But not all Latvians were peasants. Some were merchants, craftsmen and traders, and [...]]]> As I’ve mentioned before, most Latvians didn’t have surnames prior to the early 19th century. They were peasants, and until serfdom was abolished, surnames were not a necessity since they were tied to the land. It was only afterwards that surnames became necessary.

But not all Latvians were peasants. Some were merchants, craftsmen and traders, and lived in the cities. They acquired surnames much earlier. While many who aspired to greater social status assimilated to Baltic German culture and took on German names, some Latvian-language surnames do survive from this earlier time period, dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

These names are known to us through guild records, as mentioned by Kristaps Upelnieks in his 1936 book Uzvārdu došana Vidzemes un Kurzemes zemniekiem (The giving of surnames to peasants in Vidzeme and Kurzeme).

Among these early Latvian surnames (German renderings in brackets) are: Kāpostgalviņa (Kapustgallyn, “cabbage head”), Platkājis (Platkays, “the one with the wide leg/foot”), Kažokpoga (Kasockepoge, “(fur) coat button”), Kunkuls (Kunkull, “lump”) and Podkāja (Podekaje, “pot leg/foot”).

None of these names appear particularly flattering, and could reflect the societal biases of the time. Some of them are still in use today, though if it is unknown if their bearers are descended from the early bearers of these names, or whether their names were acquired separately at the time of emancipation from serfdom.

There are, however, worse names to have than “cabbage head” – but that’s for another week! Stay tuned!

This week I’m going to talk about compound surnames – that is, a surname formed from two words, rather than one. These are a relative rarity in Latvian surnames when it comes to names of Latvian language origin (German language origin compound surnames are more common when [...]]]> Welcome back to Surname Saturday on Discovering Latvian Roots!

This week I’m going to talk about compound surnames – that is, a surname formed from two words, rather than one. These are a relative rarity in Latvian surnames when it comes to names of Latvian language origin (German language origin compound surnames are more common when it comes to surnames held by Latvians). Some compound forms that are more common than others. On the other end of the spectrum, there are some that I have seen that make me think “Boy, do I want to know the story behind this one!”

The most common first elements in compound surnames that I’ve encountered are “jauns” and “vecs” – “young/new” and “old”, respectively. As name elements, they typically drop the terminal “s”. Names in this category include Jaunkalns (new hill – Liepupe, Limbaži), Jaunozoliņš (young oak [diminutive] – Suntaži), Veckalns (old hill – Limbaži, Stiene) and Vecvanags (old hawk – Vidriži). Based on the number of farm names that have similar elements, it is likely than many of these surnames originate from farm names. Additionally, as I mentioned in my post Importance of Farm Names, if two farms that are “Jaun-something” and “Vec-something” are close together, they could have common familial origins.

The most common second element I’ve seen is “kalns”, meaning “hill” or “mountain”. Being as Latvia’s tallest “mountain”, Gaiziņkalns, is only 312m above sea level, it does not qualify as a mountain according to most definitions I’ve found. As such, for Latvian names, I translate “kalns” as “hill”. Examples of this name element can be found in Baltaiskalns (white hill – Skrunda), Briežkalns (stag hill – Rūjiena), Rožukalns (rose hill – Bīriņi, Limbaži, Sēļi, Turaida) and Smilškalns (sand hill – Ķoņi, Valmiera).

Sometimes given names appear as part of compound names – the most common ones I have seen are Pēteris and Brencis. Examples: Jūspēteris (your Peter – Trikāta), Vecpēteris (old Peter – Jaunjelgava) and Tiltabrencis (Brencis from the bridge – Bilska).

Now to some of the more unusual ones, that really leave me wondering! Here we have Aizvakars (yesterday – Skaņkalne), Pelēkzirnis (grey pea – Mazsalaca) and Trīstiltiņš (three bridges [diminutive] – Katvari). But the one that I really want to know the story behind is Bezbiksis (Rīga). Unless I’m interpreting it incorrectly (though I’m not sure how else it could be interpreted!), this name would mean “one without pants”. My guess as to the story would be that he must have been late getting to the surname-assigning meeting in his parish and in his haste forgotten his trousers, and the estate lord would not let him forget this incident!

