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Archiveswhere is this last name from? and what does it mean?
i am having a lot of trouble with this. my name was changed when my dad came to the US, and i am looking for the background of the original name, "Berestjaner", and he does not pronounce the j when he says it. his family is from eastern europe but i really do not know where this name is from exactly, because they did a lot of traveling i think. if anybody could even just give me a country that this may be from, that would help me...
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This is a really interesting name for me, mainly because I suspect that there are several languages at work. There's a lot of guesswork involved, so take nothing for granted.
I'm pretty sure, that this is the same as the Slavic name Berestiansky, which is either Ukrainian or Bielorussian, or both. This surname derives from a place-name who's form I can't reconstruct, but which certainly incorporates the Slavic word for a birch tree.
The -er ending shows that this form developed in a German- or Yiddish-speaking community. My guess is Yiddish.
Then there's the letter j, not to be expected for a y sound in a Yiddish name. It's possible that this spelling appears under the influence of the Polish language. The whole surname seems to reflect your ancestor's "lot of travelling." But remember, most of this is speculation.
I'm pretty sure, that this is the same as the Slavic name Berestiansky, which is either Ukrainian or Bielorussian, or both. This surname derives from a place-name who's form I can't reconstruct, but which certainly incorporates the Slavic word for a birch tree.
The -er ending shows that this form developed in a German- or Yiddish-speaking community. My guess is Yiddish.
Then there's the letter j, not to be expected for a y sound in a Yiddish name. It's possible that this spelling appears under the influence of the Polish language. The whole surname seems to reflect your ancestor's "lot of travelling." But remember, most of this is speculation.
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thank you so much... what about this one?
wow that's great... thanks so much!!
do you know anything about the name "Atran"? that's my mom's maiden name. i hope it wasn't americanized at ellis island. her family i believe was also from eastern europe but i am not entirely sure.
again, thank you very much for your help.
wow that's great... thanks so much!!
do you know anything about the name "Atran"? that's my mom's maiden name. i hope it wasn't americanized at ellis island. her family i believe was also from eastern europe but i am not entirely sure.
again, thank you very much for your help.
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