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Hi all,
I'm asking here for help in finding out the meaning of the surname "Miedecke". Although I've researched it, I can find no information at all, so I'm hoping that somebody on this board can help.
The name is either Danish or Polish, according to who you ask. It's also very, very rare, which doesn't help much!
Any help greatly appreciated!
I'm asking here for help in finding out the meaning of the surname "Miedecke". Although I've researched it, I can find no information at all, so I'm hoping that somebody on this board can help.
The name is either Danish or Polish, according to who you ask. It's also very, very rare, which doesn't help much!
Any help greatly appreciated!
1
Replies
Not Danish or Polish but German. It appears to be Sorbian, i.e., originating among the Slavic speakers of Eastern Germany. It looks like one of several versions of the same name, others being Miedeck and Mietheck. There is a discussion in German of Miedecke here -
http://www.onomastik.com/forum/post-4508.html
Three or four possible meanings are mentioned, but the respondent favours a version of the Sorbian given name Mjeto, explained as "Martin".
I notice the similarity of Mietheck to the Polish Mietek, which is a diminutive of an old Slavic name, Mieczyslaw.
http://www.onomastik.com/forum/post-4508.html
Three or four possible meanings are mentioned, but the respondent favours a version of the Sorbian given name Mjeto, explained as "Martin".
I notice the similarity of Mietheck to the Polish Mietek, which is a diminutive of an old Slavic name, Mieczyslaw.
1
or maybe from mied - honey in some slavic languages? there is a famillt Miedownik - means honey cake in Polish
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Perhaps so, I found a Polish surname Miedek, which is very like Miedecke.
1
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your response. I've just looked at the website you linked and ironically, the Brigit Tiffert who's posted about "Miedecke" is a relative from Germany (her mum's maiden name is Miedecke)- every "Miedecke" in the world is related! She must be making better progress in Europe than I am here in Australia with tracing the surname.
My German is terrible. Do you mean that the name is just the Sorbian version of "Martin", as in the given name? Are Sorbian names common, do you know?
Thanks again for your help.
-Irene
Thanks for your response. I've just looked at the website you linked and ironically, the Brigit Tiffert who's posted about "Miedecke" is a relative from Germany (her mum's maiden name is Miedecke)- every "Miedecke" in the world is related! She must be making better progress in Europe than I am here in Australia with tracing the surname.
My German is terrible. Do you mean that the name is just the Sorbian version of "Martin", as in the given name? Are Sorbian names common, do you know?
Thanks again for your help.
-Irene
1
My German is probably worse than yours, virtually zero, but it seems from that posting that Mjeto is the Sorbian for Martin. To me it looks more like a diminutive, or, to be honest, not like Martin at all. I've tried googling Martin and Mjeto together and got one other website that says Mjeto = Martin. I can't find anything on the web which deals with Sorbian names and their meaning.
Have you thought of putting a Miedecke page on genforum, where interested parties can exchange information? I should also mention, as you live in Australia, this website -
http://www.wendishheritage.org.au/
Wendish is another name for Sorbian, less politically correct, but still used it seems. There is a list of names on there but Miedecke is not among them, so it may be that your forebears didn't start their migration to Oz from Sorb territory.
Finally, I should point out a mistake in my last posting. I wrote a name as Mietheck when it should have been Miethke.
Have you thought of putting a Miedecke page on genforum, where interested parties can exchange information? I should also mention, as you live in Australia, this website -
http://www.wendishheritage.org.au/
Wendish is another name for Sorbian, less politically correct, but still used it seems. There is a list of names on there but Miedecke is not among them, so it may be that your forebears didn't start their migration to Oz from Sorb territory.
Finally, I should point out a mistake in my last posting. I wrote a name as Mietheck when it should have been Miethke.
1
Ok, thanks very much for your help, Jim.
Cheers!
Cheers!
1