Do you have any unusual compound surnames to share, in any language? Or maybe a long Latvian name that you suspect might be a compound name that you would like to have looked at? Let me know in comments!

While not all obeyed this directive and chose German names (or had German names assigned to them [...]]]> When Latvian peasants were choosing surnames after emancipation from serfdom, they were strongly encouraged by the German and Russian rulers to choose names in their own language, and were forbidden to choose names of local nobles or famous people.

While not all obeyed this directive and chose German names (or had German names assigned to them by clerks), many did choose names from the Latvian language. Predictably, most of these names were drawn from elements important to the everyday life of peasants.

Which brings us to today’s Surname Saturday – Latvian surnames that have roots in food or food production! I’m going to tell a story of preparing dinner. Surnames I’ve come across appear in bold, the English translation and in what parish records I’ve seen them in brackets.

Before you can even start to prepare dinner, unless you are a Mednieks (hunter; Liepāja) or a Zvejnieks (fisherman; Skulte, Sece), you will need to pay a visit to the Miesnieks (butcher; Brenguļi). You should also thank the Arājs (ploughman; Sece) and Gaitnieks (farmhand; Lugaži) for the work they’ve done in the fields. And, of course, the Pavārs (cook; Kastrāne, Limbaži, Suntaži)!

Protein is important. At the moment, on the menu you will find Zaķis (rabbit; Limbaži, Kastrāne, Vidriži) and Līdaka (pike; Limbaži, Smiltene). I’m not sure how common Lasis (salmon; Bīriņi) was in Latvia in the nineteenth century, but you will find it on today’s menu. If you are a vegetarian, you will need to settle for an Oliņa (diminutive of egg; Lēdurga).

No meal is complete without grains. But what grain? You can have auzas (singular Auza, diminutive Auziņš – oats; Straupe, Limbaži, Suntaži), mieži (singular Miezis, diminutive Miezītis – barley; Limbaži, Suntaži, Vidriži) or rudzi (singular Rudzis, diminutive Rudzītis – rye; Lēdurga, Limbaži, Nabe, Sidgunda). From these grains we can make a Maizīte (diminutive of bread, refers to sandwich in modern Latvian; Sece, Lēdurga) or a Sausiņš (rusk; Limbaži).

You can’t forget the vegetables! Before the arrival of the Kartupelis (potato; Ikšķile) in Europe, the Rācenis (turnip; Limbaži, Rauna) was a staple peasant food. These can be supplemented with kāposti (singular Kāposts – cabbage; Aloja), sēnes (singular Sēne – mushroom; Trikāta) and zirņi (singular Zirnis – pea; Mangaļi). Maybe later you can also have some other saknes (singular Sakne – vegetable; Dunte).

Perhaps this all seems quite bland. Not to worry – spices to the rescue! Would you prefer Kanēlis (cinnamon; Limbaži), or perhaps Ķimenes (caraway; Skulte, Vidriži)? Or maybe just Ķiploks (garlic; Smiltene) would be to your taste?

What would dinner be without dessert? You could have an Auglis (fruit; Sece) like an Ābols (apple; Limbaži) or a Plūme (plum; Kastrāne, Lēdurga, Limbaži, Nabe). Other than just Cukurs (sugar; Trikāta, Vijciems), I’m afraid we’re limited in other saldumi (singular Saldums – sweet treat; Limbaži) at the moment.

To drink, unless you are a Vīndzērājs (wine drinker; Rīga), you will be drinking Ūdens (water; Lugaži) today.

When you’ve finished your meal, be sure to push in your Krēsliņš (diminutive of chair; Rauna) when you leave the Galdiņš (diminutive of table; Ludza).

