Follow
The surname Jankowski (var. Jańkowski, Jankoski, ?Jąkowski al. Jonkowski)
There are several hypotheses as to the origin of surname Jankowski. One of them assumes that the surname was formed with the suffix -ski from a popular local name of the type Jankowo (Jańkowo al. Janikowo), Jankow, Jankowice (see "Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland", vol. III pp. 406-412, vol. XV 1 pp. 634-635). The surname may also be considered to have been formed with the suffix -owski from the diminutive Janek, which comes from the Hebrew language and originally meant 'Yahweh is gracious'. Such a case has already been noted in "Słownik staropolskich nazw osobowych" ("Dictionary of Old Polish Personal Names") (vol. (vol. II p. 421). There were also cases of creating a surname from a nickname (dicto), which became popular enough to be used as a surname (e.g. Ostaszewski dicto 'Janasik', in some later records spelled only Janasik without the surname Ostaszewski).
Here is an example of a list of names derived from the surname Jan (all of them can be found in Poland): Jana, Jano, Janu, Jany, Jań, Jania, Janio, Jani, Janich, Janach, Janoch, Janocha, Januch, Janiuch, Janesz (1789), Janasz (1764), Janiesz, Janisz, Janosz, Janosza, Janusz, Janusza, Jansz, Jansza, Janszo, Janus, Janos, Janas (from 1594r. ), Jansa, Janos, Janak, Janek (1280), Jank, Janka, Janko (1241), Janku, Jankula (1460), Janik (1560), Janiak, Janiek, Janiuk, Janyk, Jancz, Jancz, Jancz, Janczo, Janczy, Jancy, Janc, Janca, Janec, Janowiec, Janica, Janic, Janicz (1600), Janowicz (1534), Janiowicz, Janewicz, Janowski (1420), Janeta, Janot, Janota, Janta, Jańta, Janyst, Janel, Janiel, Janul, Janna, Janda (1700), Jando, Jandy, Jandzio, Janega, Janiga, Janyga, Janer, Janir, Janier, Janor, Janur, Janura, Janewa, Janów, Janiów, Janeba. Of course, it is possible to combine many different endings in one word, which greatly increases the possibility of creating surnames (Jankowski /from 1300r. - Jankowice Radomskie; 1348r. - Jankow Gniezno/, Janakowski /1700/, Janerka, Janeczek, Janasik - these are only some examples). Surnames derived from first names are usually so-called patronymics, i.e. names formed from the name of the father (from Gr. pater - father + onyma - name). Numerous suffixes indicate the descendant of someone with the name contained in the stem of the given name.
In the vicinity of Lomza is the village of Jankowo (parish of Nowogrod). In metric records it is often written as Jańkowo - hence Jańkowski al. Janikowski. In the middle of the 19th century they were usually recorded as Jankowski.
Powered by Max Jankowski | maxjot@interia.pl ________________________________________________ https://myjankowscy.blogspot.com/p/etymologia-nazwisk.html