Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: My last name

  1. #1
    Новичок
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    1
    Rep Power
    0

    My last name

    My paternal grandfather was raised in Germany before coming to the US in 1907. His father was Russian and mother German. He changed his last name to Gerhardt in 1923, long before I was born. For many years I had no idea Gerhardt was not my father's original name. He told me it was Gilefski, or at least I am spelling it the way it sounded. It was an uncomfortable subject to speak to my father about, so this is about all I could get out of him. Is there a different spelling than the way I spelled it. I desperately want to search for family in Germany, but unless I can find his name correctly spelled, I don't think it will ever happen. Can someone help me!

  2. #2
    Завсегдатай Scorpio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Moscow, Russia
    Posts
    1,505
    Rep Power
    16
    Probably, original name was "Gilevsky" ("Гилевский"?).
    For me it sounds more like Polish name (but it may be Russian as well).
    Кр. -- сестр. тал.

  3. #3
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    612
    Rep Power
    14
    yeah, it sounds Polish to me too. It'd be spelt "Gilewski" (although "Gilefski" would be acceptable too, since Polish last anmes are often not correct when it comes to spellings)
    but I guess it could be russian, too.

  4. #4
    Увлечённый спикер
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    62
    Rep Power
    13

    Gilefski

    I agree that it could be either a Russian or a Polish name. I remember a good friend of mine whose a native of Poland (I live in New Britain, CT (where many Polish immigrants first settle upon arriving in the USA)) telling me that Polish and Russian are very similar and that if you understand one, you will be able to understand the other. I think that it could be Гилефский instead of Гилевский. в does make the ф sound when unstressed (like at the end of a syllable or word). ф always makes the ф sound, and I believe that I have seen ф at the end of words and syllables. Best of luck in tracing your ancestry! I assume it is a Russian name since you said he was Russian.

  5. #5
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Posts
    541
    Rep Power
    13
    "В" can be heard as "Ф" quite often. For example: ВСЕ can be heard as ФСЕ.

    If he was Russian, spelling would be Гилевский, but right he could be Polish, or polish guy who grew up in Russian surrounding, that's why he believed he was Russian. He could be Ukranian, specially west ukranian, and he could be jewish, Russian Jewish I mean.
    DO NOT READ MY SIGNATURE!

  6. #6
    Почтенный гражданин
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Матун-Чарлстон, Иллинойс.
    Posts
    332
    Rep Power
    13
    I am now glad to have the last name Reynolds. Nothing special about it.
    And I don't have family in Europe until back to the sixteen hundreds, woot for my family tree. So much easier.
    I come to represent and carve my name within your chest.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary