Abramczyk (surname)
Encyclopedia
Abramczyk is a Polish Jewish and Polish
surname
. It is a patronymic surname
derived from the Hebrew name 'Abram
.'
This surname was given in about 18th century to the Mizrahi Jews
from Ottoman Empire
who came to Poland around 1550 with a small group of Turkish
Sephardi Jews
during the time period of the Turkic peoples'
, Karaites'
and Armenians'
migrations to Central Europe
. Instead of Arabic 'Ibrahim
', the Mizrahi Jews were given the 'Abram' version of this name as the purest and original. Therefore, the 'Abramczyk' surname is defined as coming from the Polish Jews of Arab
origin and is an evidence of the Semitic ancestry of its owner.
The ending 'czyk' signifies "son of" which results in the meaning: "the son of Abram", "little Abram" or "Abram junior". In case of the ethnic minorities in Poland
, this suffix
was in fact more commonly given to Jews from the Arab countries living in Poland, while for example such suffixes as 'ski' or 'wicz' were more often seen in the Ashkenazi Jewish
or Polish Armenian
surnames.
After the Mizrahim have settled on the territories of Poland, they have gradually blended with the Ashkenazi culture for example by mixed marriages.
This is why the surname is not only known in Hebrew, but also had its version in Yiddish. The Central and Eastern European Jews saw Mizrahi as Sephardim and did not distinct their separate culture. However, after about few generations, the Mizrahim, lost in their identity and the pressure of great Ashkenazi majority around them, were easy to convert. As a result, many of them were baptized
and became the Roman Catholic neophytes. According to the sources, their surnames were left unchanged, because they already contained a Polish suffix. Letting the surnames consist of a Semitic name was a sign of Polish tolerance to the Jewish ethnicity, which could be commemorated in a form of surname. The suffix criterion was not fulfilled in case of some typical German Ashkenazic surnames like for example those with the endings 'man' or 'stein'. Having a Polish-sounding surname was an important condition to become a full member of a Polish Christian society.
Nowadays many owners of 'Abramczyk' surname are usually adapted for being the Poles, although there are many of them still conscious of their roots. The surname is actually most common in Poland
, but also appears in other countries like Israel
, France
, United States
, Canada
, Belarus
, Germany
, Argentina
and Brasil.
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
. It is a patronymic surname
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
derived from the Hebrew name 'Abram
Abram (name)
Abram is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning exalted father. In the Bible it was the original name of the person later known as Abraham, the patriarch.- People with the given name Abram :...
.'
This surname was given in about 18th century to the Mizrahi Jews
Mizrahi Jews
Mizrahi Jews or Mizrahiyim, , also referred to as Adot HaMizrach are Jews descended from the Jewish communities of the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus...
from Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
who came to Poland around 1550 with a small group of Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
during the time period of the Turkic peoples'
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
, Karaites'
Crimean Karaites
The Crimean Karaites , also known as Karaim and Qarays, are a community of ethnic Turkic adherents of Karaite Judaism in Eastern Europe...
and Armenians'
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
migrations to Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
. Instead of Arabic 'Ibrahim
Ibrahim (name)
Ibrahim is the Arabic name of the prophet and patriarch Abraham. It is a common first name throughout the Muslim world.-Given name:*Ibrahim I , Ottoman sultan*Ibrahim I of Shirvan, a ruler of Shirvan from the Derbendid dynasty 1382-1417...
', the Mizrahi Jews were given the 'Abram' version of this name as the purest and original. Therefore, the 'Abramczyk' surname is defined as coming from the Polish Jews of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
origin and is an evidence of the Semitic ancestry of its owner.
The ending 'czyk' signifies "son of" which results in the meaning: "the son of Abram", "little Abram" or "Abram junior". In case of the ethnic minorities in Poland
Ethnic minorities in Poland
96.7% of the people of Poland claim Polish nationality, and 97.8% declare that they speak Polish at home . The population of Poland became one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world as a result of the radically altered borders after World War II and the subsequent migrations...
, this suffix
Family name affixes
Family name affixes are a clue for family name etymology and can sometimes determine the ethnic origin of a person. This is a partial list of affixes.-Prefixes:* A- "son of"* Ab - "son of"...
was in fact more commonly given to Jews from the Arab countries living in Poland, while for example such suffixes as 'ski' or 'wicz' were more often seen in the Ashkenazi Jewish
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
or Polish Armenian
Armenians in Poland
Armenians in Poland have an important and historical presence going back to the 14th century. According to the Polish census of 2002, there are 1,082 self-identifying Armenians in Poland,, although Armenian-oriented sources cite estimates as high as 92,000....
surnames.
After the Mizrahim have settled on the territories of Poland, they have gradually blended with the Ashkenazi culture for example by mixed marriages.
This is why the surname is not only known in Hebrew, but also had its version in Yiddish. The Central and Eastern European Jews saw Mizrahi as Sephardim and did not distinct their separate culture. However, after about few generations, the Mizrahim, lost in their identity and the pressure of great Ashkenazi majority around them, were easy to convert. As a result, many of them were baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and became the Roman Catholic neophytes. According to the sources, their surnames were left unchanged, because they already contained a Polish suffix. Letting the surnames consist of a Semitic name was a sign of Polish tolerance to the Jewish ethnicity, which could be commemorated in a form of surname. The suffix criterion was not fulfilled in case of some typical German Ashkenazic surnames like for example those with the endings 'man' or 'stein'. Having a Polish-sounding surname was an important condition to become a full member of a Polish Christian society.
Nowadays many owners of 'Abramczyk' surname are usually adapted for being the Poles, although there are many of them still conscious of their roots. The surname is actually most common in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, but also appears in other countries like Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Brasil.
List of persons with the surname
- Mikoła Abramchyk (1903–1970), Belarusian politician
- Rüdiger AbramczikRüdiger AbramczikRüdiger Abramczik is a former German football player and coach, best known for his ability to cross the ball ....
(born 1956), German football player and a coach - Volker AbramczikVolker AbramczikVolker Abramczik is a former German football player. The younger brother of German international Rüdiger Abramczik played during his career exclusively for sides based in the Ruhr Area....
(born 1964), German football player - Rabbi Noam Abramchik, American Rabbi, the director of a NCSY chapter of Jewish Learning Centre