between Russia and Germany during the 19th century. If my ancestors were from the German side and yours fought for Russia, they likely came from different regions.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:33 pm
Post subject:
Thanks for the quick reply! Who knows, maybe in a few more years we'll find something that seems to link the families. But, at least we have this record of our conversation. If I ever turn up any more information about this family, I'll be sure to post it here.
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