Rakiej Family In Lithuania

You can find parish books records (if they were Catholics): http://www.epaveldas.lt/paieska?p_p_id=searchresultsportlet_WAR_sea...

They weren't Lithuanians may be Poles may be Belorussians.

Thanks for that website. i think they are Lithuanians because we thought they were from Vilna, Russia. But there is no such city, instead they were thinking of Vilnius, Lithuania.

Mikey,

I think what Rasa meant was that they weren't ethnic Lithuanians, but Slavs, and probably Polish (I've seen that name before among a few Poles here in Chicago).

Also, Wilno/Wilna were names for Vilnius in Polish and Yiddish. It was at several points in history a predominately Polish-speaking city, with a large Jewish population. Before Lithuanian re-acquisition of independence from Russia in 1918, "Vilna, Russia" would have been a natural and correct way of referring to the city by immigrants to the US.

Hope that's not unhelpful.

--David

Rakiej sounds like Lithuanian surename Rakauskas (for man), Rakauskienė (for women),
Rakauskaitė (for unmaried woman). It is very popular Lithuanian Surename.
Spielewski sounds like Polish surename.

It could be Rakutis (Rakiej) also.

Hallo,
Are we relatives?

Persons with Rakiej surname are living in Poland nowdays. I think that Rakauskas isn't Rakiej.

The only reason i think they are from Lithuania is because this lady in a chat page said this:

"ou do know that Vilna is Vilnius, Lithuania.
http://www.jewishgen.org/communities/loctown.asp
Vilna, Vilnia, Vilnius, Vil’no, Vil’nyus, Wilna, Wilno capital of a political entity "

https://www.ancestry.com/boards/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=22846&amp...

https://www.radzima.net/pl/gmina/mejszagola.html do you know this? There Poles whose ancestors were from Vilna are looking for their relatives. I think it must be usefull.

My Rakiej surname was thought to be Polish with my Grandfather Andrew Rakiej entering the United States early 1900s. It was then changed to a Rakiey. If anyone has information I would appreciate it. One cousin in Poland said name came from Vilna area.

Hi Denise,
Surname Rakiej can have its root from Lithuanian surname Rakauskas which is common in nowaday Lithuania. Vilna is Polish version of Lithuanian capital city Vilnius.

Kestutis,
Thank you for the origins of the Rakiej family name. Is it possible to trace the Rakiej name from Poland to Lithuania? And the time period when the Name developed.
Thank you,
Denise
.
.