Message: "Looking for Baronkiewicz and Hoffman"

Looking for Baronkiewicz and Hoffman

by Baronkiewicz (guest)

11/9/2006, 6:45 PM

In the family line that I am researching I have an old family photo taken in either Poland or Germany around 1877. On the back of the photo list the names of the family members and a note about one Adam Baronkiewicz who took the name of Hoffman when he arrived in America around 1893. The Hoffman name is belived to be the maidan name of Josephine, his wife. Census records indicate that Josephine was born in Posan (Poznan), a city in Poland which was ruled by Germany until after WWI. Any information anyone can provide on this name would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Patti

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- The LP (arrowhead909)

11/11/2006, 5:32 PM

I'd like to add that "hoff" is German for "hope". It's probably not where the surname came from, though.

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- Sean Foglai (guest) +3

11/9/2006, 7:44 PM

I concur with Mar's link ...I'd only add that I think all 'Hoffman's' come from "hoof" + "man" whereas hoof designates a farm with animals.

By the way, the Baronkiewicz looks like a Slavic version of Baron which you can find info on at: http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/fact.aspx?&fid=10&fn=&ln=Baron

The suffix is definitely a diminutive denoting "son of" of "little" or some such relation. There may be a middle syllable that means something, but I'm not sure. Perhaps one of posters with more knowledge of Slavic names might chime in ...

- Patti Nilson (guest) +2

11/11/2006, 7:52 AM

I was told by a friend that Baron in Poland is an aristicratic name/title, but she wasn't sure of the translation in English. I have been unsucessful locating this name on various websites, including this site, which does only gives me possible variations of the name. Thanks for your assistance.

- Sean Foglai (guest)

11/11/2006, 8:08 PM

Actually on the contrary, one site I visited about 'baron' in a name said that it likely meant that they worked for a baron whereas actual barons had names reflective of their lineage.

- asz

11/11/2006, 2:14 PM

I guess that Polish baron = English baron, as this title is not Polish. The word was borrowed (from English? French?) and I'm not sure if the title had been used in Poland.
I found only one site where the name is listed. Maybe it could be helpful.
Greetings from Poland!
http://www.benkazez.com/dan/crarg/przedborz.php

This message was edited 11/11/2006, 2:18 PM

- Mar (X-Mar)

11/9/2006, 7:08 PM

Hoffman

Hoffman is probably a variant of Hoffmann:
http://surnames.behindthename.com/php/search.php?type=n&terms=hoffmann

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