Kirms ← Kirmes ← Kirmeß ← Çirmeş ← Čeremis (Mari people of the Volga Finns)

I have traced the Kirms family line from the 18th century (Kirms-Krackow-Haus in Weimar) back to Kirmeß/Kyrmeß in the 15th century (Altenburg/Thüringen) where a number of Kirmeß priests show up.

Pfarrer Johann Kirmeß (* c 1485 - † 1568) entitles himself "Ego, Joannes Ceremisius" in latin which means "I, Johannes of the Cheremis". The Cheremis (or Mari people) belong to the Volga Finns who traditionally lived along the Russian rivers Volga and Kama and are also known as Çirmeş (in Tatar), Čeremis (in Russian), Ceremissi (in Italian), Tscheremisse (in German).

Further hunting for possible Kyrmeß ancestors in the 14/15th century give apparent hits in Poland, Czechia, Hungary.

I suspect that the Kyrmeß´s may descend from Volga Finns that migrated eastward during the 13/14th century. The Teutonic Knights are engaged in warfare and crusades in Poland and Lithuania not long before the Kyrmeß start to show up in Altenburg. Could there be a link?

Anyone out there with some additional ideas?

Cheers

Hans

Ref: Johann Kirmeß, I