I hope you enjoyed your time in this Latvian peasant kitchen, and I hope to see you again next Saturday when we talk about the local wildlife!

I have chosen this surname for two reasons – a person with this surname in my family tree is currently giving me trouble, and I happened across the definition of this word in my Latvian etymological dictionary while looking for something else.

The root of the word [...]]]> This edition of Surname Saturday is about the surname Kukurs.

I have chosen this surname for two reasons – a person with this surname in my family tree is currently giving me trouble, and I happened across the definition of this word in my Latvian etymological dictionary while looking for something else.

The root of the word “kukurs” is the verb “kukt”, meaning “to become crooked”. A “kukurs” is a “crooked back” or a “hard lump of earth”. It is likely that this was given as a nickname to someone with a hunched back, and the name later stuck as a surname. I haven’t seen many nicknames-turned-surnames in my work with Latvian names yet, so this was an interesting find.

Now, onto my ancestor – her name was Kristīne Kukurs. She married Jēkabs Šīrs sometime before 1899, and had my great-grandmother Lilija in Mangaļu parish, just north of Rīga. Kristīne and Jēkabs divorced in June of 1923 for reasons unknown. He died several months later, and she died in 1945. She had two brothers living at the time of her death, Andrejs Kukurs and Augusts Blaus. As to why this second brother has a different surname, I do not know yet. It is possible that he was adopted, or that he was from a different marriage than Kristīne and Andrejs.

I know her father’s name was Andrejs as well. Three separate documents tell me that she was born in Limbaži. Two of those documents (the 1935 census and the 1941 census) also tell me that she was born in 1872 (one also mentions the date – November 22). The third (a document where she is signing over ownership of a property to her daughter) does not mention a date of birth.

But she isn’t in the 1872 birth records for Limbaži. Or 1873. Or in the post-October 1872 or 1873 records for any of the parishes surrounding Limbaži. There is a mention of a Karlīne Kukurs born in Umurga parish (just to the east of Limbaži) in that time period, but the name of the father is different, so this could be a cousin. I’m currently looking in the surrounding years for Limbaži, and then I’ll move on to doing the same for the surrounding parishes.

Kukuri is also the name of a hamlet in southern Latvia, southeast of Auce, just a few kilometres from the Lithuanian border. I don’t believe this has any relation to my Kristīne Kukurs, since Limbaži is in the north of the country, but if I still see no sign of her in the Limbaži area, it is another location to consider.

For now, back to the record books! I will also be updating the Record Project and Surname Project this evening. Lots of new names added!

Marija Radziņa was born on November 16, 1856. I am not sure yet where she was born, but she married Pēteris Celmiņš sometime before 1878, when their first child was [...]]]> Today I’m featuring one of the new surnames I’ve discovered in my family tree – Radziņš (feminine form Radziņa, the surname of one of my great-great-grandmothers.

Marija Radziņa was born on November 16, 1856. I am not sure yet where she was born, but she married Pēteris Celmiņš sometime before 1878, when their first child was born. They lived in Stampvēveri, a farm in Vijciems parish in Valka region, in the northeast of Vidzeme province. They had six children that I’m aware of: Voldemārs, Jānis, Emma, Anna, Pēteris (my great-grandfather) and Elza.

This is not a surname I have seen anywhere else in my reading of church books, census records, revision lists or parish family registers, so it is probably a somewhat unusual name. It did not appear in the family register of 1875 for Vijciems parish, so she is probably from a neighbouring parish such as Trikāta.

As to the meaning of the name? “Radziņš” is the diminutive of “Rags”, which means “horn” or “cape”. So it is possible that her ancestors lived on a piece of land jutting out into a body of water, or that they worked with animals such as goats or deer.

Soon I’ll be able to get to work on going through the church records for the area to find out more about her family. However, first I have to arrange all the information I found out while I was in the archives – there is a lot of it!