Monthly Archives: June 2012

Theories about the Origin of the Name

Posted on June 30, 2012 by suwalkigermans

Early in my research I spent a lot of time pondering the origin of my family name—Spurgat. Here is a summary of four theories: Several scholars have studied German surnames and published their results. George F. Jones in German-American Names … Continue reading →

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A Bit of History

Posted on June 21, 2012 by suwalkigermans

A Bit of History  Because of the numerous governments that ruled the lands in which these people with –at names lived, historians, when writing about this area, have written about it from the viewpoint of the nation which they represent. … Continue reading →

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Onomastics

Posted on June 19, 2012 by suwalkigermans

Onomastics or onomatology is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names.[i] Those who specialize in onomastics concentrate on understanding the origins of names. The knowledge of several languages is essential to onomastics. The following … Continue reading →

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What’s in a Name?

Posted on June 7, 2012 by suwalkigermans

Shakespeare’s Juliet asks: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” We Germans from Suwalki might answer with a resounding, “Everything!” Early in my research I was so excited to … Continue reading →

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